--- id: starting_strength name: Starting Strength aliases: [SS, Rippetoe Starting Strength] category: program system: powerlifting goal: Build foundational barbell strength through novice linear progression on five core lifts goals: [strength, general_fitness] level: beginner duration_weeks: 12 frequency_per_week: 3 periodization: linear origin: classic progression_model: > Add weight every session: 2.5 kg (5 lbs) to upper-body lifts (press, bench press) and 5 kg (10 lbs) to lower-body lifts (squat, deadlift) each training session. Power clean increases by 2.5 kg per session. Continue until a lift fails to progress for two consecutive sessions; at that point transition out of the novice program into an intermediate model. exercises: - ref: back_squat role: primary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Use the low bar position: rest the bar across the rear deltoids, below the spine of the scapula — not on the traps. This lower position shortens the moment arm on the back and requires a more horizontal torso angle, allowing the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, adductors) to contribute through hip drive. Stance wider than shoulder-width with toes turned out 30–45 degrees. Descend until the hip crease is below the top of the knee. Brace with a full Valsalva maneuver before the descent and hold through the entire rep. Drive the hips up out of the hole — do not cue "chest up". Keep the bar over mid-foot throughout. 3 sets of 5 each session, every session. - ref: overhead_press role: primary frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Strict standing press — no leg drive. Grip just outside shoulder-width with wrists directly under the bar. The bar starts at clavicle height with elbows slightly in front of the bar. Move the head back before pressing, then drive the bar vertically. At lockout, shove the head through so ears are in front of the arms. Squeeze the glutes and brace to prevent lumbar hyperextension. Bar tracks directly over mid-foot. 3 sets of 5; Workout A sessions only. - ref: conventional_deadlift role: primary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Hip-width stance, toes slightly out. Bar starts over mid-foot, 2–3 cm from the shins. Hip hinge to grip; pull the shins to the bar by driving knees out until the bar touches — this sets the hip angle without raising the hips. Engage the lats hard before the pull. Full breath, brace, drive the floor away. Keep the bar dragging up the legs throughout. At lockout, squeeze the glutes and stand tall. 1 working set of 5 only — not 3 sets. The single heavy set is sufficient at novice loads; additional sets impair recovery. - ref: bench_press role: primary frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Eyes directly under the bar. Retract and depress the scapulae before unracking; maintain this tension throughout. Natural arch in the lower back; feet flat on the floor. Lower the bar to the lower chest in a slight diagonal path. Controlled touch; no bounce. Press back up along the same diagonal path to finish over the clavicles. 3 sets of 5; Workout B sessions only. - ref: power_clean role: supplemental frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Start from the floor. Hip-width stance, toes slightly out. Double overhand grip just outside the legs. First pull: maintain back angle and push the floor away. Second pull: as the bar passes the knee the hips accelerate into the bar (jump position); violent hip extension, shrug, then pull elbows high and wide. Receive the bar on the shoulders in a front rack with elbows forward and high in a quarter-squat catch. Do not muscle the bar up with the arms. 5 sets of 3; Workout B sessions in place of the deadlift. sources: - title: "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training (3rd Edition)" author: "Rippetoe, M., Kilgore, L." year: 2011 publisher: "The Aasgaard Company" credibility: practitioner --- # Starting Strength Starting Strength is a novice barbell strength program built around five foundational movements — the low bar back squat, the overhead press, the conventional deadlift, the bench press, and the power clean. It alternates two workouts (A and B) performed three times per week with a rest day between each session. The central mechanism is **novice linear progression**: add weight every session, because a novice's recovery capacity is fast enough to supercompensate between sessions. ## Program Structure **Workout A**: Back Squat 3×5 / Overhead Press 3×5 / Deadlift 1×5 **Workout B**: Back Squat 3×5 / Bench Press 3×5 / Power Clean 5×3 The squat appears in every session because it is the primary strength developer. The deadlift is performed for only one working set — not three — because a single heavy set at novice loads produces adequate stimulus; additional sets would impair recovery for the next session. ## Training Max and Starting Weight Starting Strength does not use a training max or percentage-based programming. Start with an empty bar (or the lightest manageable load with technique intact) and add weight every session. The correct starting weight is a weight that feels easy today — the linear progression makes it challenging within 2–3 weeks. Starting too heavy is the most common error; it guarantees an early stall. ## Progression - **Squat / Deadlift**: +5 kg (10 lbs) per session - **Press / Bench Press**: +2.5 kg (5 lbs) per session - **Power Clean**: +2.5 kg (5 lbs) per session If a lift fails (cannot complete all prescribed reps) on one session, retry the same weight next session. If it fails a second time, perform a 10% weight reduction on that lift and rebuild. Frequent stalls across multiple lifts signal the end of the novice phase; transition to an intermediate program such as 5/3/1. ## Why the Low Bar Back Squat Rippetoe prescribes the low bar position specifically. Placing the bar below the spine of the scapula shortens the moment arm between the bar and the hip joint, forcing a more horizontal torso and shifting more load to the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, adductors). The result is a more mechanically efficient squat for raw strength because it recruits the largest muscles of the body. ## Why One Deadlift Set The deadlift is 1 working set of 5, not 3. The deadlift engages the entire posterior chain already taxed by the preceding squats. At novice loads, one heavy set drives adaptation; three sets creates excessive systemic fatigue that compromises recovery and frequency. ## When to Leave the Program The novice phase ends when consistent session-to-session weight additions are no longer possible despite adequate sleep, nutrition, and technique — typically 3–6 months in. Transition to a program with weekly or monthly progression cadence.