I'm a newbie looking to start training but not really sure how to proceed as it requires a power rack / olympic barbells + at least 30 mins uninterrupted time?

Home gym fits but it's going to be expensive just to try out the program.
Gym, well not sure if there's correct equipment (I've never been to one) or if I can get uninterrupted time on it. Also there's people around and i'm a bit self-self-concious.

Advise from any who started the program?

I'm on SL program, just started out too. Find a gym with power rack, it's safer because of the safety pins. As for your self conciousness, it will fade in time. I was like you, always aware of people staring, but after my 3rd day at the gym , I really couldn't care anymore lol. On average, I spend around 45 minutes to 1 hour every session.

The best advice I can give you is check your ego at the door. Don't be intimidated by bigger guys at the gym, always remember they were once small as well.

Which gym would you recommend that has all the right equipment?

I did SL before but I don't think it's as good as SS in terms of linear progression. I'm doing 5/3/1 right now. You'll stall kinda fast with SL but it doesn't hurt to try. I did SL for about half a year before switching to madcow's 5x5 because I kept stalling.

Better to go to a gym if you don't have weights and plates to begin with. Too costly. Most gyms that have a power rack can do for you. Make sure they have the 2.5lbs plates as well.

Stalling is fine. I mean for a beginner, it sounds fine. SL just seems simpler. Chin up / Pull ups doesn't seem very beginner friendly.

Hi how much were your lifts when you switched to Madcow? And have you been getting better progress?

I don't really remember my poundage back then but I was trying to max out the linear progression. I did bodypart splits first when I started working out then I changed to SL and of course I ramped up the starting weight to half of a 5RM. Lifts started stalling 2-3 months after going into the program. Deloaded, tried again and again. Figured that I can't proceed with linear programs anymore. Did P/P/L for a few months, found out there's such a thing as madcows. Linear progression continues for a month plus then stalled again. That's when I changed to 5/3/1.

Sorry bro can't remember how much my lifts increased. Quite a long while ago. But this I know. SS is more superior than SL.

Well thanks! I've actually switched to SS before as I was mentally taxed by the volume on SL but I found that while at the start I progressed fine, the weights were going up too fast for my body to handle due to the fact that it was 3x5 and while less volume is much more intense. That made my form degrade really fast and I stopped doing it. I deloaded back and started SL again and I've been seeing pretty good gains until recently when I injured my back due to bouncing on the deadlifts. Haha well I'm just trying to get back on the horse but I figure it must be some other reason that I'm not hitting my numbers instead of the program not working.

Guess I'll stick to SL until my lifts go back up again and I'll see if I can cope! Thanks!

This post has been edited by silasya77: Feb 26 2014, 08:21 PM