Friday Strength — StrongLifts 5×5 Workout A, Session 7
Today's session is Workout A of the StrongLifts 5×5 program: Back Squat 5×5 @ 75 lb, Bench Press 5×5 @ 60 lb, and Barbell Row 5×5 @ 80 lb — all up 5 lb from the last Workout A on May 29. The article covers a 5-minute pre-session dynamic warm-up (Kaleigh Cohen video embed), barbell ramp-up protocol with a worked example, form cues and official video demos for all three lifts (Alan Thrall low-bar squat, StrongLifts bench press, StrongLifts row technique), a full-body cool-down (MadFit video embed), a 3-level scaling table, the week's schedule, and a preview of Saturday's run and Sunday's yoga.
Today's session is Workout A: Back Squat, Bench Press, and Barbell Row — all 5 sets of 5 reps, all moving up 5 lb from the last Workout A on May 29. 1
The weights today are 75 / 60 / 80 lb. Still very manageable — which is exactly the point at this stage. StrongLifts founder Mehdi Hadim says starting light isn't a waste; it's what allows "The 5×5 workout" — a program "that's been around for more than 65 years" — to keep adding weight session after session without grinding you down. 1 The discipline is consistent +5 lb progressions, not going heavy on day one.
Use today to lock in bar path, breathing, and depth before the loads get heavy enough to cover up form errors.
Session specs
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program | StrongLifts 5×5 — Workout A, Session 7 1 |
| Lifts | Back Squat · Bench Press · Barbell Row |
| Sets × reps | 5×5 (straight sets across — same weight every set) |
| Rest between sets | 3 minutes (1–2 min if a set felt easy; up to 5 min if a set was a grind) |
| Warm-up | Empty bar ramp sets before each lift's work weight |
| Today's weights | Squat 75 lb / Bench Press 60 lb / Barbell Row 80 lb |
| Last Workout A (May 29) | Squat 65 lb / Bench Press 55 lb / Barbell Row 75 lb |
| Equipment | Barbell + plates, squat rack, flat bench |
Pre-session warm-up (~5 min)
Before touching the barbell, spend five minutes opening up your hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders. Cold muscles produce shorter ranges of motion — you'll hit squat depth more easily and bench with less shoulder impingement if you warm up first. 2
Kaleigh Cohen's 5-minute bodyweight warm-up (5:41, 1.3M views) is designed specifically for strength and cardio training, requires no equipment, and moves through full-body dynamic patterns:
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Kaleigh Cohen Strength — 5 Minute Dynamic Warm Up for Strength Training, 5:41 (1.3M views). 2
Run through the full routine before your first barbell warm-up set. By the end, your heart rate should be slightly elevated and your hips loose — the right state to load the bar.
Barbell warm-up sets
For each lift, start with the empty 45 lb bar and ramp up to your work weight in short sets of 5, with no rest between warm-up sets. 3 This primes the specific movement pattern and nervous system for that lift. Example ramp for today's Squat (75 lb work weight):
| Set | Weight | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up 1 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 |
| Warm-up 2 | 45 lb | 5 |
| Warm-up 3 | 55 lb | 5 |
| Warm-up 4 | 65 lb | 3 |
| Work sets 1–5 | 75 lb | 5 each |
Repeat the same ramp approach for Bench Press (work weight 60 lb) and Barbell Row (work weight 80 lb) before each lift's work sets.
Main lifts
Back squat — 5×5 @ 75 lb
The squat is first because it's the most demanding movement in the session. All 5 sets use 75 lb (the 45 lb bar + 30 lb of plates total), each set of 5 reps with 3 minutes of rest between sets. 1
For StrongLifts, the prescribed style is the low bar back squat — bar resting across the rear deltoids (the muscles at the back of the shoulder) rather than on top of the traps. This position loads the posterior chain (hamstrings and glutes) more heavily and lets most lifters move more weight safely. Alan Thrall's 18-minute breakdown covers bar position, depth, knee tracking, grip, and hip drive in detail:
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Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength) — How To Squat: Low Bar, 18:18 (1.36M views). 4
Three cues to carry into today's sets:
- Depth: squat until your hip crease is at or below the top of your knee — "parallel" is the minimum. At 75 lb this is very achievable without back rounding.
- Knees: push them out over your toes as you descend. Letting them cave inward is both a strength leak and a knee-health issue.
- Hip drive out of the hole: when you reverse direction at the bottom, think "drive hips up" rather than "push knees back." This keeps the bar over your midfoot and your back angle consistent.
Bench press — 5×5 @ 60 lb
Bench press is second. All 5 sets use 60 lb (the 45 lb bar + 15 lb of plates total), with 3 minutes of rest between sets. 1
The StrongLifts official demo covers the full setup — retracted shoulder blades, flat feet, wrist position, and the controlled descent-to-chest followed by a strong press:
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StrongLifts (Mehdi Hadim) — How To Bench Press: StrongLifts Shows Proper Bench Form, 4:39 (210K views). 5
Three cues to use today:
- Shoulder blades pinched back and down: before you unrack, retract your shoulder blades (pull them toward your spine and squeeze them down). This creates a stable base and protects the shoulder joint.
- Bar touches the chest: lower the bar under control until it touches your lower chest — don't bounce it. A half-rep here means half-training the muscle.
- Feet flat and leg drive: keep your feet flat on the floor. Some leg drive through the feet into the floor is legal and helps you stay tight — just keep your butt on the bench.
Barbell row — 5×5 @ 80 lb
Barbell row closes the session. All 5 sets use 80 lb, with 3 minutes of rest between sets. 1
In the barbell row you pull the bar from the floor (or just above it) to your lower chest/upper abdomen while bent over at roughly 45 degrees. The StrongLifts official technique clip is brief — 17 seconds of form in motion — but it shows exactly where the bar should land and how the torso should stay stable:
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StrongLifts — Barbell Row Technique (Member Tom), 0:17 (1.27M views). 6
Three cues:
- Hip hinge, not squat: the row starts with a hip hinge (push hips back, torso tips forward) — not a knee bend. Your torso angle sets the range of motion.
- Pull to your belly button or lower chest: the bar should contact somewhere between your belly button and the bottom of your sternum (breastbone). If the bar tracks to your upper chest, your elbows are too high.
- Control the descent: don't just drop the bar back to the floor. Lower it deliberately — that eccentric phase (muscle lengthening under load) is part of the training stimulus.
Cool-down (~7 min)
After three compound lifts, your lats (the broad back muscles used in the row), pecs (chest muscles trained in the bench), and legs need a few minutes of static stretching. Skipping the cool-down leaves you stiffer for Saturday's run and Sunday's yoga. 7
MadFit's full-body cool-down (7:05, 5.8M views) hits the major groups trained today — no equipment, floor-based, easy to follow:
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MadFit — 5 MIN FULL BODY COOL DOWN STRETCHES (Recovery & Flexibility), 7:05 (5.8M views). 7
Hold each stretch for 20–30 seconds. Don't force range of motion — breathe into the stretch and let the muscle release gradually.
Scaling
| Level | Warm-up | Work sets | Rest | If a set is missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Full dynamic warm-up + empty bar ramps | 5×5 at prescribed weight; reduce weight by 10 lb if 5×5 can't be completed | 3 min (extend to 5 min on hard sets) | Repeat same weight next session — do not increase until all 5 sets of 5 are completed |
| Intermediate | Dynamic warm-up + barbell ramps | 5×5 at prescribed weight | 3 min standard | Same deload rule — only progress when 5×5 is fully completed |
| Advanced | Abbreviated warm-up (2–3 ramp sets) | 5×5 at prescribed weight with strict tempo; pause 1 second at the bottom of squat and bench | 3 min (shorten to 2 min once weights feel comfortable) | Same deload rule applies; also review form video before next session |
Week schedule
| Day | Session | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Jun 1 | Strength: Workout B — Squat 70 lb / OHP 55 lb / Deadlift 105 lb | ✅ Done |
| Tuesday, Jun 2 | Run: Hal Higdon Week 3 Day 1 — 2.0 miles | ✅ Done |
| Thursday, Jun 4 | Run: Hal Higdon Week 3 Day 2 — 1.5 miles | ✅ Done |
| Friday, Jun 5 | Strength: Workout A — Squat 75 lb / Bench 60 lb / Row 80 lb | ← Today |
| Saturday, Jun 6 | Run: Hal Higdon Week 3 Day 3 — 2.0 miles | — |
| Sunday, Jun 7 | Yoga: WITNESS Day 20 + Walk 40 min | — |
Coming up
Saturday, Jun 6 — Run: Week 3 Day 3 (2.0 miles)
The week's longest run. Same conversational pace as Tuesday — Talk Test applies throughout. Full session writeup tomorrow.
Sunday, Jun 7 — Yoga: WITNESS Day 20
Yoga With Adriene's Wake Up | 10 Minute Morning Yoga — a gentle 10-minute morning flow to ease joints and reset after the week's running and lifting load. 8
References
- 1StrongLifts — 5×5 Workout Program Quick Start Guide
stronglifts.com
- 2
- 3StrongLifts Support — Warm-up Calculator
support.stronglifts.com
- 4Alan Thrall — How To Squat: Low Bar
youtube.com
- 5StrongLifts — How To Bench Press
youtube.com
- 6StrongLifts — Barbell Row Technique
youtube.com
- 7
- 8
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