August 12, 2024

Interminable Edition

On Starting Strength

• The Olympics, Prison, and Trap Bar – Rip and Rusty discuss the controversy surrounding transgender athletes competing in the Olympics, an inmate whose ordered “Blue Book” was confiscated due to claims of it being “too violent," and why the trap bar deadlift is more akin to a squat than a deadlift.
• Are You Training Effectively For Your Sport? Part 3 by Chris Olson – In the last part of this series, we finish discussing why certain popular exercises fail to yield the desired outcomes in athletic performance. We then conclude the discussion...
• Reset Your Deadlift – Rip explains the proper way to reset the deadlift after each rep. The bar should return to its starting position over the middle of the foot, one inch from the shins.
• The Barbell Row: A Clarification by Michael Jones – The perhaps-ill-begotten child of the stiff legged deadlift and the power clean is the barbell row. It is a valuable tool for beat-up guys who cannot power clean or snatch...
• A Physical Therapist’s Perspective on Starting Strength – Chris Reis, SSC, discusses his initial doubts and questions about traditional PT methods and how Starting Strength answered those questions and provided a practical, impactful tool for helping people improve their physical health.
• Weekend Archives: The Iron Makes Us Strong by Kelli Nielson – Growing up in a media rich world can have a detrimental impact on the self-esteem and confidence of developing individuals. Young women in particular easily fall victim...
• Weekend Archives: The Truth about the Starting Strength Method by Mark Rippetoe – The Starting Strength Method uses the basics of biology and arithmetic, refined through logic and analysis over decades of testing and millions of hours of practical refinement to produce the most effective and efficient strength program in existence. The Starting Strength Method is essentially strength engineering.

In the Trenches

A gaggle of young people get to deadlifting and power cleaning on Wednesday morning at Testify Strength & Conditioning in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Phil Meggers]

Adrian Bruce pulls all the slack out before a smooth squeeze off the floor at Starting Strength Atlanta. When new clients arrive at the gym without lifting shoes, one indicator of their commitment to the training process is how soon they invest in a pair. Adrian had her own new shoes by her second workout. [photo courtesy of Adam Martin]

AJ Luna (left) consults Adam Martin, SSC, for his next workout’s sets and reps at Starting Strength Atlanta. The stress/recovery/adaptation cycle governs all aspects of programming for strength training. Clients depend on coach input on this as much as they do their cues for technique. [photo courtesy of John Klein]

Starting Strength Cincinnati member John hits a big milestone with a 315 pound deadlift. [photo courtesy of Chris Reis]

After returning from a month long trip to the Philippines just 12 hours prior, a sleep deprived John Kawauchi deadlifts a set of five at 300 pounds under the watchful eye of Starting Strength Columbus apprentice Patrick Crawford. [photo courtesy of Jarret Beck]

Starting Strength Columbus member Judy Latshaw works through a set of squats. When full squat depth cannot be achieved, progress isn’t measured by weight on the bar but by increasing the range of motion. [photo courtesy of Jarret Beck]

Axel's class at Starting Strength Austin sends him off to college. [photo courtesy of Brian Payne]

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