Women doing Rippetoe's Starting Strength program?

I'm just chiming in to say GOOD FOR YOU for doing this. IMO-- too many women have misconceptions about "weights will make me bulky" or "I gain muscle too fast" etc etc.

Want to look good? Lift like a man, and I mean that with the best of intent despite whatever hate I may garner from that rather gender insensitive comment.

Congrats OP, progress incoming. SS is a great program.

So my afterthoughts from workout number one:

My squats are weak. The program in the book recommends 20lb increases with each set. I went with 10lb increases and didn't quite break 100lbs. Not quite disappointed, I know I'll try harder next time maybe with a 20lb initial increase and try hard to break that 100. The press was the most disappointing in that I only got above bar weight on the second and third set and then had to move back down to finish my reps. Also this was the most difficult to correct form for me as I'd never done it before. Trying to watch the bar and make sure it's going straight up and down. Might have to ditch the baseball cap for this one...
The deadlift was a nice way to finish. I felt strong for this and got up to 155lbs total by the end. I also got sweatier than I expected and spent almost an hour at the gym which was more than I thought I would by just looking at the program.

All in all, I wish I had spent another 45 minutes to an hour there but this just tells me that I wasn't working hard enough.

I guess I'll see how I feel tomorrow. Hopefully more sore than I do now.

Also, if I finish the next workout with extra energy I'll both be worried that I didn't work hard enough and compelled to do a bunch of auxiliary *kitten*.

Hi harkis! If it's any consolation, I missed the 20 lb increase part in Starting Strength completely and focused on his emphasis on form above all. I have been upping my weights in the teeniest increments and feel fine about that. I am still not above the 100 lb. mark on my squats though they are low low low LOW to the ground and I feel fine (great!) about that.

I am not even allowing myself to think about supplemental exercises until January. I feel like there is enough here in the basic program to keep me busy until then, no problem. When I do reach the stage where I feel like I can do more, I want to start with pull ups (no I can't do one...yet), dips and some of the weighted ab work that's featured in the book.

Kensky I am so wi-hifiving you right now. I really try to think about form every time I go to the gym now but as the weight goes up the form goes down and like a jerk I have an ego and stuff and just have the compelling desire to hurt myself...or something. Not really sure. heheh. So far when i do squats I really pay attention to form and only find it failing near the end. If I can't get up to five reps with good form that's ok and I'll quit before but there's usually that last rep where I allow my back to bow. This is probably not ok. I'll have to have a talking to with my gym ego. *smacks ego in face!
My squats are also super low which I think I feel good about... is there such a thing as a squat too low? I certainly feel it almost as an almost exclusively hip powered exercise.

So far from what I can tell Rippetoe's program does not call for any splits. In fact it's just a three day week with nothing but compound exercises. I think this is what you're asking, like back day/leg day/ arm,shoulder/ and chest. So far it's squats each session with some kind of press and a deadlift alt powerclean.

Yesterday I did the B workout which is squat/ bench press/ back ext. & chins. I can't do unassisted chins yet but I did move down on my assistance weight which I feel great about. I also moved up on the squat weight and held my form better than I did last time. JNick - I watched the "so you think you can squat series" and I found them super informative. I'll probably keep watching them but like Kelsky I'm not planning on adding any assistance exercises until I've been through a few weeks of this alternating A & B program.

If Rippetoe says it works, it probably stinking works and maybe I should just have a little faith...but I don't know if I can really feel good about rest days outnumbering work days. I just get so anxious! Gahh, maybe just 10 minutes of Hiit on the bike every other day...maybe not. Any feedback on that idea?

Today I'm thinking I'll go in and see if I can learn the movements of the power clean which is on the agenda for tomorrow. It looks fun, and also easy to mess up by engaging the arms.

I wish someone would come over and mention form at my gym! It's a small town and the only way I can avoid crowds of giggling teenagers is to get in and out before the kids are released from school.

One of the things that attracted me to Rippetoe's program was that it was *not* a split program. I know he recommends that people do his program *as is*. Before this, I did New Rules of Lifting for Women and Cosgrove felt the same way about people who felt that the program was perfect "except for needing more ab work", etc. I am going with the plan for a good six months. Then I will likely add assistance work that Rippetoe advocates in the book.

If I start to crave split sets, I will likely go to Krista Scott-Dixon's site. I've been a fan of hers since the old newsgroup days of yore when I was a young gymrat who leaned more to the bodybuilding aspect of weight training. She's the real deal and a nice counterpoint to Rippetoe's very special brand of wit and wisdom.

When something is described as say, 45x5x3 - this is 3 sets of 5 reps at 45lbs yeah? So if I see 55x3x5, this would be 5 sets of 3 reps at 55?

Yes. Weight x Reps x Sets would be correct.