Determining Starting Weights for Complete Newbie

[stlrick]

My 58 year old girlfriend is interested in beginning a Starting Strength program.

She is in pretty good shape - weight comparable to height as they say - but has never lifted in her life.

Is their a methodology for determining the start weights for the key exercises (squats/bench/standing press/deadlifts)?

Thanks,

Rick in St Louis

[Tony Patriarca]

Greetings:

It kind of depends. Don't you love cryptic answers?

If she can lift the empty bar on the specific exercise, have her start with the empty bar. Do a few sets to start learning the exercise. If the bar is moving easily and she is catching on to the form start adding weight a little at a time until the bar slows down or the exercise feels heavy.

If she cannot lift the empty bar, and there is nothing wrong or shameful with that, then things get a little more tricky. If you have access to lighter bars (women's bar or technique bars) then try those. If you do not have access to them or she cannot lift those then you have to start with bodyweight. If she cannot perform the exercises with bodyweight, then I would consult a coach because now you have to look into specific assistance exercises that will bring her from pre-novice to novice and that would require more space to write out than the forum allows.

[Satch12879]

This is in the book, by the way.

[stlrick]

This is in the book, by the way.

What chapter? (I have Starting Strength, Barbell Prescription and the Practical Programming)

In my brain, I recall something about lifting a weight "x" number of times - but this might be a 5-3-1 recall.

I have a chintzy light bar so I'm thinking that 5 lbs jumps should allow enough "room" to get in all the warmups.

Rick

[Adam Levine]

It's there, but not in one place. Read about the first workout for each lift, and it will describe the process.

Basically, start light, add weight slowly, and when the bar slows down (even a little), that's your start weight.

-->Adam

[BPJ]

The Barbell Prescription has a lot of info on figuring out starting weights for masters althletes, and alternative ways to get to the place where barbell lifts can be employed if the althlete cannot safely start off with the major barbell lifts.

[wwy]

My (58) coach start me and my wife on 5kg bar and as times goes by goes to 20kg bar and as for my wife 7kg bar (squat and press and bench) to 20kg bar (deadlift).

Start low weigh is ok as long as you get the form right before increasing the weight.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The vast majority of people do not need to start with an empty bar for their work sets. This wastes time and makes correct form harder to produce. The process is in the books.