T Nation

Question on Starting Strength

Powerlifting
#1

I have been weight training for about 5 months. Now, i’ve decided to follow the ‘starting strength’ program.

I have a question and hope you guys can help me with. I know my lifts for those exercises, but the starting strength program requires me to start from empty bar for all exercises for the first workout and slowly add little weight workout by workout such that i reach my 5RM, only after 6 weeks! So that means that my workouts for the first 6 weeks will be of very low intensity.

I’m curious what’s the use of this? Conditioning for future workouts? Wouldn’t that be a waste of 6 weeks of workouts with low intensity training which i doubt would improve my strength.

Thanks alot. :slight_smile:

#2

Obviously you haven’t read the book. If you have read the book, you didn’t understand it. Read it again.

#3

Rippetoe says to start every workout with an empty bar to practice the movement before adding weight, and working up to a 5RM AKA a warm-up.

#4

[quote]Pamparius wrote:
Obviously you haven’t read the book. If you have read the book, you didn’t understand it. Read it again.[/quote]

I ordered the book, but it haven’t arrive yet. But according to this starting strength FAQ : http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#I.27m_an_experienced_lifter_and_I_already_know_my_5RM.27s_in_the_five_lifts.__Can_I_use_that.3F

[quote]starting strength FAQ wrote:
I’m an experienced lifter and I already know my 5RM’s in the five lifts. Can I use that?

You can. Just program it so that you hit your former 5RM’s in Week 4-6. This means subtracting 60-90 pounds off your Squat and Deadlift and 30-45 pounds off your Bench, Press and Powerclean. It sounds like a lot, I know, but if you add 5 pounds every workout for the squat, bench, press, and powerclean and 10 pounds to every deadlift you will reach your former 5RM in weeks 4-6, and then you will break those records. You will have more longevity on the program if you wait till week 6 to hit your 5RM (especially if you are coming off a layoff) if you can stand to wait 2 more weeks, I’d recommend it.

If you know your 5RM for some of the lifts, but not all of them, follow this scheme for the ones you know and follow the next entry for the lifts you don’t. [/quote]

so, only after about 5-6 weeks will the weights of my exercises get to my ‘‘real working weight’’

#5

[quote]Zendefone wrote:
so, only after about 5-6 weeks will the weights of my exercises get to my ‘‘real working weight’’[/quote]

I do this all the time, or something similar. You can’t go balls to walls every single workout every single week. You’ll burn out, and make no progress.

Plan it so on the fifth week you’ve hit a personal record. If your best for 3 sets of 5 on the becnh is 135, hit 140 on the fifth week. Working at the weights less than your best will help make you stronger, but eventually you have to force your body to adapt.

#6

The easy start to a cycle is one of the secrets of traditional powerlifting, stick with it.

Read Oteps thread “SS a guide” in the beginners section.

#7

Mark Rippetoe has a Q&A forum at strengthmill.com.

#8

I would presume the author of the training programme has the first few weeks low intensity for a reason, if he is a good coach then it would be for a good reason.