June 16, 2025
Din Version
On Beginning Power
-
Strength and Soldiering –
Justin Goonan, Military energy and conditioning coach, joins Rip, Nick, and Rusty to debate coaching, testing, and dealing with army populations. -
Big Questions, Asymptotes, and the Rippetoe Plot by Jonathon Sullivan –
In Beginning Power, Sensible Programming, and The Barbell Prescription we current what I’ve come to easily name the Rippetoe Plot. I select this terminology as a result of (a) that’s what it’s… -
Introduction to Bars –
Mark Rippetoe talks about an important a part of barbell coaching – the bar. He compares three bars, exhibits how you can take a look at for a bend, and explains how a bent bar can be utilized in coaching. -
Advice for An Aspiring Coach by Jack Bissett –
When COVID journey restrictions from the UK to the US had been lastly lifted in 2023 I made a decision I’d make the journey to stunning downtown Wichita Falls, Texas to attend a seminar… -
The Trifecta of Squat Cues by Phil Meggers –
The descent of your squat is vital. It ought to put you in a powerful backside place with the intention to successfully drive your hips out of the outlet, so let’s focus on a cue – actually a trio of cues… - Weekend Archives:
The Skinny Fat Lifter by Robert Santana –
One of the vital widespread issues shared by purchasers is aesthetics. “Coach, I wish to get robust, however I wish to lose my stomach.” The problem is seen on each the 5’10” 220 lb untrained male… - Weekend Archives:
The Phenomenology of Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe –
In Beginning Power: Primary Barbell Coaching third version I outlined the time period “phenomenology” by quoting the definition of the phrase from the Concise Dictionary of Physics…
Within the Trenches
Caitlin Schiebel locks out a rack pull beneath the watchful eye of SSC Jarret Beck at Beginning Power Columbus. [photo courtesy of Paul Jackson]
Kim Johnson’s deadlift workset compels her rack neighbors to linger, watch, and snap photographs, earlier than heading out the door from a 6:00 am session at Starting Strength Atlanta. [photo courtesy of Adam Martin]
Get Concerned
Better of the Week
Time Under Tension
JosephMayoGolf
A pal who’s new to SS requested a query that I’m not certified to reply. He requested which is superior as a novice trainee – shifting the bar with maximal effort every rep or a slower extra deliberate “tempo” for extra time beneath pressure? I’ll defer to the specialists now……..
Mark Rippetoe
Lifting extra weight every exercise = extra drive produced every exercise = a energy adaptation. This “time beneath pressure” distraction simply is not going to go away. Now we have taken hundreds of individuals from 135 x 5 x 3 to 405 x 5 x 3 with out measuring the “time beneath pressure.” We simply measured the strain. The time it took was a operate of the peak of the lifter and how briskly he did the rep, one among which is fixed and one among which varies by the % of 1RM the load is, which will increase with coaching development.
ColeTrain
On common, how lengthy does it usually take yall to get somebody from 135x5x3 to 405x5x3? I do know that is extremely depending on the trainee and the way intently they comply with this system, however a tough estimate could be appreciated
Mark Rippetoe
6 months to 1 yr, relying on top, body weight, genetic endowment, and adherence to this system and food plan.
Better of the Discussion board
An interesting consultation at the doctor’s office…
SS2016
I am a med pupil in Europe and am at present on my Basic Apply rotation (aka native physician – do not know for those who guys use that time period within the US). I used to be shadowing a physician who initially educated as a bodily therapist. I apologise if it would not meet the factors of “Mark Rippetoe Q&A” however I wish to share this story with you from this afternoon:
As we speak, a 42 yr previous lady got here in with proper anterior knee ache x 3 months. Her knee was painful when strolling up the steps and when squatting down to select up gadgets from the ground. There was creptius in her knee throughout knee extension.
The physician concluded that she had patellar chondromalacia secondary to patellar-femoral syndrome/the patella not monitoring accurately. The physician prescribed her analgesia, ordered an XRay of her knee and despatched her to bodily remedy.
The physician claims that her vastus lateralis is just too robust for her vastus medialis. So she must keep away from working her vastus lateralis and strengthen her vastus medalis, so the muscle imbalance shall be corrected. She gave her an train the place she turns her proper foot out to a 30 diploma angle, flexes her proper knee whereas holding her left leg and higher physique straight, then extending her proper leg. She must repeat this 10 instances per day.
After the lady left, I requested the physician if it is potential to isolate the vastus medialis. She mentioned you may’t absolutely isolate it however it’s higher to attempt to work it by itself. Apparently, the vastus medialis is labored maximally within the final 30 levels of knee extension. I requested her wouldn’t it be extra useful to strengthen your complete quadriceps by squatting which might each right any “imbalances” and additional energy the hamstrings, calves, stomach muscular tissues and decrease again which might make her stronger altogether. In her opinion, squatting is dangerous for the knees, and for a lady approaching menopause, we do not wish to improve her threat of a fracture by getting her to carry heavy weights. Earlier than I may reply, the following affected person walked in.
I ought to add that this lady is from a financially deprived space, has a sick baby at dwelling, would not have personal medical health insurance, must wait 4 weeks for her XRay and can most probably pay for physiotherapy periods privately so she will not have to attend 3 months at no cost periods.
I am not going to lie, I used to be fairly mad strolling out of the clinic right this moment. Does the identical shit occur over within the States because it does in Europe, as regards to docs (and a whole lot of PTs) realizing nothing about getting folks stronger and more healthy?
Mark Rippetoe
Occurs every single day. It is constructed into the system.
Scaldrew
Constructed into human nature, I would say. Individuals who need assistance probably the most are the least more likely to obtain it, or usually even need it. The world’s total aged inhabitants would profit probably the most from being stronger and hardly any of them will carry weights of their (remaining) lifetime. Identical is true for injured folks, and I would say folks typically.
Fairly poetically, folks need assist probably the most, within the older sense of the phrase “need”, that means “lack”, and the newer sense, each. They will at all times each lack it and actually need it. As a result of in the event that they did not actually need it, they’d most likely have already got it in some kind or one other.
Anyway, does not imply we should always do nothing. Glad you are a physician who is aware of higher.
GammaFlat
Story 1: My son was getting a bodily from his pediatrician. Her eyes narrowed when my son’s weight was 99 percentile (for his age of 14). She requested him if he lifted weights. He rolled his eyes and sighed sure – he knew the place this was going. “How a lot weight do you carry?”, she says with now large eyes probably not realizing any higher solution to ask the query. He defined that he was doing 3 units of 5 squats over 300lbs. She shrieked out, “Why???? You do not need your coronary heart to blow up!”. We nonetheless chuckle about this sometimes as a result of if anybody within the room was going to have a cardiac occasion it was the physician. I believe her “coronary heart” was in the fitting place however she could not digest {that a} 14 yr previous child was taking a lifting program severely. She strongly urged him to proceed to carry with a lot lighter weights . When does it turn out to be ODO?
Story 2: My son was seeing a heart specialist to display screen for issues per suggestions of Sully (Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and a few type of idiopathic stenosis I believe). These suggestions (which I consider to be good) rule out potential coronary heart circumstances that trigger “sudden dying on the soccer subject” occasions of youngsters. Whereas viewing the ultrasound, the heart specialist grew to become alarmed and mentioned he had a thick wall in his coronary heart (HCM) and it could possibly be attributable to a few issues, most of which had been actual dangerous (an infection scarring, hereditary defect…). He saved the very best for final and mentioned “There’s one factor we are able to attempt. Zero exercise for 3 months and we take one other take a look at the guts to see if the wall narrows.” If it would not, he’ll probably want to limit bodily exercise in a giant means – no sports activities, potential remedy. It was exhausting to maintain him nonetheless for these three months and I later discovered he was dishonest some however was not presupposed to carry and never even stroll briskly. After going again in 3 months, the cardio doc mentioned “his wall had shrunk” and was fantastic to proceed all bodily actions and declared he had an “athlete’s coronary heart”. huh?!
One of many cool issues we be taught out of Story 2 is the difference of the guts to lifting – and speedy de-training when sedentary (3 months). We’d have needed to do extra testing to learn the way rapidly the guts muscle thickens however it was probably lower than (and perhaps loads lower than..) 12 months.
