"If you're reading this review, you'll benefit from Starting Strength Dallas. I've recommended to all my friends and family. Barbell training isn't just for experienced lifters -- everyone by definition has to start somewhere. Part of what's great about Starting Strength Dallas is that they're equipped to help any person, regardless of age, health or condition get stronger correctly, in a safe and compassionate environment. The key is to learn how to do the exercises correctly from the start, and that doesn't really fit with the big gym business model.
I've joined a lot of gyms in my life, but haven't lifted weights seriously in over 20 years. (And honestly, what I was doing 20 years ago was for aesthetics only. Then marriage and life and general laziness got in the way) I'm the last person I'd expect to see in a weight room, and barbell lifts have always been more intimidating to me than machines and dumbbells. I've 'known' for a long time that the best exercises for overall health and strength and training are unassisted squats, deadlifts, and presses, but I've never had proper form and have been scared of injury. (Rip, Tim Ferris, Peter Attia, Nassim Taleb, Wes Grey, Joe Rogan... List goes on... scientific consensus seems to me to support squats, deadlifts and presses as the best all around conditioning exercises, but learning technique on your own is hard)
Starting Strength Dallas is the solution. There are other programs around town that incorporate these lifts, but none in a comprehensive, programmed, controlled progression like this. It's not a competition -- everyone in the gym has the same goal. I've had the book for years, but no amount of reading and watching videos can replicate the experience of having a certified coach watch every single work set, providing corrections and cues where needed.
The location is convenient, parking is easy, and the equipment all top of the line. The signup experience was a breeze, and after your first intro session with Brent, when you show up for your assigned time (Most go 3x a week, but they have a 2x/week option), your name is on a screen with your work sets and weight listed, and you can log everything online. High tech stuff. They take the guess work out of it. Class sizes are small, so you always get a lot of attention, cues and support.
I showed up to my intro session fasted (big mistake), and could barely make it through a single set of squats. Shoulders tight from 20 years in front of a computer. I felt defeated/embarassed, but not for long -- Brent brought over OJ and a banana, and we worked on the rest of my programming. A month in, I'm squatting -- correctly -- and my deadlift is up to 200#.
This is the best fitness value in town, too -- for the cost of a soul cycle session, you get 90 minutes of HIGH quality, compassionate coaching on what are the best, most time tested, foundational lifts in the world. Seriously. The coaches here are the best, and the Starting Strength Certification is the most rigorous in the industry from what I've learned.
3 years ago I broke my leg. Tibial Plateau Fracture - shattered Tibia and Fibula, tore ACL, MCL, meniscus .. the works. 3 surgeries and a lot of hardware later, and I'm walking again. I was bedridden for 4 months, which caused me to lose much of my lower body muscle mass. Outside of the doc prescribed PT, I haven't done a thing (til now!) to rebuild my leg strength.
My orthopedist told me the best thing I could do to rehab and prevent reinjury was resistance training, specifically squats and deadlifts. 3 years later I'm finally taking his advice. I explained how Starting Strength works, and he couldn't be more enthusiastic.
If you know you should be doing resistance training (and if you're alive, you should be), come to an open house Saturday 10-12, or just sign up before they're sold out. They cap each class size to ensure ample individual attention.