I know this is old, but this video and your channel don't get enough credit. Coming back from a back injury and this video is really helping me slowly rebuild and plan out my progression without going too fast and fucking myself up like I tend to do. You da man
I have and have read SS along with solo web research on novice programming and this is one of the best explanations I've seen. There are a lot of ways to program and still get results. This is a great introduction into the mindset and thought processes that are needed to make and understand adjustments in novice programming.
Well this video was exactly what I needed it to be. Excellent video, extremely informative and simple to understand. Currently going to go back to basics and start from phase 2 of starting strength as I'm not seeing any progress whatsoever from the bodybuilding style ppl training I've been doing. Cheers!
Since I subscribed to your channel I learn more about strenght/powerlifting/programing than whole last year when I started powerlifting type training and started searching infos on that. Great job man, keep on this series!
The information across your channel is invaluable. You and Ben Rice are the best role models I've seen, especially for young lifters, because there is so much more than just lifting happening in the background. Appreciate the efforts, Garrett.
Mark rippetoe literally says that if you alter the starting strength program, it is no longer starting strength. Saying it is a "variation" of starting strength is inaccurate.
@garrett blevins im a little bit confused: some people say to start with doing 1x5 Deadlifts EVERY session, on the other side some people say to start with alternating Power Clean/ Pendlay Row with the Deadlift. Whats the right way? in the 3rd edition of BBT, Mark Rip recommends to start with doing deadlifts only for a couple weeks but in the 2nd edition he recommended to start with alternating DL and PC
MenOfMayhem In an interview Mark said that the third edition was written and altered because of relevant new information that he had gained. He said that there were mistakes in the previous editions and that his newest edition was the most 'correct.' Assume that the third edition is the current correct program.
Hey Garrett, great video! I apologize if you have gone over this before, but can you explain how to properly set up for the SQ/BN/DL? I feel that myself and others would benefit a lot. Thank you!
Sam Pickerel There are great instructional videos put out by supertraining, Chris Duffin, and many others. Check those out as I will not be making form videos for some time but will cover it at some point. Blessings
Yes I am 6 years late but amazing video described everything wonderfully right now I am working on the starting strength program and excited to move onto the Texas method but I am patient PS nice beard
Awesome! This old video just got suggested to me. I’m 7 weeks into SS and doing ok on it. I’m not following it exactly, but pretty closely. Very informative. Cheers
Hey Garrett, Really informative channel. Thanks for putting out such info. I have been training for couple years now without any specific program and my main lifts are 475/300/550. What program would you suggest I follow if I've never been on one before. Thanks
I have been working out for 3+ years but only 1.5 years seriously (nutrition is still not up to the mark). My lifts are - 200lbs bench, 275 Squats, 315 deadlifts, 5 reps of 135 at OHP. But i want 315 squats, 225 bench and 405 deads, can i still start starting strength??
Garrett, when the gains stop on this program could you not simply take an extra day off in between workouts i.e, instead of M/W/F go to M/Th/Su to extend the linear progression gains? would this not have the same effect as the lighter day, at least for a while? or is an increase in volume more important to force adaptation? my overriding idea for this question is that gains may have stopped due to under-recovery (overtraining from heavy weight and volume) rather than undertraining. thanks, great video as always.
Scott Mackenzie If you are sure that it is a lack of ability to recover in-between workouts then a little extra time of could allow for recovery and work well. However, if the reason is that the workout was not hard enough to disrupt homeostasis then more rest is counter productive. Sounds like you are in the first camp so give it a shot. Blessings
Garrett Blevins this is where i get confused lol, if you are continually progressing on ss by lifting more volume due to heavier weights continually, can you explain why it would then eventually not be enough to disrupt homeostasis?
Scott Mackenzie Because you body will adapt to that 3x5 and you will need more, maybe a 4x5 or 5x5. However, the 5x5 will be too much to recover from by the next workout and you will be weaker. However, if you dont workout then neurological adaptation begins to decrease and you get weaker. Hence, the addition of a light day. This is what the Texas method works on. Increasing volume is important but knowing how and on what days to manipulate volume is more important in my opinion. Hope that helps, good question. Blessings
cheesedips Fix your set up and grip if you know those are the problem. Film your lifts and make sure your form is solid, tons of good instructional videos on this on youtube- check out supertraining for some. Also, get on a program that is proven to work, Texas, 531, or some other intermediate program. Blessings
Thanks for another great video. What's your take on novice lifters doing programs like 531 where there is one top set, do you think this is sub optimal stimulation?
Shaun Beattie I think it depends on the person though I do prefer the Texas Method. However, 531 has worked for tons of people and there are some good variation (such as Beyond 531) that make it a solid choice. Blessings
Hey garrett, I have been training for over a year but I literally made no gains at all. I would say that I eat enough, I get at least 6-7 h of sleep, I drink about 2 litres of water a day and I get around 120-140g of protein everyday at about 70kg bw. I've tried linear progression, but when I added weight on the bar I simply wasn't able to make it. In my first bench sessions I used 30kg and now, over a fucking year later I am at 40kg for 3 sets of 5. On my first set I always feel like I can do a lot more reps but on the other sets it's getting pretty close. The only lift I got a little progress is on squats. Heaviest single I tried was 70kg (dont have a rack in my gym and no spotter). I am 17 and I am really ashamed of these numbers. Especially when you expect novices to bench over 135 on their first day :/ the weights just feel as heavy every single session although they should feel lighter after a while :( I have taught all movements to myself because the retarded trainers at my gym recommend feet up elbows flared half presses. But I have videotaped my lifts recently and foem is looking okay. The lifting itself feels very good too it feels like I hit the right spots, move optimal in terms of center of gravity but the weights feel as heavy every week. If I up the weight I'll get less reps. I am really desperate because this bothers me a lot. What would you recommend programmwise? I will go to a different gym soon with qualified people and a good envirenment but until then I really need your advice ;) thx and sry for the long comment
MidnightSTALKER979 First, I can really tell that you are frustrated with your numbers and progress and that must be very depressing. Second, 135 was just a random number I choose so don't take that as an expectation, I just picked random numbers. Third, I would advise that if you cannot make progress with the basic template outlined in Starting Strength then move on to the Texas Method. You may just be one of the unlucky few that really struggle to put more weight on the bar and will need a longer microcycle to test and make gains. I will be covering the Texas Method soon but in the meantime try the basic SS program but only try to add weight every other day. This means you will only try to add 5 lbs to each lift every other workout. Make sure that you take at least 4 minutes rest in-between sets so that you can recover but maybe even try 5-6 minutes. This may seem like a long time but just give it a shot and see how it goes. Let me know if anything has changed in the next month or so. Fourth, remember to keep the gym in perspective, it is only lifting metal stuff. In the grand scheme of things it is not that important and dont get too down on yourself because your progress is not what you want it to be or the same as the average person. It is true that life is not fair but there are lessons in every situation; your most important job will be to determine what lesson you are being taught by this slow progress. Blessings
Also, eat. Your protein is probably okay, but you didn't really mention the rest of your diet. For a lot of guys that start off weighing around what you do, depending on height, it's hard to understand how much food you need to eat. And if you're young, again depending on the person, you MIGHT need more sleep. Maybe as many as two more hours of it. I'm not a professional in any of this. My advice is based mostly on experience.
If you are a man, you are probably one of those individuals who just are not gifted for strength. I would forget linear progression and start using something a bit more advanced like Candito's 6 week program. For some people linear progression just doesn't work even though they're beginners. The amount of protein you are consuming is not the only thing that should be considered. Being in slight caloric surplus is recommended when trying to increase strength and muscle mass.
I had a similar problem too when I first started. Basically I could not add more weight every workout or even every second workout. When I tried to force it my form was breaking down. What helped me most at the time was increasing the rep ranges. I took my 5x5 and worked on it until I could do 5x8. Then I increased weight and went back to 5x5. Repeat that a few times and you'll make some gains. The gains are slower than what most programs promise, but at least it's progress.
My focus is bodybuilding, I'm about 4 years in and I'm discovering that true strength is my weak point. So I'm beginning to focus on starter strength to build strength. My question is after I complete the 3 lifts for the day can I still throw in my isolation work afterwords. And if I should, should I model my rep ranges similarly to the big lifts I just did, as in a 3*5 as opposed to a classic 3*10 or 3*8. And should the isolation work involve the opposing muscles only and not the same muscle, such as leg extensions after squats?
Kind of off topic, but i have extremely weak arches in my feet, which leads to sever overpronation... this severely limits my ankle range of motion in order to keep a neutral foot. i have implemented all the mobility techniques of Kelly Starrett, for a year straight, and saw no improvements. my question is, do you know of successful powerlifters who can squat with flat feet, or should i just give up? I have injured my back twice on the squat due to an inability to stop lumbar flexion. Assuming i am extremely meticulous when it comes to my squat and deadlift form, do you have any advice?
Brad Vincent Weak arches are not a mobility problem - if you want stronger arches, then you need to train the muscles to support the arches, no mobility work will help that. As for lack of ROM, if you've seen no improvement from ankle mobility (albeit ankles are pretty difficult to change), it may be that you're just not doing it the correct way
Question: I starting doing powerlifting and didn't do a novice program. I have generally been squatting2x a week and dead lifting 1-2x a week. I have done Candito's program, a lil rts which I seemed to do pretty good on, and Conner lutz's program. I haven't made a lot of progress mostly due to squat form I believe. Do you think I can just reset basically with good form and do SS as you said in the video. Or has the volume I have done ruined me lol
Maybe, but it might be better to reset (drop your 5RM about 10%) and start SS but quickly shift to the Texas Method when linear progression stalls. Don't feel too bad, I started out with 12 week training cycles and was still able to do ok :) Blessings
Hey Garrett, I'm trying to become an elite powerlifter like you. With that said, are you saying that I should start here at "Starting Strength" and then move on to "Texas Method?" What should I do after that? Blessings
+Raymond Shin That is a great plan, After that I have a coaching service for people who need a longer training cycle with more volume to make progress. Blessings
Hey, I've been doing the StrongLifts 5x5 program for a couple months now, but I've had a lot of trouble increasing my OHP substantially. I've seen good strength gains in all my other lifts, especially squat and deadlift, but OHP is a lift I have a lot of trouble with for some reason. Is there any tips or advice you could give me to improve my OHP?
Just keep working it and it will go up, it is the weakest lift of the 4 and for that reason will increase at the slowest rate. As long as you are not getting weaker on it and are making progress on the other 3 stay with it. Blessings
Hey Garrett! Thank you for making an awesome video on this program. I would really appreciate it, if you could answer some questions. Do you agree with the notion that anybody who is not able to Bench 225*5, Squat 315*5 and Deadlift 405*5 should be regarded as a novice/beginner lifter? Should/Can I stick with this program until I am able to hit those numbers? Who would you consider to be an intermediate lifter?
+Roman Kondrachov No, I think what makes someone an intermediate or advanced lifter is the amount of time and training it takes to make new progress. For example some people may only be in the 150 or 185 range on bench before they need to go to the Texas method and others might be able to do starting strength all the way to 250 on bench. A lot will depend on genetics and how big the person is at the start. Blessings
Great video Garrett! I think your point about not getting stuck on rigid exercises and orders and thinking of SS as a framework or set of principles is s
Spot on and not exactly clear in the book where one can get overwhelmed with options. Very concise and pertinent review. Really looking forward to the one on TM
Garrett Blevins so for squats you say when you reach a stall you should alternate days with 80% with the heavy days to allow continued progress. if you were to do the same for benches and ohp, you'd only be pressing or ohping every 10 days, which seems like it wouldn't be optimal from what i've read online. i've read some stuff by greg nuckols suggesting an increase in volume can be helpful. not sure what someone who is at a lower training level should do to bust ohp and bench stalls, as they are usually first due to being smaller lifts. thanks.
bigbobabc123 To clarify every week would have 3 workout and you would still be doing the ohp or bench on all those day. Doing 80% is still doing work and only going for a PR every 10 days is very fast progress as inital novice gains slow. Eventually only every couple months will someone be able to hit a new 1RM. However, lets look at the PR every 10 days scenario. There are 36 1RMs in a year if one hits a 1RM PR every 10 day as 10X36=360 days (though they would also have light days inbetween if we are going off my recommendation) . If the PRs are only 2.5 lbs each time this would mean a total of 90 lbs increase in working weight for the year (36 new PRS X 2.5 lbs). Lets say someone gets to 135 on bench before going to the 10 days remax template, that would put them at 225 after 1 year, and 315 after 2. It may seem slow but over time it adds up very fast. Hope that helps explain it. Blessings
what if i am not getting stronger every workout but every week or 2, I weight 67 kg and only squat 90 kg and bench 80, I'm in a caloric surplus, should I do the candito beginner program with a strength day and a hyper day or do the Texas method?
Alex Sutton If you make them then they can extend your novice gain period a little, however I never used them and would not recommend buying them, I feel 2.5 are small enough to run out most novice gains. Blessings
Hi Garrett, great video. Question for you. My squat is absolutely terrible. I mean, I can front squat 135lbs for 3x5, maybe 185lbs for a single. I try to add weight onto this but really struggle to even add 5lbs every couple weeks. I'm tall with long skinny legs, so I know the mechanics don't favour me, but I know my squat numbers are puny. My form is good, I get 8-9 hours of sleep every night, and eat well (though not enough to really gain weight). I've been lifting for about a year. How would you recommend using a program like this for people like me who really struggle to add weight to the bar on any exercise? (For example, I've been doing OHP for the last year and can only do around 135 for a single.) Does this mean effectively I need to treat my programming as if I'm an intermediate lifter even though the weights are all pretty unimpressive?
It might be harder for you to add weight because of leverages but a novice program's gains stop very fast, like after the first month or two. Then you have to graduate to an intermediate program and that might be better for you. Stay tuned for a review of the Texas Method, that might be more up your alley. Also, dont get discouraged with slow increases, just keep moving forward and the gains will come. Blessings
Garrett Blevins awesome. could you pls clarify when someone is an intermediate in the video? is it when someone hits a number (kg) or is it when the newbie gains stop? these are just some ideas, i dont want to sound demanding or anything lol. i just started digging some strenght programs and a liking to powerlifting, so thats why im so curious. thats why im maybe sounding a bit confused and overcomplicating stuff. still, i learned much in this video :)
+3377ftw That is where I disagree with him and I think it is a simple modification to make the program much better and more useful to a wider audience. But, he is entitled to his opinions, especially as the creator of the outline :) Blessings
I don't think RIP hates Sumo deadlifts. His gold is to make you strong with a few basic exercises, especially for the novice lifter. Once you progressed you are can alternate thing to keep progressing.
