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Starting Strength 2nd edition

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training is the new expanded version of the book that has been called “the best and most useful of fitness books.” It picks up where Starting Strength: A Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners leaves off. With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the most effective way to exercise.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Strength Book for the right people; But Not an Overall Fitness Book
High Level Overview:

Reviewer Background:

Degree in Exercise Physiology – BSU 1996

Personal Trainer

Overview: This is a STRENGTH book, not a book on bodybuilding/body sculpting (hence the name “Starting Strength”. I can’t emphasize enough you need to know what you are training for before you commit to a book purchase and exercise routine. This book is focuses on strength and nothing else, hypertrophy may be a side of affect of strength but is not the goal, nor is the goal to produce shapely well defined muscles and washboard abs. This book is written by a power lifter (Rippetoe) for strength and power and that’s it.

The book easy to read; is full of illustrations, and flows together very nice. Rippetoe drops in some dry humor to keep it fresh.

Pros:

*This book is very very very detailed on how to perform the main core lifts, Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, and Power Cleans and generally focuses on multi-joint exercises and down plays isolation type exercises.

*The book spends a great deal of time and effort explaining proper form for doing the basic lifts (which if you have spent any time in the gym at all you can see all kinds of wild interpretations of the basic lifts)

*This book is a perfect example of how little equipment you actually need to get not only a good workout, but a great workout. Essentially you can work all of the main muscle groups with the following pieces of equipment. Power Rack, and adjustable bench, barbell, and weights.

*The book does a very good job of breaking down the mechanics of how your body’s center of gravity changes as it moves through different exercises.

Cons:

*There is not clear cut program that one can take from the book and start using. The instructions for how many reps and sets too use is going to be somewhat confusing for someone just getting starting. I have been working out for 20 + years plus several years of training clients and I had a hard time developing a workout plan around what is presented in the book. To make it adaptable to the beginner, a plan needs to be step by step and map out percentages as a goal for doing various exercises.

*To add to the confusion, for the most part you are doing 3 sets of 5 reps for your work sets with the same weight, but on occasion you rotate in 5 sets of 5 reps, 2 sets with increasing weight and 3 sets at the same weight. Again in the book, this is hard to decipher and put into a training log you can use. I just don’t see how someone with little or no experience in a weight room is going to get the idea.

*The nutrition part is sort of weak: Here the advice is drink a gallon of milk, and take in 2500 to 5000 calories a day.

*The book although does a great job with the mechanics (i.e. leverage) it really doesn’t touch on the physiology behind how muscle work and how they recover (there is a very drawing of the “Metabolic Speedometer” which describes which energy systems are in use with different types of activity)

Overall:

This is a great book if you have some experience in the weight room and are very familiar with sets, reps, warm-up sets, work sets, and back off sets, and most importantly, if your goal is “STRENGTH”

*If you are sporting a “dickie-do” then this book is probably NOT going to be your official guide to getting back in shape.

*If you are a coach, then this book is a must

*If you are an AD, then the book is a must

*If you are a teenager or your adult wanting to get stronger for a host of different sports or for competition, then this is the book for you.

*You are NOT going to find a diet plan in here if you are wanting to drop a good deal of your body fat and tone up.

Bottom Line:

*I would recommend this book as a supplement to your fitness library, but not as a base. *I would check out some books by Ellington Darden, the exercises and machines are very different than what this book presents (that does not mean better), but his books have a wealth of information concerning the physiology behind weight training , diet, and rest. His books also tend lean more towards getting in shape and dropping excess body fat as opposed to pure strength gains.

*In the end for a training program to be successful, the trainee needs to believe it will work, and part of believing it will work is understanding how it will work.

Personal Note:

I am going to start on the program and see if I have any success on it.

5 Stars I’ve been doing it wrong!
I’ve started serious weight lifting about a month ago and bought “Starting Strength” shortly thereafter. I had some weight training and almost a year of strength training, but while reading the book I realized just how many things I could improve in my technique. Applying Mark Rippetoe’s advice in the gym allowed me to make much better progress in my training and it’s just great to see the look on some guys’ faces when a girl half their size squats more than they do.

The book also provided me with some excellent insight on *why* we should use a correct technique and I now have a better understanding on how the body works during certain exercises, so I can better focus on doing them properly.

Highly recommended for anyone doing barbell training or who is looking at starting a strength training program.

5 Stars As good as it gets!
This book is simply a must read for anyone interested in gaining strength and size through weightlifting. Lifting weights my old way left me with severe muscular imbalances since I stuck with the lifts I was good at (bench press) and ignored the exercises I was not good at (squats). Coach Rippetoe addresses my old form of programming in his book by stating: “wandering around the gym, deciding what looks fun, doing it until the fun stops, and then doing something else IS NOT TRAINING.” When I read about Coach Rippetoe’s 3 days a week in the gym, 5 core lifts, and relatively few sets across, the program seemed insufficient. After doing the program, I now see how wrong I was and what a solid program Rippetoe has crafted. Each workout has a goal, and the weights just get heavier and heavier – you to the gym with a purpose – you leave having accomplished something. You build on your accomplishments every workout. This is a proven program that I wish I knew about years ago. I now view my pre-Starting Strength training as wasted time and effort.

I have two more recommendations: (1) Rippetoe’s Starting Strength DVD, since it helps with the more technical lifts and with little things you could miss in the book; (2) Coach Rippetoe does a Q&A on the forum [...] where he answers programming questions and gives feedback re: form, etc. Not only is the information he posts valuable, but Rippetoe is extremely witty and his posts are always helpful and amusing (be sure to use the search function before you post, lest you be ripped by Rip). In sum, buy this book, you’ll never look at the guys doing biceps curls in the squat rack the same again.

5 Stars Strength Guide of Choice
Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore provide the most comprehensive strength training book on some of the most basic barbell lifts. If you want to truly become strong, buy this book. It will be the best purchase you make to improve the quality in your strength work.

5 Stars simple ideas, huge impact
I am 29 years old have been training for many years now, picking up injuries due to my own stupidity and ignorance, lack of interest in hard work and the over-zealousness of my trainer. This book has changed my entire outlook towards weight training and fitness. Compound exercises are the way to go for the typical weight trainer like me and thats where this book is so valuable.

I recommend this book for the following reasons -

1. The content is straight forward, very elaborately explained, the layout of the book is very clean and eye catching.

2. The big 5 exercises explained are the 5 most important exercises in a strength trainers program (or atleast should be).

3. Very good for technique and motivation.

4. The physics is also explained in text and pictures.

5. “Must have” to perfect your form and avoid injury.

6. Very important for weight trainers of all ages, esp more important if you are older since you cannot afford injuries.

Bottom line – Highly recommended. Buy it. Read it. Understand it and PRACTICE IT.

PS – I strongly recommend the DVD for additional clarity.

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