Beginner's Strength Program by Bill Starr
 

Beginner's Strength Program by Bill Starr
From the Article "The Forgotten Factor: Strength" in Robert Kenndey's REPS! Magazine, Winter 2006 Edition, Page 104

Monday (Heavy Day)

Back Squats: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Bench Press: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Deadlifts: 5 x 5 ramping to limit or Bent-Over Rows: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Incline Dumbell Press: 2 x 20
Calf Raises: 3 x 30

Wednesday (Light Day)

Back Squats: 5 x 5 using 50 lbs less than Monday or Lunges: 4 x 6 ramping to limit
Good Mornings: 4 x 10 or Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: 4 x 10
Standing Overhead Press: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Dips: When you can do 20 reps, start adding weight and drop the reps back to 8
Curls: 3 x 15

Friday (Medium Day)

Back Squats: 5 x 5 using 20 lbs less than Monday
Incline Bench Press: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Shrugs: 5 x 5 ramping to limit or Clean High Pulls 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Straight Arm Pullovers: 2 x 20
Chins: 4 sets to failure

You can choose either of the optional back exercises and stick with them or set them up as follows and alternate:

Week A: Deadlifts, Good Mornings, Shrugs

Week B: Bent-Over Rows, Stiff-Leg Deadlifts, Clean High Pulls

After two or three weeks, you can add in back-off sets on all of the pressing exercises, squats, and lunges. No back-offs for any back movement. Should you want to work more on any back exercise, do another top-end set.

If you get 5 reps on your top set, add weight next week.

did you customize this? because if you didn't i have been doing the wrong thing for 2-3 months..

im been doing for two weeks going on three so for so good
i like it so far doing abs on each day and arms on monday and friday

monday
squat 5x5
bench 1x5
row 1x5

wednesday
squat 5x5 10%less
deadlift 5x5
military press 5x5
lat pulldown 5x5

friday

squat 1x5
bench 5x5
row 5x5

There's a hundred different variations... If you're making progress, then there really is no WRONG way of doing something.

Refer to the DFT sticky at the top of the page. I posted at least 4 different ones in there.

Exactly.

Bill Starr or whoever famous trainer didn't likely just have one program they handed everyone. It's all just variations on a concept. These were coaches who actually worked with and accessed trainees. Not guys who wrote cookie cutters to post on the internet.

hey 0311: where would i find those 100 variations? i know they're not literally 100, but do u know how one can find these variations? or even a list of rules to follow designing these variations?

All over. Most of them are in the DFT sticky. Then of couse you get the occational bb.com'er trying to add one or two things to that template. Also, the last few pages of that sticky has quotes from Glenn Pendlay which opens up SO many more options. If you read what he has to say, you really could literally come up with a hundred different versions based on your personal needs.

I'm about to finish my fifth week of the program Sentinel posted. It's going well thus far.

I wouldn't say this is a good program for a beginner. Perhaps intermediate.

Beginner's should concentrate on more compound and practical excercises.

I wouldn't say calf raises when you can do squats, and arms are getting worked with chins and bench press anyhow.

The program is centered around weekly progression in the main compound lifts. A few sets of isolation exercises are hardly going to hurt; and in the case of this program the higher rep stuff is for joint health and muscular endurance.

I think Bill Starr knows what he's doing.