I think 5x5 will quickly become too many reps as you get into the higher weight ranges, at least that's what I found. I started doing 'starting strength' instead, which is basically the same but with 3 sets of 5 rather than 5. You still get the same benefits in terms of strength gains but don't suffer the increased fatigue and required recovery time from too much volume.
The basic routine is:
Workout A - Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press
Workout B - Squats, Power Cleans, Press
In and out of the gym in around 40 minutes.
Yeah the 5x5 is the 'beginner', then after hitting a plateau and failing a few times you move on to 3x5