Reddit reviews Bigger Faster Stronger - 2nd Edition

>I would argue that it is just as important at that stage to build strength as to build aerobic fitness. A well monitored weights program can help build the base strength needed for proper technique and to prevent injury.

Thank you. On that topic, as long as we're beating sacred cows...

Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, and other linear progression programs are not designed for athletes. Period. They are designed for recreational novice lifters to become recreational not-novice lifters. Sure, maybe Ripp used some variation of it with his Wichita Falls HS football team, but the program itself is designed for people who go to the gym, hit the squat rack, then go home and watch Netflix. I have asked in other threads for anyone who pulls sub 6:30 and has trained Starting Strength for more than 3 months to come forward. I have yet to hear from anyone.

Rowing uses a lot of back and legs. Duh. Squatting and/or deadlifting 3 times a week AND expecting you to improve by X increment every session also uses a lot of back and legs (duh) and is a recipe for plateaus, injury, and ineffective erging and rowing.

The purpose of strength training for rowing is to make you a better, healthier rower. Not a powerlifter, not a bodybuilder, not to get striations in your pecs, not to be a Navy SEAL.

Consider another approach that takes into account the variable of sport training. This will usually be lower volume, higher but not maximal intensity (ie weekly/daily 5RM's), a broader exercise selection, and a more flexible progression of weight (ie not linear progression).

The broader exercise selection is important to prevent injury. Rowing is an asymmetrical, but two-dimensional sport. "3d sports" involve movement in different planes, running, jumping, etc. Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are great. But so are overhead presses, front squats, chin-ups, dips, incline presses, push presses, romanian deadlifts, and face pulls.

For the same reasons that the blanket recommendation of "2x45 mins every day" doesn't always hold up, "do Starting Strength" isn't the best recommendation. It's an easy answer often provided by novices to other novices.

Westside for Skinny Bastards is a good program.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger is a good program.

Forgive the T-Nipple link, but 5/3/1 is a good program and is based on Bigger, Faster, Stronger with a little more math.

What these programs have in common, and why they're superior for athletes, is the flexibility and the lower volume and frequency. Go harder when you can go harder, don't go as hard when you can't go as hard. You'll have to learn exactly what that means and how to manage it. This is referred to as "autoregulation" in strength training, but that's not as important as just doing it. It will be more natural, more beneficial, and lead to more enjoyable and productive training for pre-college athletes.