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by pvnick 4741 days ago
Completely agree, this is very good advice. I wish I had more time to respond but I'm at risk of being late to work. Here's how you put forth the minimum amount of time commitment while deriving the greatest amount of benefit:

-If you typically squat less than 270 pounds all the way down to parallel, do Starting Strength until you do [1].

-If you typically squat at least 270 pounds all the way down to parallel, do Madcow 5x5 [2]. I can't speak past this fitness level because this is where I am.

-Eat according to the Leangains nutrition guide to achieve massive strength gains while getting/staying lean and eating only a couple meals a day [3].

Make sure to read the Starting Strength book or watch Mark Rippetoe videos on youtube to learn proper technique (vitally important!)

[1] http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength...

[2] http://stronglifts.com/madcow-5x5-training-programs/

[3] http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

Disclaimer: There are obviously other programs which offer the same amount of benefit, but I don't think you'll find anything that surpasses the benefit you'll receive from these guidelines, and you certainly won't find many programs that surpass the simplicity; therefore, for the sake of not overwhelming anybody, I've only listed a small compilation of systems that really work.

2 comments

What's the rationale for shifting programs right at 270 lbs? That seems somewhat arbitrary, at least more so than say 225 (2 45 lbs plates per side) or 315 (3 45s per side).
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/SquatStandards.htm...

Really it's somewhere between 250 and 300, but I chose 270 because 1) it's in the middle near where average-weight men would be and 2) starting strength just keep being good right up to around 300 pound squats.

How that compare to P90x?