April 29, 2024
Network Edition
On Starting Strength
Defining Strength Training –
Rip defines strength training and the best way to approach the acquisition of strength.
A Guide to Getting and Recovering from a Hip Replacement by Matt Lorig –
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have worn through the cartilage in one of your hips, the only solution is to get a hip replacement…
Training Isn’t a Template –
Strength training is often viewed as a “program.” Is my program perfect? If not, then why even bother – right? Wrong…
Building Stronger Bonds –
Rafael and Juliana knew each other as kids, but didn’t reconnect until both had moved to Florida. They began training together at Starting Strength Orlando when it opened and have even brought their daughter to train with them. The Neves family enjoys getting stronger together and is one of a multitude of families that train in our Orlando gym.
The Squat – Bar Position –
Rip explains the positioning of the grip and the bar for the low bar back squat.
Weekend Archives:
Why (Almost) Nobody Should Pull Sumo by Kyle Mask –
One special point of confusion for new lifters centers on which style of deadlift to perform: conventional or sumo…
Weekend Archives:
Should Personal Trainers and Coaches Be Licensed by The State? by Mark Rippetoe –
What is the difference between me and the kid at Gold’s with a BA in some version of Physical Education and a piece of paper…
In the Trenches
Starting Strength Coach Mia Inman squats during the Starting Strength Coaches Conference held at Testify Strength and Conditioning this past weekend. [photo courtesy of Nick Delgadillo]
Starting Strength Coach Will Morris presents a talk on Behavioral Economics during the Starting Strength Coaches Conference in Omaha. [photo courtesy of Nick Delgadillo]
Kaitlyn Greiner, MD at Ohio State University Hospital, works through set of squats at Starting Strength Columbus. Kaitlyn, having never lifted weights before, is making great progress and learning how to do hard things. [photo courtesy of Jarret Beck]
Get Involved
Best of the Week
Missed muscles in lower body
Brookfine
Background: I have a pulled Adductor Longus which triggers sharp pain when it is used. Despite this I have been able to squat, row, power-clean, and deadlift with no issues. This leads me to believe that the Adductor Longus isn’t worked at all by these movements, and has me wondering if there are actually many muscles in my lower body that the program doesn’t work at all.Ask: Is there some kind of movement (or collection of movements) I can be doing to fill these gaps? I’m a sprinter and it’s important for my sport that there are no weak-points as this can cause injury. I’m very concerned about my adductors and my hip flexors.
Mark Rippetoe
Let’s examine this issue. What does the adductor longus do? Origin/insertion/action?
Brookfine
Origin: Front side of the bottom center of the pelvisInsertion: Back of your femur
Action: Thigh flexion, adduction, and external rotation; and all of these seemingly only when the thigh is already close to the sagittal plane (based on moving stuff about and seeing what hurts/when)I know the adductors as a whole are going to be activated a little bit as stabilizers in many exercises but based on the range it activates in (foot basically in line with the sagittal plane) it’s not even being activated on deadlift. I worry I’m exposing myself to a bunch of imbalances that will become noticeable only on the track.
Mark Rippetoe
Why would the track not “balance” them out?
Brookfine
I would anticipate it does to an extent, I just wouldn’t be able to say to what extent. As a 6 ‘3” sprinter though, I would anticipate that if there is any relevant strength development that can be done I should prioritize it, it’s the only way that I can avoid getting completely smoked by a bunch of 140 lb 21 year olds.
Mark Rippetoe
How much do you weigh? Your concerns about your adductor longus aside, how do you propose to get to a muscular sprinter’s bodyweight without squatting?
Best of the Forum
Hip and Knee Flexion training
k_dean_curtis
Squats and Deadlifts hit hip and knee extension. However, for hip and knee flexion, which is very important for sprinting, I cannot see from the biomechanics texts how the Rectus Femoris and Biceps Femoris short head are being trained by such lifts. These are susceptible to injury in sprinting.Isometric contraction is not adequate for these dynamic movers, i.e. not the same as the erectors, et al.What is the SS stance on training these muscles?
Mark Rippetoe
You cannot see how all the hamstrings and all the quads are not made stronger by squats and deadlifts? Sez here you’ve been on the boards for 8 years. You haven’t read the books?
k_dean_curtis
Thanks for responding. I have all 3 books: SS, PP, BBRx. Have read them many times and understand them.The biomechanics texts say that both muscles mentioned contract isometrically in hip and knee extension. On the concentric phase the rectus is shortening at the knee and lengthening at the hip, total length does not really change, hence an isometric contraction. Is this statement correct?If the above is correct, are isometrics good enough for the flexors?
Mark Rippetoe
This statement is correct, as we point out on Saturday morning at the seminar in the discussion of the squat. I don’t understand your question.
k_dean_curtis
If said contraction is isometric, then your assertion is that IS good enough to strengthen and grow the flexors. Same for many other muscles in the big lifts, e.g. neck, traps, etc.
Mark Rippetoe
If the squat and deadlift go from 200/275 to 405/475, what has happened to the strength of the particular muscles you’re worried about?