Clyde

Hello, Mr. Rippetoe. I am a big fan and have read your books, as well as the Prescription book by Sullivan/Baker. All are great references.

I see that there is a plan to open SS Gyms throughout the country. I really like the idea that the gyms will be different and staffed by SS certified coaches. However, I believe there are only about 130 SS certified coaches globally, and they tend to be centered in various parts of the countr.

To grow a SS Gym in an area that does not currently have a SS Coach, is there going to be a plan for a more direct pathway for someone to become a certified coach? For example, will there be more opportunities, in more locations, for someone to try to obtain the certification? Similarly, is there any thought to an apprentice program that would allow a highly qualified apprentice to be in a SS Gym, while on the pathway to full certification?

Thanks for your consideration and keep up the good work!

Travis Reid

"We are on it". Always. Thanks Rip and team. Great plans in the works, great things for Starting Strength in the future.

D in KC

Over the past few months, I noticed I've been getting sicker more often (I'm a 39-year-old male who is normally very healthy). If it wasn't a bad cold virus or the flu, it was an infection of some kind, things that my body is usually better at fighting off. I went back and checked my training logs and noticed that these sick days/weeks usually followed a period where I was doing a "reps to failure" program such as 5/3/1. (I know Jim now offers alternatives to the AMRAP aspect of 5/3/1, but I was going to failure on the last set.) When doing a novice or intermediate program with all sets capped at 5 reps, I didn't notice a correlation to getting sick more often.

It could be a total coincidence, but this got me thinking, is it possible that doing reps to failure every training session is too taxing on the body and weakening my immune system?

Pluripotent

If you are not providing adequate recovery, then any stress can result in a decreased ability to ward off infection. It seems that reps to failure would require even more recovery, and could possibly even be a greater stress than one could adequately recover from. So, DTFP, and then eat and sleep.