I have mentioned why I am not on the Rippetoe/5x5 stereotype bandwagon many times. I can't find the posts I've made before but I'll be fresh and voice my opinion out here.
To begin, let me discuss the principle behind 5x5/Rippetoe. These programs focus on linear periodization. Without getting into technical details, this means a trainee can keep adding 5 lbs to the bar every week at the minimum. Fine. Here is a list of reasons why I hate Rippetoe's program or 5x5 for that matter:
1.) These programs assume the only way to progress is to add weight to the bar. That is simply not true. You can "progress" through reps, sets, weight, rest intervals and quality of reps. If you want more info on this, check out this article:
Strength Training with Single, Double, Triple Progression. Because of so many other ways to progress, I think only restricting yourself to adding weight is sub-par and far from ideal. Even for a beginner.
2.) Beginners need to learn lifts. Their progression doesn't need to be "planned". Each workout should be individually looked at and then depending on the trainees performance, progression should be suggested for the next session. Not everyone is the same and sometimes using the same weight but doing more sets or more reps is better at drilling the form down versus adding more weight simply because the required reps and sets were met. So the fundamental flaw is that every trainee is different - which is why form is never a black and white issue. You and me cannot have the same form for Deadlifts (for example). What we must adhere to is a set of guidelines: shoulders ahead of the bar, ass above level of knees and lower than the level of your head, don't squat the weight up, etc. These are all guidelines. Within these guidelines there are subtle differences and each of us is different in that - which is why your form on deadlifts will not be the same for every rep you do in your whole life. Your form will evolve and you will perfect your individual technique as you go along. So blanketing an entire exercise (particularly squats) is not correct.
3.) Rippetoe does not focus at ALL on mobility drills. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. When you have the whole fitness industry turning to mobility drills, foam rollers, etc...His programs lack any of that. It is assumed that trainees can squat deep. Most people cannot. They simply lack the mobility. Note: mobility is not the same thing as flexibility. Flexibility deals with the ability of a muscle to stretch or bend. Mobility deals with joints. That is why you find so many people having a "butt wink" while doing squats: they do not have the hip mobility to keep the spine erect the entire way. You have to work out these kinks before you start building a foundation, IMO.
4.) Lack of exercise variety. I think there are a LOT of exercises out there which beginners and all trainees should focus a LOT on. Front Squats, Overhead Squats, Core Training, Unilateral RDLs, Unilateral Presses, Pull-ups, etc. These "big bang" exercises are mostly negated - and some of them have an even bigger bang than Deadlifts and Squats and Bench Press. So I think the programs lack the flexibility of adding in some good exercises.
So this leads to a simple question: how would I train an absolute beginner? Well, the #1 agenda would be to make sure form is good - he is sticking to the guidelines for all exercises. Next, programming would be done on a week to week basis based on each individual workout. Most people workout 3x a week. I would not have the trainee follow a "program". I don't do "routines". I TRAIN. I use templates. So, the trainee's work would be laid out like this:
Monday: Lower Body Emphasis
Front Squats, Deadlifts, some form of rows, grip training and static core training
Wednesday: Upper Body Emphasis
Military Press, Pull-ups, some form a dumbbell press, some form of rows and a static core exercise thrown in and perhaps some bicep work if the trainee is over anxious about his/her guns
Friday: Full Body Training
Overhead Squat practice, Back Squats, Bench Press, some form of rows or pull-ups depending on which is weak point per say, and some static core training
This is a basic outline of what I'd have the trainee do. But the goal is that as the trainee improves, the template will evolve. I have one of my close friends who started lifting weights and wanted to drop weight from 265 lbs to 220 lbs and focus on strength. I had him do something very similar to this but as he got stronger, he couldn't handle heavy front squats and deadlifts on the same day, so he moved them to the full body day and eliminated the rows because he was already doing a lot of direct back work on the other days. These types of subtle changes come depending on the needs of the trainee and can't be written in stone.
I am by no means a hot shot or someone who thinks he knows everything. But, I do know some things which I have learnt from direct experience and from learning through the guys on
Ground Up Strength. I know there are MUCH better ways to train a beginner other than Starting Strength or 5x5 type programs which are very narrow minded in their underlying principles.
If you want more info on this, check out the following articles..These articles aren't all written by GUS members. Most of them come from members of the Diesel Crew and Zach Evan-esh, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson and Coach Jamie Hale who are all affiliates of GUS:
Ground Up Strength: The Honeymoon Period
Ground Up Strength: Teaching Versus Learning The Lifts
Ground Up Strength: Ignorance As A Form Of Progession- Revisited
Ground Up Strength: Deadlifts: Hips Too High, Too Low, or Juuuuuust Right
I hope I was able to answer your questions without coming across as a pompous self righteous asshole.
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