kr1980

I'm male and 43 years old. I'm 6'6" and weigh 550 lbs. I'm weak and out of shape. I played sports through junior high but never did any strength training.

Last fall I started going for daily walks around my neighborhood. As I ratcheted up the distance each week eventually my lower back and shoulders started hurting by the end of each walk. Googling for the best way to strengthen my lower back and shoulder muscles is how I discovered the blue book and this website.

I just wanted to strengthen my lower back and shoulder muscles enough so they wouldn't hurt on long walks but after learning more about starting strength I wonder if I should begin the full program. Do you recommend strength training for obese people whose primary goal is burning fat? If so, do you advise any changes to your normal diet recommendations for such people? Or follow the program as is?

My intuition is that I should stick with reduced caloric intake and daily cardio for the next 18-24 months until my BMI is much lower and then start strength training. But my intuition is often wrong.

Mark Rippetoe

"Cardio" does not burn bodyfat. No one who is not already muscular has gotten lean by running, walking, or riding a bike. Muscle mass burns fat for fuel. The more muscle you have, the more calories and fat you burn. So you have to train for strength and go on a calorie-restricted diet. Paleo or carnivore or Atkins works well. If you will not do this, and you probably won't or you already would have, just go ahead and get the surgery.

FatButtWeak

When I was 41 I was 6'4" and 350. Fat as Fuck. Decide upon a reasonable whole foods based diet (keto diet consisting of whole foods - not processed keto bars, cookies, breads and shakes - worked for me. Become a cook and be proud of learning how to cook all different kinds of meats) and stick to it. As you lose the flab, do the SS novice linear progression as written. Buy the book.

If you are too weak to squat your body, do everything else. Every time you lose 25 pounds start trying to do the squat. Become greedy and jealous of those who squat, but realize that you won't be able to do it until your massive sow apron shrivels down. So lose it.

Become proud of your bench and overhead press. Remember that if you eat well (i.e. 300 grams of animal protein per day) your lifts will continue to climb. Become vain and prideful of your strengths, and look to increase them through judicious diet and sleep, as well as through consistent training.

Follow the program.

Godspeed, fat man.

I'm now 53, 6'4" and 275 with visible ab musculature. This program works, Fatboy, but only if you do it.

gtrfinder

My left knee has been locking up on me intermittently for the last 9 months. It only occurs when training Jiu jitsu, and generally only in certain positions. It feels like a mechanical lock, but I’m not certain that it actually is, because it unlocks almost immediately. It has never remained locked longer than a second or two. It never swells much, or presents pain other than when the event initially occurs. No noticeable instability or strength loss in the knee. I had an MRI done on the knee which showed no meniscus damage (which I thought it might be initially), and a generally healthy knee.

I suppose the obvious response would be “stop doing Jiu jitsu” or “avoid certain positions that aggravate it”; but I am interested in the possible root causes of it.

Any thoughts?

Mark Rippetoe

It's usually a fractured meniscus, rarely a torn articular cartilage. A mechanical lock should not be difficult to diagnose.

gtrfinder

My orthopedic surgeon indicated that my MRI showed no damage to the meniscus, but did not mention articular cartilage. He indicated that sometimes a tight IT band may create a snapping sensation.

Mark Rippetoe

True.