The Pros & Cons Of Starting Strength 

SS worked well for me at 50. I heard a lot of crap from some old gym rats about it but now I lift more then 80% of them. When I branched out into different lifts I followed the same basic idea start small learn it right and add a small amount of weight as long as you can.

I think SS is more adaptable than many think it is. I added chin ups on OHP days, rows on BP days and dips on Power Clean days. These are all gone over in the book and are encouraged as optional enhancements to the program. They build strength in the opposite direction of the lifts I paired them with. It's good to also strengthen the hip flexors to counter balance the squat, though I don't remember seeing that in the book. Hanging from the chin up bar and folding at the hips to bring the feet up to the bar does this really well.

I loved it, got me on track after many years of wasting time. Now I’m 60, I’ve modified it to suit my needs.

People seem to forget, the program is called “Starting Strength”, it looks like a good program for someone to start working out or for someone who wants to get back into working out again, and once a person does have the basics of lifting maybe reevaluate their own personal goals and modify from there.

Yep!

Pros: You get to make fun of Mark Rippetoe Cons: Life gives you only finite time to make fun of Mark Rippetoe

I have a home gym so I just started breaking up my works out through the day. I start with a mile walk on treadmill then my squats and calf raises. Later in the day as I work from home I do my other workout around lunch time. Then after dinner I walk fro 1 mile and throw in some bicep curls a couple times per week.

Gaining weight is a con? No no no, embrace the bulk. “Never let a few extra calories get in the way of a bench PR.” -the Bloat Lord

Love the DIY setup at 6:10. The pros definitely outweigh the cons. Being hard isnt a con. Im sure Ill reach a point where it gets boring though. But thats after NLP. Ill never get past intermediate as Ill be 50 this year.

Good review of SS, liked your video! I’m just not in favor training without any metabolic component. Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. It needs to be in the game. I have found from experience you can do your fahve’s (with hip drahve) and still, finish up with something that gets you huffing and puffing inside of 15 minutes. 10 EMOMS of 10 kettle swings, or a dynabike 8-round 30/90 HIIT, or an 8 min hard row, (or battle ropes…) or several 2-min heavy bag rounds full out..then you’re gonna be good in all gears. My experience (62, been at this 45 years) … your mileage may vary.

Just do SS until it stops working and switch to 5-3-1. Its STARTING STRENGTH! When it stops working it's not starting strength anymore.

Idk about others, but there's nothing more exciting to me than doing the same lifts over and over, lifting more and more and more, and the weight doesnt seem to ever get much heavier

Grant, love the Bruins jerseys

Starting Strength is fantastic. I got my squat to 405 in 6 months. The idiotic comments about getting fat has to to with the end user eating like shit. The GOMAD is for 18 year old 140 lb skinny kids. Anyone else needs 500-1000 CLEAN calories above maintenance. Any more, if you’re not a hard gainer, you will get fat. I’ve seen guys get fat because they lie to themselves about their metabolism and they over eat thinking it will all go to muscle. It won’t.

This program can't be run without a rack, but its principles can be adapted to run an effective close facsimile. Clean and press, clean and squat (front squat) and floor press are all good exercises. My brother and I lifted in the basement with our Dad in the early 70s. We used iron plates from a concrete floor, so everything started with a clean and had to be finished under control. This is also good strength to start with. The principles are the same. Our manual was our Dad's manual from the 1940s, likely written in the 30s. It used sets of 6, not 5. Big difference, I know ; ). What works works. Over 50 years later I still enjoy lifting and am amazed that it keeps helping me more and more for so long. Go for it Everybody!

Nicely said Grant. You forgot to apologize to anyone who loves doing dumbbell triceps kickbacks!

It's worth it. Made the most progress I've ever made in only about 7 months. I still don't know if I'm supposed to stretch or "cool down" when I'm done with a session.???

I agree these basic barbell movements aren't complicated and people are pontificating on the internet. I lift weights for 2 hours sometimes. I give myself the longer rest period so I can finish high quality sets. I'll do 9 sets of bench press and squat in 1 workout. It's painful, but manageable with long enough rest periods. I agree that strength training is hard. I mix exercises, so some days I'll do squats and other days deadlifts, or some days I'll bench barbells and another day I'll bench dumbbells, for variety. Learning different lifts instead of focusing on one number, for example my bench press weight and reps, helps me avoid the boredom. Eating less is the hardest part of all of these programs.

The main thing that annoys me about Rip and SS is their sole focus on high numbers with the basic lifts to the detriment of anything else. For example, I like that I'm 6'3 and squatting 345 at 37 years old after a year and a half of lifting. I never thought I'd squat that. I'm significantly stronger than anyone I work with. But according to Rip, I need to weigh 300+, and I'm a rank novice until I'm squatting 600.

SS was super simple to follow. I enjoyed the basic linear progression. Just 4-5 exercises. Minimal equipment. I got injured twice deadlifting and then I learned I needed to incorporate some core rotational and stability work into my routine. Looking forward to getting back after the gainz again.

Question # 3 when you get stuck: “how much are you eating? Most human males cannot make progress on a strength program with a diet of under 4000 calories a day” this is why people get fat on this program.

I’m pretty certain that no one ever deadlifted 495 without doing 225, 315, and 405 first. Even though there are some who say that high volume with lighter weights will also get you there.

When I started this program I thought it seemed to lack to basic idea of training opposing muscles groups, sure enough three months in developed shoulder issues, had to take a step back and strengthen back and stabilzer muscles in order to continue progression

Other programs may work too, but Starting Strength is the most efficient way. You will gain the most strength in the least amount of time.

6:11 Ha ha, that's funny. I have a full on squat rack in my bedroom. In a 3rd floor apt. I'm committed. Or maybe I should be committed...

I love doing SS, and my family and friends are doing it too. everyone has a different experience with how hard it seems from workout to workout so i won't mention that. As far as "an hour in the gym" for novices's, I have just never seen or heard of that. Rest is 15 minutes per lift, warmup takes about 10. 30 minutes per exercise is about right. I've tried warming up during my rest and it saves a few minutes, but not that much. I would love to be in and out in an hour, but it does not seem possible.

The biggest issue I have with 6:12 is that he didn't spring the extra $100 for safety stands.

I like Rip. Further, i like how starting strength doesn't allow one to "hide" a lack of progress or effort behind "variety". It's a good metaphor for life. Master the basics first. Build a foundation. Focus. The industry is just filled with charlatans and cowards. It's uncomfortable to have real conversations with clients who are bullshyting themselves. Much easier to just have them do a bunch of random stuff to keep them coming back.

Power cleans need subbed out. A high school football player can handle them but for most there are better options

I think having a bad ass home gym is a pro. Never need to wait for someone to stop curling in the squat rack.

Rippetoe’s henchmen/ left and right hand men will not like @8:48. Shots fired?

Does anybody find it feasible to add 5 lb per workout? This would be 260 lb per year added to every lift

People getting fat is definitely Rippetoes doing. His recommendations on weight to height ratio will definitely make you too heavy too soon. His recommended weight for somebody 6feet tall is approx 265lbs. You will be fat if you gain that aggressively (since Starting Strength is at most half a year program), unless you have longer working out background. But you will squat some solid weight.

Yeah I got fat as fuck and now it's been really hard to get back as lean as I was. But. THE NUMBERS MASON.

Lol the made me fat part is still pretty fair point. Done SS and has bettered my life. Thats said of the many podcast i heard from him. Calories are stressed, not lean protein. But maybe hes gotten better in the years i stoped listening.

The weight gaining part is a downside. And when it gets hard, 5 reps spikes your blood pressure very hight. I do 8-12 reps now. Better for me. And I split upper/lower now. Full body fives were too taxing at 50 yrs and a 70 hrs a week profession.

The hardness doesn’t change. It doesn’t get harder. It doesn’t get easier. It stays the same.

“People get so addicted to the number on the bar going up they don’t care what they look like.” Yeah, because SS doesn’t allow you to adjust any other training variables.

The worst con is that programs like these are being pushed to beginners that have bodybuilding goals in mind. If you wanna go for powerlifting, sure. But this program absolutely sucks for bodybuilding purposes (the lower body bias does not help much either).

I want to go to the gym and grab some random cables ... 🙂

Rip made me fat. I’ve gained 20;pounds in two years of doing Starting Strength. I’ve lost two inches on my waist and put a hundred pounds on my bench, but damm, I’m so fat

Actually, higher fat (saturated animal fats) and low to no carbs is the best way to go. See the work of Drs. Shawn Baker, Anthony Chaffee, Zoe Harcombe, Paul Mason, Ben Bikman, Robert Kiltz, Steve Phinney, Jeff Volek and Tim Noakes for starters. For added benefit, check out the content of Prof. Bart Kay. Also, I love and follow the Starting Strength program and recommend it to everyone who will listen - and a few who won't.

Anything Rip does is ALL PRO

If you could run SS without getting fat Mark Rippetoe would do it.

Uh oh. Rippy is not going to like you criticizing it

“We downt dew body parts. We downt dew ‘abs’, we downt dew ‘arms’ er ‘legs’: we dew ‘mewvment patterns’! The squat is a hip mewvment.” “Whut is strength? Strength is the ability to produce force against an external resistance. How dew yew get stronger? Ba’ lifting more weight!!!” “Running doesn't make yew strong! Getting stronger helps yew run”. “Who’s stronger: a 150lb guy who deadlifts 475, or the 275lb guy who can deadlift 500? THE GUY WHO CAN LIFT MORE is stronger!! I know thats terribly upsetting the the ‘functional fitness’ people!”

I've never understood "boring" -- as long as progress is being made it ain't boring. Scary, maybe, but boring? Nahh.

Another Con is that it is too easy to get injured if you are not being watched over by a coach or experienced lifter. Learning from videos alone can only go so far.

If you can add 300lbs to a deadlift or squat as a Beginner in a year..You Are a GENETIC OUTLIER! STOP the BS PROMISES! I been a Competive Powerlifter for years and Winning,It took YEARS to get a 1,500 lb total.

You still need to do other physical activity go for a walk, ride your bicycle you can’t do the program and then lay on your ass all day

It's supposed to be boring n hard. This is no con.

Biggest con of Starting Strength is Rippetoe! Youve got to love the guy but he talks crap sometimes. I heard him recommend a guy who's 5ft 9 and 200lbs (might even have been 220) to bulk because his OHP had stalled. As you say no need to become morbidly obese.

Its like a cult. Way too dogmatic

Grant ... your disappointing me. You piggy back your entire brand off SS than start covering cons? You know as well as anyone you probably need to put on weight to keep progressing. Very very confusing mixed messaging. This is strength training!!! Not what your abs look like.

The biggest con is their right wing macho image. It means you can't share their content without alienating 80 percent off the bat with the politics and presentation.

BS. SS is not a good program at all. First off adding 5 pounds a week runs out QUICK. Second it lacks VOLUME. Nothing beats 3x10. Its proven from Professional Athletes to Golden Era Body Builders.

5:22 who is that? Asking for every guy watching this video.

i like to think of starting strength is the fat guy program... rippetoe does say to get fat to lift more weight and get over plateaus. eat lots of cheap meat and die of a heart attack at 70 so you can bench 405 for one. i am just half-joking. in reality, the con I see is the absence of variation...there's not enough variation, and along with that, it's not designed for intermediate and advanced lifters.