The Only Emphasis Is Strength | Mark Rippetoe

[tompaynter]

I get that you really REALLY want me to give a fuck about volume/light weights/short rest periods/muscularity/being more swole, but I don't. You can't make me. If you want to do 5 sets of 8-10 reps on your leg press machine with 60 seconds rest, go ahead. If you don't want to do the work necessary to get your squat up to 405, don't do it. You're still going to have shitty legs.

Rip, you have often talked and written about the benefits of muscular size/lean mass. In the blue book you talk about how it is important for some sports, like football. You've also talked about how it is important for metabolic health: muscle is metabolically active, gives a place for blood sugar to go. And you have said that muscular size gives your body a reserve that helps sustain you through old age and illness.

Given all of that, why wouldn't you care about muscularity/being swole? Are you saying that if there was a pill that would give people 10 lbs of muscle mass without an increase in strength, you wouldn't give a fuck whether they took it or not?

You are only asking this because you have not pushed your squat past 315. A 315 squat is below baseline for a man. It seems heavy, but that’s just because you have not loaded 330. I have seen an astounding difference in leg size getting from 315 to 350...

Last squat was 330 for 3 sets of 4 actually...last sets of 3x5 at 325. That's interesting, that you got a big size difference going to 350.

If I understand your complaint it's that we can't give you a system for winning the genetic lottery?

The language I quoted from PPST to which you are responding doesn't say a damn thing about any genetic lottery. It says "much more extensive muscular development derived from bodybuilding training." Your argument isn't with me, it's with the grey book.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Rip, you have often talked and written about the benefits of muscular size/lean mass. In the blue book you talk about how it is important for some sports, like football. You've also talked about how it is important for metabolic health: muscle is metabolically active, gives a place for blood sugar to go. And you have said that muscular size gives your body a reserve that helps sustain you through old age and illness.

Given all of that, why wouldn't you care about muscularity/being swole? Are you saying that if there was a pill that would give people 10 lbs of muscle mass without an increase in strength, you wouldn't give a fuck whether they took it or not?

You are not especially bright, tom.

[Jovan Dragisic]

Last squat was 330 for 3 sets of 4 actually...last sets of 3x5 at 325. That's interesting, that you got a big size difference going to 350.

Keep pushing. My legs have like doubled in size going from 315 to 350.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Tom, did you not get the answers you needed three years ago?

adding "muscular weight" via "higher-volume workouts" (PPST 115)

Honestly not trying to be a dick here, Tom, but maybe it’s time you just do some leg presses and leg extensions and find out how it works for you.

[tompaynter]

You are not especially bright, tom.

Ah, the Starting Strength forums, where people can have reasonable discussions based on fact and reason...where people respond to the thoughts and questions raised rather than launching personal attacks. Such a respite from the rest of the internet.

If anyone is still reading this thread, I'd be interested to hear your own experiences with SS training and muscle growth.

1. Have you been satisfied with the muscular size you achieved through SS training, i.e. 5-rep sets on the big lifts? Did you achieve your satisfactory results during your NLP, or sometime later?

2. If not, was/is there a part of your body that lagged?

3. Did you modify your training to address the lack? How? Did it work?

4. Do you give a shit about muscular size, or is being strong enough?

A lot of the responses have fallen in the camp of "just get your squat up and you'll get big". One person said this really kicked in between 315 and 350. Let's hear some other people's experiences.

[tompaynter]

No I did not actually. Thanks for linking to that, I had lost track of those citations to PPST.

I did try adding some leg extensions after that. My knees hurt immediately. Gave that up darn quick. I have not tried adding leg presses. But I am once again grinding through the LP and may actually reach the end of the novice phase this time. Stronger than I have ever been; starting to think about what's next.

But my own training plan is only half the reason for this question. I just hate inconsistency. It jumps out at me the way a smudge of dirt or a false note might jump out at someone else. Seeing Rip--who I have a ton of respect for and who has benefitted me a great deal personally--call hypertrophy training bunk when there's plenty of evidence to the contrary in SS's own materials just...bugs me.

[SouthernLifter]

Ah, the Starting Strength forums, where people can have reasonable discussions based on fact and reason...where people respond to the thoughts and questions raised rather than launching personal attacks. Such a respite from the rest of the internet.

If anyone is still reading this thread, I'd be interested to hear your own experiences with SS training and muscle growth.

1. Have you been satisfied with the muscular size you achieved through SS training, i.e. 5-rep sets on the big lifts? Did you achieve your satisfactory results during your NLP, or sometime later?

2. If not, was/is there a part of your body that lagged?

3. Did you modify your training to address the lack? How? Did it work?

4. Do you give a shit about muscular size, or is being strong enough?

A lot of the responses have fallen in the camp of "just get your squat up and you'll get big". One person said this really kicked in between 315 and 350. Let's hear some other people's experiences.

Why don't you do 10x10 leg presses, 5x10 leg extensions, and as many sets of leg curls and see for yourself if that works for bigger legs instead of clucking in a forum? I don't know, I think it would be more productive, and you would have solid arguments to argue. Take before and after photos.

[tompaynter]

Why don't you do 10x10 leg presses, 5x10 leg extensions, and as many sets of leg curls and see for yourself if that works for bigger legs instead of clucking in a forum? I don't know, I think it would be more productive, and you would have solid arguments to argue. Take before and after photos.

Huh...yeah, why do people use written language to draw on the experiences and knowledge of others rather than figuring everything out through trial and error?

[Eric Schexnayder]

Thanks for linking to that, I had lost track of those citations to PPST.

Somehow I doubt this.

[SouthernLifter]

adding "muscular weight" via "higher-volume workouts" (PPST 115)

Wow, this guy is really a dumb.

Huh...yeah, why do people use written language to draw on the experiences and knowledge of others rather than figuring everything out through trial and error?

Ok, keep asking about the experiences of others and lose another 3 years.

Arrivederci