Just a thanks

[Michael BMT]

Mark Rippetoe,

Nearly 15 years ago I was diagnosed from a hospital bed with leukemia. For ten years I managed this disease by taking chemotherapy in pill form on a daily basis until my body could no longer take it, at which time I had to undergo a procedure called a bone marrow transplant. For my situation and type of transplant, 50% of the patients survive the first year and of those, 50% survive five years. I'm closing in on three years.

When I was lying in that hospital bed I told myself that, insofar as it was in my control, I was going to get in the best shape of my life. Up until transplant I did manage to get in amazing physical shape, train in mma, and do more activities than I ever thought I could do in my life.

In the time I battled with leukemia I learned a lot, rejected a lot, and changed a lot about my training. I always challenged prevailing trends and always questioned why I was doing something so that I could assure I was doing what was best for me. Ultimately, though, my body told me what I could and couldn't do. I got real good at listening.

Since then, in the years post transplant I've had deep vein thrombosis, embolisms, severe peripheral and autonomic nerve damage, fibromyalgia, infections, shortness of breath, and dozens of other issues. There were days when the only thing that didn't hurt was my pinky. So I exercised my pinky. Finally, after two and a half years things started to improve. I started to slowly recover and make some physical gains again, albeit with great difficulty.

But even in this electronic age of communication, with so much information, opinion, expertise, and media presentation I was hard pressed to find anyone who could actually explain why the methods preached should be practiced, let alone for a guy in my unique circumstance. So after I really began to "recover" from transplant I started to research and understand- really for the first time- underlying bone, muscle, tissue, and tendon structure. My goal was to rehabilitate a body that had been through the wringer, through times when I couldn't get out of bed, let alone lift a weight. That's when I came across your name.

Someone had written two lines in a forum mentioning you. I can't remember exactly what it said, but it was something like, "This guy explains why we do what we do. Required reading." That brief explanation was enough for me to go to Amazon and read the reviews; I ordered Starting Strength right away.

Even after years of training I found myself learning from your book immediately (by immediately I don't mean the next chapter, but the very next sentence). I had never trained in pure strength and never thought it was for me, but I was sold on the "foundation" idea immediately because I always believed that, I just never trained it from a Starting Strength perspective.

Now I am a 45 year old male who has been through some serious adversity. I am not going to compete in the Olympics or be on the World's Strongest Man competition. I just wanted to be better, stronger. Being stronger would make me more useful in general and harder to eat. Being stronger than I have been in my life didn't even enter my thought process.

But that's exactly what has happened.

I wasn't sure about your training days schedule, the few barbell exercises taught being enough, the Valsalva technique, or the practice of fives as being the right guideline for building strength, but I couldn't argue with any of your reasoning. So I simply followed what you said and here is what I have to report. Now, it's only been two months (using the squat, press, and deadlift), but the results, for me, have been amazing and significant on their own.

I consider myself an intermediate in weight training, but a novice in strength training. I began the M-W-F workout outlined in your book and immediately found opportunities in my functional expression. I continued the plan for a month when it became clear that I was going to need more rest than provided. So I went to alternating weeks of M-W-F and T-Th and then I found that two days rest between workouts was ideal for me and allowed full recovery and continued adaptation.

The most weight I ever moved in any barbell exercise in my life, at my peak, was 225 lbs. for no more than three reps, total. Now I have added ten or five pounds per week and currently, after two months, I am lifting the following according to the Starting Strength plan:

Squat: 250
Press: 115 (I was bench pressing 210 before deciding it was not a good idea to continue, see below)
Deadlift: 265

And each of these can be increased, on schedule, my next workout. Even though I feel challenged the first day of the increase, after three workouts (I do three since I break up the days differently) I am ready for the next increase. I AM getting stronger (hey, this shit works).

I wanted to share some things from my perspective that I think are important for my progress and hopefully, if you've gotten this far, you can advise me to the contrary if required. Some of these are not mentioned in your book. Also, if approved, maybe it can help someone else in a similar situation.

Before adding weight, throughout my increases, and ongoing I have done several things:

I worked diligently on form before and with the bar before ever adding weight. I committed to doing this right, not just moving weight.
I went down and made corrections in form before continuing any increases in weight.
After I thought I had it down, I brought my wife on board and in explaining the technique to her, gave myself an even better understanding. She, in turn, watches my form and coaches me (we even take videos). Many corrections later I am really understanding the difference between moving weight and moving weight CORRECTLY as detailed in your book. It is a major difference. I am still learning the value of this.
With the squat, having someone watch my form and cue ("Down a little more, ass back, hip drive!") has helped tremendously. Usually I can feel if I'm off, but that coaching really does help me stay true. A good partner is a great advantage.
Warming up has always been a part of my workout and critical, especially now. I do fifteen minutes of warm up (bike ride, for example) before I even touch the bar.
Stretching on off days has been immensely beneficial to recovery and flexibility.
I do the Starting Strength program, but adjust where necessary to account for my situation, i.e., age, recovery time needed, injury, lingering health issues. I believe I am staying true to the foundation provided by your book overall even with some adjustments.
After reading the book I went and watched all the videos you had available for performing each exercise and continue to review them.
I watch a bunch of videos of people doing it wrong.


Some hiccups I encountered:

During my initial deadlift increases (at 185 lbs) I was able to lift the weight, but my body failed. A sound of a pop indicated what I think was a small tear in the connective tissue of my lower back. I immediately rehabbed this and in two weeks was back on track deadlifting more than I ever did before. This is only the third injury I have had from weight training in all these years and is of little concern. I thought my form was good, but may have been slightly off. I have made a correction regarding my shoulder placement being further past the bar which I think has improved technique for me.

Regarding the bench press, the pain in my shoulders has just been too great, even at lower weights and what I think is perfect form. Rather than separate shoulder exercises in an attempt to strengthen them I simply went to the press and I find that I am improving there and recovering much better. After some time I will return to some intermittent bench presses to see if I have improved or what the result has been.

After some time I will add the power clean from your book. I have a lot to look forward to. I feel stronger and better than I have ever felt, or can even remember feeling.

Mark, thank you for your work, diligence, and commitment to understanding physical strength and thank you for Starting Strength: Barbell Training (3rd edition). Anyone who is willing to think, challenge what they believe, and continue growing can benefit from is book.

Michael

[Mark Rippetoe]

Where are you located? Maybe we can help you with this process.

[Cody]

Good read. I wish you luck with your treatment, and commend you on taking up the Iron path.

[Michael BMT]

I am in Pennsylvania, in a suburb just outside of Philadelphia. It never occurred to me to seek out SS specific certified trainers, but I have never been aware of one close to here. I have met plenty to the contrary, though.

[crookedfinger]

Keep fighting the good fight! You're an inspiration.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I am in Pennsylvania, in a suburb just outside of Philadelphia. It never occurred to me to seek out SS specific certified trainers, but I have never been aware of one close to here. I have met plenty to the contrary, though.

SSCA : Coaching

I hope one of these guys is close.

[hector_garza]

Good for you. Thanks for sharing your story. It's inspiring to the rest of us.

[Tom DiStasio]

This is really inspirational Michael. thanks for posting

[Emily Socolinsky]

Hi Michael,
What an awesome story. My sister was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2011. She fought long and hard for 3.5 years, eventually discovering her love for running. This is what helped her regain who she was before the cancer. She died this past February but she ran almost every day up until the last month of her life. Your story of discovering SS reminded me of her story discovering running. She worked with a team of coaches and runners who helped fuel her passion for running. She was strong. I was so hoping to get her stronger through SS but her cancer beat me to it. YOU, however, were not beaten and you are reaping the benefits of strength training. Awesome. I wanted to reach out to you to see if you think making a day trip to Baltimore may be in the works. We would be more than happy to work with you on your form and give you some good ole' feedback. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. Please feel free to reach out to us. Fivex3 Training - A Starting Strength Gym |. I look forward to hearing from you....even if it is to discuss your progress. Good luck!

[Beau Bryant]

After you see Emily you are welcome to stop over and see us also. I trained a high school football player for a couple years. Close to a 500 pound squat. His freshmen year of college ball he was diagnosed with luekimia. He is in his last phase of treatment and we just started training him again. He's still on chemo but went from a 65 pound 3x5 squat to about 135 for 3x5 already. I'm pretty certain he will blow the doctors at Hopkins away with his recovery.