StrongLifts 5×5 — Workout B, Session 8 (Monday June 15)
SL5×5 Workout B Session 8: Squat 85 lb, OHP 65 lb, Deadlift 115 lb with warm-up, form cues, video demos, scaling table, and next-session preview.
Monday brings Workout B, the squat-overhead press-deadlift combination at the heart of the StrongLifts 5×5 program. 1 Session 8 lands every lift at a new personal best: 85 lb squat, 65 lb overhead press, and 115 lb deadlift — each up 5 lb from Session 7.
Today's session at a glance
| Lift | Sets × Reps | Target weight |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 5 × 5 | 85 lb |
| Overhead Press | 5 × 5 | 65 lb |
| Deadlift | 1 × 5 | 115 lb |
Rest ~3 minutes between work sets. If any set felt like a grind, push that to 5 minutes. 1
Warm-up (5 min)
Before touching the bar, run through a dynamic warm-up to wake up hips, shoulders, and thoracic spine — all three are called on hard today. Kaleigh Cohen's 5-minute sequence covers every joint you'll need.
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Barbell warm-up note: once you're moving, start each lift with two sets of 5 reps at the empty bar (45 lb) before stepping through your ramp-up sets. No rest between warm-up sets — the weight is light enough to keep moving. 1
Squat — 5 × 5 @ 85 lb
The squat opens every StrongLifts session because it demands the most technically and physically. Your legs are freshest right now. 1
Warm-up ramp
| Set | Weight | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 |
| 2 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 |
| 3 | 65 lb | 5 |
| Work sets (×5) | 85 lb | 5 |
Form cues
- Bar position (low-bar): rest the bar across the rear deltoids, not the traps — lower shelf, more hip drive
- Hip hinge to start: push hips back first, then bend knees; keep shins close to vertical
- Knees track toes: shove knees out in line with your pinky toes throughout the descent
- Break parallel: hip crease must drop below the top of the knee at the bottom — no high squats
- Drive through the floor: think "push the floor away" on the way up, squeezing glutes at lockout
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Overhead press — 5 × 5 @ 65 lb
After squats, the OHP gives your legs a breather while your upper body takes over. At 65 lb, you're now pressing a loaded bar — core bracing and shoulder-path discipline matter more than ever. 1
Warm-up ramp
| Set | Weight | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 |
| 2 | 45 lb (empty bar) | 5 |
| 3 | 55 lb | 5 |
| Work sets (×5) | 65 lb | 5 |
Form cues
- Grip just outside shoulder-width: wrists neutral, bar sitting in the heel of the palm, not fingertips
- Squeeze glutes and brace abs before the press: treat this like a vertical plank — full-body tension prevents lower-back arch
- Bar clears the face, then shifts back over the ears: move your chin back as the bar passes, then drive your head through once it's overhead
- Elbows slightly in front of the bar at the start position: not flared out wide — this protects the shoulder joint
- Lock out completely: arms straight, bar stacked over the midfoot at the top of every rep
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Deadlift — 1 × 5 @ 115 lb
The deadlift is one heavy working set, preceded by ramp-up sets that get progressively heavier. Unlike the squat and OHP, you're not doing 5 identical sets — you're building to a single set of 5 at 115 lb. 1
Warm-up ramp
| Set | Weight | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 lb | 5 |
| 2 | 95 lb | 5 |
| Work set (×1) | 115 lb | 5 |
Start the deadlift ramp higher than you would for squat — the bar needs to sit on the floor, so a minimum of ~65 lb is required to get the standard bar height.
Form cues (5-step setup)
- Stance hip-width, toes turned out slightly: stand so the bar is over mid-foot (roughly 1 inch from shins)
- Hinge to grip: push hips back, bend knees until shins touch the bar — don't squat down to it
- Chest up, lats tight: big breath, brace the core, pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets
- Feel the weight in your hands before pulling: take the slack out of the bar; feel the load get heavy before the plates leave the floor
- Drag the bar up your legs: keep it in contact with your shins and thighs all the way to lockout; squeeze glutes hard at the top
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3-level scaling
StrongLifts 5×5 is a self-scaling program — you start light and add weight each session based on what you actually completed. The table below maps today's session to where you are in the progression. 1
| Level | Squat | Overhead press | Deadlift | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (weeks 1–4) | 45–65 lb | 45–55 lb | 65–95 lb | Follow program as written; add 5 lb every session; miss a rep → repeat same weight next time |
| Intermediate (weeks 5–12, ~this session) | 65–115 lb | 55–75 lb | 95–145 lb | Continue linear progression; use 2.5 lb micro-plates when OHP stalls (upper-body presses plateau earlier); rest 3–5 min between sets |
| Advanced (post-linear, ~3–6 months in) | 115 lb+ | 75 lb+ | 145 lb+ | Transition to Madcow 5×5 weekly periodization when adding weight every session is no longer possible; deload 10% and rebuild if you miss the same weight 3 sessions in a row |
Progression rule for today: if you complete all five reps on all five sets of each lift, add 5 lb to each exercise next session (Workout A, Session 9). If one lift falls short, repeat that weight next time — each exercise progresses independently. 1
Cool-down (7 min)
After the deadlift, your hips, hamstrings, and upper back all need attention. MadFit's 7-minute full-body stretch routine covers the exact muscles you just loaded.
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Next session: Workout A, Session 9 (Wednesday)
Wednesday returns to Workout A: Squat 5×5, Bench Press 5×5, Barbell Row 5×5. Target weights step up 5 lb across the board — Squat 90 lb, Bench Press 70 lb, Row 90 lb — assuming you hit all reps today.
Cover photo by Ardit Mbrati via Pexels
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