by Mark Rippetoe
Starting Strength — adaptive
The classic novice barbell program: squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, row. Three days a week, linear progression on every lift.
Frequency
3× / week
Length
12 weeks
Difficulty
beginner
Progression
linear
Workouts A and B alternate, three sessions per week. Add weight every session until you stall, then deload and re-attempt.
Probably the most-recommended novice strength program ever published. Highly opinionated about form and technique.
RepRoute respects the lift selection and progression math but adds modern niceties like PR tracking and adaptive substitution.
Pros
- • Maximally simple — 3 exercises per session
- • Fastest possible beginner strength gains
- • Every session includes the deadlift
- • Extensively documented and coached worldwide
Trade-offs
- • Squat 3×/week is fatiguing for some
- • Very limited accessory work
- • Requires excellent coaching for the main lifts
Weekly structure
Day 1
Workout A — Bench
- Squat3×5-5 · 180s
- Push (horizontal)3×5-5 · 180s
- Hinge1×5-5 · 240s
Day 2
Workout B — Press
- Squat3×5-5 · 180s
- Push (overhead)3×5-5 · 180s
- Hinge1×5-5 · 240s
RepRoute adaptations
- Plate-rounded progression respects your inventory
- Failure-driven deload protocol
- Injury swap available without breaking the linear math
- PR tracking via e1RM
Common questions
Power cleans replace barbell rows; the rep scheme is 3×5 instead of 5×5. Otherwise functionally similar.
Yes if you want strong opinions on technique. RepRoute doesn't replicate Rippetoe's form coaching — that's still a separate skill.
Yes — RepRoute substitutes barbell rows or pull-ups when power cleans aren't an option (lack of bumper plates, lack of skill).
Run Starting Strength adapted to you
Free plan, no credit card. The program ships as authored — adaptations kick in only when you flag something.