Tom Bailey: Strong Enough?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The Most Important Lift of My Life | Tom Bailey

[TommyGun]

Rip, writing this was pure therapy for me. I appreciate that you ran it back then. My father passed shortly after this ran.
But here’s the thing, you and Stef somehow made it easier. When I came home from the funeral, I grabbed the mail.
I was not in the mood to look at bills so I put them on the counter. But there was an envelope from Witchita Falls, so I opened it.

So just hours after I put my father int he ground I opened up an envelope and inside was a thank you note from Stef for the article that absolutely made my day, along with a hilarious pic of your dog in full mischief mode. I laughed out loud in my kitchen. Man I needed that at that moment. Showed the note and dog pic to the family and we all had a much needed laugh together after a long day.

The envelope also had a check (are you kidding me?). 100% of that check I plowed right back into Starting Strength. It covered my first Squat and Deadlift Camp.

It helped me understand what makes SS continue to be successful. The strength training gets you here, the people keep you here.

[TonyE]

Amen.

Just a few weeks ago, I popped round to see my 80 year old Dad.

He had fallen and couldn't get up. This was Saturday, and I'd pulled 115kg for a set of five on the Thursday. He weighs around 85-90kg, so I don't think it's a coincidence that I set my back and pulled him up off the floor.

He had a care alarm, which he had pressed. The nurses arrived about fifteen minutes later armed with slings and other apparatus. They couldn't quite get that I'd lifted him myself.

Which is sad, since at present, 115kg is around bodyweight for me, and ergo nothing special.

[FatButWeak]

My boys deadlift on the reg. Im probably going to be a big fat old motherfucker when I go down. I hope they can pick my fat ass up off the floor.

[VNV]

Won’t have to. If you’re the last one left in the house, they’ll just burn it down. It’d be poignant. Like Gilbert Grape.