It's not that weird; Stronglifts (SL aka 5x5) and Starting Strength (SS aka 3x5) both utilize progressive overload to stimulate gains.

Progressive overload works. Those programs "work".

They are just out of vogue for beginners, and they are both targeted towards beginners.

5x5 and 3x5 are out of vogue for lots of reasons but it largely boils down to:

* Not enough volume

* Non-periodized

That first bit means different things at different phases of a lifting "career". But generally speaking "time under tension" and research into effective rep ranges has changed modern thinking on set sizes and volume.

These days people, including World's Strongest Men, tend to recommend higher rep ranges for beginners and those coming back to the gym to build work capacity and reduce risk of injury.

Hardly anybody would recommend 5x5 these days for anyone, much less beginners.

Well outside of demonstrations and contacting our reps in congress the next opportunity for the public to weigh in is the 2026 midterms.

This is such a monumental shitshow. Am I allowed to say that here?

Shitshow.