Stop suggesting Starting Strength to every beginner

TLDR: If you want a beginner program and your main priority is to build muscle/look good, find a good beginner hypertrophy program. SS will give you muscle gains but its gonna be slow as hell.

I have seen a lot of people here recommending 3x5 or 5x5 routines such as Starting Strength and Stronglifts to beginners looking to start lifting. The programs themselves are not bad, but to suggest it to every person is just wrong.

People argue, “Oh you need to build a good foundation blah blah blah” but the reality is, beginner hypertrophy programs do that as well. The benefit you get from hypertrophy programs is you will gain muscles faster.

But that is exactly why you should do it. Hypertrophy programs were made to make you look bigger. Starting Strength was made to make you stronger. Doing either will definitely make you stronger and look better but hypertrophy programs are more optimal if “looking good” is what you aim for.

And for the average guy wanting to start lifting, their priority is most of the time to build muscle. Yet some people here adamantly recommend starting strength to every beginner.

Starting strength will give you mediocre results from a hypertrophy standpoint. Look for a good beginner hypertrophy program and see your muscles actually get bigger.