I Starting Strength for Mass Building?

[iMac46]

hi, I was just wondering if the Starting Strength program is for Mass Building? or is there another better program for Mass Building that can be used by beginners like me? thanks!

[Jasonk282]

any program will build you mass...mass comes from your diet...though getting stronger for reps and eating more food to keep growing will make you a bigger stronger human.

[jhew86]

Starting strength is a solid all-round program that has had proven results with many trainees. Yes, you can build mass, provided you are eating to build lean muscle.

[Jasonk282]

Starting strength is a solid all-round program that has had proven results with many trainees. Yes, you can build mass, provided you are eating to build lean muscle.

It has nothing to do with lean muscle at all. Most people on SS just need to eat and not worry about the fat, which they can cut at a later time.

OP is 5'8" 120lbs...he doesn't need a "clean" bulk...he just needs to bulk, period.

[7usabball]

It has nothing to do with lean muscle at all. Most people on SS just need to eat and not worry about the fat, which they can cut at a later time.

OP is 5'8" 120lbs...he doesn't need a "clean" bulk...he just needs to bulk, period.

yes and no. best results with bulking clean.


but holy crap 120lbs at 5'8", you need to straight up EAT!!!

[Bumpus]

yes and no. best results with bulking clean.


but holy crap 120lbs at 5'8", you need to straight up EAT!!!

EL-OH-EL. Says the 5'9 155lb guy. Does clean bulking mean you wash all your food first? Perhaps it is more practical to suggest one eats at a smaller surplus to limit fat gain?

[Jasonk282]

yes and no. best results with bulking clean.


but holy crap 120lbs at 5'8", you need to straight up EAT!!!

As to you...

Doesn't matter if your bulk is all pizza and burgers or lean chicken and turkey...as long as you don't go overboard on your surplus you'll keep the fat gains at bay.

[trexmoad123]

EL-OH-EL. Says the 5'9 155lb guy. Does clean bulking mean you wash all your food first? Perhaps it is more practical to suggest one eats at a smaller surplus to limit fat gain?

Clean bulking usually just means having a smaller surplus of calories. But many people do use it in the wrong way and imply that clean bulking means eating healthy foods.. which is false.

@OP

Yes, Starting Strength will build mass just fine. Just bulk with it

[iMac46]

hi everyone, I am going to start with Starting Strength first. but is it okay if I change the reps/sets to 3/10 instead of 5/5? I read you gain mass more that way? please correct me if im wrong

[GMLFTMBCIFASLHO]

hi everyone, I am going to start with Starting Strength first. but is it okay if I change the reps/sets to 3/10 instead of 5/5? I read you gain mass more that way? please correct me if im wrong

do you mean 3 sets, 10 reps...instead of 5 sets, 5 reps? if so, then ur probably mixing up starting strength with some other program. starting strength is actually 3 working sets, 5 reps. and i think its best to just stick with the program, otherwise it doesn't become starting strength anymore.


i don't want to hijack OP's thread, but i do have a question about CUTTING and Starting Strength. Is this an okay program for cutting? Would I still be able to preserve as much LBM as possible? Or would I be better off with All Pro's routine?

[iMac46]

I tried Starting Strength for a day, the next day i didn't feel much muscle pains, doesn't this mean that my muscle fibers did not tear and therefore won't get bigger? Mass is what I want. thanks!

[GMLFTMBCIFASLHO]

I tried Starting Strength for a day, the next day i didn't feel much muscle pains, doesn't this mean that my muscle fibers did not tear and therefore won't get bigger? Mass is what I want. thanks!

I'm pretty sure if you want to get big, ur gonna have to just follow the program exactly as is, and eat at a caloric surplus to gain mass.

[turboatrox]

I tried Starting Strength for a day, the next day i didn't feel much muscle pains, doesn't this mean that my muscle fibers did not tear and therefore won't get bigger? Mass is what I want. thanks!

It probably wont at first. But keep addding weight each workout, and eventually you will feel it.

[daavig]

tbh I've done SS for a month+ and have made good strength gains and gained ~12 pounds of bodyweight but aethetically i dont notice a huge difference. I myself am contemplating switching to all pros beginner routine, which is similiar in the sense that it focuses on compound movements, but the gains are in reps, you start at 2x8 for each exercise then next wk 2x9 then 2x10 then 2x11 then 2x12 then after u hit complete all exercises with 12 reps, add 10% to each one and restart the cycle. Heres the workout http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

[iMac46]

thanks ill check it out

[gbullock32]

I tried Starting Strength for a day, the next day i didn't feel much muscle pains, doesn't this mean that my muscle fibers did not tear and therefore won't get bigger? Mass is what I want. thanks!

Muscle soreness is not an indication of growth. As long as you are getting stronger/bigger than you are progressing.

[iMac46]

i checked out the all pro workout, do you need to do all the exercises listed per workout session?

[iMac46]

thanks for all your replies, I think ill try the Starting Strength first. if it works, ill continue on. if not, ill change to another program. How long do I have to do the Starting Strength program?

[Floider]

You stay on starting strength until you can no longer keep up linear progression. From most people I have seen this will take you at least to 5 rep maxes of 250lb squats and 200lb bench press.

[Floider]

which is similiar in the sense that it focuses on compound movements, but the gains are in reps,

So in the 5 weeks of all pros that you went from doing the same weight for sets of 8 to sets of 12 on starting strength you would have increased your 5 rep max by more than 50lbs. Personally, doing 50lbs more at the same reps seems like more of an increase than doing 4 more reps of the same weight.

[blueelectrc]

So in the 5 weeks of all pros that you went from doing the same weight for sets of 8 to sets of 12 on starting strength you would have increased your 5 rep max by more than 50lbs. Personally, doing 50lbs more at the same reps seems like more of an increase than doing 4 more reps of the same weight.

Bingo.

[PeterGibbons316]

Starting strength is a solid all-round program that has had proven results with many trainees. Yes, you can build mass, provided you are eating to build lean muscle.

What exactly is "lean muscle"???

[bravo96]

So in the 5 weeks of all pros that you went from doing the same weight for sets of 8 to sets of 12 on starting strength you would have increased your 5 rep max by more than 50lbs. Personally, doing 50lbs more at the same reps seems like more of an increase than doing 4 more reps of the same weight.

all pros offers a more sustainable progression than starting strength. its not like you cant get strong of all pros either say say you take your squat from 225x8 to 225x12 your 5 rep max would have gone up a considerable amount.

[dday39]

So in the 5 weeks of all pros that you went from doing the same weight for sets of 8 to sets of 12 on starting strength you would have increased your 5 rep max by more than 50lbs. Personally, doing 50lbs more at the same reps seems like more of an increase than doing 4 more reps of the same weight.

no

Bingo.

wrong


AP's program increases the progression 10% at the start of each cycle. It's a great mix of hypertrophy and strength and is probably sustainable for a bit longer than SS. If you can stick with AP's program for about a year (10 cycles), you'll be bigger and stronger.

[ThickAsABrick]

The primary goal of the program is not gaining mass.

Volume is a bit low and exercise selection is slightly different than a more size-centric routine.

I would not recommend someone who wants size as a primary goal do the program, despite the fact that it will build some size. Much like I would not recommend a size program to someone who has the primary goal of strength gain, despite the fact that size routines will build some strength.

Cheers.

[jkcstewart]

I tried Starting Strength for a day, the next day i didn't feel much muscle pains, doesn't this mean that my muscle fibers did not tear and therefore won't get bigger? Mass is what I want. thanks!

Just 1 day?? I would try if for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. What weight did you start with?

[billb7581]

Re All Pros vs SS

If you started at 100 lbs your calculated 1RM = 113

You would start all pro's at 113*.786 roughly 90 lbs

After 5 weeks

SS 1 rep max = 169

AP 1 rep max = 144 plus you would take a 10 percent bump the following week putting you at 158 but the figure is probably higher because I think All Pro said your 2 x 12 rep max is your 1x15 rep max.

Going from 8 to 9 reps is doing 12.5 percent more work, from 9-10 is 11 percent 10-11 is 10 percent 11-12 is 8 percent. 5 Additional pounds is 5 percent more work

[Engineer_Guy]

AP 1 rep max = 144 plus you would take a 10 percent bump the following week putting you at 158

When you add the 10% you also drop back down to 8 reps. This is actually a deload. So no that wouldn't put you at 158.

[billb7581]

Well your 2x12 rep max would be 100

2x12 rep max = 1x15 rep max = 164

I dont know what a 5x5 reps across is equivalent to for 1 set.

[ThickAsABrick]

buttsecks