weekly I am lifting 40kg yet no progress

[yuri_badiel]

Dear Mr. Mark,

I have a paradoxical problem. I am following your starting strength program as laid out in your book, and I am able to lift 40 kg for 3 sets of 5 reps.

Yet I am unable to increase the weight as laid out in your program. When I try, I cannot complete even one eccentric portion of the lift!

What is reason for this? Is it as I am following the out of date 2nd edition, or is it (as I suspect) as my hamstrings are not engaging correctly due to 4 decades of highly enthusiastic cycling?

would a deload to 30kg for 5 sets of 10 be advised, as i've been led to the belief that those with poor genetics respond better to higher rep schemes?

[Mark Rippetoe]

This is indeed puzzling. What happens when you try to lift 41 kg for 3 sets of 5?

[David Kirkham]

You can't lift more weight because you don't think you can. It's a mental block. We all go through it.
Put more weight on the bar and lift it. Just lift the damn bar.

[Kiril]

You make one set of five with 40, then rest some 5-10 minutes and take 41-42 kg, trying to do at least one or two reps. Then once again 40 for max reps. Don't do all the 40 5*3 before 41-42, because then you'll have no strength and endurance to jump higher. My personal advice.

[Bill Coyne]

This, probably: The First Three Questions | Mark Rippetoe

If you can squat, you don't have poor genetics. Just follow the program.

[yuri_badiel]

This is indeed puzzling. What happens when you try to lift 41 kg for 3 sets of 5?

Here is what happens:

Monday: 40kg lift (squat) for 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday: ATTEMPT 42.5kg lift (squat) for 3 sets of 5 reps. Unable to complete descent on first rep of first set.

i do not feel my hamstrings working when i squat. is this because my quads are too strong, causing me to lack sufficient mobility?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The descent is the easy part. Video?

[Razik]

i do not feel my hamstrings working when i squat. is this because my quads are too strong, causing me to lack sufficient mobility?

I don't "feel" my hamstrings when I squat either, and I squat 150kg for 3x5 with pretty good form.

[Bill Coyne]

Here is what happens:

Monday: 40kg lift (squat) for 3 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday: ATTEMPT 42.5kg lift (squat) for 3 sets of 5 reps. Unable to complete descent on first rep of first set.

i do not feel my hamstrings working when i squat. is this because my quads are too strong, causing me to lack sufficient mobility?

Your quads aren't too strong because nothing is strong.

I'm still puzzled about this inability to complete the descent.

[Pluripotent]

i do not feel my hamstrings working when i squat. is this because my quads are too strong, causing me to lack sufficient mobility?

Try this: have someone punch your hamstrings so they are good and bruised. Then squat your normal weight. Now can you feel them?