Seems not many of you know about what goes on beyond muscle building when you grow bigger and stronger.
The same way people believe that a 165lbs guy can't bench 400. Which is completely untrue.
When you train for strength and mass, you use weights your muscles are not used to handle, causing them to adapt to the overload. However, your bones and joints also adapt. Not at the same rate of course, but they still do.
For the average trainee, one of the limitations that occur as you try to increase your max lifts is how heavy the weight feels. Your body is telling you that you can't hold on to that much weight. Your nervous system is overloaded, your joints are aching and your bones feel like they can't support the weight. These are things you can work on.
Instead of doing 5x5 all the time, think that 5x5 is extremely basic. Does it work? For a while, of course. But there's ALOT more to strength training than just that.
Exercises you can do to develop joint strength and bone density
Board presses
Squat lockouts/High box squats
Rack pulls
Farmer's walk (or yoke walk)
Slow and heavy eccentric movements
Along with some others that aren't as popular.
Why those exercises?
Board presses focus on the part of the bench press motion that can handle the most weight. The upper half (assuming you actually train correctly and use full range of motion all the time).
Squat lockouts are when you unrack the bar and complete the very last part of the squat movement. To do this, you place the bar slightly lower than usual when it's racked. Place yourself properly and unrack it several times or hold it up for several seconds. High box squats are what they are...squats with a high box.
Rack pulls focus the strongest part of the deadlift(or what SHOULD be the strongest. If you're weaker that way then no wonder your deadlift sucks ass), the upper half, again.
Farmer's walk allows you to walk around with nearly your 1RM deadlift (sometimes more, depending on your grip strength). Yoke walk allows you to walk around with more than your squat or DL 1RM. Those 2 exercises are IIIINNNNNSAAAAAANNNNNNNNEEEEEEE leg builders for the bone density, core stability, leg joints, etc. And I mean...fucking insane.
Slow, heavy eccentric movements basically let you use more weight than you can lift. You need a spotter for those, but they're worth it.
Being able to use more than your 1RM gives your CNS, bones and joints a feel of heavier weights. Doing those on a regular basis will increase their strength and density as well as make your 1RM feel much lighter. And then only your muscles will limit you from lifting it (but that's extremely easy and fast to work on).
What to do with those exercises?
For board presses, high box squats, squat lockouts and rack pulls:
Focus on doing 2 to 3 reps with more weight than your 1RM, for 6 WORK sets. (that doesn't include the warm ups). With overloads like those, recovery takes a little longer. Taking 2 minutes or so is perfectly fine.
For farmer's/yoke walks:
Don't bother using farmer's walk if your gym only has 100lbs dumbbells and you can deadlift alot more than 200. However if you have access to men's weights, grab weights that total nearly your 1RM DL. Start by making slow steps and work on your balance. When your hands can't go on anymore after a few sets, use straps. Once you feel comfortable enough to cover distances, do 6x maximum distance.
Yoke walks can be done with a real yoke (to be completely safe) or ...not at all. Because doing it any other way is asking for injuries. I've seen people do it with a squat bar and yea...no. But if you have or can build a yoke, use more than your 1RM squat and do 6x maximum distance.
Slow and heavy eccentric movements:
These are awesome because you can do them virtually anywhere. My favorite places would be the deadlift, the bench press, the seated military press, the dumbbell rows and the weighted pullups.
You may need 1 or 2 spotters at a time for those, but again...they're worth it.
Basically put the weight at the top position and do the eccentric part of the lift as SLOW as possible, using more weight than your 1RM (a couple more lbs). NORMALLY, I doubt you could do more than 3 reps. At least I know I can't.
So go for 6 sets of 3 reps. Use proper recovery.
Building bone density and joint strength takes TIME. don't expect it to happen overnight. Eat properly, don't do it for extended periods of time. You will NEED to let your CNS and body rest. Deloads are important.
The perks are amazing. Breaking a bone will be more difficult, tendon/joint injuries are alot less likely, any weight you use will feel alot steadier and lighter, building strength will be alot easier, etc.
Lmk brahs