Qualities a novice trainees must ADOPT...

[amos.lim100]

Hi Rip!

I got a few questions regarding your experience working with a variety of novice trainee, from the complete beginners, former athletes, veterans, underweight etc??

1. What training qualities do you expect from your novice trainees or basically what do you want to SEE in your novice trainees
2. Common struggles of novice trainees
3. What is the absolute WORST mistake for novice trainee can make?
4. What is the absolute BEST thing a novice can do to accelerate their result based on your experience
5. If I was your trainee (skinny but determined 18 years old kid, currently 174.5cm, 137lbs) what do you expect from ME in order to be successful and what potential do you see in me if you were to train me for 2 years?

I know this is rather selfish question especially the last one but it would really benefit many other novice out there doing your program.

Thank you!

[Mark Rippetoe]

1. The ability to eat a lot of food and drink a lot of milk.
2. Eating.
3. Not eating enough.
4. Eating enough.
5. Eat more and drink one gallon of whole milk a day.

[amos.lim100]

1. The ability to eat a lot of food and drink a lot of milk.
2. Eating.
3. Not eating enough.
4. Eating enough.
5. Eat more and drink one gallon of whole milk a day.

Was expecting that, cheers!

Anything else other than the physical and physiological side of training (psychological aspect to be exact)

[Mark Rippetoe]

Read the whole board before you post again.

[amos.lim100]

Read the whole board before you post again.

I get the point. Never really though of that before posting.

I understand how it feels cause I was once like that, but I got over it by knowing the greater benefits of the trade off. After eating above 5000++kcal for 2 weeks on SS, I didn't get fat, instead, I gained 12lbs and noticed a drastic increase in performance.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Qualities a novice trainees must ADOPT...

[MWittmer]

1. The ability to eat a lot of food and drink a lot of milk.
2. Eating.
3. Not eating enough.
4. Eating enough.
5. Eat more and drink one gallon of whole milk a day.

This is so right, I don't know if it can be emphasized enough, and not just for novices either. True story:

My son was, at the time, national champion. The following year, he lifted in the Arnold and made the same total that won for him the previous year, with openers His snatch was 10kg below what he was doing with straps, and his jerk had gone no where, probably 15kg below his clean. He made 190, then cleaned 200 twice only to miss the jerks. Afterward, ever the optimist, he told me, "I think I made a statement."

To which I replied, roughly, "Yeah, whatever is on the bar, you'll get it on your chest and stand with it. You'll clean the house, you'll go for anything. Yes, you've got balls. By the way, everyone already knows that. You proved it when you were 12 and it is still true today. Oh yeah, also, your grip strength is holding your snatch back. Yes, you are pretty strong, but you are only as strong as your weakest link. While we are at it, once again, you weighed in at a full four kilos under the limit. In four years, you've gained one kilo in body weight, if that. You're 21 years old. Yes, you made a statement and that statement is that you are not very smart."

If you haven't guessed, we have had this conversation before. This time, finally, he took things to heart. A serious discussion took place, especially about the eating. He always ate healthy, very 'clean'. I told him gaining weight is work, just like dieting to lose weight. You will have to be uncomfortable all the time. Just as one on a diet is uncomfortable, hungry, maybe weak, you will not feel good. Of course, increased sets and reps on the toilet occurred. But, he worked at it and made progress.

He did some serious work on his grip, started eating, and by the Nationals two months later he had gained 2 kilos bodyweight and put 10 on his total. By the PanAm Games, he actually had to cut a little to make weight (now weighing 4 kilos more than what he weighed at the Arnold five months earlier) and put another 10 on his total and probably left another five on the platform. In about five months, an advanced lifter gained four kilos in bodyweight and put twenty on this total.

It takes work, it isn't easy. But if you train properly and eat, the results will be there. If this story motivates one person to follow Rip's advice, I'll be happy, and so will that person.

[Manimal]

The eating enough thing is no joke. I've run LP several times past numbers I am currently pushing on an intermediate program. The only difference is my ability to eat. It's not a license to pound double cheeseburgers, but eat you skinny fucks

http://startingstrength.com/articles...n_rippetoe.pdf

[nykid]

I told him gaining weight is work, just like dieting to lose weight. You will have to be uncomfortable all the time. Just as one on a diet is uncomfortable, hungry, maybe weak, you will not feel good.

I never really understand when people say this. What's so hard about eating a few more meals? Ok maybe for an elite athlete who's burning thousands of calories a day in exercise, but for most people it's *really* not that hard to add a few hundred calories and get the scale moving. It does not require being uncomfortable all the time. It's not "hard" the way dieting down is. It just requires a (relatively simple) psychological commitment. And I say this as a former skinny bastard - high school wrestler, 150 lbs at 5'10 when I was 20 years old. Then I started lifting and gained 25 lbs in 3 months. It really wasn't that hard - I just drank some milk and ate some peanut butter. Now I have to make an effort not to gain weight.

But, your overall point is taken.

[marcf]

I never really understand when people say this. What's so hard about eating a few more meals?

It's actually pretty hard for me. I'm always pressed for time, my work schedule is erratic and sometimes I just don't have an appetite. I'm 6'1" and 232 pounds, but some days I feel like I'm eating like a person half my size.