I've read Starting Strength and I've been working it. Now I know Practical Programming is what usually comes next, but reading descriptions of The Barbell Prescription, it looked like it might be a better option for a follow-up for me as I’m 43 years old. So which one should I pick up next? Is PP a pre-requisite? Or does BP tailor the info in PP for someone 40+ and make it sufficient?
Depends on how "old" you are at 43. Exercise/medical/work history, etc. Lots of 43-year-olds are capable of using PPST3 programming, but just in case, start with TBP.
Each book brings its advantages. If you have exhausted your novice LP, and want to learn more about Advanced Novice and Intermediate programs, get PP 3rd Ed. For me the hidden gem in PP 3rd Ed was the description of the Stress- Recovery - Adaptation cycle. I felt like a light bulb went off in my head once I understood Selye's Law and how it applies to strength training, it is really the foundation of it all, at every level of training. Some people have a misconception that PP is only for advanced trainees. That’s not the case.
But TBP is amazing in so many ways. It is tremendously motivating to read and will inspire you to train and train hard because Sully wonderfully writes about what happens physiologically if we don't train as we age. And you still have some of Baker's programming in there as well but not to the extent of PP.
It's a nice problem to have....you will need both. You will be more motivated and have more knowledge for your training.
I'd definitely read the first half of PPST3. You can tell by the questions that get asked repeatedly on the boards that a lot people tend to skip / gloss over the "boring" stuff and flip right to the programs. They never really grasp why they are doing what they are doing nor do they understand how to adjust as they go because they don't have that big picture view that comes through reading the "boring" stuff.
So I want to start Starting Strength tomorrow, finally, after 2 weeks of learning technique. There is no one in the gym that can teach me the power clean, though. I spoke with someone who did this program without the power clean, doing weighted pull-ups instead. Do I have any other options?
Why do people always claim they don't want to power clean because there's no coach to teach them? There's no one to teach them the press, or the squat either.
I had a lot of trouble teaching myself the power clean, so maybe what I did can be of help to you (not saying I'm good at it still, but I manage not to cripple myself).
For this recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:
Follow the steps in the book to the letter. Videotape each step. Watch the video after each step and if it isn't exactly as described in the book, repeat it.
If you get to the point where you can't perform any of the steps pretty perfectly as described in the book, post the video of your best attempt here, and other trainees and/or coaches will help you with the cues you need to get to the next step.
It's not as efficient as having a coach, but it can work. And if you can power clean, you should. Lots of the steps to getting strong aren't easy, but we're all here because we think they're worthwhile. Now get the "reasons I can't" out of your head and start thinking of "reasons I can." In the gym and in life. You got this, bro!
Squats, Presses, and Deadlifts: Why Gyms Don't Teach the Only Exercises You Need –Mark Rippetoe
Let’s Eat Dog! Cancel Culture and the Death of Satire –Noah Ebner
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