***Rippetoe's Starting Strength (and other Ripp novice programs) FAQ***

[Farley1324]

I'm a newbie - 14 years old 5' 9", 115 pounds. I play baseball and basketball. Baseball is my best sport and the one I want to continue through high school. The basketball coach thinks I should do some weight lifting to add muscle. I would like to find a workout routine that won't effect my pitching arm in baseball. Are there any lifts that aren't recommended for pitchers or that are recommended for pitchers? Thanks.

There is nothing to specifically worry about there.

Make sure you don't neglect your back/upper back muscles though.

[lalalalakerss24]

How important is it to do squats first? I have an barbell and 350 pounds of plates but with no squat rack and a bench (dont ask, long story) and I have been lifting in a actual gym but doing deadlifts with those hexagon plates is really starting to annoy me. I was thinking of doing the deadlifts first at home then going to my gym (8 min drive) to finish squats and bench. Is that okay?

[Farley1324]

How important is it to do squats first? I have an barbell and 350 pounds of plates but with no squat rack and a bench (dont ask, long story) and I have been lifting in a actual gym but doing deadlifts with those hexagon plates is really starting to annoy me. I was thinking of doing the deadlifts first at home then going to my gym (8 min drive) to finish squats and bench. Is that okay?

Squat first. Deadlifts last.

Just do your deadlifts with the hex plates. Yes, it's annoying. Put a couple of small plates on the ground, one in front of and behind each side of the bar. This will keep it from rolling away/into you

[lalalalakerss24]

That sounds like a good idea.

How is my squat form?

[IamJARED]

That sounds like a good idea.

How is my squat form?

Hard to tell without being able to see your entire body. But your depth looks good and your bouncing and not pausing at the bottom. Are you squatting low or high bar?

[Farley1324]

That sounds like a good idea.

How is my squat form?

Depth is waaay down there.

Are you loading your hips and putting the weight on your heels or midfoot though? Your knees make it seem like you have weight coming up towards the balls of your feet, and during the ascent at about the :15-:17 mark it looks like your left heel even lifts up a little bit.

[Francis333]

TFW this thread got me started. Seemed like forever ago.

Thanks a ton OP. Forever in debt farley da gawd

[lalalalakerss24]

Hard to tell without being able to see your entire body. But your depth looks good and your bouncing and not pausing at the bottom. Are you squatting low or high bar?

Should I not bounce and high bar.

Depth is waaay down there.

Are you loading your hips and putting the weight on your heels or midfoot though? Your knees make it seem like you have weight coming up towards the balls of your feet, and during the ascent at about the :15-:17 mark it looks like your left heel even lifts up a little bit.

Yea I definitely need to practice putting the weigh on my heels.

[Sniksder16]

How important is starting on lower weights? Ive heard that starting so you hit your 5rm in 4 weeks is good but i just dont have that ammount of time plus im not a complete beginner, im just restarting. Form is good and i started at 5% lower than what i feel like i could do it at but the weight increments of +5lb are worring me and so are the +10 on squat. My deadlift is too high to go up that amount i can guarantee that (300 with no more plates at my house).

[Farley1324]

How important is starting on lower weights? Ive heard that starting so you hit your 5rm in 4 weeks is good but i just dont have that ammount of time plus im not a complete beginner, im just restarting. Form is good and i started at 5% lower than what i feel like i could do it at but the weight increments of +5lb are worring me and so are the +10 on squat. My deadlift is too high to go up that amount i can guarantee that (300 with no more plates at my house).

It has nothing to do with being a beginner or not. It's about being a novice or not.

5% lower than what you feel you could do is too heavy to start.

The weight increments worrying you is because you started too heavy.

START LOWER

[ItsNerfOrNothin]

After the warm-up, the work sets are then done. Because the squat weight was established during the previous workout, 5 lbs are added to the previous day's working weight, so a trainee who squatted 85 lbs is now squatting 95 lbs.

5lb plates are added or 5lbs total (2 2.5lb discs)?

Because 5lbs added means 85->90lbs for second workout, not 95. inb4 I break




Edit: nvm saw post #17

[Sniksder16]

It has nothing to do with being a beginner or not. It's about being a novice or not.

5% lower than what you feel you could do is too heavy to start.

The weight increments worrying you is because you started too heavy.

START LOWER

Ok thanks, what weight would you recommend i start at? my 5rm is around 120 i started the other day at 115x5, squat i started really low as i just got a squat rack and havent done that in a while at 115 (can do 150x5), deadlift i can do 240-250x5 i started at 185 for this. What do you recommend i switch them to, specfically bench as i feel like my squat is started low enough. Im doing B tomorrow so im not benching or deadlifting.

[Farley1324]

Ok thanks, what weight would you recommend i start at? my 5rm is around 120 i started the other day at 115x5, squat i started really low as i just got a squat rack and havent done that in a while at 115 (can do 150x5), deadlift i can do 240-250x5 i started at 185 for this. What do you recommend i switch them to, specfically bench as i feel like my squat is started low enough. Im doing B tomorrow so im not benching or deadlifting.

Start at a weight that will allow you to progress at the prescribed weight for two full weeks before you get to your current ability.

[Jim101]

What should i be doing on my rest days? Is it okay to play basketball?

[Farley1324]

What should i be doing on my rest days? Is it okay to play basketball?

If you want to play basketball, play basketball.

It may interfere a little with recovery, but...if you want to play ball, play ball.

[Sniksder16]

If you want to play basketball, play basketball.

It may interfere a little with recovery, but...if you want to play ball, play ball.

Thanks man i will do this.

[Humbla]

Stalled for my first time in deadlift and squat

(bench and ohp stalled for ages lolz, reset for 2nd time now)

Current DL : 249lbs (Could only get 3 reps in each set)
Squat : 242lbs (Same as DL)

Gonna repeat it then try to increase as much as I can for the next 3 weeks. Going to get a mini cut going then move to 5-3-1 after

[Jim101]

Is it normal for your knees to be sore and crack while squatting?

[Farley1324]

Is it normal for your knees to be sore and crack while squatting?

That is probably a form problem

[IamJARED]

Stalled for my first time in deadlift and squat

(bench and ohp stalled for ages lolz, reset for 2nd time now)

Current DL : 249lbs (Could only get 3 reps in each set)
Squat : 242lbs (Same as DL)

Gonna repeat it then try to increase as much as I can for the next 3 weeks. Going to get a mini cut going then move to 5-3-1 after

Do you think your really ready to move on from SS? Your deadlift is only 249 lbs for 5.

Is it normal for your knees to be sore and crack while squatting?

Be sure your pushing your knees out hard and try and post a vid of your squat so Farley can tell you how it looks.

[IamJARED]

Should I not bounce and high bar.

No it's good that your using the stretch reflex to bounce. While low bar is the preferred version of the squat to do on this routine, I think you can do fine with high bar. Only question I have for you is where are you looking? On the SS Forum, it's recommend that for High Bar squats you look 12-15 feet ahead of you on the ground, instead of the 4-5 feet for low bar. This way you still have some hip drive. Also, I can't see if your doing this or not, but are you using a straight wrist, thumbless grip on the bar?

[volkan96]

What should I do after SS if I want to train only for aesthetics?
My lifts are 220 lbs squat, 155 lbs bench, 286 lbs deadlift and 100 lbs ohp.
I've been running Advanced practical programmed novice SS for 10 weeks.
I cant be bothered about strength lifting anymore after today.
Could only do 2 reps of squat today even though I did 5 on monday and I lost my balance and fell forwards and though I was going to break my neck and die at that moment. Felt very embaressed and the fact that the gym was crowded and I lifted with my uncle mad it even more embaressing. Dont want to return to that gym anymore lol....

[Farley1324]

Stalled for my first time in deadlift and squat

(bench and ohp stalled for ages lolz, reset for 2nd time now)

Current DL : 249lbs (Could only get 3 reps in each set)
Squat : 242lbs (Same as DL)

Gonna repeat it then try to increase as much as I can for the next 3 weeks. Going to get a mini cut going then move to 5-3-1 after

A 157 pound 16 year old wants to cut?

What should I do after SS if I want to train only for aesthetics?
My lifts are 220 lbs squat, 155 lbs bench, 286 lbs deadlift and 100 lbs ohp.
I've been running Advanced practical programmed novice SS for 10 weeks.
I cant be bothered about strength lifting anymore after today.
Could only do 2 reps of squat today even though I did 5 on monday and I lost my balance and fell forwards and though I was going to break my neck and die at that moment. Felt very embaressed and the fact that the gym was crowded and I lifted with my uncle mad it even more embaressing. Dont want to return to that gym anymore lol....

So you "can't be bothered about strength lifting anymore" because you had a bad session and lost your balance?

And you think lifting only for looks is the solution to this?

[volkan96]

A 157 pound 16 year old wants to cut?



So you "can't be bothered about strength lifting anymore" because you had a bad session and lost your balance?

And you think lifting only for looks is the solution to this?

I never wanted to train for strength from the begining. My goal is to have a great looking body. I havent seen any change on my looks since I started SS. All I want to know is which lifting stats do I need before I can start training for looks?

[Farley1324]

I never wanted to train for strength from the begining. My goal is to have a great looking body. I havent seen any change on my looks since I started SS. All I want to know is which lifting stats do I need before I can start training for looks?

SS was not the best program choice, then.

You don't need any lifting stats before you follow a routine whose primary focus is appearance.

Go read the stickies in the Workout Programs section and the Exercises section.

Consider All Pros simple beginner's routine.

[volkan96]

SS was not the best program choice, then.

You don't need any lifting stats before you follow a routine whose primary focus is appearance.

Go read the stickies in the Workout Programs section and the Exercises section.

Consider All Pros simple beginner's routine.

Thanks for helping me, really appreciate it. One final question though, Do you think I could get great looks from Coolcicada's PPL? I want to go 6 times a week so its either bro splits or PPL routine for me.

[Farley1324]

Thanks for helping me, really appreciate it. One final question though, Do you think I could get great looks from Coolcicada's PPL? I want to go 6 times a week so its either bro splits or PPL routine for me.

I don't have a clue who or what that is. This thread is really for Starting Strength or other Rippetoe programs. I am not a good person to ask about routines based on looks, anyway.

[volkan96]

I don't have a clue who or what that is. This thread is really for Starting Strength or other Rippetoe programs. I am not a good person to ask about routines based on looks, anyway.

Ok thanks anyways

[Humbla]

Do you think your really ready to move on from SS? Your deadlift is only 249 lbs for 5.

I thought that I should, my deadlift right now is the only thing going up. Yesterday I added weight and pulled it okay, although I rested a bit inbetween reps to let my hands recover (I think this is fine? Not sure). My squat stalled again on 4 reps, 3 reps then 3 reps again. My bench failed after resetting from 22.5kg down to 15kg, started going up in 2.5kg intervals up to 20kg yesterday and failed on 4 reps. (Reset made me weaker, even with proper nutrition and rest). I just think that at this point, to improve further I need more volume or just a different routine which is set up differently with more time between weight increases.

[Farley1324]

I thought that I should, my deadlift right now is the only thing going up. Yesterday I added weight and pulled it okay, although I rested a bit inbetween reps to let my hands recover (I think this is fine? Not sure). My squat stalled again on 4 reps, 3 reps then 3 reps again. My bench failed after resetting from 22.5kg down to 15kg, started going up in 2.5kg intervals up to 20kg yesterday and failed on 4 reps. (Reset made me weaker, even with proper nutrition and rest). I just think that at this point, to improve further I need more volume or just a different routine which is set up differently with more time between weight increases.

I'd say that if you let go of the bar and stand up, it ceases to be one set. Are you using chalk? If not, use chalk. I don't care if the gym has a rule against it, use it, use it in moderation, don't advertise it, and don't make a mess/clean up any mess you make.

How long are you resting between squat sets?

When you say your squat stalled...does that mean that that is the second or third session in a row where you didn't get all 15 reps? Missing reps in one session is not stalling, officially.

Have you moved to or considered moving to a template something like practical programming advance novice with light back squats (or front squats) on "Wednesday"?