2026/6/25 · 6:16
Friday, June 27 â ðïž StrongLifts 5Ã5 · Workout A, Session 10
Complete execution guide for Workout A Session 10 â Squat 5Ã5 @ 95 lb, Bench Press 5Ã5 @ 75 lb, Barbell Row 5Ã5 @ 95 lb. Includes warm-up set ramp tables per lift, Alan Thrall form tutorial embeds for all three movements, 3-tier beginner/intermediate/advanced scaling, MadFit cool-down, progressive overload milestone explainer, and a preview of Saturday's Hal Higdon Week 6 Day 3 run.
| Date | Friday, June 27 |
| Program | StrongLifts 5Ã5 |
| Session | Workout A â #10 |
| Squat | 5Ã5 @ 95 lb |
| Bench Press | 5Ã5 @ 75 lb |
| Barbell Row | 5Ã5 @ 95 lb |
| Est. time | ~50â60 min |
Session 10 is a quiet milestone. Double digits on the log means roughly five weeks of consistent progressive loading â and 95 lb on the squat is real weight. Thursday's easy 2.0-mile run is in the legs, so the warm-up matters more today than it did two sessions ago. 1
What you'll need
- Barbell (standard 45 lb Olympic bar)
- Weight plates â 25s, 10s, 5s, and 2.5s
- Squat rack / power rack with adjustable safety bars
- Flat bench (for Bench Press)
- Open floor space for Barbell Rows
- Collars â always
- Time: 50â60 minutes total (warm-up sets included)
Dynamic warm-up (5 min)
Before touching the bar, run through Kaleigh Cohen's 5-minute dynamic sequence. It hits hip flexors, glutes, thoracic spine, and wrists â exactly the joints that take load across all three of today's lifts. 2
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No rest between movements. By the final drill your hips should feel open and your upper back should have a light pump. That's the cue to load the bar.
Warm-up sets
StrongLifts protocol: start every lift with an empty bar, add load progressively, and move straight from one warm-up set to the next â no rest between them, because the weight is too light to require it. 1 The whole ramp takes about 5 minutes per lift.
"Don't go to the gym, load the bar with 200 lb and Squat it for 5Ã5. Start with two sets of five reps with the empty bar. Then do several heavier warm-up sets of five reps until you reach your work weight." â Mehdi, StrongLifts 1
The tables below are calculated per the StrongLifts protocol (~20â25 lb jumps per step). The StrongLifts app computes exact values automatically â if you're using it, follow the app; if not, these are accurate approximations. 1
Squat warm-up â working weight: 95 lb
| Set | Weight | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 | none |
| 2 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 | none |
| 3 | 65 lb | 5 | none |
| 4 | 85 lb | 5 | none |
| Work sets (Ã5) | 95 lb | 5 | ~3 min |
Bench Press warm-up â working weight: 75 lb
| Set | Weight | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 | none |
| 2 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 | none |
| 3 | 65 lb | 5 | none |
| Work sets (Ã5) | 75 lb | 5 | ~3 min |
Barbell Row warm-up â working weight: 95 lb
| Set | Weight | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 lb | 5 | none |
| 2 | 85 lb | 5 | none |
| Work sets (Ã5) | 95 lb | 5 | ~3 min |
Row warm-up starts at 65 lb (needs plates to clear the floor â can't start from empty bar). Adjust to your gym's smallest available increment if 65 lb isn't achievable.
Main sets
1 â Squat · 5Ã5 @ 95 lb
Sets: 5 | Reps per set: 5 | Rest between sets: ~3 min
Squats go first because they're technically the most demanding and the most fatiguing. Mehdi's reasoning is direct: "Squats are the hardest exercise. They're technically challenging, physically hard and mentally tough. That's why we do them first." 1
Key form cues for 95 lb:
- Bar on the shelf of your upper traps (low-bar position), not on your neck
- Feet shoulder-width, toes out 30â45°
- Break at hips and knees simultaneously â sit back and down
- Hit parallel (hip crease below top of knee) every rep
- Drive through the whole foot on the way up; don't let heels rise
- Keep your chest up and lower back in neutral â no rounding at the bottom
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Alan Thrall's low-bar squat tutorial covers bar position, depth, stance, and common errors. 3 At 95 lb you have enough weight to feel where technique breaks down â use the first two working sets as a diagnostic, and consciously correct in sets 3â5.
2 â Bench Press · 5Ã5 @ 75 lb
Sets: 5 | Reps per set: 5 | Rest between sets: ~3 min
Key form cues for 75 lb:
- Feet flat on the floor, slight arch in lower back, shoulder blades pulled back and down into the bench
- Grip just outside shoulder-width; wrists straight
- Bar path: lower to lower chest (not directly below the collar), press back toward the rack in a slight diagonal
- Elbows 45â75° from your torso â not flared to 90°, not tucked to your ribs
- Full range: bar touches chest on each rep, arms fully locked at the top
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Alan Thrall's bench tutorial breaks down grip, foot position, back tension, and bar path. 4 If you don't have a spotter today, set the safety pins one notch below chest height before you unrack.
3 â Barbell Row · 5Ã5 @ 95 lb
Sets: 5 | Reps per set: 5 | Rest between sets: ~3 min
Key form cues for 95 lb:
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is roughly 45° (or more horizontal) â not an upright cable-row posture
- Bar starts on the floor each rep (dead-stop rows), not bounced
- Pull the bar to your lower sternum / upper abdomen â not your chest, not your waist
- Lead with your elbows, not your hands; squeeze shoulder blades at the top
- Lower under control â don't drop the bar
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Alan Thrall's barbell row tutorial covers stance, hip hinge angle, pull path, and the common mistake of letting the torso rise to meet the bar. 5 At 95 lb, torso angle tends to creep upward as fatigue sets in â stay conscious of keeping your hinge position consistent across all five sets.
3-level scaling
| Level | Squat | Bench Press | Barbell Row | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 65â75 lb | 45â55 lb | 65â75 lb | Start lighter, own the form before adding load |
| Intermediate | 95 lb (as written) | 75 lb (as written) | 95 lb (as written) | Standard Session 10 prescription |
| Advanced | 115â135 lb | 95â115 lb | 115â135 lb | Lifters who started heavier or are on a faster cycle |
Beginner note: if any set breaks down technically before rep 5, drop 10 lb and stay at that weight for one more session before progressing. 1 StrongLifts recommends starting lighter rather than heavier precisely because the early weeks are about building the movement pattern, not testing maximum load.
Cool-down (5â7 min)
After three compound movements, hips, hamstrings, chest, lats, and lower back all need attention. MadFit's 5-minute full-body cool-down covers the main groups with a stretching and flexibility focus. 6
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Hold each position a full 2â3 seconds longer than feels strictly necessary. Saturday's run (2.75 miles) is tomorrow â mobility work today pays off at mile 2 tomorrow.
Progressive overload and what comes next
Session 10 follows the same rule as every session before it: if you hit all 25 reps (5Ã5) on all three lifts, add 5 lb to each bar next time. That's it. The 5-lb jump feels trivially small â that's the point. Nicole Kowalski DPT explains why consistent small increments outperform big jumps in the long run, and what actually happens in your muscles when load increases progressively. 7
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If you miss any reps today, stay at the same weights next session. Missed reps twice in a row on the same lift trigger a deload: drop that lift 10% and build back up. 1
Session 10 â Session 11 progression (assuming all reps completed today):
| Lift | Today | Next Workout A |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 95 lb | 100 lb |
| Bench Press | 75 lb | 80 lb |
| Barbell Row | 95 lb | 100 lb |
Next session: Saturday, June 28 â ð Hal Higdon Novice 5K · Week 6, Day 3
Tomorrow is Week 6's final run: 2.75 miles easy. Same distance as Tuesday, same Talk Test effort. Two days after today's squats and rows, your posterior chain will have some fatigue in it â go at the conservative end of easy pace and don't push the distance. Week 6 wraps with a 55-minute walk on Sunday.
Cover photo: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels
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- 1StrongLifts 5Ã5 Workout Program: Quick Start Guide
- 2Kaleigh Cohen Strength: 5 Minute Dynamic Warm Up for Strength Training
- 3Alan Thrall: How To Squat: Low Bar
- 4Alan Thrall: How to Bench Press
- 5Alan Thrall: How To Barbell Row
- 6MadFit: 5 Min Full Body Cool Down Stretches (Recovery & Flexibility)
- 7Nicole Kowalski DPT: Progressive Overload Explained: The Only Way to Actually Get Stronger
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