I. Introduction
**A. Purpose, Scope, Target Audience
**B. Why Should I Do This Program? Why Shouldn't I Mess with This Program?
**C. Program Basics
**D. Credits
**E. The Original Threads
Program Basics
There are 3 "Starting Strength" programs presently.
The "original novice program", as written in
Starting Strength, is as follows:
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift
Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Power cleans
You train on 3 nonconsecutive days per week.
So week 1 might look like:
Monday - Workout A
Wednesday - Workout B
Friday - Workout A
Week 2:
Monday - Workout B
Wednesday - Workout A
Friday - Workout B
If you choose Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday or Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday as your workout days, the planets won't get knocked out of alignment, so don't sweat this one, as long as you get in 3 workouts on 3
non-consecutive days each week. NO, YOU CANNOT TRAIN 2 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, so don't ask.
In Practical Programming, due out the 1st or 2nd week of December 2006, Rippetoe recommends that a set/rep scheme of 5x3 (5 sets, 3 reps, instead of 3 sets, 5 reps) can be performed on the power clean, and is possibly advantageous, especially once power clean technique improves.
He also allows for replacing the clean with the bent row, with certain technique caveats (again, see the Exercise section in this write-up, as always, check the Table of Contents) He prefers the power clean, but in many cases, the power clean is not safely performed, or is impractical.
This is the format that I have used and recommended for the majority of peeps new to weight training. I suppose we can refer to it as "Kethnaab's novice program adjustment"
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift
Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Pendlay Rows
Essentially, the programs are the same. Day 1 is a squat, a press, and a heavy pull from the floor. Day 2 is a squat, a press, and a lighter pull from the floor. Simple, easy, basic and effective.
All sets listed are "work sets" in the format "sets x reps per set". The nomenclature does not include warmups (discussed in Section V - Specific Routine Questions - look in the Table of Contents). All sets are done with the same weight (known as "sets across" - look in Table of Contents, Section VIII for further info). You should be working quite hard by the last set of each exercise, but ALL exercises are done with perfect technique (look in the Exercise section of the Table of Contents)
What? Were you looking for some incredibly complex training program? 3 exercises per day, 3 times per week? That's it????
Considering all the discussion on this program, you may have been expecting it to contain intricate details and incredibly complex variables, and all you get is a full body workout, 3 days a week?
Yup, it's that simple. These are the 2 base programs that everyone should start with. Pick one that suits your abilities/goals. For more info on the why's and wherefore's, and the specific details, read on.
Credits
This program, in no way, shape or form, is a representation of MY independent work. The writeup is a representation of information contained within the book,
Starting Strength, the brainchild of
Mark Rippetoe, with assistance from Lon Kilgore. It is, as it reads on the front page, a "Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners". However, the knowledge contained within is far-reaching in potential impact when dealing with anyone who is new to the weight game. If you aren't a coach, you can benefit immensely from this book from the incredibly detailed and exact descriptions and advice given on 5 of the most important lifts in weight training.
There are 8 chapters, 5 of which are dedicated to providing pictures, visual, physical and verbal cues, and incredibly detailed descriptions of the proper (and also improper) methods of performing the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press and power clean. You thought you knew how to do these exercises until you read up on them, and you learn more in those pages than you knew in the first place. There is also an intro, as well as chapters on programming (i.e. planned progression) and mistakes/fallacies with regards to youth weight training.
If you give a crap about training, I highly recommend you buy the book.
Apparently, I'm not the only one that recommends the book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jim Wendler
(Starting Strength) should be owned by just about everyone. It’s a shame that this book hadn’t come out sooner. In an age where complexity and overcomplicated training has become the norm, this book is a breath of fresh air. I honestly believe that this book, more than just about any other book on lifting weights or training, should be in everyone’s bookcase, office or gym bag.
Anyway, all credit goes to Mark Rippetoe, as I stated earlier. I simply took the ideas contained within the book and attempted to promote the ideas because, quite simply, they work. Sometimes a very complex idea requires a very simplistic solution.
Starting Strength details that simplistic solution, and Practical Programming follows up with information to maintain the trainee's progress.
The Original Threads
If you spend 5 minutes in the Workout Programs or Workout Journals sections of bb.com, you will be inundated with a rush of "Rippetoe" threads and journals. Granted, 1/2 of the threads spell the guy's name wrong, but you get the message.
How did it become such a popular and widespread method of training? Why are 2 of the 3 most viewed and responded threads in the Workout Programs section devoted to this simplistic program? Is it magic, or a fad?
This thread was the first time I posted what became the "final version" of the Rippetoe novice program writeup. For the previous 5 weeks, I had responded to countless skinny teenagers who were new to weight training. They all wanted to gain some strength and muscle mass, and put on bodyweight. Some of them wanted to get strong for football, some just wanted to look like something other than a beanpole. Rippetoe's novice program is going to be the perfect fit for 95% of them (or perhaps more), so the write-up was "born".
After seeing the above linked post, Matta114 asked if he could use my writeup to create his own thread. I said yes, but I didn't think he'd follow through, so I created the
Newcomer to the weights looking to add muscular bodyweight thread which has become the basic Rippetoe/Starting Strength FAQ.
As it turns out, Matta114 also made a thread, but had the foresight to name it "Writeup for Rippetoe's program", which was a better "search" for those looking for the Starting Strength template. As such, it garnered quite a bit of attention, and unfortunately, quite a bit of clueless people.
Matta114's started the thread with good intentions, but unfortunately, he used some "poetic license" that was inappropriate, i.e. he added some stuff that was incorrect. The thread also was mostly "unmoderated" by experienced people, so several individuals who really didn't know what they were doing gave advice that wasn't appropriate. As a result, the thread contained quite a bit of factually false information, and the thread was, thankfully, locked.
Out of those 2 threads arose a several questions which were asked over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Each time the question was answered, it would be asked again, usually within a page or two.
Answering the same things over and over again ad nauseam gets old, and when something on the internet becomes very popular and generates a lot of questions, it becomes time to write up the almighty "FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions."
With this thread, I hope to bring the answers to all the questions that have been asked in the last 10 months on this program, in a format that is both easily and intuitively searchable and has a linked Table of Contents. I'm going to do my best to answer every conceivable question, and I would respectfully request that all peeps who wish to help out the newbs asking questions on Rippetoe's program...please direct them to this thread with the instruction to search and use the Table of Contents.
