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Lift · Some talk

Starting Strength / 5×5

Also called stronglifts · stronglifts 5x5 · ss novice · low bar squat · novice linear

Community talk. May contain inaccuracies. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.

Starting Strength is Mark Rippetoe’s beginner barbell program built around a few whole-body lifts, three training days a week and increases in working weight as the lifter recovers. StrongLifts 5×5 follows a separate program: the two share a simple barbell approach but differ in exercises and work sets.

Starting Strength

01

What the workouts involve

Starting Strength usually uses three sets of five. Its published novice plan has three nonconsecutive training days. Each starts with squats, then alternating overhead and bench presses; each uses 3×5, meaning three work sets of five repetitions, excluding warm-ups. Deadlifts start at 1×5 each session. Later phases alternate deadlifts with power cleans (quick pulls to catch the bar at the shoulders, five sets of three), then introduce chin-ups and reduce heavy pulling frequency.

Starting Strength

StrongLifts 5×5 uses more work sets and rows. A alternates squat/bench/row with B’s squat/overhead press/deadlift. Work sets are 5×5 except deadlifts at 1×5. Its three-day schedule differs from Starting Strength’s power-clean progression.

StrongLifts · 2024

Linear progression means increasing the load between sessions. Starting Strength describes larger early jumps that shrink to 5 lb, then 2.5 lb or less for some lifts. Its examples differ by lift, age and person; they are not guaranteed weekly gains.

Starting Strength

The gym needs barbell equipment and small plates. A bar, weight plates, squat rack or stands and bench support the main lifts. Fractional plates allow increases below 5 lb total, especially useful for pressing. Learning the lifts is a separate task from following the workout list; a power clean adds an explosive lifting skill.

Starting Strength equipment

Three sets and five sets are different sessions. For the same hypothetical five-rep squat weight, Starting Strength's three work sets contain 15 repetitions; StrongLifts' five contain 25. That is ten additional work reps before considering warm-ups or rest. It does not prove one is better, and real starting loads can differ. The comparison explains why swapping program names while keeping a workout log can quietly change the workload.

Illustrative comparison

02

Why people choose it

A small exercise list makes progress easy to track. A 12-week reviewer liked the straightforward repeat-and-log structure and app, but also discovered technique issues and stalled after keeping 10 lb squat jumps too long. Simplicity helped participation; it did not remove the need to learn or adjust.

Community · Reddit · 2016

Strength training can build strength and muscle. A review of trials in healthy adults found both improved with resistance training compared with no training. That supports the general aim, but does not prove Starting Strength beats StrongLifts or promise a particular physique. Hypertrophy means muscle growth; a strength-focused routine can produce it without being a complete bodybuilding plan.

Currier and colleagues · 2023

03

Good to know

A missed target needs a program-specific response. StrongLifts repeats a missed lift’s weight; after three unsuccessful workouts it describes reducing that lift about 10% and rebuilding, called a deload. This is its rule, not a universal Starting Strength rule. Fatigue, technique and equipment can affect misses; safe rack settings or a capable spotter matter. Shortened repetitions change the achievement.

StrongLifts · 2024

Pain and rigid eating are reasons to seek help. Community cautions include squatting through sharp back or hip pain and treating milk-and-meat talk as compulsory. Neither proves commitment. Sharp pain, fainting or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician; comment-section form advice cannot diagnose an injury.

Community

04

What lifters report

Three training days can still take substantial time. An August 2026 thread includes 45–60-minute early sessions and 90–120-minute later ones as squats and rests grew demanding. One person switched to six shorter sessions to fit work, but missed full days off. Reports differ in warm-up inclusion and actual program.

Community · Reddit · 2026

Small lifters describe needing smaller jumps. A 36-year-old woman lifting at home reported stronger lifts but struggled with increases aimed at young men; her smallest plates were 2.5 lb each. A 52-year-old reply described 1 lb total pressing increases and later changes to sets and frequency. These are individual adaptations, not a universal women’s routine.

Community · Reddit · 2022

Low-bar positioning can be a sticking point. Low bar places the squat bar farther down the upper back. A wrist-pain poster considered high bar and said wraps had not helped; replies disagreed about grip changes. Other lifters reported improvement. The discussion shows varied experiences, rather than a reliable pain remedy or permission to push through.

Community · Reddit · 2025

A spreadsheet forecast can outrun the training log. In a StrongLifts discussion, a newcomer questioned projected week-12 weights. Replies described motivating progress, a three-week press plateau at 35 kg, and longer rests eventually prompting a program change. Some preferred paper or spreadsheets to paying for an app. Forecasts assume uninterrupted increases; reports include interruptions and stalls.

Community · Reddit · 2026

The early excitement can become squat fatigue. Accounts describe exciting first weeks, then demanding squat days and sore stairs around weeks 6–10. Sessions around 45–75 minutes and linear runs of a few months, sometimes 4–6, are reports rather than deadlines. Some returning lifters use a short run after a layoff.

Community

People keep the habit while changing the routine. Reports compare squat styles, rows instead of cleans, and adjusting stalls versus moving on. Alternatives include r/Fitness’s Basic Beginner Routine (barbell training), GZCLP (another beginner progression), 5/3/1 (a strength-program family) and PPL (a push/pull/legs split); none is an automatic next step. Form-policing complaints and fears of becoming bulky coexist with enthusiasm for the three-day habit.

Community

References for this topic

Sources and context

  1. Does strong lifts 5x5 work? ↗

    id
    fit-barbell-forecast — Does strong lifts 5x5 work?
    platform
    Reddit · r/Stronglifts5x5
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-07
    locator
    2026-07-20 OP forecasting future loads; July–August replies about progress, stalls and comparing set counts.
    scope
    Indexed question and first-person program experiences.
    limitations
    No verified outcome distribution or typical timeline. Spreadsheet projections and commenters’ reported results are not reproduced as promises.

  2. Starting Strength Training Programs ↗

    id
    fit-guide-after-40-ss-jumps — Starting Strength Training Programs
    platform
    Starting Strength
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    General Notes on older lifters, May 9, 2024 capture
    scope
    The novice page describes smaller load jumps for older lifters and points further changes to The Barbell Prescription.
    limitations
    A 2024 capture. The live page did not render in this session. The note is about that program's jumps, not a universal midlife plan.
    slugs
    • lift-after-40
    • starting-strength

  3. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Program: Quick Start Guide ↗

    id
    fit-guide-stronglifts-program — Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Program: Quick Start Guide
    platform
    StrongLifts
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Quick start guide, updated March 4, 2024
    scope
    Workout A and B, five sets of five except the deadlift, three days with a rest day between, starting loads, and the 5-pound and 2.5-pound add examples.
    limitations
    The company's program page. It does not describe Starting Strength, and the opened portion does not by itself state the three-miss deload.
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    • stronglifts-5x5

  4. How to Overcome Failure on Stronglifts 5x5 ↗

    id
    fit-guide-stronglifts-failure — How to Overcome Failure on Stronglifts 5x5
    platform
    StrongLifts
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Repeat the weight, and the question on failing three times, updated March 4, 2024
    scope
    A missed 5x5 repeats the load. After three failed workouts, reduce the weight by about 10 percent. Shortened squat reps do not count.
    limitations
    Applies to StrongLifts 5x5, not to the Starting Strength phase tables. It does not prove a strength result.
    slugs
    • starting-strength

  5. Starting Strength Training Programs ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-program — Starting Strength Training Programs
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Starting Strength
    locator
    General Notes and Phase 1–3 tables, lines 84–145 in opened page
    scope
    Novice program schedule, sets, changing pull frequency and load increments.
    limitations
    Program publisher with books/coaching promotion. No displayed publication date. Describes its own method, not independently verified outcomes; population examples are not prescriptions.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  6. Starting Strength — Equipment ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-equipment — Starting Strength — Equipment
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Starting Strength
    locator
    Gym equipment, bars, racks/stands, bench and small plates; lines 110–146
    scope
    Equipment and access constraints, fractional plates.
    limitations
    Commercial program page recommends branded products. No prices or product recommendations carried into card; publication date absent.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  7. Starting Strength: A 12 Week Review (xpost from r/startingstrength) ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-review — Starting Strength: A 12 Week Review (xpost from r/startingstrength)
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit · r/Fitness
    locator
    stazmatix: Why Starting Strength, Getting Started and squat details; lines 21–94
    scope
    Ease of logging and simple routine; overlarge squat increments led to reset; learning technique.
    limitations
    One formerly athletic lifter, self-reported and partially modified program. 2016 is established by embedded dated lift video and thread context; exact post date not recovered. Videos and photos not inspected. No outcome numbers used.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    publication Year
    2016

  8. Resistance training prescription for muscle strength and hypertrophy in healthy adults: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-training-review — Resistance training prescription for muscle strength and hypertrophy in healthy adults: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Professional context
    platform
    PubMed / British Journal of Sports Medicine
    locator
    Abstract: objective, eligibility, results and conclusion; PMID 37414459
    scope
    Resistance training in healthy adults supports strength and muscle growth versus no training.
    limitations
    Abstract inspected, not full-text study tables. Comparisons concern training variables, not branded Starting Strength versus StrongLifts trials. Search through February 2022.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2023-07-06

  9. How long does it take you to do your workout ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-session-time — How long does it take you to do your workout
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit · r/StartingStrength
    locator
    OP and replies from jrstriker12, LiftPrayWork, Frieddiapers, 8bit_dr1fter, theslimreaper2; lines 21–147
    scope
    Session duration, growing rest needs, work schedule friction and tradeoff of more shorter visits.
    limitations
    Self-selected reports; warm-up inclusion varies and some replies discuss other programs. Exact date August 6, 2026 shown in indexed body; opened page uses relative labels. Not a typical-duration estimate.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2026-08-06

  10. How do I know if I’m doing the program when I’m a 90-lb girl? ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-small-jumps — How do I know if I’m doing the program when I’m a 90-lb girl?
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit · r/StartingStrength
    locator
    allison19851985 OP and follow-ups; summersalwaysbest 52f reply, lines 19–150
    scope
    Home plate-size constraints, mismatched expectations, smaller pressing increases and individually coached changes.
    limitations
    Individual reports, not evidence of sex-specific optimal programming. Nutritional targets and generalized physiology claims from replies excluded. Exact April 16 date displayed in indexed discussion; opened body uses relative labels.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2022-04-16

  11. Low bar squat and wrists ↗

    id
    fit46-starting-strength-wrists — Low bar squat and wrists
    slugs
    • starting-strength
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit · r/StartingStrength
    locator
    OP EspanholCarioca and replies on wraps, grip width, improvement and requests for video; lines 21–200
    scope
    Pain/positioning friction and differing individual experiences, including no benefit from wraps.
    limitations
    Video/body mechanics not evaluated; replies speculate on causes and disagree on grip. No diagnosis, stretching or rehabilitation instructions adopted. March 13 date shown in indexed body.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2025-03-13

  12. Starting Strength Training Programs ↗

    id
    fit-wave-ss-novice — Starting Strength Training Programs
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    The Starting Strength Program; general notes; novice phases 1–3.
    scope
    The named novice program and its phase-dependent lift selection, sets and progression.
    limitations
    Method-owner description establishes the named program, not its superiority or a personal training prescription.

  13. StrongLifts 5×5 Workout Program: Quick Start Guide ↗

    id
    fit-wave-stronglifts-owner — StrongLifts 5×5 Workout Program: Quick Start Guide
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Search-returned Deadlift is 1×5 and How much weight to add sections.
    scope
    Main routine uses one work set of five for deadlifts; guide distinguishes default five-pound jumps, early ten-pound deadlift examples and smaller increments.
    limitations
    Official commercial program page; promotional outcome claims and app recommendations are not adopted.

  14. Starting Strength FAQ ↗

    id
    fit-wave-ss-faq — Starting Strength FAQ
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    FAQ discussion of substituting rows for the power clean or power snatch.
    scope
    Whether a popular substitution should be silently described as the official named method.
    limitations
    Used only for accurate naming and version distinctions, not a universal claim about the value of either exercise.

  15. GZCL Applications & Adaptations ↗

    id
    fit-wave-gzcl-original — GZCL Applications & Adaptations
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    February archive GZCLP section, base 15 reps and 1–2 reps from failure passages. Direct article opened; a later find for base volume found no match, so the inspected archive text is the rule source.
    scope
    GZCLP tier-one changes from five sets of three to six sets of two and ten sets of one after missing base work, not merely failing an extra AMRAP target.
    limitations
    Original 2016 method. Author notation sometimes lists reps before sets; proposed copy explicitly uses sets × reps. Not a complete workout prescription.

  16. 5/3/1 Primer ↗

    id
    fit-wave-531-primer — 5/3/1 Primer
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Core concepts, main work and deload/version passages returned by search.
    scope
    Distinguishes main, supplemental and assistance work; 5s PRO fixed sets; older fourth-week deload versus later versions.
    limitations
    A community-maintained explanation, not the complete official Wendler books. Used for terminology and version distinctions, not personal programming.

  17. How to Progress on StrongLifts 5×5 ↗

    id
    fit-wave-stronglifts-progress — How to Progress on StrongLifts 5×5
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Post and selected visible replies returned by web search.
    scope
    Load increase is tied to completed sets and form, with configurable increment size/frequency; bar speed alone is not the program’s progression/reset rule.
    limitations
    General description of this named routine, not a personalized decision to add weight or deload.

Keep this topic in view

Preserved original record

Earlier public profile and reader notes are preserved separately from the current article. They may contain superseded wording and are not newly checked material.

Read the full original profile
slug
starting-strength
name
Starting Strength / 5×5
aliases
  • stronglifts
  • stronglifts 5x5
  • ss novice
  • low bar squat
  • novice linear
family
lift
heat
mid
talk
Some talk
most Discussed
false
first Line
Starting Strength is a named novice barbell program built around a small set of major lifts and planned increases in working weight.
why Line
Beginners compare exercise technique, repeated squatting, session recovery and what changes when adding weight each workout stops being straightforward.
feel Words
  • Starting Strength
  • StrongLifts
  • 5x5
  • low bar
  • novice linear
common Picture
  • lead
    Three weekly sessions; reports run about 45–75 minutes
    why
    The alternating workouts include squats each standard novice day. [community]
  • lead
    Main work commonly 3 × 5; deadlifts 1 × 5
    why
    Power cleans enter later phases; substituting barbell rows creates a modified version. [community]
  • lead
    Weight increases change with the lift and stage
    why
    The program moves to smaller jumps as initial progression becomes harder. [community]
watch For
Rigid squat-style rules, continuing through back pain, or expecting session-by-session increases indefinitely. Starting Strength and StrongLifts 5×5 have different work sets.
what People Say
  • The job: Get a novice strong on the big barbell lifts, fast. [community]
  • Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength (SS) and Mehdi’s StrongLifts 5×5 (SL) are different named novice barbell programs, with different set counts and exercise choices. [community]
  • r/fitness 2026 still answers “SS or SL?” with “either, then graduate.” The war is quieter than 2014. [community]
  • Why they still get asked: the simplest story — three days, five lifts, add weight. [community]
  • Why rooms roll their eyes: low-bar form policing, “eat more milk,” and people squatting through injuries. [community]
  • The Basic Beginner Routine (BBR) and GZCLP are other novice-program names people compare with Starting Strength and StrongLifts. [community]
  • Women’s rooms were long told SS would make them “bulky.” The program is just a 3-day squat week. [community]
  • Power cleans appear in Starting Strength’s progression. Rows are a common discussed substitution, but substituting them changes the original exercise selection. [community]
  • The app (StrongLifts) is why SL won the phone. SS won the book. [community]
  • When session-to-session progression slows: people compare adjusting the current routine with changing programs. GZCLP is another linear routine, PPL is a split, and 5/3/1 is a program family; those labels do not dictate one next step. [community]
  • It is not a hypertrophy program. People still grow because they are new and eating. [community]
how People Run It
  • Three days. Not a 6-day remix. [community]
  • Squat first while they are fresh. [community]
  • Alternate bench and press. [community]
  • Deadlift last, fewer sets (often 1×5 on SS). Fatigue is real. [community]
  • Add the small plate when all work sets were clean. [community]
  • Rows sometimes replace power cleans in personal adaptations. That choice should be named when comparing a log with the original Starting Strength routine. [community]
  • A stalled StrongLifts 5×5 log is a different example from Starting Strength’s usual 3×5 main work. The actual program determines what happens after a missed target. [community]
amounts People Use
  • Days: 3. [community]
  • StrongLifts: 5×5 on squat/bench/row/press; deadlift 1×5. [community]
  • Starting Strength: usually 3×5 mains, deadlift 1×5. [community]
  • Adds: 5 lb / 10 lb is the slogan. Microplates when bench stalls. [community]
  • Session: 45–75 minutes once the squat warmup gets honest. [community]
how People Keep It
  • The app or a notebook. Same thing. [community]
  • A squat stance they can repeat — high-bar is allowed, despite the comments. [community]
  • Enough food. Linear squat adds without eating is a short story. [community]
  • A deload when three sessions miss — SL’s app even prompts it. [community]
  • Graduation day on the calendar so they do not live here forever. [community]
how It Feels
  • Weeks 1–4: addictive. The bar goes up. They tell coworkers. [community]
  • Weeks 6–10: squat days get serious. Walking downstairs is a report. [community]
  • A missed 5×5: the first identity crisis. [community]
  • Low-bar learning week: wrists and shoulders complain. Some people just high-bar. [community]
  • The culture: they either laugh it off or become a form cop. [community]
  • After they leave: they keep the three-day habit and lose the dogma. [community]
how Long People Run It
  • A few months of honest linear adds is the useful life. [community]
  • Some novices get 4–6 months. Then the math dies. [community]
  • It is not a lifetime template. [community]
  • Coming back after a layoff: a short SS/SL run is a common reset. [community]
deep Dive
  • Starting Strength and StrongLifts share a novice-strength goal, but a comparison still needs their specific exercise, set and progression rules. [community]
  • The Basic Beginner Routine is another simple barbell option discussed alongside these programs. [community]
  • GZCLP is a different novice linear-progression option with tiers. A forum comparison is not a universal next-program rule. [community]
  • You do not need to low-bar squat. That is a style, not a law. [community]
  • Kids / teens / anyone with a cranky back should not treat this as mandatory. [community]
watch For Long
  • Do not squat through sharp back or hip pain to “earn” the program. [community]
  • The milk-and-meat talk is culture, not a grocery list you must follow. [community]
  • Form cops in the comments are not your coach. [community]
  • Staying on 5×5 after it stalls is how people hate squats. [community]
  • Power cleans without a teacher are optional. [community]
related
  • first-gym-week
  • gzclp
  • five-three-one
  • progressive-overload
  • deload-week
research Pointer
    house Pointers
      play Pointer
      —
      sources
      • Starting Strength book/community
      • StrongLifts 5×5
      • r/fitness SS vs SL threads
      disclaimer
      Community talk may be wrong. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.
      quick Answer History
      • field
        commonPicture
        rows
        • lead
          5×5 (StrongLifts) or 3×5 (SS)
          why
          Same idea, different set count. [community]
      • field
        definition
        rows
        • Starting Strength and StrongLifts 5×5 are beginner barbell programs built around a small set of major lifts and planned increases in weight.
      • field
        communityPicture
        rows
        • Lifters compare the three-set and five-set formats, exercise technique, the demands of repeated squatting and what happens when early progression slows.
      • field
        whatPeopleSay
        rows
        • Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength is a book and a culture. StrongLifts 5×5 (Mehdi) is the app-shaped clone people actually finish. [community]
        • BBR / GZCLP are the current wiki-friendly on-ramps. SS/SL remain the search terms. [community]
        • Power cleans on SS are the exercise most people replace with rows. [community]
        • After the linear run: they need 5/3/1, GZCLP, or PPL. Staying on 5×5 forever is how shoulders get loud. [community]
      • field
        deepDive
        rows
        • SS and SL are the same job with different set counts and different internet manners. [community]
        • BBR is the friendlier current wiki cousin if the SS culture is a turn-off. [community]
        • GZCLP is the usual next Reddit program. [community]
      • field
        firstLine
        rows
        • Starting Strength and StrongLifts are the older 3-day novice programs people still search: squat a lot, add weight.
      • field
        whyLine
        rows
        • Starting Strength and StrongLifts are the older 3-day novice programs people still search: squat a lot, add weight.
      • field
        commonPicture
        rows
        • lead
          3 days a week
          why
          A and B workouts. The whole week is two cards. [community]
        • lead
          Squat every session
          why
          The feature and the complaint. [community]
        • lead
          StrongLifts: 5 × 5; Starting Strength: usually 3 × 5
          why
          In both examples, deadlifts use 1 × 5 rather than five or three work sets. [community]
        • lead
          Add 5 lb upper / 10 lb lower
          why
          The linear spell. [community]
        • lead
          Five lifts
          why
          Squat, bench, press, deadlift, row (SL) or power clean (SS talk). [community]
        • lead
          Session reports: about 45–75 minutes
          why
          Warm-up time is included in the examples. [community]
      • field
        howPeopleRunIt
        rows
        • Replace power clean with a row if they do not have a coach for cleans. [community]
        • When 5×5 dies: they do not add a fourth squat day. They graduate. [community]
      Read the preserved reader notes
      definition
      Starting Strength is a named novice barbell program built around a small set of major lifts and planned increases in working weight.
      community Picture
      Beginners compare exercise technique, repeated squatting, session recovery and what changes when adding weight each workout stops being straightforward.
      additions
      • text
        A progression spreadsheet can look like a prediction even when it is only extending the program’s rule. In a July 2026 StrongLifts thread, a newcomer calculated striking future numbers and asked whether people really reached them on that schedule. Replies included enthusiastic experiences, accounts of stalls and comparisons with the lower set count in Starting Strength. Starting weight, missed sessions and where progress slows are part of those stories. The forecast and the training log play different roles: one extends a rule, while the other records where a person actually reached it, repeated a weight or stalled.
        sources
      guide
      what
      • The moving part is a short list of barbell lifts with the load going up from session to session, and the two famous names are not the same plan. In the May 9, 2024 capture of Starting Strength's novice page, training is three non-consecutive days. Each day is a squat for three sets of five, a press or a bench press for three sets of five, and either a deadlift for one set of five or, later, power cleans and chin-ups. StrongLifts 5x5, on the program page updated March 4, 2024, is also three days with a rest day between them. There the squat, bench, overhead press, and barbell row are five sets of five, and the deadlift is one set of five.
      • The row belongs to StrongLifts. The power clean belongs to Starting Strength. Putting a row where the clean is, or five sets where the page says three, makes a third program. Say so in the log. Neither page is a bodybuilding split, and neither is a six-day remix. Both put the squat first. Starting Strength alternates press and bench and, after the opening phase, stops deadlifting every session. StrongLifts alternates bench and press, rows on one day, and deadlifts on the other.
      • The loading rules differ too. The Starting Strength capture describes larger early jumps that shrink, including later jumps of 2.5 pounds or less on the press, bench, and clean, and smaller jumps for women and for men over 35 or 40. The StrongLifts quick start uses a 5-pound example and says 2.5 pounds is allowed, or adding only every second or third workout. A log has to name which rule it followed.
      how
      • Train three days. Leave at least one day between them. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is the example on both pages. Squat first, then the press of the day, then the pull.
      • On Starting Strength phase 1, usually one to three weeks in that capture, both days deadlift for one work set of five. Press and bench alternate, so a Monday press is a Wednesday bench. Phase 2 replaces the second day's deadlift with five sets of three power cleans. The page says that phase can last weeks or months. Phase 3 alternates the deadlift and the power clean on day A and puts chin-ups on day B. Count work sets only. Warm-ups are extra. Add load when the work sets were completed. The capture's early example for many men 18 to 35 or 40 is 10 pounds on the squat for the first two or three times, larger early deadlift jumps, then 5-pound jumps, with the press and bench often at 5 pounds and later at 2.5 or less. It says there is no single prescription. The section opened here does not give a three-miss deload. Do not borrow the StrongLifts cut and call it Starting Strength.
      • On StrongLifts, workout A is squat, bench, and barbell row, each five sets of five at one load. Workout B is squat and overhead press for five sets of five, and deadlift for one set of five. The page's example rests about three minutes, and the failure page says the short rests that worked with a light bar stop working later. A new lifter starts with the empty bar on the squat, bench, and press, and about 65 to 95 pounds, or 30 to 40 kilograms, on the row and deadlift, bar included. Someone who has lifted before starts with a weight they could do for about ten reps. Add weight only on the lifts that hit every rep. If one lift misses, repeat that lift and add on the others. After three workouts in a row still short of the sets, the March 4, 2024 failure page says to drop about 10 percent and build back. In that page's squat example, a short rep does not count.
      • A power clean without instruction can come out of the Starting Strength list. The page still includes it. A row in its place is a labeled change, not the original. Stories about milk and meat are not a grocery list on either program page.
      understand
      • Both plans are short so a new lifter can practice a few lifts often enough to add weight. The ACSM stand of March 5, 2026 tied strength findings to heavier loads, a complete range, two or three sets, early placement in the session, and at least two sessions a week. Three full-body days sit in that frequency. The difference is the set count, the pull, and the miss rule. Starting Strength's capture uses three sets of five on the squat and the presses, and it changes how often the deadlift appears. StrongLifts stays at five sets of five and answers a miss by repeating the load, then by a cut of about 10 percent.
      • The common miss is staying on the linear adds after they have stopped, or squatting through a sharp back or hip pain to protect the streak. Another miss is treating a comment-section form argument as a coach. The Starting Strength page sends older novices toward smaller jumps and a separate book. The StrongLifts failure page says progress slows, and that adding weight every workout does not have to continue forever.
      • The linear run is the wrong tool once the small jumps no longer move, and it is the wrong tool for a six-day split or a long hypertrophy list. Sharp pain, fainting, chest pain, or disordered eating is a clinician's next step, not a smaller plate. How the two plans feel in public comments is in the community notes.
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