Starting Strength

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it, but I was 50 years old before learning how to properly squat and deadlift -- and I learned by reading Starting Strength, along with watching Rippetoe's instructional YouTube videos. While I do not endorse his nutritional advice for young lifters to drink a gallon of whole milk per day, his explanations of adaptive response, body mechanics and positioning throughout the training process are exceptional. I also found his progressive overload programming methodology to be very effective. For would-be lifters over 40, I also recommend the companion book titled, The Barbell Prescription, by Jonathon Sullivan & Andy Baker.