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You've not once been argumentative. It's been a healthy exchange I think. I hope you think so too.

Having a bit of a heel gives us a mechanical advantage when coming up out of the hole. World records are trained and set with heels from .5 to over an inch in height. If heavier weight could be moved in flats, the big boys would do so. So, we insist on a heel. All folks doing hard manual labor do too. Top quality work boots from Red Wing, White, etc all have a heel to toe drop. We want the same.

Dropping weights on the foot is certainly one safety issue.

The more easily overlooked safety issues include the necessity for a non-compressible sole. A squishy sole makes it hard to control the bar and puts us at a grave disadvantage. I've seen many a bailed squat because someone was wearing a squishy shoe and got off their mid-foot. (Nike flyknits are the absolutely worst.) A non-compressible sole allows us to transfer force more effectively too.

The strap serve a couple of purposes. The straps pull the foot into the heel cup and keep it from moving around within the shoe during the squat. More stable, more safe.

The straps also contain and compress all the tiny bones that comprise the arch. We wear belts. We wear knee sleeves. We wear shoes with straps for the same reasons.

All of these things point to using the squat shoe.

I remember that the squat and deadlift made my arches sore when I got started lifting. The foot certainly gets trained and adapts just like the rest of the meat machine. Our main concern isn't getting the strongest foot possible though, it's in getting the King of Lifts, the Squat, as strong as possible. The strong squat pays many more dividends to the lifter than a foot that is "in LP". The stability the shoe provides is more important to the human than squatting with bare feet.

There are some zero drop lifting shoes. Don't buy them. Your anthropometry doesn't warrant them. The heels on the Adidas shoes you need are .68". We aren't talking about Laboutins or Pleasers. https://www.amazon.com/Pleaser-SKY302-C-Womens-Sky-302/dp/B00125NYFA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1499614279&sr=8-7&keywords=pleaser+shoe

Don't make shoes the limiting factor in your training.

Give it a try.

Alright. I do think you could get better extension throughout your back, but I don't think your back is horrible. You're combining steps 3 and 4 by trying to set your knees to the bar and extend your back simultaneously. Start doing the steps almost robotically. I recommend a 10% reset to allow for recovery and give you a weight to focus on technique.
I wouldn't worry about feeling too much. Although, I do think most men should learn how a proper deadlift setup should feel. At the bottom, its not comfortable.
You cannot do a deadlift without using your back. Your back benefits most from this lift. That being said, its important to focus on pushing the floor away from you, rather than pulling the up to your waist. You can usually tell a lifter is pulling rather than pushing because the back will go into flexion.

I know you said you've delved into a lot of material, but I think it is helpful to review as some things don't stick the first few times.

5 step deadlift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGZrATR1O4E&index=4&list=PLysAlJk_rr60kkS2HRrDYJ-x5hllY3UEP

A further explanation of step 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUqDSNXfyFE&index=11&list=PLysAlJk_rr60kkS2HRrDYJ-x5hllY3UEP

Are you doing chin-ups and deadlifts every workout? That is a common programming mistake and is too much volume for novices. This could be why you are so sore and/or it could be your nutrition. How many pounds a week are you gaining and what is your daily protein intake?

Spend your money in this priority.

1. a coaching session if there is a SS coach near you: https://startingstrength.org/site/coaches
   
2. some proper shoes like these ones: https://www.amazon.com/adidas-Performance-Powerlift-2-Trainer-Bright/dp/B00Q049HWW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1517522779&sr=8-7&keywords=adidas+powerlift
   
3. a belt that is 4" (or a 3" if you are really short) all the way around that is 10-13 mm thick. leather. single prong. these are great belts that will last you forever: http://www.bestbelts.net/

Is everyone here overlooking that OP is in his mid-40s? OP, here's a SS coaching mantra that I've taken to heart:

It's easier to slow down your LP and keep going, than it is to stall and have to reset.

So I'm going to disagree with the crowd and say: go with the smaller jumps. Who cares if someone else went 6 or 8 or 12 or 40 weeks before reducing their jumps? Your progress is your progress.

You should of course consult The First Three Questions (rest periods, jumps, and food+sleep). Note that the answer to question 2 incorporates the principle cited above. Also, you should check out The Barbell Prescription. Great reading for us "seasoned" folk. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982522770

Glad it helped.

I have been having low back tightness so started playing around with Original Strength. A coach I like to read (Dan John), likes it for recovery. I think it is great so far. Hitting some yoga in a few weeks.

Keep it up Keep it consistent... eat that elephant one little bite at a time!!

https://www.amazon.com/Pressing-Reset-Original-Strength-Reloaded-ebook/dp/B07BH358BG/

Flatter isn't the answer. Not-squishy is.

I used to lift in running shoes. It was okay until I approached body weight. Then it's basically like liquefaction in an earthquake, but in reverse: any movement in the upper body was magnified down below. I would have rolled an ankle.

I'm currently using Vans slip on skate shoes. They're okay right now, I seem to have "enough" ankle mobility.

But the folks at /r/weightlifting and /r/weightroom say that if you're performing squats, deadlifts, cleans, and snatches with any kind of frequency, the specialty weightlifting shoes are a must.

They're not flat. There's a heel raise, anywhere from 1/2" to 1-1/2" depending on brand and model. The heel raise uses a very solid outsole that doesn't squish.

The crossfit shoes are certainly better than running shoes, but they're more expensive than Adidas's "entry level" weightlifting shoe.

I've been watching the price on amazon, they tend to be anywhere from $66 to $89.

Here is a slower, but more in depth discussion on the hook grip. I like it a bit better.

I've also been planning on picking up a pair of fat grips to use during OHP and other exercises. They don't mess up your form or anything, but they definitely work the forearms out more.

I recommend purchasing and reading the SS book (https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474557039&sr=8-1&keywords=starting+strength) and following the program as prescribed. It has loads of other info about barbell training besides just the details of the program. Practical Programming is good, but I wouldn't recommend it for a novice.

If you just started the novice program and are already missing lifts, then did you start the program with too much weight?

Do you want to share your numbers, your age, and body weight?

The SS forums are a great place to ask questions too, but you're gonna get ripped to shreds if you say you're doing the program, but haven't read the book. :P

I've found the inov8 fastlift to be an excellent squat shoe. Light, strong and stable.

You need to squat deeper.

Also look over your shoes. Your legs wobbled a lot. I cant see the shoes but it seems like what happens when you have runners shoes on. I've seen it before.

Also you need to move the squat rack away from the wall a little and then look over the book to get the eye gaze right.

After that you only have to think about taking a deep breath at the top, and making sure you push your chest out. Its a very bad idea to flex your spine when lifting. It should be in the same position at the top as the bottom. The only thing that moves is your hips and knees.

Once you've fixed all that then I cant really tell from this angle but make sure your knees dont go over your toes. It could just be a trick of the mind from the strange angle but it seems like your knees are going over.

The book is 12 bucks on kindle. Buy it if you dont have it.

https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Mark-Rippetoe-ebook/dp/B006XJR5ZA

video on hip drive eye gaze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B8s0yknGhA

I'd go further and say that you shouldn't just get 2.5lbs plates, but a set of microplates like this: https://www.amazon.com/Friendly-Swede-Fractional-Strength-Training/dp/B01N07C8WX

In addition to 5lbs for squats and deadlifts, you should expect to be doing 2.5lbs jumps for bench presses, presses, and power cleans for most of SS. The smaller increments will be useful later on.

"...would it be beneficial for him to do 5x5? any advice is great, but please don't say that he should start barbell training..." Huh? 5x5 is barbell training. But you're right, you can't force him to do anything.

Send him a copy of The Barbell Prescription, and point him in the direction of the Greysteel YouTube Channel for starters.

Not OP, but just a quick question.

I want to purchase some shoes soon and I saw the ones that you linked. I was just wondering if these are acceptable shoes as well? It's much cheaper but if the one you linked is of higher quality and will last me longer then I might get that one instead.

If shipping time is a priority, this is a great value and amazon prime 2-day shipping. Solid leather with suede stitch. The reason I actually chose this was because of my short torso and difficulty finding a good 3" belt. This works well for both my squats and deadlifts.

Leather Weightlifting Belt Single Prong for Men and Women - 3" Wide X 10mm Thick - Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3YLTWZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_NELWtLzNHBl7k.

You might find Rip's Practical Programming for Strength Training useful at this point, then.

I got an Upright Go for my birthday, but unfortunately I've only had a chance to test it once (and it works, at least). This is the slightly more expensive version, which is what seems to be on Amazon right now:

https://www.amazon.com/UPRIGHT-Wearable-Posture-Trainer-Android/dp/B01GJZP1IA/ref=pd_bxgy_107_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01GJZP1IA&pd_rd_r=Z7Y9N6B8FWVFJHXXSZ3J&pd_rd_w=YQvjx&pd_rd_wg=9ZNhp&psc=1&refRID=Z7Y9N6B8FWVFJHXXSZ3J

It adheres to your upper back and buzzes when you hunch over. At first you'll be like "WTF, I'm not hunched over!".... and it turns out you are. The app seems to want to push you to use it for 20 minutes sessions, for the uninitiated. But we, Batman, are the initiated. Just put it in the other mode and it will work as long as you have it turned on.

You can get lengths of chain from a home improvement store, figure out how much the links weigh, and cut them into loops that wrap around the bar.

These half-pound weights are USD$21 for a set of four:
https://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Fractional-Rubber-Olympic-Weight/dp/B0189ZQD7G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498768987&sr=8-4&keywords=micro%2Bplates&th=1&psc=1

If you have tools, a good postal scale, and some scrap plywood, you can make fractional plates that way.

>Menelaus is LITERALLY a cuck tho.

That's fair, although this guy is a 'race realist' per his posts on the SS forums.

I would agree with all the rest of your post, except the bit about LP. At least, I'm pretty sure I've seen SSLP mentioned on the site for a long time.

I am completely in agreement with this:

>Anyway I'm just buttmad because they've completely neglected all the Ancient Near Eastern shit.

Been trying to wade through this for a while. Can't seem to find the time to do so. Sure as shit not going to graduate to reading cuneiform though after I do it though, haha.

Straps or wraps? If you're talking about a Powerlifting or Strengthlifting meet you almost certainly won't be allowed to use straps for the deadlift.

Wrist wraps I have these in the 24 inch version and they've served me well so far on bench, press, and squats: https://www.amazon.com/Evolutionize-Medium-Stiff-Wrist-Wraps/dp/B010116LV4

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982522738/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oRu1CbGMY8G06

So go with Adidas with the heel?

What about this:
Advanced Dip Belt - Dip Pullup Squat Multifunction Versatile Weight Lifting Belt … (Large) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BUL2HU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VhvKBbNH1Y4T2

Thanks

Any website recommendations? I think rip recommends 3" belts. Is that right?

Edit: I think I'll go with this one. Unless you guys know of one cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Weightlifting-Single-Prong-Women/dp/B01N3YLTWZ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495498809&sr=8-3&keywords=3%22+lifting+belt

>So go with Adidas with the heel?

Adidas, Nike, or a different brand you like. But you should go with a weight lifting shoe with a heel.

>What about this: Advanced Dip Belt - Dip Pullup Squat Multifunction Versatile Weight Lifting Belt … (Large) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BUL2HU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VhvKBbNH1Y4T2

I would not get this. Nylon belts aren't a good idea heavy lifts as they can come undone.

Buy this book and read it.

Give him Sully's book. He may not listen to you. Maybe he will listen to a doctor.

https://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Prescription-Strength-Training-After/dp/0982522770