Why You Shouldnt Do Starting Strength As A Beginner

I allowed myself to fall into the trap of the whole “eat big to get big” dogma, whilst doing a pathetically low volume of lifting such as that found in 3×5 programs, I do feel that others (especially very young guys who don’t know any lifters IRL) will continue to get suckered into GOMAD whilst doing routines that last no longer than 20-25 minutes and just make them hate what they see in the mirror.

I know I did. I was fat, injured, still had skinny arms and didn’t lift again for years until more recent times.

Not to mention, those routines just aren’t fun. They’re billed as “simple” but most of them have some elaborate deload process built in once you plateau that you’d never remember unless you did nothing but read that program day and night.

I wouldn’t blame the likes of Mark Rippetoe for this trend (he has made numerous clarifications, and has never presented himself as other than a strength coach) but rather the army of dedicated SSers that present the program as the answer to all problems and denigrate anyone doing things differently with endless pejoratives and e-statting.

They say:

Wanna get jacked? Do SS. Wanna get aesthetic? Do SS. Wanna bodybuild? Do SS. Wanna become CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Do SS.

Only on the internet does this madness exist! Only on the internet do people think that squatting and eating a 2000 calorie surplus a day will cut bodyfat, build and sculpt your bicep peak and give you boulder shoulders.

I’ve never known or met anyone IRL who has looked well built and lean who built themselves up using a low volume, low rep, CNS wrecker of a routine.

Ape Out, Gorilla Mindset Shirt $21.68

Rise, Grind, Banana Find Shirt $21.68

Ape Out, Gorilla Mindset Shirt $21.68

  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I'm black btw

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      the people who do Starting Strength are recognizable immediately ie a big ass, wide hips, small arms, shoulders and minimum 30% bodyfat

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Aka perfect female

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          but they are men

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Groups on the internet, such as the SS forums, have probably left untold amounts of guys disappointed with how they've looked after 3-12 months.

    Meanwhile, the "bro" who goes to the gym and does curls, bench, shoulders and a few chin-ups and leg presses totally blows the SS "student" out of the water, getting bigger arms, shoulders, pecs and upper back without that much fat gain.

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    What people fail to understand is these strength training programs are made for football, rugby or other contact sports, they are made to build mass on skinny college and highschool kids. While doing these programs the expectation is that you are also practicing sports everyday and not sitting on your ass doing nothing. The cardio, HIIT and fraternity effect on testosterone from team contact sports will give you large lean muscle mass.

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    based
    frick SS and all of its apologists
    bunch of fat/skinnyfat Black folk squatting 3 plates while struggling to bench a plate

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      man i definitely ran into that when i started out SS. i was so proud i was finally getting enough weight on my squats to see the bar bend around my shoulders in the mirror, but i'd see dudes blowing my bench out of the water and i just couldn't understand what was going on.

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    What routine would you recommend for a beginner if not SS?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Just do a normal ass 4 day split

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Everyday a beginner to the gym will ask what program he should do.
      People will usually respond with either Starting Strength or Stronglifts and order them to eat a lot. A few months will pass and the beginner have stalled and is confused with why he’s not gaining any muscle despite putting so much weight on the bar.
      They say he should stick with the program, read the book, get a lot of sleep and eat even more food and not to switch programs unless he’s reached “intermediate” lifts. The beginner sticks with it and runs it for 1 year, while making very little progress.

      Here is where the problem actually lays: Starting Strength and Stronglifts does not actually build muscle, but PEAKS it. In other words, It builds what is already there. Yes! Really!

      Both of these programs are based on Bill Starr’s 5×5 that was made for off-season football players that wanted to get their numbers back up in the weight room with as little work as possible. That is also the case as a beginner. With these programs you’re not actually getting stronger, just adapting to the training, becoming more efficient at moving the bar and getting the central nervous system to handle the work load.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        The thing is, the anons are wrong for saying you need "intermediate lifts" to stop beginner programming. You're done when you stop making progress on it, full stop. It's a case of the blind leading the blind, as opposed to the program(s) being bad.

        >Doesn't build it, it peaks it
        Nope, beginners can build muscle by looking at a barbell and there is virtually no difference between hypertrophy training and strength training at the beginner level (when it comes to size of prime movers)

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      5/3/1 boring but big or any variation really

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        531 has a beginner template

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      greyskull isnt bad, its basically ss but for people who arent moronic, either that or a generic 4 day split

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Guess it depends on what you're looking for. When I started I was looking to improve strength and didn't really care about getting the dream body. Still got mired in public for my chest and calves though lol.

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >Last no longer than 20-25 minutes
    Confirmed for YNDTP

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I had a lot more progress with SL than I did 5/3/1 BBB, it's not like that shit's any better with an army of redditors screaming to read the seventeenth book in the series to account for the end result of your body looking like a sloppy fatass trex

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >spends paragraphs on "one thing bad"
    >doesn't say what thing is good
    Okay

  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >last no longer than 20-25 minutes
    ahahaha
    weak b***h

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    daily reminder that SS is not a powerlifting program and no powerlifting program is similar to SS in terms of exercise choice, frequency, volume or intensity
    it is not even good at developing strength

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I did SS for two months and did the GOMAD thing. I increased my lifts but started noticing some fat. I quit for 2 months and stopped eating so much. I'm back at the gym now doing SS but without the ridiculous caloric surplus. I like how its increasing my squat and deadlift, and I like having a strict routine to follow. But, I'm pretty aware that this is not a long term thing, and pretty soon I'm going to need to start changing my lifts.
    My squat, deadlift, bench, and shoulder press are higher than they have ever been. I'm 6'3 200lbs. I look DYEL but my body looks fine. I'm thinking I'm at the point now where I can focus more on upper body and core, and squat and deadlift maybe once or twice a week and start seeing some nice muscle mass within 3 months.
    SS got me into the gym, got me to improve my form, and I saw constant progress. I'm excited to go to the gym, and after failing the first time I learned a lot about what I want and don't want.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *