Can a girl do SS without becoming a hog

[dmgetz]

My final squat in the novice progression was 385...gained 40 pounds... not bad for someone who didn't have a SS coach on hand. I had the book, forum and youtube channel.

Being able to perform an athletic activity well and being able to coach it are not the same thing. If you need evidence of that, just look at the litany of great players who were terrible coaches. Wayne Gretzky, Ted Williams, and Bart Starr are good examples.

[Ryan Arnold]

Wanting my girlfriend to be a reasonable weight as a female makes me an asshole? Lol

I hope I live to see the day when people will stop assuming that doing the Starting Strength Program will make you fat. Is Niki Sims fat? Is Cassie Neimann fat? What about the thousands of other females who have trained for years, become stronger and not become fat?? I also think most people need some mental re-wiring. Use the interwebz to look at images of the "ideal woman" over the years. Marylin Monroe wouldn't make the cut at Victoria Secret but I'm pretty sure she was hot as hell. If your girlfriend wants to get stronger you should encourage her to do so, because as we all know, getting stronger is a good thing.

[stuffedsuperdud]

About 150.

Only if she's 5'3".

[Mark Rippetoe]

Things are complicated, aren't they?

[Brodie Butland]

Being able to perform an athletic activity well and being able to coach it are not the same thing. If you need evidence of that, just look at the litany of great players who were terrible coaches. Wayne Gretzky, Ted Williams, and Bart Starr are good examples.

Guys squatting fairly high weights also fail the platform exam (coaching portion) at nearly every seminar.

Exhausting LP is a good experience to help with coaching, but it has nothing to do with one's ability to coach.

[AndrewLewis]

Guys squatting fairly high weights also fail the platform exam (coaching portion) at nearly every seminar.

Brodie, does that mean I'm screwed? I was hoping this was not the case but was also worried it was.


In general, high-performing athletes are NECESSARILY poor coaches because of their inability to understand not being able to do something. A good example of this is math professors at university. Most of them are shit at teaching the basics, because they have never failed at the basics. They just get it and don't understand why their students don't.

[cutlet#]

Only if she's 5'3".

Should they do side bends or sit ups?

[matt_217]

I hope I live to see the day when people will stop assuming that doing the Starting Strength Program will make you fat. Is Niki Sims fat? Is Cassie Neimann fat? What about the thousands of other females who have trained for years, become stronger and not become fat?? I also think most people need some mental re-wiring. Use the interwebz to look at images of the "ideal woman" over the years. Marylin Monroe wouldn't make the cut at Victoria Secret but I'm pretty sure she was hot as hell. If your girlfriend wants to get stronger you should encourage her to do so, because as we all know, getting stronger is a good thing.

That is what I was trying to figure out. I don't mind my girlfriend gaining weight, but at the same time I (and her) wouldn't like for her to become massive like I have. I have literally gained 40 pounds of muscle mass (and I am a better man for it). I'm just trying to see if it is common or uncommon for women to gain 40 pounds like me, I honestly wasn't sure. I see a lot of the women in Rip's video's and they seem like your everyday average women, and I'm curious how they look and weight when they are intermediates.

The post wasn't really about SS making her fat, it is more about her actual weight itself. There are plenty of women who aren't fat, but very heavy and have a large amount of mass, and are thus much larger than their former self.

I am not around anyone else who does SS or even know what it is for that matter, therefore I don't know any females on the program. I agree that Marylin Monroe looks great and healthy. However, Holley Mangold doesn't. If Marylin Monroe in her prime would've done SS do you think she would of increased her overall size?

Do women respond the same way men do in terms of size, as strength gains are made?

[EverStronger]

I suggest reading my testimonial. I am now a 5'4" 143 lb female. I managed to lift heavy weights and not get fat all without a wise boyfriend to guide me. You might consider that her time and strength under the bar will lead to things other than fat, like strength of mind and confidence and encourage her to evaluate other weaknesses in her life. Yes there are differences between males and females body wise but the food and the lifting principles are the same.

Two Year Anniversary 73lbs of Fat and 14 Inches of belly

[Katherine Bickford]

I see a lot of the women in Rip's video's and they seem like your everyday average women, and I'm curious how they look and weight when they are intermediates.

Wow, confident she'll make it to intermediate programming, huh? She must already be lifting, really enjoying it, and eating enough protein to recover. Hmm.

Do women respond the same way men do in terms of size, as strength gains are made?

...are you kidding?

'Three Ways to NOT Get Bulky from Lifting' by Niki Sims, SSC