Starting Strength Boise

[Avery Martz]

Ethan here has been training with us for about 12 weeks now and he is getting dangerously close to a 315 x 5 deadlift which is more than double his day 1 deadlift. Ethan really knows how to grind out a set but there is nothing like pulling heavy singles to find out what you're really made of so join Ethan and the rest of us at the gym this weekend for some casual competition during the Day of the Deadlift at Starting Strength Boise.

[Avery Martz]

Paul Horn coaching Dave through a PR set of Deadlifts at 145lbs

[Avery Martz]

Here Sean is hitting 135 for 5 for the first time ever.

[Avery Martz]

Chris has been training on his own for about 2 years now and recently joined the gym after becoming fed up with hitting plateaus and fighting through injuries. With a little help from Brandon, our newest coach at SS Boise, Chris has added 45 lbs to his squat while improving his form substantially in only a few weeks.

[Avery Martz]

Friday morning Dave Fox, Co-Owner and General Manager of SS Boise, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep. He leaves behind his wife, Rachel and two young sons, Justin (age 5) and Matthew (just 11 months old). He was a great father and a wonderful mentor to the staff and me and he will be missed dearly. Opening a gym and building a community around strength was Dave's dream and I think there is no better evidence of the passion he put into his work than the fact that the members had already noticed his absence Friday afternoon.

Rachel broke the news publicly Sunday and the response from the community has been incredible. The gym and her home have been flooded with home cooked meals and flowers are arriving daily from all corners of the country. Ray Gillenwater took on the role of acting General Manager over the weekend and performed what would have been weeks of work for any mere mortal in only a few hours on Saturday afternoon. Ben and Jen Gillenwater have apparently managed to be in three places at once the last few days while doing their own jobs, helping me and the other coaches learn our new roles, and helping Rachel make arrangements and take care of the kids.

Going forward the staff and I are all committed to finishing the work Dave started when he opened the gym. Paul Horn, John Dowdy (who recently passed his tests and is a certified SSC now), Brandon Kubo (apprentice coach previously featured on this thread and our new GM), and I have all taken on new roles in support of the mission to provide a place to train, not just exercise, to build a community of people with similar values, and now to turn this fledgling business into a steady source of income for Rachel and the boys as Dave intended it to be.

If you would like to reach us or Rachel you may email us at boise@startingstrengthgyms.com. If you've been considering signing up for classes visit us at Starting Strength Gym in Boise, ID | Get Strong – Guaranteed. We are open for business and would be happy to meet you.

[Avery Martz]

Starting Strength Boise is growing and we looking for more apprentice coaches. If you're in the area and you've been considering perusing a Starting Strength Credential contact Brandon at the gym through our email, boise@startingstrengthgyms.com, by phone at 208-219-5015, or check out the Starting Strength recruitment page to talk to Inna Koppel about opportunities throughout the system.

The other night all three Gillenwaters joined our afternoon session and Jen set the women's gym record in the deadlift with a set of 3 reps at 230lbs!

[Avery Martz]

Pam Hunt Deadlifting 145 for 5 reps

Pam had been doing the program with an excellent coach online for a few years already before she, her two sons, her daughter-in-law, and her neighbor all joined the gym about two months ago. Last week she set new PRs in all her lifts by squatting 53 lbs for a set of 5, pressing 37 lbs for set of 5, and deadlifting 147.5 lbs for a set of 4 (we are going to go back and get that 5th rep next week!). And, after we cleaned up some nagging form issues, she says she lifts completely pain free now.

Pam and her entourage filled the last spots we had available at 6:00am and 12:00pm MWF so we have added an additional class at 9:30am M-F and an 11:30am class on Saturday. If you're interested in starting your training contact us at boise@startingstrengthgyms.com, by phone at 208-219-5015, or come meet the coaches at our open house this Saturday from 10:00am-2:00pm!