I began Starting Strength in June, just before school got out in our area. I’m 17 and going to be a senior this year, just so everyone knows my position.
Weight: ~170lbs. (I’ve only gained about 3lbs. since starting this regiment… even though I’ve fixed my eating and have noticed some fat loss)
Height: 5’9"
Body Comp: ~10-12%
Began at:
~175x5 Squat
~150x5 Bench
Am at:
~260x5 Squat
~180x5 Bench
Deadlift is around 200? Just got back into it so I haven’t progressed much, yet. Still new to it.
I’ve also done a little with the deadlift and Pendlay rows, but honest haven’t done them with enough effort since they’re the third lift I do. I’m looking to focus Deadlifts since I am definitely lacking in that lift.
So over two months I’ve gained about 85 lbs on squat, and about 30lbs on bench. Not too shabby, but I still think this is a bit slow compared to what progression is recommended/expected in SS.
My questions are…
Am I progressing too slowly?
What lifts should I focus on the most?
Should I continue SS for a few months, or should I switch programs (getting a bit tired of doing the same thing, hard to find enthusiasm)?
If you haven’t been deadlifting, you haven’t been doing Starting Strength.
Progressing too slowly? Don’t know what your lifting was like before, so I can’t say. Let’s put it this way: If you keep progressing at this rate, you’ll be benching 300x5 next year. That most likely won’t happen, but it just puts your progress in perspective. Also, your calculated max is 205@170 bw. Not bad.
[quote] should I switch programs?[/quote] Yes. At least for a little while. Try Dan John’s One Lift A Day program. There are a lot of other good programs out there, too. The one you get excited about is the one to try.
I maxed at 195 bench prior to doing this program. Perhaps I started too low.
I had done Deadlifts in the beginning, it’s just the past couple weeks where I’ve slacked (Haven’t had the energy). I don’t know where my numbers were at.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Edit: Another question, should I cycle back on to SS after the next program I do?
Do your deadlifts first in your workout. Lack of energy shouldn’t be an excuse not to deadlift. You might try Bill Starr’s 5x5. It ties you to a Mon/Wed/Fri routine but it’s a great next step for Starting Strength.
But if you’re going to do a program, do it the way it’s written. Leaving out major exercises is the worst thing you can do.
You shouldn’t have to ever go back to starting Strength. Keep lifting consistently and always try to progress. If you lay off lifting a while and start losing strength again, then yes, SS would be appropriate, however, don’t ever let yourself get into that situation.