# A Compendium of Mark Rippetoe's Novice/Intermediate Program Templates



## Muscle Puzzle

*Starting Strength Novice Program:*

Workout A

3x5 Squat

3x5 Bench Press

1x5 Deadlift

Workout B

3x5 Squat

3x5 Press

5x3 Power cleans

Workouts A and B alternate on 3 non-consecutive days per week.

*Onus Wunsler Beginner Program (from SS):*

Workout A

3x5 Squat

3x5 Press

1x5 Deadlift alternated w/ 5x3 Power Cleans

Workout B

3x5 Squat

3x5 Bench Press

3x10 or 5x10 Back Extensions (unweighted if progressing to GHR, weighted if not)

Chin-Ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Workouts A and B alternate on 3 non-consecutive days per week.

*Practical Programming Novice Program:*

Monday

Squat 3x5

Bench press/press 3x5

Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Wednesday

Squat 3x5

Press/bench press 3x5

Deadlift 1x5

Friday

Squat 3x5

Bench press/press 3x5

Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

*Witchita Falls Novice Program:*

Monday

Squat 3x5

Bench press/press 3x5

Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Wednesday

Squat 3x5

Press/bench press 3x5

Deadlift 1x5/Powerclean 5x3

Friday

Squat 3x5

Bench press/press 3x5

Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

*Practical Programming Advanced Novice Program:*

*Week A*

Day 1

Squat 3x5

Bench press 3x5

Chin-ups: 3 sets, weight added so failure occurs at 5 to 7 reps

Day 2

Front squats 3x5

Press 3x5

Deadlift 1x5 (more sets may be added due to reduced frequency)

Day 3

Squat 3x5

Bench press 3x5

Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure, unweighted

*Week B*

Day 1

Squat 3x5

Press 3x5

Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure, unweighted

Day 2

Front squats 3x5

Bench press 3x5

Power clean 5x3

Day 3

Squat 3x5

Press 3x5

Pull-ups: 3 sets, weight added so failure occurs at 5 to 7 reps

*The Texas Method Intermediate Program Model:*

Monday

High Volume and Moderate Intensity

ie. 5 work sets of 5 across

Wednesday

Low Volume and Low Intensity

ie. 2 or 3 light sets of 5

Friday

Low Volume and High Intensity

ie. New PR's with heavy singles or triples, or 1 heavy set of 5

or

Speed Sets of high sets and low reps with short rest

*The Texas Method Intermediate Program Template:*

*Template 1*

Monday [High Volume/Moderate Intensity]

Squat 5X5

Standing Press 5X5

Bench Press Assistance

Power Clean 5X3 (or Bentover BB Row 3x8)

Wednesday [Low Volume/Low Intensity]

Front Squat 3X3

Back Extensions or GHR 5x10

Chin ups 3x12

Friday [Low Volume/High Intensity]

Squat 1X5

Bench Press 1x5

Press Assistance

Deadlift 1X5

*Template 2*

Monday [High Volume/Moderate Intensity]

Squat 5X5

Bench Press 5X5

Power Clean 5X3 (or Bentover BB Row 3x8)

Wednesday [Low Volume/Low Intensity]

Front Squat 3X3

Press 5X5

Back Extension/GHR 5x10

Chin ups 3x12

Friday [Low Volume/High Intensity]

Squat 1X5

Bench Press 1X5

or 5X3

or 5X2

or 5X1

Deadlift 1X5

*Template 3*

Monday [High Volume/Moderate Intensity]

Squat 5X5

Push Press 6X3

Power Clean 8X3

Wednesday [Low Volume/Low Intensity]

Back Squat 2X5 (@80% of 5RM)

Press 2X5

Back Extension/GHR 5x10

Chin ups 3x12

Friday [Low Volume/High Intensity]

Squat 1X5

Push Press 1X1

or 1x2

or 1x3

Deadlift 1X5

or 2x3

or 3x2

or 5x1

*Template 4*

Monday [High Volume/Moderate Intensity]

Squat 5X5

Bench Press/Press 5X5 (Alternating)

Assistance work

Deadlift 1x5

Wednesday [Low Volume/Low Intensity]

Front Squat 3x3

Press/Bench Press 2X5 (Alternating)

Assistance work

Back Extension/GHR 5x10

Chin ups 3x12

Friday [speed Sets]

Squat 10x2 (1 min. rest)

Bench Press/Press 10x3 (1 min. rest) (Alternating)

Deadlift 15x1 (30 sec. rest)

*Intermediate 4 Day Split Model:*

*Competetive shot-putter model:*

Monday

Squats and pressing exercises

Wednesday

Pulling exercises such as cleans and snatches, and other back work

Thursday

Squats and presses

Saturday

Pulling exercises

*Competetive powerlifter model:*

Monday

Bench press and related exercises

Wednesday

Squatting and deadlifting exercises

Thursday

Bench press and related exercises

Saturday

Squatting and deadlifting exercises

*Intermediate 4 Day Split Template:*

Monday (Bench Press and Related Exercises)

Bench Press 5X5 (Sets Across)

(Press Assistance)

Push Press 1X5

or Standing DB Press 2X8

or Kettlebell Jerk 2x8

or KB Push Press 2x8

(alternate among the four)

Chin/Pull Ups 3X12

Tuesday (Squats and Pulling Exercises)

Squats 5X5 (sets across)

Powercleans 5x3 (or Bentover BB Row 3x8)

GHR 5X10

Thursday (Press and Related Exercises)

Standing Press 5X5 (sets across)

(Bench Press Assistance)

DB Bench 3X6-12 (add weight when you get all 12)

Chin/Pull Ups 3x12

Friday (High Intensity Squat and Deadlift Exercises)

Front Squat 5X3

alternate weekly w/

Back Squat 3x1 or 3x2 or 3x3 (alternate rep scheme)

or

10x2 Box Squats (65% of 5x5 weight)

Bench Press 1x1 (to be done on weeks w/3x1 Front Squats. Eliminate Thursday bench on these weeks)

Deadlift 1X5


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## Clydefrog

Interesting, thanks.


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## big

I have both of Mark's books, and I HIGHLY recommend them.


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## scott134

Wouldn't heavy squating 3 times a week be too much? Seems to against the usual advice?


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## big

scott134 said:


> Wouldn't heavy squating 3 times a week be too much? Seems to against the usual advice?


Not if you weight the intensity correctly.

Clearly maxing out 3x/week would be insane. When squatting 3x/week, you typically would NOT be going to failure or anywhere near.

Unfortunately, the "usual advice" is why so many people are very limited in their weight training progress.


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## Muscle Puzzle

scott134 said:


> Wouldn't heavy squating 3 times a week be too much? Seems to against the usual advice?


For a beginner, squatting heavy 3x/week is optimal on these types of novice programs. With squats the weights will be low enough (sub 130kg) that recovery and adaptation can be made within 72 hours.

to quote Mark:



Mark Rippetoe said:


> There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning as the *correctly performed full squat.*


In other words, Squats will spur total body growth when combined with a full body program.

Later on, as squatting 3x/week becomes too diffucult to recover from, adjustments are made as in the other programs (ie. front squating/sub-maximal loads on Wednesday).

Keep in mind that *none* of these movements are taken to failure. If you don't think you'll complete the next rep, don't attempt it. Failure should be rare and unexpected when it happens. On the first workout you'd be starting well below your 5RM as well. Mark recommends that on the first workout you find your beginning weight by starting with the bar for 5 reps and adding 10-15kg for every set of 5 until the bar slows down even minutely and progress from there.


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## the_ironman

scott134 said:


> Wouldn't heavy squating 3 times a week be too much? Seems to against the usual advice?


If you were to max out every time, it probably would be. But varying the volume and intensity by changing weights, number of sets and reps lets you recover and continue to improve.


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## Muscle Puzzle

Updated and expanded


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## Bish83

Sorry for the thread revival but i didnt want to waste any more bandwidth making a new thread and have people think i didnt use the search function. Would anyone know where i could get my hands on "starting strength" by Mark Rippetoe.

Thats less than 60 quid! or is that the going rate?


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