The Nature of Coaching Cues Mark Rippetoe | January 03, 2024 If a lifter I'm coaching lets his knees slide forward at the bottom of a squat, I have to correct this critical error. I am the coach, and my job is correct movement instruction. My job is not to figure out a reason why this inherently inefficient movement pattern is really just fine if that's the way the lifter wants to do it, and thereby excuse his inefficiency and my coaching inadequacy. My job is to understand the exercise and its mechanics, to teach it correctly, to evaluate its performance, and to provide correction to the lifter when it is wrong. Continue reading
Squats and Hills Jim Steel | December 27, 2023 Bobby had just finished up his junior year of high school, and he was looking forward to summer. For most kids Bobby’s age, summertime meant going to the beach, hanging out with friends and partying. Not for Bobby. Oh sure, he went swimming and crabbing in the Choptank River on Sundays after church let out, but for the other 6 days of the week, Bobby trained for football. Continue reading
The Logical Analysis for Starting Strength Mark Rippetoe | December 19, 2023 The majority of the world's organized activities are predicated on history. They do it “that way” because “That's the way it's always been done, and it works for me.” The Baptist Church, the treatment of skin rashes, frying chicken, plumbing in the UK, the Marine Corps, building houses, cleaning cast iron pans, and strength training proceed from what has always been done instead of what logic and analysis would require. Continue reading
Starting Strength Set Me Free Kathleen Wallace | December 13, 2023 “Thanks, I got this,” I say to the well-meaning gentleman offering to lift my bag into the overhead bin. A year ago, I would have looked around pleadingly for help, but not today. I am a 66-year-old woman who thought, up until 6 months ago, that I would spend my time sitting squarely on my butt, in pain, watching life pass me by in a prison of aging. My life has changed utterly and completely. Starting Strength has set me free. Continue reading
Bodyparts vs. Movement Patterns Mark Rippetoe | December 06, 2023 Strength is displayed in normal human movement patterns, and it must therefore be developed in normal human movement patterns, because the most efficient version of the movement pattern is an inherent part of the strength being displayed. Training the movement pattern itself is the only way to ensure that all the components of the kinetic chain of the movement are responding to the stress of the load in the way they actually function within the movement. Continue reading
