[SketchySeaBeast]

Starting strength and stronglifts are strongly interchangeable the biggest difference is the volume - starting strength is a 5x3 and stronglifts is 5x5 and stronglifts has a row while starting strength has a power clean. For learning starting strength the book is invaluable as the author describes each lift in exhausting detail, and that's important to understand when you're starting - every day in the gym I see people squatting who should have read some instructions.

I'd argue that at the novice range the extra two sets of volume aren't required - you will literally adapt to anything at this point. That's why there are so many programs that people feel great on for the first three months before they stop making progress. I do, however, like the row instead of the power clean, as many gyms don't have a setup for a power clean, and it's a technically challenging movement. Many years ago when I first started I did starting strength with a row substituted for the power clean, and that took me a good 8 months before I stopped making progress, at which point I jumped over to a 5x5 intermediate program.

[rblatz]

I’m a bit confused with the statement that “many gyms don’t have a setup for power cleans.” I use the same barbell and weights for bench, deadlift, squats, and cleans. I would assume where ever there is space for deadlifts, you could easily use that space for cleans.

[SketchySeaBeast]

You use the same equipment, but it all depends on how nicely you can put the clean down afterwards. If the gym doesn't have a platform and instead has iron weights and a concrete floor, you could be doing some damage to the equipment. The same could be argued with deadlifts, but they are much easier to gracefully put down.

[rblatz]

Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me. You absolutely don’t want to be damaging the equipment or the gym itself.