Measure Edition

Starting Strength Weekly Report

July 14, 2025

On Starting Strength

Thoughts on Training Women – Rip talks about how to approach training women - you train them the same way, but adjust for neuromuscular differences to get the best progress from each lifter.
The Importance of Bone Density for Women by Emily Socolinsky – Bone density, an often-overlooked element of women’s health, plays a critical role in our overall well-being and quality of life as we age. Unlike cardiovascular fitness or muscle tone, which tend to receive more attention...
Barbell Rows – Rip and Stormi cover the use and execution of the barbell row, an explosive, whole-body movement that can be used productively as an assistance exercise or light day pull.
How Do you Know That? – Dr. Jonathon Sullivan, SSC talks about the persistent silliness coming from healthcare professionals and the need for you to be armed with your own information.
Bend Over When You Squat – Rip explains how to achieve the correct back angle for The Squat during the platform instruction at a Starting Strength Squat Camp held at Wichita Falls Athletic Club.
Weekend Archives: Keeping Strength in the Strength Program by Bill Starr – Strength is a much sought after attribute in the athletic community and for good reason. Greater strength gives every athlete a definite edge in any sport...
Weekend Archives: Muscle “Imbalances” and Injuries by Mark Rippetoe – The problem with “muscle imbalances” isn't how poorly they are defined so much as how they are generally treated by Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers (Certified), Chiropractors, Personal Trainers...

In the Trenches

With elbows in and high, Lindsey Nelson catches the bar with her shoulders, in the rack position of the power clean at Starting Strength Atlanta. [photo courtesy of Adam Martin]

Kevin presses 195lb at Starting Strength Boston’s “Freedom of the Press” event over the 4th of July weekend, 15lb over his current bodyweight. [photo courtesy of Stephen Babbitt]

Brendan Klein deadlifts 2x3@405 at Starting Strength Atlanta. Since attending the Starting Strength seminar in February, a 25 pound gain in bodyweight has translated into about a 100 pound gain in workset weights on both his squat and deadlift. [photo courtesy of John Klein]

Adam Allard warms up his deadlift under the watchful eye of apprentice Graham Guthrie at Starting Strength Columbus. [photo courtesy of Paul Jackson]

alicia at the bottom of a squat inside the power rack

Starting Strength Cincinnati member Alicia recently got back to training after several months of traveling the world for her role as a technology analyst at a major airline. [photo courtesy of Luke Schroeder]

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Best of the Week

Foolish gym owner

Jdcuth

I’ve changed jobs and found a new gym on my commute that appeared ideally equipped for SS. However when it came to pressing I realised they’ve welded the power rack too close to the wall and the bar hits an overhang at full extension making pressing in the rack impossible.

Squatting, benching and deadlifting not an issue and gym ideal in other ways

Is it realistic to progress the press cleaning the weight first? I know many men have got strong in the movement doing this in the past.

Mark Rippetoe

I guess you'll have to try it and see.

Satch12879

This pressing inside the rack is a curious recent development.

Best of the Forum

Deadlift Intermediate

Churchill

I have been doing the program for a couple of years. Injuries, resets, etc.

I have been using the Texas method for deadlifting. For example 430x5x3 Wednesday, PRx5 on Saturday with success until recently where I am stalled. The last three weeks of PR attempts, 507.5x5, 510x1, 510x3. I have been waiting 10 min or so between attempts to see if I can get all the reps. Should I keep grinding for 5 or accept the lifts I get and try to keep going up? How dogmatic are the fihves to future gains? Any other assistance exercises I should be doing? Rack pulls?

Mark Rippetoe

There is no version of the Texas Method that calls for sets-across deadlifts.

Churchill

Well... I had read the grey book Practical Programming for Strength Training and interpreted page 115 as applicable to the deadlift. The examples on page 118 and on have power snatches. Page 125 had SLDL with sets across.

So what would you recommend I do for the purposes of improving my deadlift. Monday Rack Pulls 1x5, Wednesday Power Clean, Friday Heavy DL 1x5??

Mark Rippetoe

The word "deadlift" does not appear on page 115. Your interpretation notwithstanding, I recommend that you improve your deadlift by adding 5 pounds to the set of 5 called for in the program and lifting it successfully. If you are legitimately stuck, and you probably aren't since you haven't been doing the actual program, I recommend that you switch to rack pulls and haltings, as discussed in the book.

Sturw

God damn. Mark knows the exact wording of every page.

Chuck Norris tried to argue intermediate, but Mark would not let him.

Mark Rippetoe

Unlike Churchill, I have a copy of the book.

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