[Steelex]

OP is trying to reinvent the wheel.

I seriously doubt OP will ever put up a decent lift number with his current approach.

[Repo]

Dear God OP that is a terrible split, you listened to nobody.

[Vaun]

(10-21-2017 05:35 AM)duedue Wrote:  

I decided to modify the routine a bit and add in extra exercises

Duedue, if there was ever a case of your name is your destiny, I can not think of a better one in relation to your approach to weight lifting.

Follow my directions and you will have success.

1) Read the book - Starting Strength
2) Do the program exactly as its written.

Since we can not upload videos of ourselves here lifting, which would be highly beneficial to everyone here, I would strongly encourage you to join this message board and start posting here. https://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/

You will largely get the exact advice that I just gave you. You will not progress unless you follow the directions for doing this program. Starting Strength is one of the most highly effective programs for easily building strength and physique for a novice lifter like yourself. Just follow those two steps, and join that message board, and thats all you need for success. Its really fool proof.

[duedue]

(10-22-2017 09:47 PM)MOVSM Wrote:  

Holy hell that is way too much. How do you recover from it?
Even the novice SS program is not this intense.

At most you should do workouts A and B every other day.

Workout A: Squat, Bench Press, Clean or Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups
Workout B: Squat, Press, Deadlift

Week 1:
Mon--A
Wed--B
Fri--A

Week 2:
Mon--B
Wed--A
Fri--B

This is a novice program that you can run for a few months. When you'll start going with achy muscles into your workout, that would be the time to go into an intermediate program.

Is it really too much? The day after each workout, before doing the next one, I hardly feel any soreness or swelling in my muscles, like I had not done anything the day before and that's actually the reason I've been lifting almost every day. Although it seems I'm "getting there" slowly. I didn't work out at weekend and then did squats, barbell row and dumbbell bench yesterday and now I feel something in my shoulders and biceps.

Starting Strength is a great routine but it is not written in stone and it targets your core and legs more than your upper body. (Hannibal mentioned this a few posts above. Jon Anthony mentions the same on his weblog). Also what is wrong with throwing in some dumbbell exercises "on the side" to help improve your bench and overhead press performance?

I know you guys know what you're talking about however what I've been doing gives me momentum and that's a great thing. Maybe when this momentum platos I'll come to grips with what you're saying.

[duedue]

(10-23-2017 07:10 PM)Repo Wrote:  

Dear God OP that is a terrible split, you listened to nobody.

Didn't some members suggest working out at least 4 days a week and suggested some extra exercises?

[Repo]

That is not why the plan sucks. Just do the plan as it's written, with NO modifications.

[Steelex]

It's a starting strength program, not a build your body to its final form program.

The beauty of the program is that it is so lower body dominant, because that is literally the base for building the rest of your body. By increasing the strength of the legs and spine, you're giving yourself a far better platform for other movements such as rows, cleans, overhead pressing, various dumbell exercise, ect.

Do you really think you're ever going to be able to overhead press a heavy enough weight to build badass shoulders if you have stability problems in your trunk? No. And what do you think is going to build that core stability faster than getting to the point where you can load 405 on your back and do an ass to grass squat? NOTHING.

Yes it's leg-spine dominant but the program is designed to build your base as quick as humanly possible so you can move on to the other shit and not be that guy who's stuck at a 135lb OHP while the guy in the other rack has shoulders that look like cyborg armor because he's squatting 405 for a set of 5 and overhead presses for ten what you bench for 1.

[MOVSM]

(10-24-2017 06:34 AM)duedue Wrote:  

Is it really too much? The day after each workout, before doing the next one, I hardly feel any soreness or swelling in my muscles, like I had not done anything the day before and that's actually the reason I've been lifting almost every day. Although it seems I'm "getting there" slowly. I didn't work out at weekend and then did squats, barbell row and dumbbell bench yesterday and now I feel something in my shoulders and biceps.

Starting Strength is a great routine but it is not written in stone and it targets your core and legs more than your upper body. (Hannibal mentioned this a few posts above. Jon Anthony mentions the same on his weblog). Also what is wrong with throwing in some dumbbell exercises "on the side" to help improve your bench and overhead press performance?

I know you guys know what you're talking about however what I've been doing gives me momentum and that's a great thing. Maybe when this momentum platos I'll come to grips with what you're saying.

You're not supposed to feel sore after SS workout. It's not like crossfit, where you don't do the same workout for a week, and when you do it hurts to put the pants on.
On SS you know it's too much when the soreness builds up after a while.

The novice split is a brutal program, requires quick recovery and FOOD. Make sure you're eating enough to support it. Then check your lifting form--for me it was that that held me back. As soon as I got my form right, the weight on the bar increased rapidly. Try to find SS coach/gym in your area. You don't have to go there for a workout if it's far, but they'll fix your lifting form in a jiffy.

You don't need dumbbells on the side! Do the exercises right, and it hits all muscle groups. If you really need something extra, check out the "auxiliary exercises" chapter at the end of the book. Although I would only adopt chin ups/pull ups for the arms.

[MOVSM]

(10-24-2017 07:24 AM)Steelex Wrote:  

It's a starting strength program, not a build your body to its final form program.

Not at all true. That is only the novice program. You use the same exercises for intermediate and advanced programs. SS companion book, "Practical Programming for Strength Training" describes several advanced and intermediate (Texas method) programs.

(10-24-2017 07:24 AM)Steelex Wrote:  

The beauty of the program is that it is so lower body dominant, because that is literally the base for building the rest of your body. By increasing the strength of the legs and spine, you're giving yourself a far better platform for other movements such as rows, cleans, overhead pressing, various dumbell exercise, ect.

Do you really think you're ever going to be able to overhead press a heavy enough weight to build badass shoulders if you have stability problems in your trunk? No. And what do you think is going to build that core stability faster than getting to the point where you can load 405 on your back and do an ass to grass squat? NOTHING.

Yes it's leg-spine dominant but the program is designed to build your base as quick as humanly possible so you can move on to the other shit and not be that guy who's stuck at a 135lb OHP while the guy in the other rack has shoulders that look like cyborg armor because he's squatting 405 for a set of 5 and overhead presses for ten what you bench for 1.

You contradict yourself here--SS program includes bench and overhead press, which do chest/shoulders. Besides legs, the deadlift heavily impacts back and improves grip (forearms). Squat works every muscle under the bar, and improves balance. Every exercise works abdomen-it's what keeps you from falling over. The only deficiency there is, is the biceps, for which you use chin/pull ups.

[Steelex]

Starting strength is the novice program. The Texas method is not starting strength. It's another program altogether.

Im only referring to the novice program, which in my opinion is a great starting point.

[Vaun]

My guess is a lot of people here commenting on Starting Strength have never read the book or done the program.

The first comment that gives it away is "that this is not an upper body program". Or that its "lower body dominant."

To me thats laughable, and a huge indicator as to whether the person has read the Starting Strength book or done the actual program at all. Given that its the most popular weight lifting program in the last 25 years, if not ever, you will have a lot of arm chair coaches.

I am guessing its a lot of "body builders" who now realize that lifting for vanity is finally being seen by the masses for what it really is; vain, pointless and a little . Didn't one of these Youtube guys just die another pre-mature death?

OP - you would be better off join the Starting Strength message board, and posting there.