Bodybuilding.net - Bodybuilding Forum - View Single Post - Guide to Novice Barbell Training, aka the Official Rippetoe-Starting Strength FAQ

_Wolf_ · 01-14-2007, 09:29 PM

VI. Routine-Specific Questions, Part 2

Routine-Specific Questions, Part 2

Question - Should I take all my sets to failure?

Failure training is a potentially useful tool, but it is generally reserved for someone who is a bit more advanced. Failure training in the trained athlete can, if used properly and judiciously, be a beneficial technique to help elicit strength and muscle mass gains.

However, failure training for a novice is generally not going to produce the intended effect and is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Training form/technique tends to break down significantly in the novice who is exercising to failure, which can lead to injury. It can also reinforce technique flaws since you will consistently perform improper technique. What you do over and over becomes ingrained in your basic motor function. If you tend to have a shitty bench when you hit failure, the more often you hit failure, the more often your technique is compromised, the more often the improper technique is reinforced.

Additionally, novices have a much greater incidence of asymmetric balance, i.e. "my left arm is stronger than my right arm!" This results in significant asymmetric loading during pressing and pulling exercises, which can end up shredding a shoulder/rotator cuff or tearing up the trainee's spinal erectors because of an imbalanced load on the spine.

Advanced trainees should use caution when using failure training due to the resultant CNS stress. Planned breaks or 'cruises' are necessary in order to maintain steady progress. This generally won't be necessary in the novice trainee because they simply don't have the strength or workload capacity to outdo their own natural recovery abilities. Intermediates, and especially experienced trainees who are getting back into shape DEFINITELY need to be wary of this, however.

As a result, you should never need to take any of your sets to failure as a novice. You only count repetitions that you complete 100% on your own. If your spotter touches the bar AT ALL, then the rep doesn't count. If your technique isn't solid (i.e. if you bounce the bar off your chest, or don't go deep enough in the squat), then the rep doesn't count.

Your first set should be a slight challenge, your second set a reasonable challenge, and your third set of each exercise should be quite difficult to complete, but you SHOULD be able to complete it with no assistance from anyone else, while maintaining proper technique.

Question - Isn't squatting 3x per week going to be overtraining my legs? Isn't this program going to be overtraining my body as a whole?

No. As a newb, you won't have any problem with this because you are primarily limited by poor technique and lack of efficient motor function. This means that you will be using far less weight than you have the strength to handle.

Additionally, your conditioning is such that you won't be able to stress yourself enough in one session to preclude you actually recovering in time.

Question - How can I train if I don't have 3 nonconsecutive days during the week to train, I can only train M, Tu, Th, F?

NOTE - the following is NOT addressed by Rippetoe in the book. As such, take it as the advice of me, Kethnaab. It is NOT the advice of Mark Rippetoe.

With that in mind....

If you cannot train on 3 nonconsecutive days in a week, then you have a bit of a problem. There are tons of options available to you, I will list briefly a few of them here. Go to the section that deals with "variations to the program" for more info.

If you can only train M-T-Th-F for example, you could do this program on Monday-Thursday (Workout A and Workout B) then do a bodyweight only workout on the weekends. For example:

Monday - Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Benches - 3x5
Deadlifts - 1x5

Thursday - Workout B
Squats - 3x5
Standing Presses - 3x5
Cleans/rows - 3x5

Saturday
Chinups - 3x10
Dips - 3x10
Hyperextensions - 3x10
Abs - 3x5

You could also look into other alternatives, such as a push/pull or upper/lower type setup which is quite easy to fit into a M/T/Th/F schedule.

If you can only train 3 consecutive days, i.e. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and you can't train from Thursday through Sunday, then I'll call BS. You're making excuses. Quit being lazy and figure out a way to get to the gym on those other days.

Question - How fast should I move the bar up and down? What repetition speed should I use? Fast or slow? Should I pause the weights during the motion?

Repetition speed gets a lot of talk, especially from the "Super-slow" HIT crowd. Repetition speed is not something to obsess over. Don't believe the hype about "TUT" (time under tension). It is one of several factors that influence muscular growth and development. The Superslow crowd believes that it is the "be-all/end-all" of training, and will use weights that a 9-year old girl could use, so that they can spend 10 seconds in a slow-motion contraction.

If you want to be weak and slow, then by all means, have at their training methods. However, if you want to be strong, powerful, and quick, then you will be better served by a program that encourages this type of development. Training is both general and specific, and if you specifically train in a slow motion method, you will get very good at being very slow.

Now, specifically onward and forward to the exercises.

The eccentric (or lowering) portion of the squats, presses and rows (Deadlifts and cleans will be discussed separately) should be "controlled". Not excessively slow, but under control. It should not look like you are dropping the bar, but you shouldn't spend all day lowering the weight.

The concentric (or raising/lifting) portion of the exercise should be controlled, but fast. Attempt to accelerate the bar during your heavy sets. Doing so can improve force production/generation and can result in greater/faster/better strength gains. Note that it is a CONTROLLED ACCELERATION.

Acceleration != Heaving
Acceleration != Swinging
Acceleration != Bouncing

(!= is the same as "does not equal")

When you perform a heavy set of the bench press, you lower the bar under control (don't count the seconds, just lower it under control), touch the shirt but not the chest (picture being told this, then picture how you would respond if given this type of instruction) pause briefly (if you wish...discussed in the Exercise section), and then press hard to full lockout. No bouncing off the chest, no heaving of the butt into the air, no kicking of the feet, etc. Make your muscles do the exercise.

The name of the game is control. The squat is somewhat unique as far as the eccentric portion because you can use a certain technique to activate a VERY strong contraction of the hamstrings, allowing you to use significantly more weight in a manner that is safer and provides better muscular and strength development. If you want to find out what I'm talking about, then [url=http://www.startingstrength.com]buy the book[/url.

Deadlifts are unique because they start with the concentric (raising) portion of the lift, and the eccentric portion is generally best left as a separate element. Although there are a variety of deadlifting techniques "on the market", the basic deadlifting technique described in the book requires a powerful raising of the bar, then a semi-controlled (although usually much faster) lowering of the bar.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
As long as a modicum of control is exercised, (the deadlift weight) can be dropped as fast as the trainee is capable of doing safely, with the back in good position according to our previous analysis

Better to use bumper plates for this if possible. If not, you may need to use rubber mats to pad the fall of the weight. Do not provide an excessive amount of resistance to the bar on the way down (it can be used, but that discussion is best left for another place with a different set of goals).

As for the power clean, it is a different movement entirely, and is an animal unto itself. You start the exercise with a basic deadlift, but once the bar clears the knees, you attempt to toss the bar into space as you try to jump to the moon (slight hyperbole here). This is a "fast exercise". There is a certain level of control, but make no mistake, you are trying to move the bar as fast as you possibly can. You can AND MUST accelerate the bar during the concentric phase to the point where you are basically throwing it.

As for the lowering of the bar, if you watch olympic lifters who are doing cleans, they simply allow the bar to drop out of their hands from the rack on their chests and the bar bounces around once it hits the platform. They don't even try to control the bar on the way down, they let go of it. Doing power cleans, obviously, pretty much requires bumper plates and an Olympic-friendly gym.

The same ideas go for the accessory exercises. Control both the positive and negative portions of the exercises without bouncing, swinging or heaving.