Finished Starting Strength... whats next?

[Khamo]

Just stop finished up starting strength due to the fact my body wouldnt be able to handle a month or two more of heavy squatting(90%-95%) three times a week. I also stopped enjoying it and want to focus on both gaining strength AND bodybuilding esk training. Any suggestions?

[Off Road]

If you've followed Starting Strength, the next logical step should be the Texas method.

[leefarley]

what are your numbers looking like.

[SCStrong]

Your profile says you have only been training five months? Take a week or two and deload and get back to it while you investigate other program options. You may want to talk to BtB -- he can set you upon the path to greatness.

[Khamo]

Here are my numbers

Squat 95lbs -> 225lbs
Deadlift 135lbs -> 285lbs
Bench 60lbs -> 135lbs
OHP 50lbs -> 95lbs

The numbers are my working sets. Squats,bench,OHP are 3x5 and Deadlift is 1x5
havent tested my maxes yet

[stayaggro]

Dude, that's solid progress, congrats! I'm no expert, but I say keep it up! It's worked for you so far, keep hitting it till the gains stop completely, reset once, and hit it again till progress stops. I think this is what Mark Rippetoe suggests in the starting strength manual.

[Epinephrine]

Good progress, brother.

Honestly, if this is working for you don't change things. Yeah squatting 3 times a week might be rough, but it's WORKING. You're obviously making good progress and the last thing you need to do is fix what isn't broken. Eat more if you're feeling burned out!

But, if you're really sick of the program changing things up a bit might be a good idea. I used to follow routines and get bored with them, so I would take a couple weeks just to lift and have fun. Take some time and just train because it's fun! Don't worry about a routine, or percentages, or whatever. Just bust your ass in the gym and get it done.

Last bit of advice, don't worry about routines. Take some time to listen to your body and how it's reacting to certain movements, rep schemes, etc. If I were you, I'd take the next couple weeks off from Starting Strength and go into the gym with an open mind. Try something new and tweek things around a bit just to see what happens. Afterwards jump back on the program and keep pushin' forward.

Hope this helps.

[Dray]

Nice progress.

My advice is not coming from a place of extensive experience, let's just say, but it is coming from a guy (me ) who also started with Starting Strength, then went onto other things, and wished he'd just found something like...

THIS, a bit sooner. There's also what looks like a good upper/lower in the same forum, among others (many others).

Honestly though, any decent routine should do the trick. Sort your medium-term goals out, and gun for 'em.

[leefarley]

it is up to you what you do but i would say you can defiantly get allot more out of starting strength you most defiantly haven't finished it.

[Off Road]

Since Starting Strength treated you so well and you made such good progress, I'd surely listen to the guy that got you this far in such a short period of time. You are now an Intermediate lifter and need a routine that serves such people. Mark Rippetoe, the creator of Starting Strength, has a great intermediate routine that is made for guys in your exact situation. Here is what Mr. Rippetoe has to say. . .

"The fact is, it's necessary to subject the body to increasing amounts of stress at a level that challenges recovery ability so that the adaptations continue to occur. But since these are now higher-intensity efforts that more fully tax the system, they require longer periods of time to recover from.

If we design the program correctly, we can plan workouts that place optimum stress in the optimum pattern to continue the adaptive drive of the program for a long time: A high level of tonnage-stress early in the week, a lighter workout in the middle to aid in recovery — "active rest" it's sometimes called — and then a higher-intensity lower-volume workout at the end of the week.

Stresses of different types and adequate recovery from the stress are in balance if the program is to work for an extended period of time. We call the program The Texas Method, because we are in Texas and it's a Method — a very good one that has proven itself for years." - Mark Rippetoe

What he's saying is that your squat is strong enough now that your recovery ability can't keep up with squatting three times a week. To continue to squat heavy three times a week will cause further stalls and even regression. Don't keep banging your head against the wall, it's time to use the Heavy/Medium/Light method and keep that progress moving forward. It's NOT a change of routine, it's a more complex progression plan that you are ready for.