Is Starting Strength overrated?

Is Starting Strength overrated?

only do it if you are weak as piss or have no idea how to work muscles by yourself. If you have a normal body you can make your own routine.

No. It's perfect for what it is intended to be, a solid base for novices who SStart lifting weights.

Yes.

Its a pretty good routine for its purpose but people have decided its somehow the holy grail of beginners routines and will insist on it despite the fact almost no-one here asking for a beginners routine actually matches the intended audience.

How would I know I no longer need SS?

I always see people shit on the starting routines but never bother to post more advanced ones. I do occasionally save routines when people mention them just to compare them to other programs like PPL, though, like this:

Here's a sample U/L

Upper 1:
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8
Row: 3-4X6-8
Incline bench or shoulder press: 2-3X10-12
Pulldown/chin: 2-3X10-12
Triceps: 1-2X12-15
Biceps: 1-2X12-15

Lower 1:
Squat: 3-4X6-8
RDL: 3-4X6-8
Leg press: 2-3X10-12
Another leg curl: 2-3X10-12
Calf raise: 3-4X6-8
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12

Upper 2:
Incline Bench or Shoulder Press: 3-4X6-8
Pulldown/Chin: 3-4X6-8
Flat Bench: 2-3X10-12
Row: 2-3X10-12
Triceps: 1-2X12-15
Biceps: 1-2X12-15

Lower 2:
Deadlift 1x5
Front Squat: 3-4X6-8
RDL: 2-3X10-12
Leg press: 2-3X10-12
Calf raise: 3-4X6-8
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12

Here, everything is hit twice per week in a couple rep ranges. Your goal isn't necessarily to add as much weight to the bar as quickly as possible, but to sustain a gradual progression.

SS is only good for non-natties.

Prove me wrong.

When you plateau

no credit?

people who should do SS:
>everyone who has not reached around 1/2/3/4

wrong. You should only make your own routine if you have a few years of lifting experience and knowledge of programming (i.e. read "Practical Programming"). Just looking at the average "I made this" routine that gets posted in /routine general/, you can see that most people have no idea what a good routine looks like.

wrong. The vast majority of people coming to Veeky Forums are fatties and skeletons who have zero experience lifting. SS is perfect for such people.

when you reached 1/2/3/4 (more or less) or when you've been at it for a year.


The thing is, 90% of people on Veeky Forums are beginners ( weekly progression (TM, Candito's Linear) -> monthly progression (5/3/1) -> 12+ week periodized programs.

t. user #273296

it's obviously lyle mcdonalds routine

are u retarded

SS really wasn't intended for random people with no lifting experience. Its a preseason 'make this guy survive football' program and as a result it sacrifices a lot of stuff more regular beginner programs would benefit from.

i couldn't progress any longer on SS when i hit 75 kg bench. diet and rest was in check. i switched to intermediate and i continuted to progress every week. i don't think there's anything wrong with starting an intermediate routine earlier, just slightly less effective, but only slightly.

Literally who?

Summer.

Summer must be a nice person.

wrong. you're talking about bill starr's program which is what SS was based on. SS in its current form is most definitely meant for random people with no lifting experience.

I would say SS is underrated on Veeky Forums. done correctly it will give you amazing progress in a few months, but some people on Veeky Forums seem to think it's basically just as effective as every other routine, just with more focus on thighs.

>amazing progress in a few months
Will it give you much aesthetics progress in a few months? or just strength?

There's nothing about SS that magically makes it superior to other beginner routines. And plenty that can make it less effective for a lot of peoples goals.

Mostly str but you will end up with a strong back and legs, in my experience my front looks awful, good delts but chest and biceps lacking hard

You will def build a good amount of muscle

Unfortunately it tends to be spread rather disproportionately.

How would you modify SS for aesthetics?

aesthetics are literally just low bodyfat.
Totally unrelated to lifting.

You can literally do anything as a beginner and gain muscle mass. Even just doing bodyweight exercises.

The advantage of SS is that you will gain a shitload of strength in addition to muscle mass.

Of course your chest and arms will grow less than if you do 3 different isolation exercises. But bodybuilder-tier arms and chest are grossly overrated anyways.

The difference to "other" beginner routines is really negligible. Of course not >muh brosplit "beginner" routines.

Only if you're retarded and do SS for years.

a few sets of dips and chinups at the end. (dips on A, chinups on B)

If you have to ask then just do SS as written.

Honestly, if you don't give a shit about being strong for its own sake you'd likely be better off doing a beginners routine that's a little less unbalanced. Something like:

A
Bench
Squat
Row

B
Press
Deadlift
Chins

AxBxA/BxAxB

Do 3x5 (5x5 if you're really sure of your recovery) for the main lifts, throw in 2-3 isolations or light compounds at the end of each workout.

Thanks. I always feel like I never get much of a chest workout on SS right now because I started too low in weight and haven't corrected it yet. I thought about adding push ups at the end of A.

Same for triceps but dips should fix that.

I started SS with a friend who has never lifted before. I've lifted weights in the past but nothing too extreme. He has problems with stability on things like the bench and has a weak upper body in general while I could bench ~130 lbs on the first day but have poor form on things like squats and deadlifts.

I originally wanted to do a 6 day PPL but he thought that was too much and I agreed since it was his first time lifting. I don't see the harm in asking for advice on tweaking SS for special circumstances.

If you can't bench 1pl8 literally pick any beginner program and do it consistently and you'll see results.

Starting strength sucks.


Straight Shota is legit

how does that not make you strong, but SS does?
serious question

>Not buying Starting Strength 6th edition and doing the Advanced 2nd stage modified microloading phase for 14 months and subscribing to the Wichita Falls Weekly and hiring a milkman to deliver you milk everyday
YNDTP

Both make you strong.

The main difference is that SS will push your squat at the expense of some other lifts. If squatting isn't super important to you - say, because you're not aiming at being a powerlifter or football player - a bit more work on the other stuff can be more useful.

Do SS if you plan to bulk only and are new to lifting, otherwise you're just wasting time, on a cut a higher volume routine will work better for your cut

This was my 7 month progress with SS, pretty much gained 20 lbs and kept it under 15% bodyfat the entire time. Did weighted dips and pullups, farmerwalks and reverse flys as accessories.

See .

People who say SS will make you fat or t-rex mode bulk too hard and heavy.

It's like antibiotics.

Great for what it was originally intended for, and is essential in some cases. But it's currently overused so it has lost it's effect.

Add rope assisted neck extensions. One set to failure.

joocy as fuck

>2016
>people still think SS is a diet rather than just training program.

as I said aesthetics are literally just low bodyfat.

You could take any "fat powerlifter", get him below 15% and he would look aesthetic as fuck.

I'm an idiot and a newbie to lifting. I went online and ordered Test and a full pct sitting here and I'm going to use it to prepare for my roll in Nov...

I already know I'm a piece of shit but what routine should I research for muscle gain considering my recovery is going to be fraudulent?

>when you reached 1/2/3/4 (more or less) or when you've been at it for a year.
No way. Beginner programs last 3-9 months max. Imo if your deadlift/squat stalls three times it's time to move on from SS.

This is Lyle Mcdonald's generic bulking routine. Not a meme routine posted on Veeky Forums.

Fucking lol

No. Do it until you can do 1/2/3/4pl8 x 5