The future of strength training

[madmaxaus]

We're trying, Rhett. Doing our best here. As for whether we'll succeed, It does look like a long hill to climb.

I'm doing my bit to take this global for you, by global I mean I told a few people in Australia, but progress is progress!

Although there is a selfish part of me that doesn't want anyone else to be strong so I can have an advantage in all athletic endeavors, but I suppose I should be more kind.

[8odin8]

I guess I could become Oprah's strength coach. Maybe that would be better?

Making Oprah do GOMAD and shit her undies while doing heavy full squats sounds like an instant launch into celebrity stardom. A real media attraction for sure.

[Nick Klemetson]

The show is absolute vomit/drivel/wasted electricity, and Dr. Oz is a fool/huckster/credulous moron. But this is who the masses watch.

I think Feigenbaum is taking over in a few years anyway.

[rhett]

I guess I could become Oprah's strength coach. Maybe that would be better?

Mark Rippetoe, trainer to the stars.

[Dilan]

Starting Strength et al has the best publicity money can't buy - international positive word of mouth.

[Dave Longley]

Joe Rogan might be a good idea? He likes an argument, talks about functional strength training with kettlebells. He likes interesting guests, politics, conspiracies. You'd be a belting guest, Rip.

No idea how one would go about getting on his podcast though. Maybe we could all tweet him? Send him a copy of the book? Suck his cock? I'll suck his cock if it helps, Rip. Any cock needs sucking, I'm your man. Not because I enjoy it, you understand. For the cause.

[hector_garza]

I think OP is missing the forest for the trees. Starting Strength has already had a profound effect and will continue to do so. It just doesn't seem to stop. (This point has been made before, but not in this thread, and it's relevant).

(1) I have been training at the same uni gym on/off for ten years. (Close to home, cheap membership). 10 years ago there was 1 squat rack, nobody used it (including me, I wasn't yet on SS) except for chinups and sometimes, sometimes, high squats.

(2) Today there are 3 squat racks and an oly platform. You have to wait FOREVER to get one at peak times.

(3) Among people I hear talking in the squat cages I've heard "Rippetoe" used as a term by people who have no idea who Mark Rippetoe is to describe 3X5 with incremental loading each session.

(4) But, often, people do know who Rippetoe is. On multiple occasions people have seen me squatting deep in the high 300's and come up to ask my questions (at my gym this is one of the higher squats). I always tell them to get SS and, often, they already have it. (The annoying part is that it's often a pirated copy.)

I realize my experience is only one data point but the past ten years have seen a dramatic shift in:
(1) The programming of mainstream, non-athlete, young peeople in college weight rooms toward serious 3x5 programming
(2) Equipment. (More squat racks, actual weight lifting shoes, chalk when the clerk isn't looking).
(3) The aspirations. 10 year ago I only heard people compare benches with each other. Now people talk about aiming for that below parallel 400 squat.

All these changes are major progress toward making strong people.

[CoolRunnings]

I had an idea about a reality show, something like Biggest Loser. Rip coaches three trainees: one who has had some sort of injury or accident that seems like it would prevent them from ever being able to function, much less lift heavy weights (ala BBL), one skinny high school kid who wants to play football or some other sport but doesn't think he can, and then one soccer mom or something to that effect who just wants to improve aesthetics or whatever. The show would highlight all the main lifts and Rip would explain the whys and hows.

Of course reality TV sucks and the general public probably doesn't care to know the whys and hows, but it would be cool for the public to see the kind of results that are possible.

[Savs]

rhett, when I saw Rip's post about the new certification requirements, I wondered the same things you have articulated so well here. Have you read edwardmgonzalez's testimonial? I've noticed the same thing at the Institute (University) here; the revolution has begun. These kids (redditors perhaps?) will graduate, enter the world of commercial gyms, and start demanding more barbells, round plates (fuck the twelve-sided ones and the cunt that brought them into existence), power cages, platforms, the ability to use chalk... I can't speak about the PT industry and athletic strength-training programs, but I hope the tide is turning there too.

[quikky]

The show is absolute vomit/drivel/wasted electricity, and Dr. Oz is a fool/huckster/credulous moron. But this is who the masses watch. Maybe he won't read this, and I can still get on.

I think even if you were given the opportunity, it might do more harm than good. Gary Taubes was on Dr. Oz, and while Dr. Oz essentially thought Taubes made sense, on the show, they made him look like the loon who is suggesting we eat steak for health. You can find YouTube clips of Taubes and Dr. Oz, especially Taubes explaining how they cut out a ton of what he said to push their own agenda.

You'll go on Dr. Oz, and they'll make you seem like the crazy guy who wants old women to chug gallons of milk a day while breaking their backs with barbells.