May 27, 2024
Culicidae Edition
On Starting Strength
Diary of a Psychosis –
Rip talks with Tom Woods about his book Diary of a Psychosis, exploring the impact of global lockdowns on mental health, contrasting pandemic responses, and the roles of masks and the medical establishment.
Making It Work in a Commercial Gym by Deborah Lebl –
Millions of people around the world have used the Starting Strength method to train in a wide variety of gyms. They have done their training…
The Leg Press –
Rip explains how the leg press can be used to quickly and effectively get the detrained public strong enough for barbell squats.
Heavy-Light-Medium by Andy Baker –
As I was working with a couple of clients yesterday, we discussed the nuts and bolts of their programming. Both clients, (one young, one middle aged) are using a heavy-light-medium…
Knee Control in the Squat –
Starting Strength Coach Brent Carter helps fix a common error with knees in the squat.
Weekend Archives:
Discovering Strength: An Orthopedic Surgeon’s Perspective by Frederick J. Barnes –
In the United States, over 300,000 people will fracture their hip in the upcoming year. This is a devastating injury, usually occurring in people over the age of 65…
Weekend Archives:
Your First Two Weeks of Strength Training by Mark Rippetoe –
So you’ve finally decided to Be Somebody and start a strength training program. Not a machine-based health spa/corporate gym exercise plan…
In the Trenches
Jacqui travelled from the Isle of Anglesey for this year’s Squat, Press and Deadlift camp in Manchester UK. Here she works on controlling her knee position as she drives up out of the squat. [photo courtesy of Daniel Berry]
Even with the experienced lifter, form creep can still occur. Darroll is no stranger to Starting Strength camps and being coached, here coach Byron Johnston checks the all important start position and set up for his Press. [photo courtesy of Daniel Berry]
Lifting camps are an opportunity to not just be coached on your lifts, but also see how it is done and improve your coaching ability. Here Chris’ squat is observed form the rear 45º angle (one of the most useful coaching positions) by coach Byron, joined by Alan and Grant. [photo courtesy of Daniel Berry]
Last weekend at the squat and deadlift camp, Zuhal got under the bar for the first time, successfully squatting 135x5x3 with Coach Chris Palladino. [photo courtesy of Inna Koppel]
Chris Palladino demonstrated the correct shoulder position in the deadlift during the training camp at NYSC. Don’t miss our upcoming Coaching Workshop for Personal Trainers on June 8th, offering a special discount of $100 for fitness professionals. [photo courtesy of Inna Koppel]
Inna Koppel assembled the lifters for a group photo at the end of the platform sessions. Special thanks to NYSC in White Plains for being such gracious hosts. [photo courtesy of Dwayne Gordon]
John locks out his final rep of the press at the Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp held at Testify Strength & Conditioning in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Barb Mueller]
Nathan works on achieving complete hip and knee extension at the top of his deadlift under the guidance of SSC Phil Meggers. Nathan and his son, Ben, learned and trained together at the Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp at Testify Strength & Conditioning. [photo courtesy of Barb Mueller]
SSC Barb Mueller coaches Ryan through his warm-ups as he smoothly pulls 225 lb at the Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp at Testify Strength & Conditioning [photo courtesy of Phil Meggers]
Efrain Rayo works with Nick Delgadillo through fundamentals of fighting with a pistol during the Lift Shoot Fight Camp held in Wichita Falls last weekend. [photo courtesy of Cathy Delgadillo]
Melissa Barry and Efrain Rayo doing the culminating exercise during the Lift Shoot Fight Camp in which both participants put together the skills learned over the weekend to succeed in an entangled gun fight. [photo courtesy of Cathy Delgadillo]
Attendees deadlifting during the lifting portion of Lift Shoot Fight. [photo courtesy of Cathy Delgadillo]
Melissa watches as her son and fellow member Mark works through his last set of squats at Starting Strength Cincinnati. [photo courtesy of Luke Schroeder]
Lance Sorensen locks out 290 while Jessica Sorensen and Adam Martin, SSC, proudly look on. While the rest of the world can recognize a 20 pound gain in good bodyweight, only loved ones and coaches can know the consistent hard work it takes to attain. [photo courtesy of Laura Martin]
The M-W-F 6:00 am session stops to watch AJ Luna reach one of his plate milestones on squat. “I Can’t Drive 55” by Sammy Hagar was the choice for his PR music, but AJ CAN hip-drive 225. [photo courtesy of Adam Martin]
Ron finishes up his afternoon training session by deadlifting 99 kg for a solid set of five at Testify Strength & Conditioning in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Phil Meggers]
Get Involved
Best of the Week
Is there a “Supine Grip Front Squat” variation?
Classtime
The Blue Book came on Tuesday and I really really really want to do the program but my body is having trouble adding the bar for the squat. I think there are multiple reasons (And 66 years old is not a reason):1: Shoulder flexibility–I’ve been working on this more diligently since last week when I found this forum and the video showing the lean into the bar stretch. At this time, I can’t get the bar off my neck even for a high bar BUT I am determined to eventually get at least to a high bar squat and hopefully LBS.2: LONG forearms–even when I improve my shoulder mobility, I’m not sure I can get the bar low enough to rest on my back or shoulders and this is exacerbated by3:Very limited wrist extension : 25-30 degrees and this cannot be improved.So, while I work on shoulder mobility, can I do front squats with a supine grip? Is there anything in addition to what is covered in the Squat Variations section of Starting Strength? I’m trying to get the weight off my arms but it is difficult. It will get easier I think as I progress and add muscle to my skinny cyclist body and hopefully my pecs will one day keep the bar off the wires they used to put my sternum back together. But what can I do in the meantime?
Mark Rippetoe
Try them that way and see what happens.
Maybach
You know you can put your hands as wide as you want to right? You can go right up against the J hooks if you need to.The front squat should have the bar resting on the front delts, not the pecs. No matter how shrimpy they are, they will be above your collarbone when your arms are in the right position.I’m not sure how you can actually get your arms into that position: I just went and tried it and it’s even harder to get into than the normal front rack with long forearms. If you can do it, but can’t achieve a regular front rack, I guess why not?Do you have access to a squat safety bar? That’s the move for people with really bad shoulder mobility.
Classtime
I don’t want ANYTHING to happen. But ok. Tomorrow is my first B day.
Best of the Forum
Shoulder issues with new client
Isaac Medina
I have a new personal training client for the month (he’s in ABQ until the end of the month) and I’m training him using the SS method. I’m a little scared/nervous that I’m not gonna do things correctly, as he’s the first client that I’m going to be teaching the SS method to.Anyway, when he’s squatting, he’s getting shoulder pain in his left side (anterior delt it seems like), probably exactly where I had the pain when I was squatting at first, and where many others here on the forum have had the pain. I’ve been having him use the Paul Horn stretch (which helped me immensely), and it sort of helps, but he’s still complaining of shoulder pain, and isn’t really bought in to squatting, and I can sense apprehension in doing the exercise. I know the Squat is the mostAny personal trainers/SSCs here who have had the same issue and want to bestow wisdom upon my inexperienced brain?
Hayden-William Courtland
There are a bunch of things to check: is the bar in the right place, is his upper back flat when the bar is placed or is it rounded over, is he jacking up his elbows at all during the lift, are his elbows just too high to begin with, are his elbows flared out to the sides instead of tucked in towards the body, is he pressing the bar up into his hands/wrists instead of pulling is down as he squats, etc. If none of those, have you tried a wider grip? If none of those, have you tried thumbs around the bar?
Isaac Medina
Hayden, thank you so much for your reply. I gave my client the cue of bringing his elbows close to his body, and it seems to have fixed everything. His squat is a lot tighter, his upper back is a lot tighter, and his shoulder does not hurt! You’re the man. Thank you again