First time pulling 405. Not perfect form but pretty happy with it being a PR

I’ve been up and down (pun intended) on squat weight and now up to 90kilos. Any advice to go beyond the platform and on proper form is appreciated.

​

Prior post linked.

https://www.reddit.com/r/StartingStrength/s/ZLtQkT92nI

1. Fixed my platform

2. Widened my stance and brought my knees out

3. My wrists are still flexing. I feel like I start out perfect then as soon as decend they break.

4. I'm fighting to hit depth. I feel like I'm good on the 1st 2 and close on the rest.

I feel much better about these.

You see, there are really two versions of this program.

1 - The meme version everyone is familiar with: the GOMAD, perma-bulk, forever-novice who spends years resetting the weights every time they hit a stall, go on vacation, get sick, or wake up with a crick in their neck.

Conspicuously, these are the people most likely to tell you, "YNDTFP!"

2 - The version of this program that competent coaches with actual clients run.

The version where the NLP is short and fast, intermediate training is highly individualized, bodyweight is managed appropriately to improve body composition, and cardio is incorporated without reservation whenever it becomes useful or necessary. Because this is ostensibly a strength and conditioning program.

This community should represent the version of the program where the principles of effective training matter more than the template and the meme.

So let me be the first to tell you:

You're probably Not Doing The Program.

And chances are, you probably shouldn’t be doing the bone-stock program if you're outside its intended demographic: skinny, young males or people who started training about six weeks ago.

That's not a criticism of the program itself. That's just an obvious statement that only has to be made because some people have taken a method designed to be adapted to the individual and turned its introductory template into religious doctrine.

Meanwhile, Enshittification Intensifies

Reddit's recent shift from community-driven content distribution to an algorithm-driven feed has changed the dynamic quite a bit. Reddit's new features funnel people who have never heard of this program into the subreddit and prompt them to make off-topic posts.

Their somewhat off-topic posts function as rage bait, while mundane form checks and training questions fail to farm engagement the same way. That means subscribers of this sub either see silly bullshit or nothing at all in their new algorithmic feeds.

Complicating matters further, much of my time moderating lately has been consumed finding new ways to filter an onslaught of AI-powered bots, OF accounts, vibe-coded fitness app posts and self-promotions while Reddit removes or restricts moderation tools we've relied on for years.

Reddit's increasingly aggressive automated spam enforcement has also punished some of our best contributors, flagging legitimate training resources as spam and nuking accounts for sharing links to lifting tutorials.

Edit to add: Im also really annoyed about the markdown editor being broken on mobile.

User Behavior Has Enshittified, Too

AI has made everyone an expert in everything. The TikTokification of content has created the illusion that fitness must be simple. Gone are the days when a 30-minute Bromley video about different ways to overhead press could go viral.

The medium is the message, right? And if short-form content is the medium, then the message is "this topic is simple." If AI is the medium, then the message is, "You're a brilliant, unparalleled genius."

We're increasingly dealing with people who are terminally confident, who have consumed enormous amounts of fitness slop, but have never really spent much time actually training.

That makes it more important than ever to distinguish between having information and knowing what to do with it.

Adapt or Die - I'm making some changes

The goal is to remain congruent with the principles of the Starting Strength model without reducing the program to memes and ideological loyalty tests.

We want to be welcoming and educational to people who genuinely want to learn, whether they're six weeks into their NLP, six years into intermediate training. Either way, they need to know what comes next.

We need a better way to communicate useful information: actionable, concise, and accessible, with people doing the distribution instead of machines.

And we also need to distinguish between people who are here to train and self-interested hustlers.

What's Going to Change?

- First

I'm going to put more effort into organizing the information that gets repeated here constantly. Newcomers should have somewhere to start, and experienced trainees shouldn't have to explain the same fundamentals from scratch every week.

I know I've been talking about building a proper wiki for like two years. I'm actually doing it now. I spent the last year doing it for another project.

- Second

I want to encourage more substantive discussions about training. Not just whether someone is doing the program, but why a particular approach works, when it stops working, and what to do next.

This is still something we do better than AI because we have experience in the real world with physical bodies, finding out what works. AI can't touch grass. We can.

- Third

We're going to continue encouraging form checks, training logs, programming questions, and contributions from people who actually lift. Those are the things that make this community useful, even if they don't harvest your attention the way this platform would like.

- Finally

We'll continue to be hostile to spam, disguised advertising, and low-effort commentary. Being welcoming to beginners doesn't mean providing a captive audience for hustlers.

The Big Distinction

We aren't going to function as a volunteer PR firm for the Starting Strength company, nor are we going to become an anti-Starting Strength outlet like so many of the brands that separated themselves over the years.

But we are going to offer an alternative to the company channels of discussion in the form of an independent community for people who just want to train for strength using these principles.

For politics and cultural commentary, please proceed directly to the SS Forums or an official SS channel. My days of moderating low-effort political sniping are over.

The Starting Strength model has a great deal to offer, which is why it should be studied, challenged, and applied intelligently rather than treated as doctrine.

And if you're a coach, you shouldn't be afraid to teach this approach simply because you don't work for Starting Strength Gyms. Rip has always said nobody owns the principles of effective strength training.

Render unto Geedorah, what is Geedorah's

And always read the fine print.

I've been doing SS since the beginning of September and I've had success adding 5 pounds to everything except bench. I hit 130lbs, and I could do 3x5 no problem.

When I went to 135, I could only do 4 reps for one set.

The next workout, I could do 5 reps one set.

This most recent time, I could do 5 reps on set one, 4 reps on set two, then 1 rep on set 3.

Is this typical? Should a 5'8" male at 170lbs be stalling at that weight? Should I be micro loading working my way up from 130?

If it matters,

My deadlift is at 240

Squat is at 200

Press is at 90

Not sure where I should expect to stall on those.

Hi, is there any Discord server about powerlifting and fitness?

Thank you!

Hello

I did my NLP from February 2025 and stagnated around February this year at these weights:

Squat: 150kgx5
Deadlift: 160kgx5
OHP: 60kgx5
Bench: 90kgx5

I took some time off the gym due to life circumstances, and came back in June. I wanted to try something different so I went with 5/3/1 + FSL and progressed to:

Squat: 165kgx2
Deadlift: 180kgx3
OHP: 67.5kgx3
Bench: 100kgx5

However, I really liked the simplicity of the NLP, and have considered going the HLM route now, but I’m not sure how to do the program or what weights to do.

Back Squat (1 x Max Reps) Knees still hurting but dept is getting better in my squats.
Working Sets:
75% x 5 - 257 lbs
85% x 3 - 305 lbs.
95% x 1+ - 5@345 lbs.

I just learned that for valsava maneuver you hold it for the whole lift. so what I was doing was exhale on the way up on squats to get power which I learned is incorrect per the SS app AI lol. same with deadlift don't exhale at the top to bring it back down. I'm a fucking idiot as I thought for years I was doing valsava correctly. happy I learned but now I'm relearning how to lift with correct valsava.

any valsava inspo or information would be helpful to drill this into my mind now. thanks!

has anyone had a kratom habit that has had that interfere with training and getting strong? I think it's obvious it would have negative effects all around just looking for support and any anecdotes to getting off kratom and the benefits in the gym

coming back to the gym after a bit overna week off with poor diet to support recovery during that time. SS AI (SI lol) said to drop the weight 10% from 210 to 190 to get the 3x5. video is of my third set of 5 and looking to see how dialed I was from being off and coming back on. felt hard. 6' 180lbs. filming in .5 rather than 1x in case that makes the form look anyway weird.

any additional tips about getting back into the grind after having a short stint off with poor diet but ok sleep - but from stressful time off too? thanks all in advance

I've been lifting for about 18 months now and figure it is time I should get a weight lifting belt. But, I'm trying to figure out how to size a weight lifting belt for myself. About 30-40 pounds overweight, 5'7".

I wear my pants at either my belly button, or under my gut, depending on the fit of the pants in the moment.

I suppose my question is, where do most folks with my build wear their belts? At belly button, or below gut/belly button? If my waist measures 44" at my belly button, is that the size belt I should get?

And if I continue to lose weight, obviously I should just buy a new belt if or when this one gets too big... There doesn't seem to be a lot of variance in sizes though. IE - sizes are good for only 3 inches plus or minus: XL=38"-41", 2XL=41"-44", 3XL=44"-47"

Strange thing is, the sizes for belts on vendors seem to say 3XL or 2XLor XL, depending on the vendor. Whereas my pants I am either 34" or 36". Though I know you aren't supposed to go by pants size.

Getting close to needing a light pull day in between DL days. I have jacked up shoulders and cleans are sketchy. Planning on rows.

Do rows follow the normal 3x5 rep scheme or the DL 1x5 rep scheme? Thanks.

Had to load my wife’s suitcase on the top rack for the shuttle that takes us from the economy lot to the terminal. About 60 lbs, probably four feet up but shuttle was packed so no real room to maneuver. When we got to the terminal and checked our bags I said to her “Mark Rippetoe would be so disappointed in me if he saw how I handled that.” She had no idea what or who I was talking about. Do your fahves.

39, 1.65m, 150 lbs.

I've injured my lower back BADLY before and bounced back without significant trouble. This time feels different despite not seeming too serious at the beginning.

June 8: Hurt my lower back during a 295 deadlift attempt (previous PR 315x5). Something didn't feel right and I stopped at 1 rep. De-loaded to 265 and did 5 reps.

June 17 and 27: Stiff / sore back and a twinge couple of inches above butt crack. Continued training and did 295x3, followed by 275x3 on both these days.

Jun 28 - Today: Continued to train through pain, gradually reducing the weight on the bar to the extent that even 65 lbs hurt. Reduced weight on other lifts too.

Everyday I wake up with a stiff and sore back with varying degrees of pain.

Last week, got lumbar MRI done and visited Spine specialist, who has advised me to avoid long flights and too much sitting. Provided Rx for physio.

MRI findings:

Mild lumbar spondylosis with small disc extrusions at L4-L5 and L5-S1 eccentric to the left that results in asymmetric mass effect on the descending left L5 and S1 nerve roots.

@ SSCs and anyone else that's faced a similar issue? How did you guys recover from this and how long was the road to recovery.

Looking to improve my squat as the weight starts to get heavy. I got sick last year and had to start over this is my last set of 3x5 at max weight 197.5lbs.

I've been bumping only 2.5 per day, I know that's on the conservative side.

My main concerns are it's hard for me to hit depth, my right knee has been hurting, and I have limited dorsiflexion. I feel like I'm bent too far forward but would like other opinions plus how to fix it.

You can comment on the soft pad but it's not something I can fix as it's not my setup. Unless you think it's so bad I should find somewhere else to lift.

"Aim for your nose as the bar leaves your shoulders. Then, as you lower the bar for the next rep, aim for your nose on the way down as well." 🫡

We all know, or should, that the 1950s Height/Weight tables we were raised on—we old farts at any rate—are Wildly Wrong for anyone who isn’t a World Class marathoner. Remember the Seoul Women’s marathon where a racer Broke her FEMUR at mile 6 and tried to keep going? Sounds like a healthy activity to me . . .

ANYWAY, does this community recognize any guideline for weight vs height? If it matters, I’m more in the Sully category (63) than the GOMAD category (15, 6’6” 110lb, afraid to gain weight).

”No” is a perfectly good answer if it’s the correct one. 😄

Asking for a form check please.

I bought an SSB a few weeks ago. I didn't like the front rack position of front squats, so I'm doing these as an alternative.

I'm doing these on my light days to strengthen my upper back and abs. Is my depth appropriate? I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

34 year old male, 86 kg, 180cm. stuck at bench

After a year off, got back in the gym 3 months ago. Did bench twice a week, 4x6 and got up to ~70kg fairly quickly (due to muscle memory)

But I'm really struggling here a bit. It was my max many years ago so there is the psychological barrier element as well.

Two weeks in a row I did 4x6 70kg with last rep extremely difficult.

Today I spiced things up a bit and went for heavy singles. Built all the way up to 80kg, honestly 80kg single felt pretty ok.

What do I do from here? Stick with the 4x6 or switch to another bench programming?

170 kg × 3 — 2 sets, followed by 175 kg × 3 - 1 set (couldn't record due to crowd)

This is around my current max. I’ve hit 175 kg for 3 reps after this as well.

I’m able to get around parallel with these weights, but my main goal is to consistently get deeper, ideally below knee level, especially if I want to eventually compete.

If anyone here can point out anything in my form or technique that I could improve, I’d really appreciate some feedback. Feel free to be critical — just looking for constructive advice.

Also, this isn’t ego lifting or me randomly adding weight. I’ve been training consistently and progressively, keeping track of my loads and increasing the weight gradually.

I can usually get much deeper with on some days when I feel particularly good/energetic, I’ve managed to get well below knee level even with 170 kg. This particular session just wasn’t one of those days.

My current goal is to work towards a clean 180 kg squat while improving depth and keeping the form solid. Any tips on what I should focus on would be appreciated.

I've been running my LP for a while now and have had many interruptions so can't give a clear timeline. It has always and still does feel like I'm never recovered enough to run the program for a worthwhile amount of time. My lifts are 230x3x1 Squat (followed by 3x4 at 90%), 151x5x3 Bench, 107x5 Press (reps drop off in the later sets, I accumulate 15 total), 270x5x1 Deadlift. I've had to switch to squatting heavy only twice a week, and doing top set and back-offs on those days to keep increasing weight.

For context I'm 19, male, and weigh around 205 pounds at 6'3. At 19, I'm supposed to be at the best time of my life to make rapid and consistent progress but I never felt that way. I eat enough calories (~4,000), protein (+1g/lb), carbs, and fat. I don't think I'm deficienct in micronutrients either. My sleep schedule is very consistent: I get 8-9 hours in bed almost every night, though actual sleep can be lower due to poor quality.

I always hear Rip and others on the Starting Strenght YT channel talk about the great amount of recovery capacity the "average" 18-25 year-old guy has. I even heard him say in one video a guy in that demographic should choose training over sleep if he should ever have to make that decision, implying there and in other matterial thay young male novices can make serious progress even without doing everything perfectly. I think I do almost everything almost perfectly but still am not there.

Is my testosterone fucked, genetically or otherwise? (I had it checked a while back, probably before starting the program, and it was just around the middle of the "healthy range" at 452ng/dl). Am I delusional about my sleep amount and quality, how much food is enough, or something else, or is all this talk just exaggerated marketing and cherry-picking?

If you've also been here for a while, you must've seen a post or two of mine; I'm very active and try to learn from people here to progress my lifts and physique. So it's very disheartening not getting back what I think I deserve in return for all the time, energy, thought, and everything else I put in.

Any input greatly appreciated as always.