Originally posted by: brikis98
Originally posted by: enwar3
I guess I didn't read the book enough then. I'll stop.
The reason you do a routine like SS, and not something you come up with on your own, is that you are relatively inexperienced at weightlifting and it's likely any tweaks you make to the routine (which was built by experts with
years of experience at training newbies) will reduce the routine's effectiveness. That's why SociallyChallenged is recommending against messing with the routine. If it says do 3x5, then there's a damn good reason for it, and you should probably stick with it. Having said that, it doesn't mean that you can't, from time to time, toss in something like a one-rep max set just to gauge your progress, but this should NOT be a regular occurrence.
Originally posted by: enwar3
If we're talking that specific then I guess I have more questions. What about when I try to move up in weight but can't? As in, what if I go from 105 to 110 on the OH press and can't even lift one rep? Or maybe three? How many reps count as a set? Rippetoe says not to move down in weight even if I can't get all the reps out. If I'm doing a 3x1 at the current weight, should I still stay at the weight?
If you are doing things properly and could do 5 reps at weight X, there is no way that you wouldn't be able to do ANY reps at weight X + 5lbs. If that's happening, it's an indicator you're doing something wrong: perhaps you cheated at weight X (did a push press instead of an OH press, for example), or your form is breaking down completely at X+5, or maybe you're injured or fatigued. It's much more likely that you'd only be able to get 3 or 4 reps with X + 5, in which case you should follow the standard deloading procedure: re-try X+5 a couple more times to try to get 3x5, and if you can't, do a soft deload or hard deload as appropriate.
A couple more things to note: the OH press is almost always the first one to stall and probably the weakest indicator that you are up to the intermediate stage. In fact, it usually just means your form is sub-optimal at this deceptively difficult exercise. It may be worth re-reading the OH press section in Starting Strength and watching as many OH press videos from the
CF exercises page as you can (especially the "Press Instruction" ones with Rippetoe). Something else that often helps with OH press is "microloading" - rather than trying to go up 5lbs per workout, go up in even smaller increments. You would need
fractional plates for this, which you could buy yourself if your gym doesn't have them.
Originally posted by: enwar3
Also, I've already changed his program a bit. I switched out cleans for rows.
Why? The power clean is an incredibly important part of the SS routine as it's an exercise that helps you build power and explosiveness, rather than just absolute strength. Rows are not at all a good substitute for it.
Originally posted by: enwar3
An extra set seems like a drop in the bucket. I do the extra set when I get stuck at the same weight, since more reps/more sets/less rest increase intensity and my chances of moving weight up next time.
It seems unlikely to me that an extra set would help you move up in weight where as a 3x5 doesn't, but if it really works for you, then use it. The one thing I'd throw out there as a caution is that the SS routine, especially for relative newcomers, tends to tax your CNS very heavily as it is. Every time you add an extra set, you're increasing the total load on your CNS and are risking overloading it. If you do, not only will it negatively impact your gym performance - that is, the 4th set would actually
reduce your chances of moving up in weight - but it will also lead to other overtraining symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, inability to sleep, weakened immune system, etc.