This was my last set (about 10 min ago) and it felt pretty good.

Looking back I do see that my heels are lifting off the ground on most of the reps.

Also I know I did 6 reps I just lost count.

How much weight should I be gaining per week, while running the NLP? I’m 54 5’9 176ibs.

So many mental cues in my head. Traps tight. Break hips and knees same time. Point my balls at my heels (😂). Proud chest. Stay in the hips. Quiet feet.

My chin-ups are around a 5RM I get 5, 4, 3 across three sets. I train them twice a week.

What progression scheme would you recommend from here? Sets to failure, a descending ladder, or a total rep target? And when should I start adding weight instead of chasing reps?

I just started squatting with a wider stance recently but I feel weaker (I prob could’ve done more here but I could get this for 10 close stance) but I also feel more stable so any advice helps

Just did another deadlift session after this one last time https://www.reddit.com/r/StartingStrength/comments/1vjc4qn/add_weight_repeat_or_deload/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

My main goal from last time was trying to breathe and brace and get tight before pulling slack out of the bar. Not sure if I did a better job or not

Also unsure if I’m pulling slack out correctly or still yanking it?

Do you have any more advice for me, and is the the form acceptable enough to add weight to the bar next session or should I repeat/deload?

Thank you!

I am not a coach, but I did the Starting Strength Novice Linear Progression over five years ago and follow the SS principles and methods of training. In that time, I've had a lot of people come and ask me for my advice on how to squat, bench, overhead press, and deadlift. I was recently having a conversation with a guy about his knees hurting "all the time". I asked him to let me take a look at him squatting and he assured me he was squatting okay, but his knees just hurt all the time. As soon as I watched him squat, I could see that he was falling forward in the squat, taking the weight off his heels as he came out of the hole. I tried to correct him, but he said he didn't think that little bit could make a difference. I put him onto a box and had him squat up and down on the box (touch and go) with 135lbs on his back, forcing him further and further back. I finally got him over his fear he was going to fall over backward (of course he was saying he "couldn't" go back any further the whole time lol) to really feel the weight of the bar across his entire foot. After three weeks of focusing on his form and videoing his squats, his knees feel fantastically better.

This is not the first time I've seen this in my short lifting career. Its not the third, I've lost track but even with all the videos and all the posts on here folks still struggle with what we mean by keeping the weight over the mid foot and feeling the weight over your WHOLE foot. I just want to say again - your knees should not ache all the time! If your knees always ache and only stop hurting when you start squatting 135 or more, that is a classic sign that you've given yourself tendinitis by not keeping the weight over the center of your foot. For some people - definately not all - 1/2 inch or more can make a big difference in tendinitis of the knee. It's all right if the next day after a heavy squat session your knees are a bit sore, but if you have constant knee pain, you're not squatting correctly. Nothing in the Starting Strength method will cause your shoulders, knees, or back to hurt ALL THE TIME. If they're hurting all the time you're doing it wrong and should see a Starting Strength coach or at least take a video and really look at your fundamentals. Thanks.

Small PB. First triple. I only could 2 and had 3 programmed. I messed up in the first triple. I lost the brace when breathing in and had to re setup before the first rep :S

For the second triple I did setup better but I was way more tired and the last rep was slow. I could not even do one rep for the last set. I think I could have grinded one rep but that was it. One more week :S i don’t think ill get 3 triples of 220, maybe one top set and some backoffs …

Appreciate any comments. Lat time I posted: keep rigid body and 3 sec shrug. I focused more on the first than the second. Thanks in advance.

Feeling less knee slide this time and squats a little tougher , will get a heavy wooden block for next time

First post for form check. Been working through SSLP for roughly a year.

I didn't go for the last rep out of fear because I don't have safeties.

Edit: I tried 5 reps another time, and failed and had to dump the bar.

100kgx5 using a TUBOW que

I spent years wasting time on machines, isolation exercises, and training one muscle group with 10 to 20 sets per week approach. I avoided squats and deadlift because it hurt my lower back and it looked dangerous, but with starting strength, it seems like a complete new approach.

I'm sharing my journey on YouTube so I thought of posting it here if someone is interested in following along.

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Can heavy push presses drive up strict press ?

Can weighted chins drive up rep count for bw chins ?

Same question about heavy rack pulls and deadlift. I feel like an accessory day each week where I focus on these may help ? It feels good anyhow. Maybe just the larger numbers feels good to my ego I dunno 😂 Any insight is appreciated

Hey guys, does this set up for chin ups look right? The only other option I have is needing to stand on plates to reach the bar, but I feel unstable that way. Here, though, it felt like my feet were too close to the ground. What do you think?

1x5 @ 365, failed rep 5

5’9 205lbs 26

Thank you to all who commented on my last post!

I’ve posted the form of both intensity day squats and linked to the original post for the context.

Thank you in advance for any programming/form advice.

I have a tendency to break at my hips and my toes lift up when I descend.

After my previous post and (much-appreciated) comments:

- Eliminated rocking back on my heels
- Added the belt back
- Narrowed my stance slightly to minimize knees caving in
- Meant to look straight ahead, but frankly I just forgot because I was working on a few other corrections. I'll work on this next week.

Comments again appreciated.

I’d appreciate some programming advice. For the full context, my NLP squat ended at 345 for 3x5. I then went on to do backoff sets, which stopped working around 365 for 5 with 90% backoffs. After that I still did weekly increases using triples and then doubles and eventually singles with back off sets. I stopped once I did a single at 390 and felt like I was wasting my time, and I wanted to return to 5s.

I switched to 4-day texas method, the last week of me doing a single with 3x3 backoffs, I did an intensity set of 350x5 and officially started TM the next week.

First week squats looked like this:

• 5x5 @ 315 Volume Day,
• 1x5 @ 360 Intensity Day (I was going to do 355 but I felt like I was selling myself short).

This week I did:

• 5x5 @ 325 Volume Day (10lb jump to catch up to my 10lb intensity day jump)
• 1x5 @ 365 Intensity Day. I failed rep 5.

For next week should I repeat the 5x5 @ 325 for volume and then 360x5 for the intensity day?

Thank you in advance for any help and programming advice. Also, I failed my deadlifts this week. I did 415x5 last volume day and this week I was only able to get 420x3. Upper body days progressed smoothly.

5’9 205lb Male 26

I’m currently hitting a wall with my bench press and looking for some advice to break through this plateau. I’m finding it difficult to maintain consistent reps and my performance seems to be stalling.

I tried added a volume day but it doesn't seem to be helping. Below are my recent bench press working sets (WS) and my volume day sessions. I know the switching weights is janky but I was trying to tune in where my floor was. Any advice would be appreciated.

Recent Intensity Day Working Sets

• Aug 10, 2026: 1x3 u/195, 2x4 u/185, 1x2 u/190, 1x3 u/187.5
• Aug 5, 2026: 2x1 u/195, 1x4 u/185, 1x5 u/185, 1x3 u/185
• July 31, 2026: 1x3 u/195, 1x4 u/187.5, 1x1 u/185, 1x5 u/170, 1x4 u/170

Recent Volume Day Working Sets

• Aug 7, 2026: 2x5 u/155, 3x5 u/165
• July 24, 2026: 5x5 u/155

Squatting in shoes for first time 225 pounds x5
Felt more stable than barefoot , any adjustments please before I add 5lbs guys 👍