" I've seen this program, and Kethnaab ran it by me before he posted it. It is basically correct. It was written in response to a big demand from the young guys that hang out at bbdotcom that will not buy the books anyway. My novice program does not use dips, rows, or curls, but since the little assholes are going to add them anyway the thinking is that they might as well be limited in volume by the program, so he put them in. " -- Mark Rippetoe
Note: This is not an "official" Starting Strength routine and is not endorsed nor recommended by Mark Rippetoe. It is presented here for the sake of posterity.
This is the format that I have used and recommended for the majority of peeps new to weight training. I suppose we can refer to it as "Kethnaab's novice program adjustment"
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift
Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Pendlay Rows
Essentially, the programs are the same. Day 1 is a squat, a press, and a heavy pull from the floor. Day 2 is a squat, a press, and a lighter pull from the floor. Simple, easy, basic and effective.
All sets listed are "work sets" in the format "sets x reps per set". The nomenclature does not include warmups (discussed in Section V - Specific Routine Questions - look in the Table of Contents). All sets are done with the same weight (known as "sets across" - look in Table of Contents, Section VIII for further info). You should be working quite hard by the last set of each exercise, but ALL exercises are done with perfect technique (look in the Exercise section of the Table of Contents)
Considering all the discussion on this program, you may have been expecting it to contain intricate details and incredibly complex variables, and all you get is a full body workout, 3 days a week?
Yup, it's that simple. These are the 2 base programs that everyone should start with. Pick one that suits your abilities/goals.
Both exercises are very effective, certainly both have their place in the routine of the beginner/novice trainee. If you have someone to coach your technique, or you are confident in your technique, you can employ both of them within the confines of the program.
Note - this is NOT endorsed by Mark Rippetoe. However, this is the exact workout template that Tad_T used, with resounding success.
Workout 1
Squats = 3 x 5
Bench = 3 x 5
Deadlift = 1 x 5
Dips = 3 sets
Pendlay rows = 3 x 5
Abs = 3 sets
Workout 2
Squats = 3 x 5
Overhead press = 3 x 5
Power clean = 3 x 5
Pullups = 3 sets
Abs = 3 sets
This is a slightly more advanced version, and is not for "novice consumption". Tad_T is/was an experienced individual so he was able to incorporate this into his training plan successfully.
Initially, you should NOT add ANY form of accessory work to the basic outline of the program with the possible exception of some abdominal work and calf work done after your main work is done. Do your squats, benches, deadlifts, standing presses, and rows/cleans for at least 2 weeks before you even THINK about adding other stuff. After 2 weeks, you will have gone through 3 iterations of the program, and you will have developed the conditioning necessary to fully recover from each of the original workouts. At this time, you can think about adding some accessory work. But understand that most novices will actually do BETTER if they hold off and start the accessory work at the latest possible time.
Accessory work is OPTIONAL and NONESSENTIAL. You do NOT need to do this. However, 99% of you will wade through the first 2 weeks with marginal intensity just chomping at the bit until you can do the beloved arm curls.
The first exercises you should consider adding would be pullups/chinups and/or dips. Just hold your horses, you'll get to the damn arm work soon enough. You can add the dips and chins in a variety of ways, but the predominant marching order for the addition of this (and any other accessory work) is that the accessory work CANNOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR PRIMARY TRAINING.
Yes, it's in caps for a reason. Pay attention to it. The best way to short-circuit your progress and cut your nose off to spite your face is to go apeshit at the beginning of the 3rd week and add dips and chinups and pullups and barbell curls and triceps extensions and cable pressdowns and kickbacks and close-grip bench presses and whatever other arm work you find in the latest issue of Flex Magazine.
Add accessory work SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY. Start with no more than 2 sets of dips and/or chins/pullups for 8-12 reps per set. If you wish to add weight so that you can do 2 sets of 5 or 6 repetitions for strength building, then so be it, but tread carefully as additional weight can have a pretty major effect on your overall workload and can drain your capacity for recovery (as well as expose the trainee to potential injury, especially if their technique is shoddy).
Also consider that you will be working your "push" torso muscles heavily with the 5-rep sets of the benches/standing presses, so heavy dips may actually be counter-productive for many. By the same token, the heavy deadlifts and cleans/rows may be all the heavy pulling work that you need, and doing sets of 8+ reps rather than 5 reps for chinup/pullups would be advantageous. The phrases of the day here are "caution" and "ease into it". Remember, this stuff is add-on, it is not even icing on the cake; it is more like the sprinkles that you put on the icing that you put on the cake.
Probably the "easiest/best" (and seemingly the most common) way to add the dips and chins would be as I directed in the original Rippetoe writeup, as follows:
Workout A -
squats - 3x5
benches - 3x5
deadlifts - 1x5
dips - 2x8
Workout B
squats - 3x5
standing press - 3x5
rows/cleans 3x5/5x3
chins/pullups - 2x8/3x8
The wise will probably do the first run-through with only 1 set of dips and chins/pullups. Gauge your recovery, and if you can get away with it, add a second set of chins/pullups and/or dips. Some may find their triceps and delts simply do not need the additional heavy dips, and 1 set would be sufficient. If you are doing cleans, you may find it feasible to up the chins/pullups by a set (or 2)
Now then, give it a few weeks, and gauge your arm development. Some people will notice immediate increases in the circumference of their arms from the simple addition of dips and chinup/pullups. Others won't. If your arms seem to grow from simply adding dips and chinups, then hold off on the arm work! your arms are getting hit hard, why mess with things if progress is good?
If you don't see/feel some extra arm stimulation after a few run-throughs with the 2 sets of dips and chins/pullups, then add in 2 sets, 8-12 reps of skullcrushers (a.k.a. lying extensions - any angle will do) and 2 sets, 8-12 reps Barbell, EZ-Bar or DB Curls on Fridays. DO NOT ADD THE ARM WORK RIGHT AWAY. If you jump from doing only the 3 exercises per day to adding the dips, chins, curls and extensions all in one fell swoop, you WILL suffer a short-circuit to your program and progress, and you will probably end up hurting your elbows and possibly your wrists. Ease into it.
Wait, I haven't made that clear yet, have I? Give it at least a few weeks. I'm betting you'll learn what I learned long ago...that direct arm work is highly overrated for someone who just walked into a gym for the first time and can actually be counterproductive when the trainee is left to do arm work as he pleases.
For more exacting detail, see section III - Programming
"Daily" accessory work is a set of potentially useful exercises that might be beneficial to add to the program once you progress in your conditioning and strength development. These accessory exercises are not necessary right off the bat, but can be used to add extra volume to your training if you need additional work. The goal of this program is to make you stronger at the squat, bench, deadlift, press and pull of choice. Accessory work MUST bring you closer to this goal if it is to be effective. Some people will progress SLOWER if they add the accessory work, and EVERYONE will progress slower if they add the accessory work too soon, or they add too much.
You would only do accessory exercises on the days you lift weights, and you would train these exercises AFTER your regular training program of the "Big 3" for that day. Ensure that you don't haphazardly add the accessory work. See Section III for specific recommendations on how to add the accessory work, as well as information contained within this section.
For dips and chinups, get a dip belt For pushups, stick some weight in a backpack. For situps and hypers, hold weight across your chest/back.
Accessory exercises can be done separately, i.e. do all your pullups, followed by all your abs, followed by all your back work. Or, it can be done as a circuit, i.e. do a set of pullups followed by a set of abs, followed by a set of GHRs, then repeat this triple-exercise for 2 or 3 circuits. If you do your sets separately, you should rest no more than 90-120 seconds between sets and exercises.
The first few workouts have been incredibly easy, am I doing enough? I thought this program was supposed to be hard?
Remember, in order to grow bigger and stronger, you merely need to disrupt metabolic and physiological homeostasis. If you have been sitting around playing Nintendo for your whole life, you don't need to do much of anything to disrupt said homeostasis, since the only exercise you've gotten, aside from great thumb action, has been walking to the refrigerator.
As such, the first workouts are going to be submaximal (For safety reasons as well as conditioning/growth reasons), and they will end up relatively short. As you progress in strength, your workouts will become increasingly difficult, simply due to the added weight being used. By starting off relatively easy, this also reduces the incidence of crippling DOMS, and tends to result in less injuries and better exercise technique being learned by the trainee. NOTE - the next portion is NOT ADDRESSED BY MARK RIPPETOE. As such, it is coming from me, Kethnaab, the oaf behind the keyboard. Take such advice for what it is, the words coming from an ornery old staff sergeant who has spent too much time training young soldiers and not enough time at home sleeping.
Rest between accessory exercises is thoroughly up to you. You can do your accessory exercises as part of a circuit, resting only long enough to move one station to the next. i.e. do your set of dips, then immediately walk over to the chinup bar and have at it, then immediately walk over to the slant bench and do your situps, etc. Or you can do all your sets normally, i.e. do a set of dips, rest, do another set of dips, rest, do your last set of dips, move on to chinups, lather, rinse, repeat.
Don't overthink this part either. You can use the accessory exercises for conditioning purposes if you like, which circuit training lends itself to nicely. You can use the accessory exercises for the purposes of strength improvement, which means you are going to hang some weight from you and do some heavier sets. This will require longer rest periods, just as with the main exercises. If you are trying to do some "bodybuilding" style work here, you will want to keep your rest periods relatively short, between 60 and 90 seconds. It is up to you.
ACCESSORY WORK IS JUST THAT...."ACCESSORY WORK". IT IS NOT A PART OF THE MAIN WORKOUT, AND SHOULD BE USED ONLY BY EXPERIENCED TRAINEES. AS SUCH, YOU SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. If you have a ton of questions to ask about accessory work, chances are pretty good, you probably don't have the experience necessary (and as a result, the conditioning necessary) to really need to do the accessory work. Accessory work is for people who NEED accessory work. If you are new, you don't need accessory work (yet).
There is direct arm work included in this program, but it is designed so that the inexperienced newb doesn't overdo his arm work.
Here is what typically happens with a novice weight trainee.
1) They suck at the "big exercises" because compounds like squats, deads, benches, presses and pulls are difficult when you first start out. You can't get the technique right, you are wobbly and uneven, etc. As a result, you are unable to truly tax your torso or leg muscle groups.
2) They have TONS of leftover energy because the weight they used on the compounds doesn't really stress their muscles excessively, so when it comes time to train arms, they get overzealous and obliterate the arms with all their leftover zeal
3) Arm work is VERY easy to perform, both from a physical standpoint and from a mental standpoint. Curls are easy, squats are hard. The untrained, unconditioned novice is also undisciplined, and a result, will put less effort into the big exercises and more into the arm exercises, because they are easy
4) Arms are, even for newbs, EXTREMELY easy to hit hard and "get that burn/pump". As a result, newbs end up w/ crippling DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) in their arms, and on the 2nd day following, they are unable to train their presses or pulls because their arms are complete jello.
5) Couple the above with the ridiculously intense "arm fascination" that the typical 14-year old has, and you have a recipe for disaster.
By placing the direct arm work approximately 3-4 weeks into the program, you are able to develop a base conditioning level so that once you DO add the arm work, your arms are already well conditioned, and the arm work becomes icing on the cake and doesn't interfere with your main workout exercises. This means significantly greater growth in their entire body, including their arms. In the end, very experienced people have developed this to maximize your growth all over, including your arms. Your arms will grow better if you don't overdo it at first.
See section III - Programming
Don't get fancy here. Use BBs and DBs and try not to let your ego get in the way of things.
There are millions of articles in Flex and M&F about the various biceps exercises. Go pick one of the barbell or DB ones out and go for it.
Here are my fave’s:
Yes. They all work, but barbell is the basic.
Arnold also thought getting a pump in his muscle was like cumming. Take what Arnie said with a grain of salt. For now, avoid cheat curls. Use them later on once you have more experience, and you will know how and when to incorporate these.
The original Starting Strength workout is a beginner's program. If you are a candidate for this program, then you have to understand that NO program can build your peak right now because you have no biceps. Build your biceps (Along with the rest of your body) and then start asking about your peak development. If your arms are under 17 or so inches, then you really shouldn't concern yourself with your "peak". Your peak is going to suck as long as your arms are spindly and weak.
You aren't Arnold, and you don't need concentration curls yet. If you are a good candidate for this program, then worry less about concentration curls and more about putting some muscular bodyweight on. Skinny kids don't spend much time on concentration curls unless they want to look skinny the rest of their lives.
Nothing wrong with arm work OR concentration curls, but they have their place, and in the workout of an inexperienced trainee who isn't well conditioned, they are out of place.
Do them like this or this
If you prefer to keep your feet behind you like this, then go for it. It won't block out the sun and cause mass destruction, havoc, and/or genital herpes. This isn't something to obsess about, really.
Just slightly wider than your body. An excessively wide grip will wreck the shoulders, an excessively close grip will generally not allow for proper ROM (range of motion). The exercise should not feel uncomfortable in the shoulder joint or tendon area.
This will be a function of shoulder joint and pectoral flexibility. Go as low as you can go without overly stressing the area. Not everyone is a Hola Bola-like freak, with the ability to go deep with heavy weight.
At least get your upper arms to parallel. If you can't do this due to flexibility, then you really need to work on your shoulder joint flexibility.
No, absolutely no, no doubt about it...NO.
Decline DB presses and close grip bench presses (CGBPs) work the individual muscles in a somewhat similar manner, but the overall difference in workload and the resultant stress on your CNS means that these exercises can NOT be substituted evenly.
Do NOT substitute ANY free weight (or machine) exercise for a bodyweight-type exercise, even if you normally add weight to yourself when doing chins/dips
Both DB presses and CGBP are OUTSTANDING exercises, and they are both in my present training regimen. You won't need them just yet, however. They are great additions to the intermediate's training program. Stick with the dippity-dips for now, however.
Probably the best alternative is to do do pushups with a heavy backpack. Touch chest to ground/floor every repetition and control every rep. This will probably be your best bet, unless you are needing to do the pushups from your knees, in which case, you have your work cut out for you. :)
Simply put, what do I do, how long do I do it, and when do I switch up?
The following progression will be SPECIFIC to individuals who have NEVER LIFTED WEIGHTS BEFORE. This is not for the older guy who is getting back in shape, this is for the kid/guy with very little or zero barbell training experience. This is a slight adjustment from the original writeup I did. Mark Rippetoe and I discussed progression via conversation, and he also has a large portion of "Practical Programming" dedicated to this type of question, so here is where things stand now.
"Base Novice program"
Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Bench - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5
Workout B
Squats - 3x5
Standing Press - 3x5
Lighter pull from floor (rows 3x5 or cleans 5x3)
Check the Table of Contents, Section V. I address all of that specifically.
You progress on the base novice program for as long as you can add weight to the bar every workout. If you stall on one of the lifts but continue to progress on the other 2, you can make some "adjustments" to that specific troublesome lift (See Table of Contents - Section III - Programming - stalling and resetting), but continue to drive on with the other 2. Understand that 99% of you will stall faster on the presses and lighter pulls than you will on the squats and the heavy pulls (i.e. deadlifts).
Once you become tolerant to the volume contained within the base novice program, you can begin to judiciously add exercises. For some completely untrained/unfit/unathletic people, and especially for those who are "more mature" (i.e. an old fart, like me), you could end up sticking with this basic program for several weeks. For the naturally strong or the fit athlete involved in strength-oriented sports such as football, hockey, wrestling, martial arts, etc, this initiation period may only be 2 weeks, and you will be ready to tolerate added work.
At this point, 2 bodyweight exercises can be added.
Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Bench - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5
DIPS - 2 x 8-12
Workout B
Squats - 3x5
Standing Press - 3x5
Pull from floor (rows 3x5 or cleans 5x3)
PULLUPS/CHINS - 2 x 8-12 - (3 sets of pullups/chins can be done if you do the cleans instead of the rows)
You add dips to Workout A and chins to workout B. Which should you do, pullups or chinups? How wide should your hands be? Why 8-12 reps? See Table of Contents, Section II, under Accessory Exercises.
Give this a few weeks. Most people, if they introduce these 2 exercises correctly (i.e. you don't rush it, and you maintain proper nutrition/rest/recovery) will be able to make a few months worth of solid progress with this exact template. Eventually, however, most of you will get impatient and will INSIST on adding some direct arm work. Here is how you should add it.
Friday workout only
curl - 2 x 8-12
triceps extension (TriEx)- 2 x 8-12
Notice it's not added to Workout A AND Workout B? notice it's not always added to the SAME workout all the time? You add it to the Friday workout because you will have an extra day to recover from the training. Exact techniques on the curls and extensions is further discussed in Section II, Accessory Exercises.
Abdominal work is desirable. Abdominal work can be added carefully from the time you begin the training. Do NOT overdo this, as your midsection will take a pounding from the squats, deadlifts, and pulls from the floor. You do not want your midsection tired while performing these lifts or you can injure yourself. As a result, I highly recommend you start off with 1 set of abs per workout during the first week, and add no more than 1 set of abdominal exercise per week. For more specific advice regarding abdominal training, once again, head over to Section II.
For additional training of the posterior chain (i.e. the lower back, the glutes and the hamstrings), you can add back extensions, aka "hyperextensions", reverse hypers or GHR (glute ham raises). BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN ADDING THIS TRAINING. It's not supposed to be exhausting, so don't make it so. You probably won't need this for a LONG time. Regardless, 1 or possibly 2 sets of 12-15 reps, not to failure, should be sufficient. Of course, head to Section II for more specific information regarding these exercises and their proper application.
If you add ALL this stuff, this is how it will look. Note that it will probably take several months before you really need to work up to this level and volume (and complexity). For God's sakes, DON'T START OFF WITH ALL THIS STUFF!!! Do the BASE NOVICE WORKOUT for as long as possible. The less work you do in the gym at the start, the more energy you have for recovery. The more energy you have for recovery, the better you will grow. You only need to add the extra "stuff" once the original "stuff" no longer sufficiently stresses your body.
Monday - Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Bench - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5
Dips - 2 x 8-15
GHR - 2 x 12-15
Abs
Wednesday - Workout B
Squats - 3x5
Standing Press - 3x5
Pull from floor (rows 3x5 or cleans 5x3)
Pullups/chins - 2 x 8-15 (3 sets if you do the cleans)
Abs
Friday - Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Bench - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5
Dips - 2 x 8-15
Curls - 2 x 8-12
TriEx - 2 x 8-12
Once again, you MUST be able to add weight to the bar on your main exercises. If you add the exercises and you aren't able to recover, or you aren't adding weight to the bar on your main exercises, then this is not the answer.
You have already progressed past the initial workout scheme (with added stuff):
Monday - Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Bench - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5
Dips - 2 x 8-15
GHR - 2 x 12-15
Abs
Wednesday - Workout B
Squats - 3x5
Standing Press - 3x5
Pull from floor (rows 3x5 or cleans 5x3)
Pullups/chins - 2 x 8-15 (3 sets if you do the cleans)
Abs
Friday - Workout A
Squats - 3x5
Bench - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5
Dips - 2 x 8-15
Curls - 2 x 8-12
TriEx - 2 x 8-12
and it's time to move on. You have reached the point where you are in a Catch22 with linear progression. What to do now?
Time to move on to the Intermediate stage.
Rows are NOT an "official Rippetoe Starting Strength" exercise, but it found its way onto the "adjusted writeup" that I did. The power clean is the ideal pull of choice to alternate with the deadlift in this program. However, I recommended the row in place of the power clean for a vareity of reasons
1) It's an easier exercise to perform
2) It is a FAR easier exercise to "teach" online - it is a controlled exercise, so the whole "mind/muscle connection" thing can be emphasized a bit better than with a fast lift like the clean.
3) Proper rowing is more easily duplicated by watching videos, such as those found on youtube, whereas watching videos of a power clean won't yield the same positive results because the exercise is, when performed properly, too rapid to really observe for an untrained eye
4) It's easier to sell barbell rows to an aspiring 16-year old bodybuilder by showing pics of Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, who are both proponents of the barbell row. Most of the best guys in the world at the power clean are probably not built the way the "bicepts peak"-seeking teenager wants to be built.
5) A final advantage of including rows in this writeup is because it is more closely associated with the highly coveted and elusive "hypertrophy response" which most young guys are interested in.
Pulling a barbell from the floor is an important skill to develop in the weight room from the start, and although the power clean is ideal for this (Especially if you have a football strength coach who hounds you about your power clean), the row is an "easier sell" to the average kid who wants to be big and strong and is easier to teach online and via text.
The row can fill the same niche as the clean because the row can be done in an explosive manner, just like the power clean. It can be performed as a pull from the floor that is a lighter alternative than the deadlift, just like the power clean. It develops the upper/midback musculature, shoulder girdle, and traps, as well as the posterior chain, just like the power clean. It is also a "strength benchmark", just like the power clean.
The original program in Starting Strength does not contain any references to doing any type of rows, although it is listed as a useful and desirable "semi-core" exercise in both Practial Programming and the updated/next-edition version of Starting Strength (due sometime in early-mid 2007). Direct discussion with Mr. Rippetoe reveals that he finds the bent row a suitable substitute for the power clean if the clean simply cannot be performed safely/properly.
I don't necessarily recommend cleans INSTEAD of rows because "rows are always better for everyone." I present them as an alternative. Choose whichever you like, whichever suits your goals. Strength athletes, such as football players, will probably be better served by doing power cleans. In fact, I almost guarantee your coach wants you to do power cleans. Recreational lifters and bodybuilders will almost definitely prefer the barbell row because it has a more direct carryover to their probable physique goals. In the end, learn how to do both properly, and find a place for both in your program as you advance in your training experience and conditioning, and you will be better off than if you had neglected one or the other.
This Kind.
All of these exercises are outstanding free weight exercises and can be used as benchmark strength exercises for many trainees. They develop overall body strength, especially in the posterior chain and "pulling" muscles.
In this program, however, the bent row is more than just a "lat exercise", it replaces the power clean. As such, it must replicate the PURPOSE of the power clean. Muscular recruitment between the 2 exercises is somewhat similar (i.e. rows and cleans works the upper back, lats, rear delts, traps, and spinal erectors, as well as the grip and, to a certain extent, the elbow flexors). However, the explosiveness that the clean develops is very difficult to replicate with most versions of barbell rows.
The bent barbell row, when performed with a deweight between repetitions, allows for the development of explosiveness and helps develop the trainee's ability to produce force rapidly. As such, it is the preferred barbell exercise for this program.
It isn't necessarily "better" than any of the other barbell/DB/T-Bar row exercises. It is, however, a more suitable exercise for this program. Deweighting between reps is a very useful tool in your barbell training arsenal. Like any tool, you use it wisely and in the right situation.
No.
These are popular exercises for physique athletes, as well as powerlifters who wish to train their upper back while resting their lower backs. These machines have their uses, but they do not belong in the program of a novice barbell trainee. Take these up in a few months after you've spent time mastering the bent row
Hamstrings are addressed directly with the deep, full squat. When you lower your hips while maintaining an upright torso position such as in the full squat, your pelvic girdle will pull the hamstrings into a nice stretch. This will elicit an incredibly powerful contraction of the hamstrings at the bottom of the full squat, and in fact, once you go past parallel, your hamstrings take on a very large share of the load, both in hip extension as well as knee joint stabilization. Additionally, all pulls from the floor will activate the hamstrings to some degree from significant (Deadlifts) to moderate (cleans/rows) Traps and forearms both will get hit hard and heavy during deadlifts, cleans and rows. Traps get additional work from overhead presses as well as squats (gotta hold that bar on the traps!) Teh bicept gets hit from the rows, as well as chinups. Some people will develop elbow flexor strength and size pretty rapidly from the rows and chins. Others will find they need direct work. Direct biceps work is added in somewhere around the 3rd or 4th week, so don't fret, you'll be able to do your precious curls soon enough.