Starting Strength

Starting Strength is a program that was designed by Mark Rippetoe. It is known as one of the best yet simplest programs out there for beginners to get super strong. However, you don't have to be a beginner to see a huge benefit from its linear approach and focus on what Rippetoe calls "the 5 most important exercises in the weight room": Back Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean, Press, Bench Press.

To follow this program you will need (or have access to):

• Barbell and Plates

• Squat/Bench Rack

• Bench (or something you can use as a bench)

You will also probably want a spotter on bench day - so find a buddy!

Before starting this program you will need to know your 1 rep max or at least an idea of what your 1 rep max is across the 4 major lifts - Back Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Shoulder Press.

DO NOT USE A 1 REP MAX THAT IS OVER 1 YEAR OLD!

If these movements are new to you and/or you haven't had much coaching - we encourage you NOT to push a 1 rep max to anywhere near failure the first time testing it.

1 REP MAX = The most you can lift in that movement for 1 REP safely and with good mechanics.

If you haven't tested those numbers in a long time, or ever, you can guess your way through these - but our suggestion is to start off by testing each of those out. Do NOT test them all on the same day. If you want to combine, you can do something like one lower body and one upper body together one day, and the other 2 a few days later.

For this program, there are 3 basic workout days that will be rotated as you choose. The original intent of the program is to get all 3 of these workouts in per week, not ever doing any of them 2 days in a row. It is designed to have 1-2 days rest between each. However, if your schedule doesn't allow for 3 days a week of additional strength training - you may do 2 per week - just still make sure to rotate them in order.

The 5 major lifts of the Starting Strength Program are Back Squat, Deadlift, Press, Bench Press, Power Clean. You will also see 2 accessory movements in the Strict Pull Up and Hip Extension. If you do not have a GHD to use for Hip Extensions, you may sub Good Mornings in the place of the Hip Extensions on those days.

We recommend that you do not try to do these strength sessions on the same day as a Street Parking Daily Workout at first. Not only would it become a really long training session, but you also want to give your body a chance to adjust to these heavy loads and extra volume for at least a few weeks if not for the entirety of the program. It's also important to put everything you've got into these sessions to see maximum strength gains!

Well, it depends! You keep going until you fail a set. Chances are, you won't fail the 5th rep for all 5 lifts in the same week. So, whatever lift you do fail, start back over with 65-70% of 10lbs heavier than your estimated one-rep max for that lift and keep going with the others. Then, do the same thing whenever you fail a set of another lift. 

We recommend going for at least 6 weeks with this but technically it could go forever! BUT, it is extremely important that you give your body some time for these strength adaptations to take place so make sure that you take a "de-load" week every 6-8 weeks. This means that during that week, you would either drop the weight way down to something like 50%, then pick up where you left off in the following week, OR, you would take a week off from the program and just stick with the regular daily workouts. 

There is no set % prescribed to start with for this program, although we recommend starting somewhere around 65-70% of your 1 Rep Max and adding 5# to each lift in each separate workout.

If you DO NOT KNOW your 1 Rep Maxes in any or ALL of the lifts - that is OK!! Start at a weight for each that is extremely manageable (not easy) but not even close to failure or really a struggle at all. Then add weight with each week.

For Example:

• Workout A (DAY 1) is a Squat, Press, Deadlift day.

• Workout B (DAY 2) is a Squat, Bench Press day.

• Workout C (DAY 3) is a Squat, Press, Power Clean day.

So on Day 1, you perform Workout A. You would start at 70% of your 1 Rep Max Squat and do all working sets at that percentage. On Day 2 you perform Workout B and for the squat, you would do 70% + 5lbs.

You would follow in the same fashion for the other movements as well. The only exception to this would be for the deadlift. Since you are only seeing those once in every 3 workouts and it is such a full body compound movement we would recommend adding 10lbs every time the deadlift comes up.

There will be a temptation to start heavier. Don't do that. Allow solid movement and add as you go. As soon as you get to where you can no longer progress (i.e. you fail your 5th rep), you will add 10 lbs to your predicted 1 RM and start the cycle back over - OR you can re-test your 1 RM after taking a week or so off!

All workouts are set at a 3 x 5 (3 sets of 5 reps) rep scheme, except the Power Clean which is set at 5 x 3 (5 sets of 3 reps). Each movement should have warm up sets, and these warm up sets do not count toward those working sets. All sets of the movements should be unbroken, except the power clean which can be dropped - but should be a quick re-set and then go again.

You choose which 3 days of the week to do each of the following workouts.

If you choose to do them 2 days per week, on the following week you would begin with DAY 3, followed by DAY 1 as your second strength day (with an increase to your weights as described.)

SQUAT

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

PRESS

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

Deadlift

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

—NOTES

For week 2 and beyond continue by adding 5lbs for the squats and 10lbs for the deadlift on this session. Add small increments to press as long as strength allows.

SQUAT

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  • *Weight from last session + 5lbs

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

BENCH PRESS

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  • *Add 5-10lbs next time

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

GOOD MORNING

• 3 Sets of 10 Reps (3 x 10)

  • *Moderate weight - never adding much more.

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

STRICT PULL UP

• 3 Sets of 10 Reps (or as many as you can)

  • *Use a band if necessary.

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

—NOTES

If you have a GHD and would like to sub hip extensions for the good morning - that is an option

SQUAT

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  • *Weight from last session + 5lbs

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

PRESS

• 3 Sets of 5 Reps (3 x 5)

  • *Weight from last session + 5lbs

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

Power Clean

• 5 Sets of 3 Reps (5 x 3)

  • *Add 5-10lbs next time

  —Rest 3-5 Min Between Sets

PULL UP SCALING OPTIONS

Interested in other strength programs? Check out these other strength Extra Programs and barbell resources!

• 20 Rep Back Squat Extra Program

• Dumbbell Strength Extra Program

• Bodyweight Strength Extra Program

• Barbell Tips

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