Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training

by Mark Rippetoe
Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training cover
Good Books rating 4.3
Health & Fitness
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Technical
  • ID: 1124
  • Added: 2025-09-26
  • Updated: 2025-09-26
  • ISBN: 9780982522721
  • Published: 2013-01-01
  • Reviews: 4

Starting Strength is a comprehensive guide to barbell training, offering a straightforward approach to building strength and muscle. Author Mark Rippetoe breaks down the fundamentals of lifting, providing clear instructions and detailed explanations for each exercise. The book emphasizes proper form and progressive overload, making it accessible for beginners while offering valuable insights for experienced lifters. /n/n Beyond the technical aspects, Starting Strength delves into the science behind strength training, explaining how the body adapts to exercise and why certain techniques are more effective than others. Rippetoe's no-nonsense style and extensive experience make this book a trusted resource for anyone looking to improve their physical performance.

Reviews
BooksRun · 2025-11-30
thorough 4.50

The book is full of detailed instructions on how to perform exercises and which muscles are involved. The illustrations and photographs are praised for their clarity and thoroughness.

This book is highly detailed and provides clear instructions on performing various exercises, making it an excellent resource for anyone looking to improve their strength training. The illustrations and photographs are particularly noteworthy, as they enhance the understanding of the exercises and muscle engagement. The thoroughness of the book makes it a valuable addition to any fitness enthusiast's library.

Quick quotes

    Full of details on how to do the exercises and which muscles are involved.

    Good drawings and photographs.

    Very, very interesting. Very thoroughful.

Character Strength · 2025-10-14
excellent 4.50

The reviewer praised the book for its clear and practical approach to strength training but noted that it may not be suitable for advanced lifters.

This reviewer from Character Strength provided a balanced review of Starting Strength, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. They praised the book for its clear and practical advice, making it an excellent resource for beginners. They also appreciated the focus on making strength training accessible to average people. However, they noted that the book may not offer much for advanced lifters and that some of the advice could be too rigid for individual needs.

Quick quotes

    Starting Strength's goal is not to train world-class powerlifters.

    It is, rather, to make normal, average people stronger.

    making it an excellent resource for beginners.

Reddit - r/StartingStrength · 2025-10-14
effective 3.50

The reviewer found the program to be straightforward and effective but noted that it lacks complexity and may not be suitable for everyone.

This Reddit user shared their 12-week experience with Starting Strength, describing it as straightforward and effective. They appreciated the simplicity of the program, which focuses on basic lifts and progressive overload. However, they also mentioned that the program may not be for everyone, as it lacks variety and can feel repetitive over time. They suggested that it's best suited for beginners who want to build a strong foundation in strength training.

Quick quotes

    Starting Strength seemed pretty straight forward.

    Do this, do that, alternate, repeat, add weight.

    Nothing fancy, nothing complex. Bare bones.

Amazon.co.uk · 2025-10-14
life-changing 4.70

The reviewer found the book to be one of the best they've read, highly praising its practical advice and transformative impact on their barbell training journey.

This reviewer absolutely loved the book, describing it as life-changing. They appreciated the clear, no-nonsense approach to barbell training and found the advice to be incredibly effective. They mentioned that after following the program, they saw significant improvements in their strength and overall fitness. The reviewer highly recommends it to anyone looking to get started with barbell training.

Quick quotes

    Starting Strength is one of the best books I've read!!!

    After doing some barbell training for a number of months (Jim Wendler's 5/3/1) and ...

    highly praising its practical advice and transformative impact on their barbell training journey.

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