Mark Rippetoe

Practical Programming for Strength Training

$24.07
Last updated Nov 5, 2026 at 1:34am
Mark Rippetoe

About this product

There is a difference between Exercise and Training. Exercise is physical activity for its own sake, a workout done for the effect it produces today, during the workout or right after you're through. Training is physical activity done with a longer-term goal in mind, the constituent workouts of which are specifically designed to produce that goal. Training is how athletes prepare to win, and how all motivated people approach physical preparation.
Practical Programming for Strength Training 3rd Edition addresses the topic of Training. It details the mechanics of the process, from the basic physiology of adaptation to the specific programs that apply these principles to novice, intermediate, and advanced lifters.
--Each chapter completely updated
--New illustrations and graphics
--Better explanations of the proven programs that have been helping hundreds of thousands of lifters get stronger more efficiently
--Expanded Novice chapter with the details of 3 different approaches to the problem of getting stuck and special approaches for the underweight and overweight trainee
--Expanded Intermediate chapter with 18 separate programs and 11 detailed examples
--Expanded Advanced chapter with detailed examples of 9 different programs
--Expanded Special Populations chapter with example programs for women and masters lifters training through their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s
--Day-to-day, workout-to-workout, week-by-week detailed programs for every level of training advancement
--The most comprehensive book on the theory and practice of programming for strength training in print
Printed in a new larger format for better display of the programs, PPST3 will be an important addition to your training library. Read more

Editor's Take

Practical Programming for Strength Training gets strong praise from Reddit users, who describe it as especially useful for lifters committed to strength training and for people trying to understand programming beyond beginner-level routines.

Several Reddit discussions frame it as a companion to the author’s other strength-training material rather than a standalone beginner manual, and one recent thread calls it a good choice for newcomers while other commenters note it is dense and more useful once someone already has some lifting experience.

YouTube results include multiple real review or discussion videos about this exact book, including a 2026 book review of the 3rd edition and another video comparing it with another strength-training manual. There is also a chapter-specific video and several broader Mark Rippetoe discussions that reference the book directly.

Overall, the crowd sentiment appears to be that the book is practical, influential, and respected for programming structure, but not always easy reading for absolute beginners.

Price History

Specifications

Topic Strength

Product Details

Publisher The Aasgaard Company
Publication date January 14, 2014
Edition 3rd
Language English
Print length 256 pages
ISBN-10 0982522754
ISBN-13 978-0982522752
Item Weight 1 pounds
Dimensions 11.02 x 8.46 x 0.79 inches
Best Sellers Rank #38,693 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #38 in Sports Training (Books) #38 in Weight Training (Books)
Customer Reviews 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,659)

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