Rippetoe's starting strength for women

quote:

ORIGINAL: j2bryson

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be starting Rippetoe's starting strength program and I was wondering if there are any changes to be made for women or if I can follow it as outlined.
my stats:
23 yrs, 5'6, 125lb, bf%.. not positive, 17/18% best guess
I've been lifting for about a month now (different routine) and I've noticed results but I think I'm losing fat and not gaining a whole lot of muscle. My goals is to gain about 10lb muscle and then begin to cut. I don't think that I'm eating enough right now in order to gain so I'll have to amp that up. I'd really like to keep fat gain to a minimum while gaining so I'll be eating as clean as I can. I'm also not sure what my daily intake should be around, I was thinking about 2500.
suggestions are extremely welcome!
thanks!

quote:

ORIGINAL: coldfire

quote:

ORIGINAL: j2bryson

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be starting Rippetoe's starting strength program and I was wondering if there are any changes to be made for women or if I can follow it as outlined.
my stats:
23 yrs, 5'6, 125lb, bf%.. not positive, 17/18% best guess
I've been lifting for about a month now (different routine) and I've noticed results but I think I'm losing fat and not gaining a whole lot of muscle. My goals is to gain about 10lb muscle and then begin to cut. I don't think that I'm eating enough right now in order to gain so I'll have to amp that up. I'd really like to keep fat gain to a minimum while gaining so I'll be eating as clean as I can. I'm also not sure what my daily intake should be around, I was thinking about 2500.
suggestions are extremely welcome!
thanks!

According to what Rippetoe says in "Practical Programming", women do not having the same neuromuscular efficiency as men. This, women can use a higher percentage of their 1RM for more reps than men can.

For example, 10 reps with 70% of 1RM is heavy for a men, but medium for a woman.

According to this you may want to do 3 sets of 8reps or 10 reps instead of 5. Though I'm sure 5 would be fine too.

Anyway, yes you can do "starting strength" program, but be prepared to work hard.

quote:

ORIGINAL: thehardway

quote:

ORIGINAL: coldfire

quote:

ORIGINAL: j2bryson

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be starting Rippetoe's starting strength program and I was wondering if there are any changes to be made for women or if I can follow it as outlined.
my stats:
23 yrs, 5'6, 125lb, bf%.. not positive, 17/18% best guess
I've been lifting for about a month now (different routine) and I've noticed results but I think I'm losing fat and not gaining a whole lot of muscle. My goals is to gain about 10lb muscle and then begin to cut. I don't think that I'm eating enough right now in order to gain so I'll have to amp that up. I'd really like to keep fat gain to a minimum while gaining so I'll be eating as clean as I can. I'm also not sure what my daily intake should be around, I was thinking about 2500.
suggestions are extremely welcome!
thanks!

According to what Rippetoe says in "Practical Programming", women do not having the same neuromuscular efficiency as men. This, women can use a higher percentage of their 1RM for more reps than men can.

For example, 10 reps with 70% of 1RM is heavy for a men, but medium for a woman.

According to this you may want to do 3 sets of 8reps or 10 reps instead of 5. Though I'm sure 5 would be fine too.

Anyway, yes you can do "starting strength" program, but be prepared to work hard.

You know it is funny that you say that coldfire, because when I do 5x5 I gain strength, but never mass. I gain mass very easily for a woman.

I stayed away from replying to her initially, (until no one else responded for a few days), because I have only done a program like rippletoes once in my tenure at weight training, and I did gain strength (most I Iever have), but muscle mass nil. I figured I wasn't informed enough to reply to her. But, also figured this was a personal annomaly of mine, and not a general truth, so I wasn't specific about my personal exeperiance, and just generalised how i approach weight training general.

quote:

According to what Rippetoe says in "Practical Programming", women do not having the same neuromuscular efficiency as men. This, women can use a higher percentage of their 1RM for more reps than men can.

For example, 10 reps with 70% of 1RM is heavy for a men, but medium for a woman.

According to this you may want to do 3 sets of 8reps or 10 reps instead of 5. Though I'm sure 5 would be fine too.

quote:

ORIGINAL: thehardway

I don't know where I was going either, really. I was just thinking aloud and not in the proper place.

I guess I was curious if you had any insight to my musings, memories.

My calories were in line (and tight at that time), and I am wierd in that no matter what I do (even in caloric deficates for the most part, and I am being honest), I put on muscle mass, as long as I train with any reasonable thought out program.


the fact that you pointed out,

quote:

According to what Rippetoe says in "Practical Programming", women do not having the same neuromuscular efficiency as men. This, women can use a higher percentage of their 1RM for more reps than men can.

For example, 10 reps with 70% of 1RM is heavy for a men, but medium for a woman.

According to this you may want to do 3 sets of 8reps or 10 reps instead of 5. Though I'm sure 5 would be fine too.

which I honestly didn't know, peaked my curiosity, for further information. I probably just should pick up the book.

But I guess what you said in your last post might be true (or as I said maybe just a personal annomily) as I gained strength like crazy on that routine, but the mass, no.

I book marked that in my mind (when I did that program) as I will reach a point where I have certainly enough muscle, but will always desire more strength.

But yeah, maybe you are correct and I think maybe the volume of work is not adaquate for a women to gain mass, with that particular routine.

quote:

ORIGINAL: thehardway

Thanks coldfire. sorry j2bryson, for jacking your thread.

I am going to have to look at last years journal, I did the rippetoe's, last Dec, specifically since I was going to be eating more (hoday crap and all). I had figured that would be an good time to do a big strength routine, rather than the constant and very, very gradual cut, that is the staple of my training since I began.

No, I didn't gain fat during Rippetoe's. So maybe you are correct that my calories were not high enough.

But, like I said I gain mass regularly in a caloric deficate, like now, with the New Rules of Lifting program. I am in a bit of a deficate, I have lost fat for sure, but the muscle keeps gaining. That has been confirmed by the tape measure and a brutally honest BF who has remarked at the increase in muscle in various areas, (and a reduction of the "jibblies", in others).

Anyway again I am rambling for no reason.

Thanks again Coldfire, and let us know how it goes j2bryson.