Good Boy Edition

Starting Strength Weekly Report

March 11, 2024

On Starting Strength

The Role of Starting Strength Gyms in the Fitness Industry – Rip talks to Ray Gillenwater about the impact Starting Strength continues to make in the lives of members and clients and the challenges of running a barbell based gym in the current fitness landscape.
Weight Loss for the Lifter by Robert Santana – In a country where nearly half of the population suffers from excess adiposity, it is only reasonable that many of its citizens are interested in reversing this trend. Excess adiposity, or “fatness”...
Lower Back Position Control – Rip explains some key points about lower back position control when lifting weights and how to coach lifters to develop this skill.
Toughness by Jim Steel – Ever since I was a little kid, I have been inspired by stories of toughness and courage. Athletes have inspired me...
Breaking in a New Belt – Starting Strength Coach Brent Carter demonstrates the way to break in a new lifting belt.
Weekend Archives: Doc Ziegler by Bill Starr – While Bob Hoffman had the greatest influence on Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, and other strength sports in the sixties, Doc Ziegler had the greatest impact...
Weekend Archives: Training Female Lifters: Neuromuscular Efficiency by Mark Rippetoe – If I need to tell you that women are physiologically different than men, you either have not coached both men and women or you have not been paying any attention while you were...

In the Trenches

Andrew, a new member at Starting Strength Austin, started the deadlft at 135 lb; 6 weeks later on the novice linear progression, he pulls 225. [photo courtesy of Andrea Mates]

Stefan reaches a personal goal of pressing 200 lb for a PR single at Starting Strength Boston. [photo courtesy of Stephen Babbitt]

event photos from last year's charm city strongwoman contest

Registration has opened for the 13th Annual Charm City Strongwoman Contest to be held on Sunday, June 9, 2024 in Baltimore. [photo courtesy of Fivex3 Training]

camisha teaches the bottom position of the squat

Camisha teaches Marci the proper bottom position of the squat at this past weekend's Squat & Deadlift training camp held at Starting Strength Cincinnati. [photo courtesy of Luke Schroeder]

Carolyn locks out her last deadlift rep during Saturday's camp at Starting Strength Cincinnati. [photo courtesy of Luke Schroeder]

mike pulls 455 at the starting strength camp

Squat & Deadlift training camp attendee Mike pulls 455 while working with Starting Strength Cincinnati's Head Coach Chris Reis. [photo courtesy of Luke Schroeder]

walden posing in front of the easy doesn't work poster

Walden knows that Easy Doesn’t Work. [photo courtesy of Inna Koppel]

moose sits in front of his owner's deadlift bar

Moose gives his human, Lindsey, some advice about correct hip height in the deadlift. [photo courtesy of Pete Yeh]

milo cuddles with anna and becky on the floor at testify strength and conditioning

Becky, Anna, and Milo demonstrate that a rest period - properly executed - is one of the most enjoyable aspects of lifting at Testify Strength & Conditioning in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Phil Meggers]

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Best of the Week

Mattress Recommendations

manis5

Been going down a mattress rabbit hole lately. Obviously a lot comes down to personal preference and there is no shortage of opinions online which makes it difficult to sift through.

I figured I’d ask on a forum of people who lift and weigh north of 200lbs rather than watching random youtube reviews.

I saw that you recommended purple mattresses a while back and was curious how its been holding up. I tried one out and liked it but am kinda worried about the longevity of it.

Mark Rippetoe

I've had mine for probably 4 years, and it's fine. It's the original design, no pillow top or soft shit.

mkm5

I spent several years and thousands of dollars trying to find a mattress that wouldn't leave me with back pain in the morning, with no success.

Strangely enough, after I exited the rat race and moved away from the city, I sleep very well every night; and, that's on a 50 year old mattress in the spare bedroom! I keep the master bedroom with the big new expensive mattress for when my daughters visit.

I made a lot of life changes that may have been the solution for a good night's sleep, but I'm still amazed I can sleep on this crappy old mattress and wake up feeling great in the morning!

Mark Rippetoe

Most people will disagree. I figured it out by sleeping in hotels with good mattresses. They make a big difference. For a conventional inner-spring mattress, Simmons makes a hotel mattress that is excellent.

Dr. Manhattan

Shoes, mattresses, tires, and meat sources are so often overlooked...

Now, if anyone has any suggestions for RE pillows, I'm listening.

Mark Rippetoe

Purple makes a damned fine pillow.

Best of the Forum

Painless popping while deadlifting

BigHig

Recently during every deadlift work set, though not during warmups, many joints will pop throughout the first 2 reps like knuckles cracking. It tends to be my knees, hip, and multiple in my tailbone area, so low that I wouldn't really call it my back. These pops don't hurt at all, but they're very distracting and cause my form to jerk around a bit (probably visually imperceptible, but it feels like that) as my body realigns.

Do you think this is normal? Should I try to prevent this somehow?

Mark Rippetoe

I have no idea. Some noise is normal, but try taking a bigger breath, taking all the slack out of everything between the bar and the feet, squeeze everything as tight as you can, squeeze a little more and then pull.

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