Getting "the Good" Edition

Starting Strength Weekly Report

June 07, 2021

Announcements

Get your Texas Cafe Classics apron now! Perfect for making all your favorite cafe recipes from The Floral Heights Cafe in Wichita Falls.

On Starting Strength

You Are the Grass Under Their Feet – Rip answers questions from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans.
A Better Deadlift Setup with Less Fidgeting – Starting Strength Coach Andrew Lewis demonstrates a way to make your deadlift setup more consistent and intentional.
Creamed Corn | Texas Cafe Classics – Mark Rippetoe makes the creamed corn recipe from The Floral Heights Cafe in Wichita Falls.
Our Values at Starting Strength Gyms by Ray Gillenwater – As an organization that values substance over image and doing what we believe to be right instead of what others expect us to do, it’s important that we clearly articulate who we are and what we stand for...
A Chronological Guide to Becoming an SSC by Andrew Lewis – It is lucrative, satisfying, and challenging to become a Starting Strength Coach (SSC). SSCs are in high demand, but there are too few to meet demand for coaching as of this writing...
Weekend Archives: 5 Ways to 5 x 5 by Andy Baker – Most of us recognize that doing 5 sets of 5 reps – 5 x 5 – is an incredibly powerful method of getting big and strong. The method is an absolute staple of many of the programs laid out...
Weekend Archives: The Mathematical Nature of Strength Training by Mark Rippetoe – Few things could be simpler: use a few exercises that work as much of the body at one time as possible, find out how strong you are now on these exercises, and next time you train, lift a little heavier weight...

From the Coaches

Marie Kunkel Worsham shares her journey into strength training and how she became the Head Coach of Starting Strength Cincinnati on the Fitness Candor podcast.
As with the snatch, there are three different landing positions for the clean, and Phil Meggers covers them as well as some advantages that go with each position.
Register for the 10th Annual Charm City Strongwoman Contest at Fivex3 Training. This event always sells out quickly, so do not delay.

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In the Trenches

joe gets ready to squat at the starting strength training camp in orlando

Joe gets ready to take his final sets of squats while SSC Joe Leppo coaches at our most recent Starting Strength squat training camp in Orlando. [photo courtesy of Pete Troupos]

patricia learns to squat to a box that is lowered as she progreses

We can accommodate all levels of ability at our training events. Patricia drove three hours to learn to squat with us. She wasn’t able to squat with the training bar her first time so the coaches set her up with a box target and drilled finer aspects of the movement, while lowering her target over time. [photo courtesy of Pete Troupos]

Melanie sets up for her last set of squats at the Orlando camp. [photo courtesy of Pete Troupos]

dana at the bottom of her work set of squats

Danna works on her last set of squats at our Orlando training camp. Prior to attending, she had only ever squatted the empty bar. [photo courtesy of Pete Troupos]

todd resting on a hammock in the starting strength houston parking lot

Todd Smith maximizes his rest and recovery between sets at Starting Strength Houston. [photo courtesy of Tony Stein]

Best of the Week

Using a belt with flat-backed good mornings?

olavi

Would using a belt make sense with flat-backed good mornings, or is there something in this lift that would make it inadvisable?

Mark Rippetoe

Are you working with 315 on the good mornings?

olavi

No… So I guess your answer would be something along the lines of "there's no reason to use a belt due to the relatively light weights the movement is done with".

Mark Rippetoe

Something like that.

Best of the Forum

Loose hips and ligaments in pregnancy

Lucie95

I am just finishing my 1st trimester of pregnancy still doing the novice program (the progress is slowing down rapidly). I have already started experiencing loose hips and ligaments, it almost feels like the hip joint is not in the socket (I can feel it especially in my right hip). This is my second pregnancy and I had this problem last time as well, however, back then I didn’t do any barbell training so I have no idea how to prevent myself from getting injured especially during squats, deadlifts feel fine so far. I don’t even know whether I should worry about this at all.

Today’s squat session didn’t feel stable at all, the whole time I was squatting it felt like the hip was just gonna pop out because it’s so loose. I feel a bit let down because I hoped being strong might prevent this and the joint would become more stable with the strong muscles.

What would you recommend? My guess is to lower the intensity and maybe focus a bit more on volume but I have no idea, all I know is I want to keep squatting

Mark Rippetoe

First, where in the squat ROM do you perceive the problem? Bottom? Second, wear your belt and see if it helps.

FatButWeak

This woman should also see her obstetrician AND a good endocrinologist (one who focuses on all hormones, not just those of diabetic slobs): "In women, elevated concentrations of maternal relaxin during pregnancy are associated with preterm birth and the lack of circulating relaxin is associated with increased insulin resistance."

She ought not be fucking around w this shit. Keep training, try the belt and all that good shit AND get thee to a proper physician.

Relaxin in Human Pregnancy

mpalios

I'd never have guessed that wearing a belt, as tightly as it looks like one should wear a belt, would be good for the baby.

I also am a man who's never been pregnant.....

Will Morris

Do you think that a properly worn belt is worn tightly enough to compress the uterus?

Mark Rippetoe

Or that the pressure would affect a 1st-trimester fetus?

Soule

At what stage of pregnancy is the belt contraindicated and how long can she lift heavy?

FatButWeak

Time to follow your own advice, Rip. Don't tell pregnant broads to start training. Better tell this one not to and see her doctor. I don't know how tight a belt has to be to compress a first trimester uterus - do you?

Mark Rippetoe

Read more carefully, Fat. I think you're drinking kinda early today.

FatButWeak

You're right. But still…

Will Morris

The general recommendation is such: it is generally safe to continue with physical activity that you are accustomed to while pregnant. Course of the pregnancy, potential complications that can arise, may change that recommendation, but that is a decision to be left to a woman and her OB-GYN.

If you are going to train while pregnant, don’t post your workouts on social media unless you want a bunch of miscreants and bottom-feeders to tell you that you will harm the baby.

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