Starting Strength Reviewed: Does Mark Rippetoe's Program Still Deliver?
The short answer
Starting Strength still delivers for its intended audience: two alternating full-body workouts built on the squat, press or bench press, and deadlift, with light starting weights and simple linear progression. In episode 350, the first in a strength-program series, Jerred and Dave review how Mark Rippetoe's program works, why it works, and who should (and shouldn't) run it.
This episode kicks off a new series reviewing the most influential strength programs ever written, and there was only one place to start. Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength has probably introduced more people to the barbell than any other program. Decades on, does it still deliver?
Where we're coming from
Before grading anyone else's program, Jerred and Dave lay out their own strength journeys: years bouncing between bodybuilding splits, football-based training, powerlifting-style work, and eventually the concurrent mix of lifting and conditioning that defines Garage Gym Athlete today. The through-line is that strength training never left the routine, even as the goals around it changed. That lens matters for this review: the question isn't whether Starting Strength is the last program you'll ever need, it's whether it's a good first one.
How Starting Strength works
The novice program is almost stubbornly simple. Two workouts, A and B, alternate across three training days per week. Both are built around the same handful of barbell lifts: the squat every session, the press and bench press alternating, and the deadlift. That's the program.
Progression is linear: start with very light weights, often just the empty bar, and add a small amount of load nearly every session. No percentages, no periodization, no decisions to make. The book itself is famously comprehensive, walking through every lift in exhaustive technical detail.
Accessory work barely exists at the start, by design. As the novice phase progresses, the program layers in power cleans, chin-ups, pull-ups, and back extensions. But the core bet never changes: get brutally consistent at a few big lifts and let the weight on the bar do the talking.
Why it works
Three reasons, and none of them are magic. First, frequency: you practice the main lifts almost every session, and skill under the bar compounds fast. Second, gradual overload: small, relentless jumps in weight add up to big numbers before the lifter has time to doubt it. Third, starting light forces you to learn the movement patterns while the consequences of imperfect technique are low, so by the time the bar gets heavy, the technique is grooved.
The repetitiveness that makes experienced lifters bored is exactly what makes novices strong.
Who should run it (and who shouldn't)
The verdict is a clear thumbs up, with a defined audience. Starting Strength is best for true beginners, lifters coming back to the barbell after years away, and youth athletes, especially when a parent wants a safe, structured way to teach a kid basic barbell training.
Who it's not for: anyone past the novice phase, or any athlete whose goals include conditioning, endurance, or athleticism alongside strength. The program simply doesn't address those, and it doesn't claim to. Run it for what it is, a foundation, then build on it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Starting Strength program?
A novice barbell program by Mark Rippetoe built on two alternating full-body workouts (A and B) centered on the squat, press or bench press, and deadlift, with light starting weights and small load increases nearly every session.
Does Starting Strength build muscle as well as strength?
Novices generally add muscle on the program because everything works for beginners, but its focus is maximal strength on the main barbell lifts. Lifters chasing physique goals typically add hypertrophy work after the novice phase.
Who is Starting Strength best for?
Beginners, people returning to barbell training after a long layoff, and youth athletes learning the lifts safely, ideally with supervision. Intermediate and advanced lifters need more variety and different progression.
Train like an athlete. For life.
Programming built this way: hard when it counts, sustainable the rest of the time.
Related episodes