Am I strong enough to start with SS?

[woodstench]

I was in the gym yesterday learning how to do the benchpress with an empty bar when a gym instructor comes over and tells me i shouldnt be doing bench presses untill i can do 100 pushups in a row.

I can do 15 pushups in a row.

He told me to do pushups, situps and pullups three times a week for a few months first if i want go to to the gym and do squats, deadlifts etc.

Is there any truth to this?
Thank you for your time.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you have read more than two of the posts on this forum, you already know more about strength training than the Gym Instructor. Get the book and do the program.

[ChgoSportsFan]

I have a friend who could bench press 300+ for a couple reps and I doubt he could do 100 push-ups. But more importantly, why would anybody want to do 100 push-ups?

[David_G]

I was in the gym yesterday learning how to do the benchpress with an empty bar when a gym instructor comes over and tells me i shouldnt be doing bench presses untill i can do 100 pushups in a row.

I can do 15 pushups in a row.

He told me to do pushups, situps and pullups three times a week for a few months first if i want go to to the gym and do squats, deadlifts etc.

Is there any truth to this?
Thank you for your time.

My example:
I started off with a very weak awkward 110 lb squats, for about 3 weeks I let the instructors and the gym manager interfere with my workout(try to "teach" me)
I gave up on them very soon, after two months I was at around 225, a normal weight every weak person could do in less time.
Gym manager comes to me in the middle of the 225, says i'm fucking up my knees with the depth, and that the lower back shouldn't handle such weights that quickly(you're a novice... do 12 reps with a moderate weight)

Do the program correctly, you'll be near the 200 for the BP in 5-6 months.

4 months later I squat 315 for a set of 5, since no one at the gym does squats there is a small gathering of people, gym manager looks at me for a second and walks away. I quit the gym as soon as my 6 month period is over and move to a smaller gym with less BS and more iron

[Gene61]

When my wife started SS the bare bar at 45lbs was too heavy for her for all but the squat and DL. We found lighter bars and got her on the program. She is now lifting 3x the weight and is now loading up the standard bar for all but the press. (ironically, pull ups and push ups would have been way beyond her when she started. SS is good at whatever level you start at.)

Get on the program. You'll like the results.

[mwhities]

Can you bench the bar?
Can you squat the bar?
Can you deadlift the bar?
Can you press the bar?

If you say yes to at least three of these, you are strong enough to do the program.

[Mr.City]

The neat thing about his advice is that immediately lets you know that he has no idea how to train anyone with any type of reasonable success. It's kinda like a car mechanic telling you that Pepsi is a good substitute to gasoline.

[Mike C]

The world is a funny place.

[MattJ.D.]

Learning how to bench and get stronger will get you to 100 push ups faster than actually doing push ups

[PFerrari]

I wonder how many bodyweight air squats you have to do before you can squat with a barbell on your back. My guess is 200 minimum.

That instructor is a fucking moron. It's such a shame that people actually listen to him and respect his opinion.