Is Starting Strength Enough?

Can you just squat, press, bench and deadlift three times a week and be fit? Starting Strength Coach Grant Broggi says yes, depending on what "fit" means for you.

For the average guy with a desk job and a family, running the Starting Strength novice linear progression correctly for 4 to 7 months builds above-average muscle mass, body composition and physical ability. Grant lays out the strength numbers to aim for at 170 to 200 pounds of bodyweight: a 300 pound squat, 200 pound bench, 400 pound deadlift and a press over 100 pounds.

He also covers the other side of the argument. Heavy barbell training alone won't get you a sub-24-minute Marine Corps three mile or 20 pull-ups, and Grant explains why a high strength baseline makes it much faster to train for running, jiu jitsu, military tests, or whatever your job demands. Finally, he warns about the most common trap on the program: gaining too much bodyweight chasing numbers on the bar.

Starting Strength is exactly what it says it is. It's the place to start, not the end.