Been lifting for 3 years-SS?

[Trojan50]

Hello Mark,

I have been training for several years now and I've ran numerous cycles of 5x5 and other bodybuilding (worthless) programs. I even tried SS a couple of years back, but was too stubborn to think I could get some size gains in that rep range.

With that said my numbers flat out suck, and I would like to change that.
Bench-195
Squat-250
Deadlift-315

I'm 5ft 7, 170, at roughly 15% bodyfat and I know I need to get stronger in the big 3 if I ever want to have a solid muscular build.

Even though I've had a few years of training do you feel I could still benefit from starting strength? I'm sure you're sick of hearing this, but I'm also an endo at 15% and I don't really want to gain a lot of fat (which is what would happen if I drank 1 gallon of milk a day).

[Mark Rippetoe]

The thing I'm sick of hearing is that you want to gain muscular bodyweight, you know the program works to that end for everybody that's tried it, yet you think that your needs for a svelte waistline supersede the correct application of the program. Boys, fat is just not that hard to lose, while muscle mass is damned hard to gain. Bodybuilders 30 years ago all knew this, and incorporated it it into their training year, at least until it became more important to be available year-round for photo sessions -- this is when exogenous hormones became so important.

If you've trained for a few years but never done a linear strength progression, it has the potential to work for you for several months. I've said here before that a linear progression is always your default training mode, even if you are advanced and coming back off a layoff.