Starting Strength Program Review: An Old School View

Are you a beginner at lifting and not sure where or how to start?

Worried about having to pay for an expensive gym membership or think you need a personal trainer?

The Starting Strength program might be the jumpstart you need to begin your muscle gains journey. Made specifically to create a weight training foundation, this program can take the worry out of lifting.

First, you’ll find out what the Starting Strength program is and what to expect from the book. Then, we’ll answer some of the most common questions about the book and program. Finally, we’ll review the program, including reviews from real people who’ve tried this lifting method.

What is the Starting Strength Program?

Starting Strength is an easy to follow weight lifting program focusing on progressive overload to build strength.

The routine comes from the book Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training. This is not to be confused with the Stronglifts 5×5 program, which we detail more here, comparing it to Starting Strength.

The book was first published in 2005 and written by experienced powerlifter Mark Rippetoe. It has been updated since and is now on the 3rd edition. Mark doesn’t plan to write the 4th edition, and he explains why in this YouTube video.

Who is Mark Rippetoe?

Who is this Mark Rippetoe, you may be asking? Well, here are his credentials:

• Involved in the fitness industry since 1978
• Owner of Wichita Falls Athletic Club since 1984
• Part of the first group of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS) certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in 1985
• Competitive powerlifter for over 10 years
• CrossFit Coach
• USA Track and Field Level I Coach
• USA Weightlifting Senior Coach

In short, Rippetoe is qualified (and then some) to have written this book. He’s also written other books, including:

• The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40
• Practical Programming for Strength Training in its 3rd edition

The Starting Strength Routine

Now, let’s detail the Starting Strength routine. The best thing about it is you only need a barbell with weight plates to get started. 

If you have a home gym with this minimal equipment, you could start right now, if you wanted. If you go this route, use a spotter to help with form and prevent injury as you progress into heavier weights.

The first three weeks of the program have you alternate between workout A and workout B. Here’s the breakdown of the two workouts:

Workout A

• Squats: 5 reps for 3 sets
• Bench Press or overhead press: 5 reps for 3 sets
• Deadlift: 3 reps for 1 set

Workout B

• Squats: 5 reps for 3 sets
• Bench Press or overhead press: 5 reps for 3 sets
• Deadlift: 5 reps for 1 set

The program is set up to alternate workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with weekend rest days. 

The first week you’ll start with workout A then the following Monday starts with workout B. You’ll alternate between the bench press and overhead press (Monday bench press, Wednesday overhead press).

Once you hit week four, you’ll stick with the same routine but swap out deadlifts for power cleans. How long this phase lasts is up to you – it could take a few weeks or a few months. 

In the last phase of the program, you’ll switch between deadlifts and power cleans in workout A. For workout B, chin-ups take the place of deadlifts.

Your goal is not to increase reps and sets, but instead, increase the weight lifted. This is how you build muscle hypertrophy, through progressively overloading your muscles with heavier weights.

The weight lifting increments also don’t go up very high, with the smallest weight plate added (2.5 to 5 pounds per side). In the beginning, you’ll increase your weights faster, but then the increases will slow down as you progress. 

Now that we laid out the basic Starting Strength routine, let’s answer some common questions about it.

Is Starting Strength Good for Beginners?

Yes. In fact, it was made for beginners who don’t have prior lifting experience. With just a barbell, weight plates, and a spotter, you can start from any fitness level.

Who else can benefit from the Starting Strength barbell training program? Older people who need to maintain or rebuild strength and people in pain who can build strength to resolve their issues. 

Though the book is designed for young people just starting out with lifting weights, it’s really for any age. If you need to build muscle and/or strength and don’t have barbell experience, this book is right for you.

What Weight Should I Start With When Following Starting Strength?

As we learned in How to choose a bench press bar weight, the standard Olympic barbell is about 45 pounds. This is usually what they have at the gym if you are working the program there. You can get lighter ones starting at around 30 pounds if needed.

To start, see if you can lift the barbell by itself. Remember, it’s around 45 pounds with no added weight. You may end up starting without any weight plates until you begin to progress.

Don’t feel discouraged if you need to start with the bar or even a lighter weight bar. Everyone, even Mark Rippetoe, started with a low weight and had to progress to where they are now. 

How Do You Start With Starting Strength?

You commit to starting the program. Buy the book, get your setup or a gym membership, and mark your calendar for your start day.

Read the book to know what you’re getting into. Pump yourself up and build up motivation so you’re ready to hit the iron on Go Day.

It’s not all about lifting weights, either. Your diet has to be right, too. You can’t be eating unhealthy foods and assume you’ll be able to make gains after the first week.

Take an honest and non-judgemental look at what you’re currently eating and see if you need to change it up. In an interview with Muscle & Fitness magazine, Rippetoe warns that most people under-eat when beginning their lifting journey.

He advises to eat between 3,500 and 6,000 calories a day to fuel your muscles properly. This depends on your height (taller people need more calories) and you may need to make adjustments. 

If you need help with figuring out how many calories, check out these articles:

• How many calories should I eat in a day?
• How many calories do I burn in a day?
• How to count calories
• How much protein should I eat?
• How much fat should I eat?

You also want to make sure to warm-up and cool down before and after your workout. There are more details in the book on effective warm-up and cool-down exercises, reps and sets.

Starting Strength Program Reviews

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. Is the Starting Strength program legit, and will it work for you? To find out, let’s see what the reviews around the Internet have to say.

Amazon

The Starting Strength program book is listed on Amazon and can be purchased in hardback or Kindle versions. It currently has over 2,900 global reviews and is sitting at 4.8 out of 5 stars.

People there are calling it the “exercise bible” and are thankful for “no bro science” in place of real science. Some reviewers commented on the diet portion of the book and said the advice may be outdated for today’s considerations.

Most of the low star reviews are about printing quality, price, or not receiving the book. One jumps out as stating that the views and comments of the author can be seen as sexist.

Reddit

There is a main subreddit thread on Starting Strength you can find on Reddit. In this thread, people have numerous sub-threads asking for a form check, plateaus, eating and other types of advice. 

If you’re nervous about starting out, we suggest scrolling through to see how others have progressed or problems that arise before starting.

There are also threads under r/Fitness about Starting Strength. A lot of them are positive, though some are negative towards the book. Some of the negativity is towards the author himself, rather than the actual program.

This post has a pretty thorough review after trying the program for 12 weeks. One thing that kept coming up is the lack of back conditioning using this program. Working just the front of the upper body can create an imbalance from front to back, which is something to consider.

One way to combat this is to do accessory work for the upper back to counteract the imbalance. The Starting Strength program is only 30 minutes three times per week. Once you get the form down, adding in a few carefully selected back exercises can help.

Starting Strength Forums

The Starting Strength website has its own forum and message board platform as well. Because this forum is on the website for the book itself, it is mostly positive towards the program.

One of the best things about the forum is that you can find a lot of useful information to complement the book, including:

• Technique
• Program modifications
• Managing injuries
• Nutrition and recovery
• Gyms and equipment

Old School Labs – In Conclusion

We believe this book is a great choice for the beginner to learn the fundamentals of strength training. Learning how to use a barbell, safely create progressive overload, and not rush to the next weight are things we also preach.

Mark has a ton of experience and knowledge to back up the Starting Strength program. Not everyone will like it, but for some of our readers who might be inexperienced, it’s a great start.

The lifts can get repetitive, so for those who get bored in the gym, it may not be a good fit. However, even if you just complete the first three weeks of the program, you should see some results.

This can provide a solid foundation for you to continue your lifting journey. Just be sure to always use perfect form and don’t rush to add on the pounds to your barbell.

Wrapping Up

The Starting Strength book and program is a great way for inexperienced lifters to learn proper lifting technique. Building a strength foundation will allow you to improve in other areas, including activities of daily living. 

Eventually, you will be able to move to an intermediate lifter, expanding the types of exercises in your workout routine.

This program is not for intermediate or advanced lifters, as these basic techniques have already been learned. Once you reach an intermediate level, a muscle builder like Vintage Build™ can help you reach your gains goals. This 3-in-1 product supports muscle regeneration, boosting recovery time.

Have you tried the Starting Strengths program and if you did, what was your experience with it? Let us know how it worked for you in the comments below.