Starting Strength

What is Starting Strength?

Starting Strength is the novice barbell program from Mark Rippetoe’s book of the same name - for many lifters, the first structured program they ever run. It is built on a handful of big compound lifts (the squat, press, bench press, deadlift and later the power clean) trained full-body, three days a week.

The premise is the “novice effect”: a new lifter recovers fast enough to get measurably stronger between sessions, so the program simply adds weight to the bar every single workout for as long as that lasts. Nothing else in your training career will ever move this quickly, and Starting Strength is designed to milk it for every pound.

The A/B workouts

You alternate two simple workouts on three non-consecutive days (for example Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Workout A is squat 3×5, press 3×5, deadlift 1×5. Workout B is squat 3×5, bench press 3×5, deadlift 1×5. The squat is trained every session; the press and bench alternate; the deadlift is a single heavy set of five.

As the deadlift outpaces your recovery, later phases swap some deadlifting for power cleans (or rows in some variants) and eventually add chin-ups. The sets are “sets across” - the same working weight for all three sets of five, done after a few ramping warm-ups.

Per-session progression

Every workout you add a little weight to each lift: classically about 5 lb per session on the squat and deadlift and 2.5–5 lb on the presses. Early on, some lifters take bigger jumps on the deadlift while it is far from challenging. Those tiny, relentless increments compound into a very large total in a few months.

When a lift stalls - you miss reps at the same weight over a few sessions - you first shrink the jumps (microplates are your friend on the presses), and if it stalls again, you deload that lift about 10% and run it back up. When resets stop producing new PRs, your novice phase is over: that is your cue to graduate to an intermediate program like the Texas Method or Madcow 5×5, not to keep grinding.

Who it’s for

Starting Strength is for genuine beginners: anyone who has never run a structured barbell program, or who has lifted casually without progressive overload. If you can still add weight every session, you are the target audience, regardless of age.

It is not for intermediates who have already exhausted linear progression, and it is a poor fit if your primary goal is physique work - the base program contains almost no direct arm, shoulder or upper-back hypertrophy volume.

Strengths & trade-offs

Strengths: the fastest strength progress of your lifting life, a tiny exercise list that lets you actually learn the lifts, and total clarity - you always know exactly what to do next session. The book behind it is still one of the best technique references ever written.

Trade-offs: upper-body volume is minimal (benching and pressing only every other workout), there is little direct hypertrophy or back work, and squatting heavy sets across three times a week gets mentally punishing near the end. It is a phase, not a forever program - move on when it stops working.

How to run it

Start deliberately light - a weight you could do for many more reps - so your technique is grooved before the bar gets heavy and you have runway to progress. Add weight every session, eat and sleep like it is part of the program (it is), and resist the urge to bolt on extra exercises.

The spreadsheet below lays out the A/B alternation and per-session jumps; copy it in Google Sheets, enter your starting weights, and ride the linear progression as far as it goes.

The spreadsheet

Browse the full program below, or open it in Google Sheets to make your own copy and plug in your numbers.

Spreadsheet via LiftVault. If the preview doesn’t load, use “Open in Google Sheets”.

Equipment

This is a barbell program - you don’t need much, but a few pieces make it run smoothly.

Lifting Belt

Gives your core something to brace against, adding stability and lower-back support on heavy squats and deadlifts.

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Wrist Wraps

Keep the wrist stacked under the bar on heavy bench and overhead pressing, so the joint doesn’t bend back under load.

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Knee Sleeves

Add warmth and a little support to the knees, plus a small rebound out of the bottom of the squat.

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Lifting Straps

Secure your grip so heavy pulling and deadlift volume isn’t cut short by your hands giving out first.

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Learn the lifts

New to any of the movements in this program? Our lift guides break down technique, cues and the common mistakes to avoid.