John (age 48) warms up his deadlift at Blackmetal Strength Training. 135 is light compared to his 295x3 work set. [photo courtesy of Andrew Lewis]

Starting Strength Oklahoma City celebrated their grand opening last weekend with a ribbon cutting, deadlift workshop, and a Q&A with Rip. [photo courtesy of Nick Delgadillo]

Cody Suckstorf cranks out the reps on the tire deadlift event under the watchful eyes of officials Sharon Foster and Becky Meggers. Meanwhile, Baby Adeline Meggers naps throughout the whole event and a good portion of the entire Testify Strongman Summer Showdown, which was held this past weekend in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Testify Strength & Conditioning]

Nick Little moves fast through the stone-and-sandbag carry event with the 218 lb stone at this weekend's Testify Strongman Summer Showdown in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Testify Strength & Conditioning]

Ben Borkowski plows through the log clean-and-press event at this weekend's Testify Strongman Summer Showdown in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Testify Strength & Conditioning]

Tyler Holm carries the 200 lb sandbag during the last event of this weekend's Testify Strongman Summer Showdown in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Testify Strength & Conditioning]

Meet Results

The Testify Strongman Summer Showdown's Epic Strongwoman award (Morgard the Manatee) went to Sheri Fisher, and the Epic Strongman award went to Nick Little. Full meet results.

pard123

I have been doing the protocol for tennis elbow for 3 weeks - so I have now done 5 sessions. Working my way up from 25 sets of 3 to 30 sets of 5 with the advised rest between sets. Once every 4/5days. And not doing any other upper work in the meantime. I haven't been experiencing any pain during the chins but am getting elbow soreness for a day or 2 after. Should I continue with the protocol and would it be ok to return to other upper body work?

Mark Rippetoe

If you have actual tendonitis, the last sets of the chinups should hurt. And by the 5th workout most people report that the issue has resolved. I think you're doing something wrong.

pard123

In terms of the diagnosis I'm pretty sure its tennis elbow (I've been to physio a few times who also diagnosed the same). I tend to only feel discomfort during exercise if I am using an overhand grip and I have soreness at the insertion point and extensors. Should I try increasing the load on chins?

oface

Are we not supposed to train the bench and OHP at all while doing the chins protocol? I went back to the podcast clip about the process: How To Heal Golfer's Elbow - Starting Strength Radio Clips The recommendation is to do the routine for "about four or five workouts", which to me means you hold everything else constant (pain permitting). Likewise, the article on the website: Elbow Tendonitis: How It Occurs and What to Do About It. It doesn't seem to recommend altering the other lifts or the rest in between. Am I missing something?

I've been struggling with tennis elbow for a few months. Found this treatment method a few weeks ago and implemented it. A full set of chins for me is just 5, so my first day I did 1x10, then 1x15 the next time in, then 1x20 the next time in, then 1x15 + 2x5 for two consecutive days, all of this after my normal NLP lifts. By the fifth day, my pain was greatly reduced and I could bench uninhibited. Unfortunately the following day, I tried cleans for the first time since starting the chin up protocol, and they ate my elbow to pieces, to the point that I think I need to restart the treatment.

So maybe I'm not doing the chin up stuff correctly – just didn't recall reading/watching to cease bench and ohp while treating elbow tendonitis.

Mark Rippetoe

I have never suggested that you put the rest of your training on hold while you do this.

TommyGun

Harvard professor wants to ban homeschooling because it’s "authoritarian". Because parents are authoritarian. Not the government mind you, the parents. And those SS seminars and camps? Rather authoritarian as well. If these elites had their way, any and all strength related training and education shall now be taught by personnel judged qualified by our government overlords, not on actual real world (often non-academic) knowledge.

Rip, one of your better appearances was on a podcast with Tom Woods about government licensure. Thought of your government licensure article as well.

Mark Rippetoe

I've been seeing a lot of bitching about homeschooling recently. We've got a podcast about that too. And there's a real easy way to make it not an issue: open up the government schools. After all, we didn't close them.

Mark Le Comte

Next recommendation: Government certificate required to be a parent

Eagle4Christ

My wife and I are homeschooling our two kids because:

1. Our academic standards are higher than theirs;
2. Our moral standards are higher than theirs; and
3. We want to instill a rugged independence the organization of a school system contradicts.

If that is tyranny, it is the tyranny of being forced to grapple with the big question of what it means to be a man in full. If we are authoritarian, it is because we will not allow them to slumber in slavery to mere passions and fads.