VII. Will This Program Meet My Goals? Part 1
How do I know if I am a beginner, intermediate, or advanced lifter?
Mark Rippetoe discusses this specific question in
Practical Programming, and although I don't want to steal his thunder, I will give some basic insight here.
Beginners come in a few flavors...the "completely untrained couch potato", the "athlete with no barbell training", the "haven't trained in ages but used to be in shape" and the "trainee with a small bit of training experience". There are a few other types of beginners, but I don't particularly care to dig into that. What is important is the single characteristic that undeniably proves that you are a beginner...
Progress is measurable from workout to workout. Note that I'm not talking about the guy who does chest once per week, and gets progress between chest workouts. I'm talking about straight linear progress, where everytime you step into the gym, you lift more weight on the same exercise as the previous time you stepped into the gym. That is what the novice program is designed to do, make you lift more weight on the same exercise (or a very similar exercise) each time you step into the gym. The volume and workload that a novice is capable of performing is within his capability to recover from workout to workout. As a result, he is able to make rapid progress with only 1 day of rest between workouts.
You walk into the gym monday, and you squat, press and pull from the floor. You walk into the gym Wednesday, and you squat, press, and pull from the floor. You walk into the gym Friday and you squat, press and pull from the floor. Each time you squat, you use more weight than the day previous.
A beginner will eventually begin to stall on lifts and resetting (discussed in Section III - Programming) simply doesn't provide effective weight advancement.
The workload and volume necessary to elicit a "training response", i.e. disrupt homeostasis, is now large enough that you cannot recover day to day. So the next step becomes weekly progression, rather than the daily progression of the novice. You set up your training in such a manner so that you measure progress week to week. A lot of the better-designed bodypart splits use weekly progression as a means toward gains. Perhaps this week you do a "heavy" press workout and a "light" press workout. Next week, you want your heavy workout to be a few pounds heavier than this week's heavy workout, and you want next week's light workout to be heavier than this week's light workout (unless "light" happens to be a "recovery" workout). Stalling still occurs, and linear periodization and resets can usually get past stalling. Simple volume and intensity manipulation schemes will work to keep the trainee progressing.
Once this type of basic weekly progress stops working, despite proper nutrition, rest, recovery, exercise resetting and linear periodization, the advanced and elite athlete will need to progress to a more complex scheme known as "dual factor" or "two factor" periodization. This type of training is more complex, and involves extensive periods of "downtime" where you lift submaximal weights, and you build toward your previous maxes in an attempt to inch past them. More complex volume and intensity manipulation is necessary, and progress is measured in monthly phases as well as yearly planned cycling of said volume and intensity.
Is this a beginner's only program, or can intermediates do this program as well?
The basic novice program is for beginners only. However, intermediates can use the program with excellent success by incorporating a few small adjustments, as seen in Section III - Programming, for more info.
Question - I'm an experienced lifter getting back into shape, and I'd like to adjust some things on the Rippetoe program. Is this okay?
As an experienced lifter, you should know what it is you need to do and what you can't do. If you have injuries or weak points that need addressing, address them. The basic template of this program is still very valid. If you want to make adjustments, then by all means, use your experience and personal knowledge to do so. You, more than anyone else, will be qualified to make these adjustments, assuming you are actually experienced.
Of course, if you really WERE experienced, you wouldn't ask this type of question, you'd already know what to do, so you probably should just do the basic program as it is written and progress from there.
I do have a section that provides ideas for adjustments to this program. If you don't already have some pretty good ideas about how you could adjust it yourself, then don't bother because you aren't quite as experienced as you might think.
Question - I did Rip's routine for a few months, but it is time to change things up. What should I do?
Head on over to Section III - Programming
Your questions have answers there.
Question - I'm 38 years old. Is this program only for young guys and teenagers, or can an older guy use it as well?
This program was designed with the young teenager, new to the weight room, in mind. Mark Rippetoe considers kids his "bread and butter", and as such, this program is geared to them. Many a 14-year old aspiring fullback will benefit from this style of training, but an old fart like you (and me!) can benefit as well.
If you are new to the weight room, and you are interested in getting bigger and stronger, this program is undeniably for you. At 38 years of age, however, you may need to make some adjustments. Squatting heavy 3x weekly may not be for you, and you may need to make some adjustments to the exercises because of injuries or issues you have due to your age and the time you've spent living life. Please see the section under "Exercises" that deals with exercise substitutions, as well as Section III - Programming
The general rule of thumb for the young kid is "don't fark with the program!" but "mature" folk can get away with it out of necessity. If you weren't old enough to reelect (or try to vote out) Slick Willy, then don't mess with the program!
Question - I'm new to weights and I want to get mass, but I don't like to do squats or deadlifts. I'm not injured, how can I work around this?
You're a pussy. Go find some old lady to carry your groceries and help you across the street.. You'll want to find another hobby while you're at it, perhaps knitting.
Question - If I follow this program exactly and eat perfectly, can I gain 80 lbs of muscle in 6 months on this program?
Realism is a difficult, yet beautiful thing. The reality is that a teenage athlete with the ideal levels of natural ability and motivation who eats like mad and is still growing in height may very well see some incredible lean bodyweight gains. 80 lbs of muscle in 6 months is not "incredible", it is ridiculously insane. 30 lbs of muscle in 1 year is fantastic, even for a teenager.
Pubescent males obviously will gain significantly more lean bodyweight in that time, assuming their caloric intake is high enough (it probably isn't). The fact that they are growing vertically as well as muscularly allows them to put on ridiculous amounts of lean bodyweight. If you go through a serious growth spurt when you start this program, and you eat everything that is dead (and kill the stuff that is still alive, then eat it), you MIGHT be able to gain 80 lbs in a year.
But don't count on it.
Question - I'm a girl, can I do this program?
This program is a strength and muscle-developing program. There is no law that says 'teh wimmens' need to use pink dumbbells or do easy exercises. If you want to do pink DB kickbacks, I suggest you check out the local Curves, or perhaps wear some real skimpy clothes and go to a Bally's. make sure you have your makeup on properly, make sure you wear some perfume, and make sure you expose your breasts. Follow my advise as outlined here, and I'm sure you'll find several trainers that will help you with your pink kickbacks.
If you want to be strong, then do this program. If you want to socialize, then please look elsewhere.
Question - Is this a good program for someone who plays (fill in blank with sport)?
This program is not a sports-specific program. It is not designed to make you fast. It is not designed to help your vertical leap, It is not designed to increase your discus throw distance, and it is not designed to help your jump shot.
It is designed to help you get bigger and stronger, period, end of story. If you are new to weight training, and it is advantageous in your sport to be stronger and/or bigger, then this program makes for an excellent off-season strength and conditioning program. Teenage wrestlers, football players, hockey players, and other younger athletes who will benefit greatly from increased strength and conditioning will benefit the most from this program. I cannot guarantee that it will help you golf better, nor can I guarantee that it will help you throw a 95-MPH fastball, but I can guarantee that it will make you bigger and stronger if you do the program properly.