Thoughts on Starting Strength?

This seems like the perfect thread. Does anyone know of any good beginners guide to fitness? I have a bench press at home and a gym membership i just don't have a plan to follow

The stickies on this site mate.

I guarantee you most pro bodybuilders started out full body. Also, don't forget that they have a certain 'advantage' besides genetics.

I'm referring to natural bodybuilders. I recommend full body routines for beginners and possibly throughout the entire intermediate stage too. Just not SS.

I take your point about aesthetics - you are 100% correct that most people are only interested in this. But let's not kid ourselves, aesthetics are mostly something you are born with.

While most people don't have the genetics to be a top tier bodybuilder almost everyone can make massive improvements especially within the first year which is when the greatest gains come.


Don't get me wrong I am not against isolation, it is the nature of bodybuilding to isolate and bring up lagging body parts and something I do myself.

But heavy dips WILL build triceps, Pull-ups WILL build biceps. For most novices, one exercise per muscle group is usually enough at first - hence full body workouts are perfect. When they no longer hit the spot, then add another exercise in; this is when you split your workout. My point is people skip the first part.

Dips and pullups will not stimulate biceps and triceps growth as much as dips and pullups along with some type of curl and extension. Isolation work on the triceps needs to be done to bring out the long head which is what gives the triceps their size. Curls follow the function of the biceps perfectly and pullups don't. Curls need to be done to maximize biceps size especially for guys with just average genetics. You can skip over the first part because of what I said previously and the fact that adding in isolation work won't hinder your progress providing that you keep the volume under control.

Again, I admit that I am cynical and I have no idea what your background is, but if you spend years watching people start a workout with preacher curls or do a 'chest' day that contains the same volume and number of exercises as 'back' day you will see what I mean.


Never recommended this type of routine and I never will.

Personally I think SS is over rated. As you say it is aimed at powerlifters and not someone who wants to impress girls in a tight T-shirt. My advice to the OP would be to start with a basic compound full body programme - 4 exercises tops. If he finds at 6 weeks that his arms haven't developed then sure, add in some iso. This is the only way to construct a personal routine from the ground up - and my point is that most people skip this part.

Don't forget that heavy squats and deads also have other effects on the body!


I have seen some quality physiques built from solid barbell work, never from too much isolation.

The routine I linked has 5x5 squats 3x a week and 1x5 deadllifts. I never recommended a routine purely based on isolation. Isolation work needs to be done on the shoulders to bring out the rear and side delts as well as on the calves. So when all is said and done when you add in the needed isolation to the compounds you have a lot more than 4 exercises that need to be done to maximize aesthetics. There is no point in doing such an overly reductionist routine for several week as we have already seen what happens when we use an overly basic routine (SS) for the purpose of aesthetics for months.

I suppose what I am getting at is Johnny Bravo is far, far more common than T-rex


This is irrelevant. Even if t-rex physiques were more common you would still have poor physiques. At least with Johnny Bravo physiques we can tell that to get a lot of hypertrophy and good shape in the arms and shoulders you will need isolation.

I recommend you watch this video so you have a much more firm grasp as what what I am actually recommending beginners do because I get the feeling that you don't right now. [video="youtube;feY6vi6ORXo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feY6vi6ORXo[/video]

I'm more of the belief that you should choose something, give it 100% and make sure your diet is spot on.

I'll tell you what's interesting -

I'm a member of a Facebook group which contains a very large number of the UK's best natural bodybuilders. I never hear them discuss full bodies, or upper lower. It's always some sort of split. Perhaps I should make a post about routine selection and see what they come up with.

I'm more of the belief that you should choose something, give it 100% and make sure your diet is spot on. Those who argue about which routine is the best never seem to get anywhere.