August 25, 2025
Froe Version
On Beginning Power
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Starting Strength Radio: Behind the Scenes –
Rusty Holcomb leads a tour of the studio and manufacturing course of for Beginning Power Radio. -
Starting Strength: An Aphorism by Mark Rippetoe –
At this time’s Market-Ticker put up by Karl Denninger (which you need to learn day-after-day) is very insightful when utilized to what we do right here at Beginning Power. It’s a visitor put up… -
The Great Lifter Dilemma –
Brandon Brendel of Beginning Power St. Louis addresses relaxation interval administration for severe lifters confronting heavy hundreds. -
Improving Dance by Getting Stronger by Emily Socolinsky –
As a former dancer (20+ years of dance, ballet and fashionable), I didn’t perceive the true nature of what “getting stronger” meant. It took me twenty years to lastly begin coaching with a barbell… -
Why Do You Lift Weights? by Robert Novitsky –
Has anybody ever requested you, “Why do you raise weights?” It looks as if a easy query, however it really would possibly take you aback and provide you with a second’s pause… - Weekend Archives:
Back Rehab: A Case Study by Mac Ward –
Throughout my final deployment I suffered a again damage that left me with a situation generally known as “Foot Drop”, typically known as “Drop Foot.” My rehabilitation protocol was unorthodox, my restoration is full… - Weekend Archives:
The 3 Most Effective Ways to Waste Time in the Gym by Mark Rippetoe –
Time is cash. Cash is scarce today, in all places however DC. You wish to be stronger, so that you go to the gymnasium. The most effective use of your time there’s the easy progressive barbell coaching program we’ve mentioned earlier than…
Within the Trenches

Dylan Penka working by way of a heavy press on an brisk Saturday morning at Starting Strength Columbus. [photo courtesy of Paul Jackson]

Starting Strength Cincinnati member Kevin Douthitt rack pulls 430 kilos for a set of 5, effectively on his approach to pulling 4 plates from the ground. Recognized by his co-workers as “The Ol’ Bull,” 62 12 months previous Kevin is relentlessly constant along with his coaching and has now gone over a 12 months with out lacking a single session! [photo courtesy of Chris Reis]

Matt simply bench pressed a 300lb single at Starting Strength Boston. This was the final PR he wanted to formally be a part of Beginning Power’s “sticker membership” – that means a 200lb press, 300lb bench, 400lb squat, and 500lb deadlift. Congratulations Matt! [photo courtesy of Michael Shammas]
Get Concerned
Better of the Week
Testosterone Reference Ranges and AUA Guidelines
Jason Donaldson
Not a query, just a few fascinating observations:
In trying by way of lab outcomes, I seen that the supplier I take advantage of states that their technique for testing testosterone…
“…is at the moment licensed by the CDC Hormone Standardization Program (HoSt). Grownup male reference interval is predicated on a inhabitants of wholesome nonobese males (BMI <30) between 19 and 39 years previous. Travison, et.al. JCEM 2017,102;1161-1173. PMID: 28324103.”
(emphasis added)
After all, this has the elemental flaw of being purely a statistical definition, with out regard to signs or different impact-related elements. It additionally suffers from the standard shortcoming of BMI as the only real definer of weight problems. That mentioned, the reference vary utilizing 19-39 12 months previous males as the usual appears to be a great signal for diagnosing age-related low T, as an alternative of utilizing / together with older males’s numbers.
Having seen that, I appeared up the American Urology Affiliation’s pointers, for the reason that final time I heard about them, I recall seeing that they particularly advisable towards treating low T when the trigger was age. I used to be pleasantly stunned to learn of a large number of adjustments:
Testosterone Deficiency Guideline – American Urological Association
There are lots of good issues there, equivalent to telling sufferers that there’s, in actual fact NO proof that supplementing testosterone will increase danger of cardiac issues and so forth. The truth is, lots of these pointers outright contradict the strategy that we have seen lots of people reporting right here on the boards that they have been prescribed, like one injection each two or 4 weeks. It is not too shocking that new steering has not penetrated the entrance strains of basic apply, a lot much less insurance coverage, nevertheless.
Nonetheless, the AUA web page is an fascinating learn, and does appear to be some progress.
Steve Cox
I want these in cost on the VA would learn that; I’d’ve been placed on TRT a number of years in the past and be rather a lot higher off now. As an alternative, they wish to give out meds which are questionable at greatest, after which meds to repair the unwanted side effects of the primary meds, and on and on. Fortuitously they solely have me on BP treatment for now and I fought that one.
Mark Rippetoe
And THIS ought to let you know what that you must know in regards to the “reference vary”: Grownup male reference interval is predicated on a inhabitants of wholesome nonobese males (BMI <30) between 19 and 39 years previous. It’s a median of 1000 younger males, not an optimum stage derived from any scientific parameters.
Better of the Discussion board
What are your thoughts on the “Dead Press”?
AdamFiddler
Should you weren’t within the specificity of aggressive powerlifting however have been keen on constructing probably the most horizontal-pushing sort energy off the chest, would there be any benefit to coaching the bench press concentric-first just like the deadlift? Would this fashion make it any simpler on the shoulders?
Concentric-first lifting appears to have fairly good pedigree from the little I do know, as Paul Andersen used it for squatting and the deadlift is, effectively, the deadlift. Do you see any issues with coaching the bench press this fashion apart from that you’d want an influence rack to do it each time?
Mark Rippetoe
Have you ever learn my e book?
AdamFiddler
Not the bench press portion, guess I ought to go try this.
Adam Skillin
Wait, you written a e book? A couple of? You need to have named the web site after one of many books…