Started with Stronglifts, should I switch

[rruddy]

I have been lifting 3 days a week for about 12 weeks after about a 13 year break. When I googled beginner weight lifting program, I wound up with stronglifts. As I have gotten stronger and more excited about weightlifting, I did more research, bought starting strength book and video. I have been doing the stronglifts program for 12 weeks. I haven't deloaded more than once on any exercise. I eventually want to switch over to the routines prescribed in Starting Strength and Practical Programming. Should I just make the switch or stick with what I am doing now until I start to stall?
I am 35 years old. I weigh 175. My top sets at each exercise so far are: squat 210 (5x5), Bench 170 (5x5), Press 100 (5x5), Deadlift 265 (1x5), and Row 145 (5x5).

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Stay with StrongLifts. Starting Strength and Practical Programming suck.

[Lion Heart]

Not sure if serious?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Yes Lion Heart, I am serious.

I am a Starting Strength Coach, own a Starting Strength Gym, and wrote about a third of Practical Programming. What do you think?

[madmaxaus]

I don't understand this. OP says he started with stronglifts, then read starting strength, and is confused about how to proceed (and then asks the guy who wrote one of the texts he claims to have read, what to do.. as if Andy hasn't outlined his opinions in several hundred pages).

Take your current weights, move to 3x5 and learn to power clean.

[BarryF]

I have been lifting 3 days a week for about 12 weeks after about a 13 year break. When I googled beginner weight lifting program, I wound up with stronglifts. As I have gotten stronger and more excited about weightlifting, I did more research, bought starting strength book and video. I have been doing the stronglifts program for 12 weeks. I haven't deloaded more than once on any exercise. I eventually want to switch over to the routines prescribed in Starting Strength and Practical Programming. Should I just make the switch or stick with what I am doing now until I start to stall?
I am 35 years old. I weigh 175. My top sets at each exercise so far are: squat 210 (5x5), Bench 170 (5x5), Press 100 (5x5), Deadlift 265 (1x5), and Row 145 (5x5).

This is an illegal question. First, you mentioned a program other than Starting Strength. Second, although you popped onto the forums to ask a simple question that could have been politely and easily answered, you are not allowed to ask a question until you buy and read Starting Strength. Then next step is to repost your question, stating that you have read Starting Strength. After that, you will receive a snarky, condescending answer including...."have your read practical programming"? Next, purchase and read practical programming. Only then will you be allowed to post your question without ridicule and sarcasm. Actually, no. You will get the same answer. Understandably, I suppose it gets tiresome for people with lifelong expertise in the subject to tire of seemingly stupid and pointless questions. But to someone just starting out, it is a legitimate question. Unless someone is on a terrible program, sometimes it is better to stick with a routine if it is working well rather than to flip flop all over the place to different routines. Or maybe it isnt. But perhaps that is where some knowledgeable input would be helpful.

I too, found SL before SS and was quite a few weeks into the program. I am happy that I started with SL because, as an older lifter, it started me with lighter weights. Without having a coach in person to instruct proper form, I found it helpful to learn the form with light weights as I progressed up, avoiding injury and slowly toning up and getting stronger for the heavier weights. I think 5 sets of 5 across worked fine in the beginning. SL uses BB rows instead of power cleans. Is one better than the other? I don't know, I am not an expert lifelong strength coach. My opinion, they are both good and each have benefits. Neither is useless by any means. I feel comfortable doing BB rows instead of yanking a BB off the ground onto my shoulders as an out of shape 43 year old without a coach. I've poked around quite a bit on the web researching strength programs, and I have not found anything better for novices than SS and SL. But if it is not SS, you are going to be condescendingly ridiculed. After 13 weeks of SL, I find that 5x5 is causing recovery problems for me. I am 5'8" 175, last squat was 240 5x5, DL 315 1x5, 355 x 1, BP 195 5x5, Press 127.5 5x5, Row 185 5x5.

Due to recovery issues now that I am lifting, to me, heavy weights, I am going to switch to 3x5. I think it will help enable me to continue linear progression for a lot longer and will eliminate over training, and allow proper recovery. These are just my experiences with the program. So, in essence, I think SL 5x5 is actually a very good novice strength training programming for beginners, especially older, out of shape, non teen-age athletes. It introduces people to most of the best compound exercises, linear progression, proper rest periods, and the proper amount of reps, rest periods, etc. For me, switching to more of a SS template makes sense at this point. And I may incorporate PC's now. I think I am in good enough shape to do them with less risk of injury.

Now, I have not gotten any expert advice regarding what I mention above. I have had to research and come to these conclusions on my own. As you can see from your post and the responses, you will probably have to do the same.

[Nermin]

This is one of the better ones.

[krazykb78]

Either is better than sitting on the couch doing nothing!

[Greg Esres]

The OP probably isn't looking for just a yes or a no, but an explanation as to why he should switch or not.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

The OP probably isn't looking for just a yes or a no, but an explanation as to why he should switch or not.

Explanations provided in PPST3