incorporating dumbbell lunges

[atypical1]

Wouldn't it be more efficient to just switch back to low bar squats, rather than add superfluous exercises to Rip's program? (Indeed rendering it not his program at that point). I would point out that if your butt shoots up first, then you probably don't have a glute activation problem. That's probably hip drive - a remainder from when you used low bar squats (I believe you did before).

Nobody on this site is truly doing his program because to really be his program you have to be coached by him. Probably the number one reason that he's witnessed such good results is because, well he witnessed them first hand. This meant that he was in the gym with him. It's like when people say they're training "westside". No, you're not because you're not at that gym. What you're doing is employing some of their training methods. The same with SS. It's simply a program and because you're not training with the guy who wrote it you're simply employing his methods instead of doing the actual workout like you would if you were training in his gym. It's a subtle difference but it's important.

It's also all well and good to say "just switch to low bar" or "don't add any other exercises" but that doesn't work for everyone. One of the benefits of being coached by someone like Rip (he said I can call him that ) is that he can point out what you're doing wrong and whether or not you need to add some drills to help out with a specific weakness. Unfortunately what we think is a weakness might just be poor form and what we think is poor form might be a weakness but it's a judgement call on our part.

If you think you're not activating your glutes correctly then I'd probably do some glute drills like bird dogs first. I do these before my sessions and found that they really worked for me.

james

[lovestolift]

I agree that there is a difference between doing a coach's program and being trained by a coach. However I think you can do their program without them, providing that you have access to their methods, in this case Starting Strength. Yes it is different than him standing beside you at the squat rack yelling at you, but the absence of him shouldn't give someone Carte Blanche to do what ever you like, if the original program shows good results.

His book also deals with assistance exercises and how he programs them. It is tough for a trainee to pick out his assistance exercises in the absence of a competent coach, which is why experimentation is necessary.

I think you are at a level in your lifting where you can enjoy the experimentation, but for a person who is still learning the basics, "stick to the program" is a reasonable response.

He also thinks that high bar isn't training his hamstrings like low bar was, so not doing high bar is also a reasonable option for him. If he is training for Olympic lifting, then he may want to stay with high bar, but otherwise he may be well served by going back to low bar.

[JasonLB]

All other issues aside, adding lunges to a program like Starting Strength just isn't a good idea. You are already squatting and cleaning/deadlifting three times a week, do you really think adding lunges on top of that isn't going to negatively effect your recovery and progress on the main lifts? And, frankly, if you have the energy to do lunges after you finish squatting and deadlifting, I question whether you've put enough effort into the important lifts. Pick a different program if you want to use lunges, but don't add them to a proven program designed a specific way for specific reasons and expect superior results.