July 22, 2024
Retcon Edition
On Starting Strength
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Training Hard for When Hard Times Get Harder –
Rip discusses how strength training not only makes you more resilient but also enhances your ability to endure hard things. You become self-sufficient and better equipped to handle the difficult situations life throws at you. -
The Barbell Row by Carl Raghavan –
You should drop the barbell row like a bad habit. It’s a lift that has been beaten to death, and by now it’s best left to the bodybuilders. Why, you ask? Below is my case… -
Deadlift Bar Lowering Tips –
New lifters often lower the bar very slowly when deadlifting. Avoid the common mistake of lowering the bar too slowly or letting go of it. Instead, lower it quickly but under control. -
How to Position Your Shoulders for the Bench Press –
Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers demonstrates the correct shoulder position for the bench press and why it matters. -
Finishing the Snatch –
Rip gives a useful explanation of how to properly lock out the power snatch. Dropping under the bar, rather than pulling the bar up. - Weekend Archives:
Maybe You Are a Special Snowflake by John F. Musser –
You made the decision to be strong. Perhaps your original goal was weight loss, or some vague idea of needing exercise, maybe you simply wanted to look and feel better… - Weekend Archives:
Pajama Boy Redux: The Male in Modern Society by Mark Rippetoe –
The route from Beowulf to Pajama Boy has been a very long downhill slide. Popular culture has always shaped our standards and expectations, then as well as now…
In the Trenches
Get Involved
Best of the Week
Haven’t been to the gym in years
kins
Hi there. I used to follow Starting Strength but I got old and lazy. Now at this time I’m told I need a new hip. The doctor showed me the x-rays and I currently have zero Cartilage between my hips. I did some work rehabbing or whatever with some nurse. Helped slightly. Have to go back to the gym but my hip slips out of place at awkward times and I wouldn’t want it slipping during squats. I’ll just be walking and it’ll shift and slip out of place and I have to catch myself or I will fall down. I’m turning 52 in a few weeks. I’ve needed a new hip for over a year now. Lost a lot of fat because I need to lose fat also because my blood pressure is way too high. My blood pressure has been so high over the years that now I’ve been diagnosed with Stage 3 Chronic Kidney disease. My kidney only currently works at 60% and it doesn’t get any better. So how could I even build much muscle if my kidneys can’t handle the protein? I’ve been told by some that I shouldn’t be eating much protein because of my disease. I’ve also been told the opposite. Also started and have been on a low carb/keto diet and lost a lot of fat. So I’m not young and healthy but Starting Strength I thought was more intended for youngsters that are very healthy. Personally I think your book for older lifters might be something I should follow instead. Still don’t want my hip to slip in the middle of squats. Plus how can I even build much muscle at this age and with this disease. Guess I just came on here to bitch and get some answers. What do you think? Am I just a lazy fat fuck? Or are these legitimate concerns?
Mark Rippetoe
Worry about all this shit after your hip is replaced. Do that NOW.
Best of the Forum
Outhouse Experiences – Pros and Cons
Chiaki Nitya
So I get my septic pumped about once a year, and this last time it got me thinking about when I was a kid going to the Civil War battlefields and seeing the commodes they used with the corn cobs… why not just build one out back?
Has anyone here ever built an outhouse and used it regularly? I figure as long as it’s not close to the well, I should be able to use it pretty much year round, maybe pour some kerosene down there twice a year and do a burn?
Any experiences or pros/cons?
Mark Rippetoe
The Code Enforcement people will not like that. Neither will the plumbers.
heinz83
Haven’t you seen Unforgiven? Outhouses are where people get murdered.
stef
What about a composting toilet instead? Have you looked into any of those options?
Chiaki Nitya
This may seem strange, but those actually gross me out. A buddy of mine had one in his detached garage and I just couldn’t use it. For whatever reason a rustic looking wooden outhouse over a fairly deep hole just seems easier and cleaner.
Re: septic, the septic guy did recommend putting brewer’s yeast down there once a year to help the breakdown of everything, I may try that too.
