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Hi, Harriet; thank you for your reply. Just having done the same program for a year is what's boring me. If I were seeing more progress, I would stick with it, but not with my current gains. I went to the trainer knowing nothing about how to gain strength (beyond layperson info), so the number of exercises wasn't my idea. I can see what you're saying about too many exercises, both in terms of a patience-testing workout and performance. How would I know, after sticking with Starting Strength for a while, what needs addressing in terms of my weaknesses and what accessories would be good for me to add? Is that even something I can diagnose myself? Your news about your friend is encouraging - I think I will indeed go conservative on squats and try Starting Strength for a couple months.

Hello; I'm considering ditching my current program for Starting Strength, but I have some limitations, and I'm looking for some advice. I'm asking here because this board seems more straightforward that most, but I apologize if I'm doing something wrong. I'm female, 40, 5'7", 200 lbs. About a year ago, I started on what was I was told was a weight training program, which I sought out because I wanted to get stronger. (Not to get more toned or muscular, not to lose weight, not to develop endurance; just to get physically stronger.) I made some adjustments to the program after three months (going from 8-10 reps to 6-8 for sets), but I've been on it for a year. Bored, I went to one of the trainers for some new material, but I was told that this program was fine for my needs. It was simply suggested that I add a few exercises that mostly did not seem demanding or useful (something where I was leaning backward and pulling myself up with stretchy cables; crunches on a Pilates ball). Skeptical, I started chatting with others at the gym, and I've learned that the program I was given is typically offered to older women who are looking for only limited results, not to gain actual strength. This matches up with my dismal results: this time last year, at the start of the program, I was benching just the bar for 6 reps, 3 sets; now, I'm benching 75 lbs. for 6 reps, 3 sets. That's a year for 30 lousy pounds. I understand that for women my age, that level is usually reached in a half or third of that time. (Yeah, I know: I should've been monitoring my progress better and have reconsidered my program way earlier.) I'm considering ditching my lousy program and doing Starting Strength, but I have a minor knee injury that makes me wary of relying too much on squats. That's a big limitation, I realize. I know there's a plethora of barbell/dumbbell exercises that might supplement a replacement program...but I don't know where to start with that, and I've given up on getting guidance locally. (I live in rural Maine, and though I've made it clear that my workout goal is to get stronger, I just don't think I can get that message through in this region.) Would it be a good idea to ditch my plan for Starting Strength, going light on the weight for the squats? If so, are there any supplemental barbell/dumbbell exercises that you folks would recommend? Thank you in advance for any help. ---- CURRENT TRAINING: I've been on this program for a year. These are my current reps/sets: MONDAY: Bench press: 6 reps x 75 lbs. x 3 sets Pec deck: 12 x 60 x 1, 9 x 70 x 2 Lat pull-down: 8 x 100 x 3 Seated rows: 8 x 90 x 3 Asst. pull-up: Er, I wrote down the setting and not the lbs. of assistance to which it translates, sorry T-bar row: 8 x 45 x 3 Ab crunch machine: 12 x 35 x 3 Incl. dumbbell press: 8 x 20 x 3 Chest press: 5 x 110 x 3 WEDNESDAY: Bench press Horizontal leg press: 15 reps x 150 lbs. x 4 sets (I've done more, including work on a 45-degree leg press, but it kinda hurt my knees, so I limited myself to this) Horizontal calf press: 15 x 150 x 4 Leg extension: Info specific to machine settings Leg curls: Ditto Adductor: 10 x 205 x 3 Abductor: 15 x 205 x 3 Standing calf raises: 15 x 3 sets V-sit: 45 sec. x 3 Friday: Bench press E-Z bar curl: 8 reps x 55 lbs. x 3 sets Incl. dumbbell curls: 8 x 15 x 3 Standing dumbbells curls: 8 x 15 x 3 Dumbbell press: 8 x 20 x 3 Arnolds: 8 x 18 x 3 Tricep dip: See asst. pull-up above Bicep curl: 15 x 45 x 1, 12 x 45 x 1, 10 x 50 x 1 Tricep pulldown: 10 x 50 x 3 Dumbbell raise: 8 x 15 x 3 I also do 30 min. of cardio after each session and on Tues./Thurs. I have an hour-long self-defense class on MWF that has morphed into a combination of escrima and boxing.