The Starting Strength Method - Why This Method Delivers Superior Results
The Starting Strength Method is currently the most effective way to get strong quickly and safely. In the first month, a typical trainee should add at least 60lb to their squat and deadlift, and 30lb to their bench and press. The method is usually thought of as just the programming: the prescribed sets, reps, weights, and exercises, but it's more than that. The method is two parts: the programming and the technique of the exercises. These two parts are what makes the method so effective and safe.
The Technique
Each exercise (squat, press, deadlift, bench press, power clean) are all performed in a way that includes a lot of muscle mass over a long range of motion to allow the lifter to lift heavy weights and get strong. A low-bar squat (where the bar is positioned lower on the back) might look similar to a high bar squat, but it's quite different. A low-bar squat stresses the knees less which both keeps them safe and improves the overall force production of the lifter. This is because knee musculature is smaller than hip musculature - butts are bigger than thighs. The hips are stressed more and contribute more to the movement in the low-bar squat.
Additionally, the bench press and press are performed in a way that is safe for the shoulders. The bench press is performed with elbows tucked in and the press is performed with a shrug at the top - both to prevent shoulder impingement.
Elbows Tucked
Elbows Flared
These are a few immediately actionable examples, but the technique of each exercise in the Starting Strength Method has been so fully developed that every tiny detail has a reason for why the lifter does what they do. This is all explained in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training and frequently elaborated on in the Starting Strength forums.
The Programming
The programming of the method has also been developed, altered, pondered over, and tested for over forty years since its humble beginnings. The very brief overview of the programming (which is called the Novice Linear Progression) is that an unadapted trainee has the capacity to adapt quickly. Someone who is already very strong may need complex programming that has them making monthly progress, but that is not most people. Most trainees can add weight to the bar every two days and continue to make progress this way for three to five months.
Here's an overview of the process.
Workout A: Workout B:
Squat 3x5 Squat 3x5
Press 3x5 Bench 3x5
Deadlift 1x5 Deadlift 1x5
On Monday, the trainee does workout A: squat three sets of five reps, press three sets of five reps, deadlift one set of five reps. On Wednesday, the trainee does workout B, except that the squat and deadlift are a little heavier (usually 5-10lb). On Friday, the trainee does workout A again, except the press is heavier than on Monday, and the squat and deadlift are heavier than on Wednesday. The following Monday, workout B is performed and the cycle continues in the same way.
It is rare for an individual new to lifting to not make progress in this fashion for at least three months if everything is being done correctly. "Correctly" means not just the program, but also the technique. I wrote an article on variable priorities where I explain that the most important variables in strength progress are correct technique, exercise selection, and consistency.
I'm not exaggerating when people think I'm lying when I tell them the kinds of results they can expect with this method, but there's also a reason I give a double-your-money-back guarantee for the first month of all my clients. It's because if the trainee shows up and does the method the way I tell them, they will make massive progress that no other method can provide. It doesn't matter if they're a 20-year-old male athlete or a 70-year-old female mother of four and grandmother of 16. The difference between these two people will be quantity - the athlete might add 80lbs to their squat in their first month and the grandmother will only add 20lb to their squat - but both will make progress.
