Weightlifting: Starting Strength
08-28-2013, 06:10 AM
This thread makes my head want to explode.
Of course Jamie from Chaos and Pain lost strength when he did a 5x5 similar to SS, he is a world record holder in powerlifting, why would he jump backwards to a program best suited for a beginner to gain mass and strength? Also, doesn't, or hasn't, he recommended Reg Parks 5x5 to beginners in the past? Very similar to SS.
5/3/1 isn't better or worse, it is for an intermediate or more advanced lifter. SS is great for a beginner to gain a lot of strength as well as size quickly, and also get a solid foundation of form on your basic lifts. It is NOT a bodybuilding program. However, it is great to start on something like SS or SL to get a base level of strength, so if you decide to move onto a bodybuilding program you can actaully lift some respectable numbers. If you are only squatting 200lbs, good luck building much muscle on any type of program. It makes much more sense to get your squat up to 300lbs, maybe even 400lbs, and THEN jump onto a body building program where you will gain much more muscle by being able to lift some legitimate weights.
It is my understanding that Jamie Lewis and Rip actaully get a long, and that Jamie dislikes the cult like mentality that many SS people have about overtraining and not adding anything to SS.
I agree that SS isn't the best program for size, though it is very good for most beginners. It is a strength program to increase strength/size/performance in a new liter, not a bodybuilding program. So no, it isn't optimal for size, but it does a damn fine job of increasing strength very quickly.
The past 6 months I've been lifting consistantley after many spurts of 3 months on, 1-2 years off. I did SS for 3 months, and about to finish 3 months of Madcow. In 2 weeks, when I finish 3 months of Madcow, I am scheduled for a 365x5 squat and 230x5 bench. That should put me at about a 405x1 max squat, over 2x my bodyweight. Raw, no belt, no wraps, below parallel, no fucking smith machine. Not super impressive, but a respectable number. If I paid any attention to hitting enough protein each day, I'd imagine I'd be even stronger, bigger and leaner. Lazy fuck that I am.
Once I finish this out, I will probably jump onto a program like Lyle McDonalds or Layne Nortons bulking programs, which have a bigger emphasis on bodybuilding. That's a lie actaully, I need to cut some of this damn fat first so Fisto stops calling me fat. I can imagine that having a 405x1 squat will allow me to build much more muscle than if I only had a 175x1 squat, which most people would have after 6 months of not doing a legitimate strength program like SS/Sl/Madcow/WS4B/20 rep squats, a million other variations of heavy barbell training, etc and doing a split with legs once per week.
I also agree that SS gives you huge fucking legs, a good sized chest, but leaves the arms lacking a bit, from an aesthetic standpoint. After a couple of months on SS, if you can handle the recovery, do 3x8 weighted dips alternated with 3x8 weighted chinups. Then, if you still feel you can add more, throw 3x8-12 curls and skullcrushers at the end of your workout on Friday, and if you want more, try putting them at the end of Monday as well. I don't see how a program like that, intended for a beginner, could draw much hate.
GOMAD I think is only recommended for very skinny people and teenagers. I don't know how well it works. I know as a 28 year old male I wouldn't do GOMAD, I'd get fat as fuck. However, if I were a 16 year old kid, it may work great.
Bottom line, most people who hate on SS hate on it based on something it was never intended to be, a bodybuilding program. Is it perfect? No. But what routine is? Rip followers say SS is the best. Jamie Lewis say his advice is the best. SL has his cult of followers. Etc. None of them are perfect, and each have strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day, for a beginner, heavy barbell training with a solid routine is going to give them very good gains.
Personally, I'd go for something like SS to build up my strength level, throw some accessory work like I mentioned above into it to help those arms grow, and then jump onto Madcow or The Texas Method to continue those strength gains. After you can lift some respectable weights I.E. squat/DL over 350lbs, bench over 225lbs, jump onto a program closer to whatever your specific goals are. Bodybuilding, powerlifting, crossfit, whatever.
But what the fuck do I know? I'm not too much more ahead of most beginners at this shit, ~1,000lb total. Take my advice for what it is.