- Level
- Beginner
- Days a week
- 3 days
- Goal
- Strength
- Equipment
- Barbell
- How long
- 3–9 months
- Created by
- Mark Rippetoe
This is the simplest strength program there is. Three days a week you squat, then either press or bench, then deadlift, and every session the bar gets a little heavier than last time. Mark Rippetoe’s book Starting Strength made this structure famous, and most beginner barbell programs since are variations on it.
It works because a true beginner can recover from a heavy squat in 48 hours. Adding weight every session, rather than every week, uses that window while it lasts. For most people it lasts several months and adds more strength than any later phase of their training.
This page explains the program in our own words. All credit for it goes to Mark Rippetoe. The original: Starting Strength, by Mark Rippetoe (book and startingstrength.com). The full program is published commercially; if you run it, buy the original. It has detail this page leaves out.
Who it’s for
Anyone new to the barbell who wants to get strong, whatever their age or size. You need a squat rack, a barbell, a bench and plates that go up in small jumps. You do not need to know the lifts already, but you do need to learn them properly, so film your sets or get a coach for the first few weeks.
It is not a bodybuilding program. There is almost no arm or shoulder isolation work, and the volume is low by design. If your main goal is muscle size and you already lift, a PPL or upper/lower program will suit you better.
The weekly schedule
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | B | A |
| Week 2 | B | A | B |
| Week 3 | A | B | A |
Every workout
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 × 5 | Same weight all three sets |
| Overhead press | 3 × 5 | Standing, strict |
| Deadlift | 1 × 5 | One work set after warm-ups |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 × 5 | Same weight all three sets |
| Barbell bench press | 3 × 5 | |
| Deadlift | 1 × 5 | Later alternates with power cleans |
Warm up each lift with the empty bar and a few lighter sets before the work sets; the warm-up calculator below lays them out in whole plates. Rest as long as you need between work sets, often three to five minutes once the weights get heavy.
After the first few weeks, Rippetoe’s version swaps the deadlift on one workout for power cleans (5 sets of 3) and adds chin-ups. The core of the program never changes: squat every session, press and bench alternating, one heavy pull.
How to progress
Add weight to every lift every time you do it. A common start is 10 lb (5 kg) per session on squat and deadlift and 5 lb (2.5 kg) on bench and press. Within a few weeks the squat slows to 5 lb, and the press often to 2.5 lb or less, which is why fractional plates are worth buying.
Start light. Pick a weight you can do for 3×5 with clean form and some speed left, even if it feels too easy. A start that is too light costs a week; one that is too heavy costs the whole program.
Stalls and deloads
If you miss the reps on a lift, repeat the same weight next session. Miss it on three sessions in a row and drop that lift about 10%, then work back up. The other lifts keep going.
Repeated resets on the same lift mean the session-to-session phase is over for that lift. That is the signal to move on, not to keep resetting.
How long to run it
Most people get three to nine months out of it. Younger, heavier and well-fed lifters tend to run it longer; lighter lifters and those eating in a deficit stall sooner. When you have reset the squat twice and the press and bench are crawling, you are done.
What to do next
The usual next steps add weekly rather than session-to-session progress: the Texas Method, Madcow 5×5, or 5/3/1 for Beginners. All three are below.
Common mistakes
Starting too heavy
The program only works while you can add weight every session. Ego in week one ends the progression in week six.
Skipping food and sleep
Adding weight three times a week needs real recovery. Undereating is the most common reason it stalls early.
Squatting high
A squat that stops above parallel lets you add weight faster on paper. It also stops making you stronger. Hit depth on every rep.
Adding lots of extras
A few sets of chin-ups or curls are fine. Five accessory exercises eat the recovery that the main lifts need.
Running it in Splyt
Build each workout above as a template in Splyt. When you finish a session, the weights you actually lifted carry into the next run of that template, so every set shows last time’s numbers beside it and you can see at a glance whether to add weight. Log on iPhone or Apple Watch, and the Watch counts your reps for you.
Have the program in a spreadsheet or screenshot already? Import it and Splyt turns it into editable templates. Use the one-rep max calculator to set a training max, the warm-up calculator for warm-up sets in whole plates, and strength standards to see where your lifts sit for your bodyweight.
Questions
Is Starting Strength good for beginners?
Yes. It is one of the most proven ways to get stronger in your first months of lifting. Its weakness is low volume for the upper body, which some people fix by adding a few sets of chin-ups and dips.
How much weight do you add each session?
Typically 5–10 lb (2.5–5 kg) on squat and deadlift and 2.5–5 lb on bench and press, getting smaller as the weights get heavier.
Can I do this program with dumbbells?
Not well. The whole point is adding small, exact amounts to a barbell every session. With dumbbells, follow the home dumbbell program instead.
What if I can’t add weight every session any more?
Repeat the weight, then reset 10% after three misses. Once resets stop working, switch to an intermediate program like the Texas Method or Madcow 5×5.
Similar programs
- StrongLifts 5×5 — beginner, 3 days
- Greyskull LP — beginner, 3 days
- Texas Method — intermediate, 3 days
- Madcow 5×5 — intermediate, 3 days
- Every program, by level and days
More for your training
- Workout splits: how push pull legs, upper/lower and full body compare
- Ready-made workouts for every muscle and piece of equipment
- The exercise library: how to do every lift above
- Strength standards by lift and bodyweight
Run this program in Splyt, the workout tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch that remembers what you lifted. Get Splyt free on the App Store