July 21, 2025
Over and Under Edition
On Starting Strength
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Back, Bench, and Big Man Programming –
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. -
When You Have Nothing Left – Hold the Line by Steve Ross –
People talk about training like it’s just about getting stronger, looking better, chasing numbers. And sometimes, especially at first, it is. But if you’ve been doing it long enough… -
How to Hold the Bar Up –
The grip for pressing movements and receiving the bar in the snatch and clean and jerk have some things in common, but are not the same. Starting Strength Coach stef bradford covers what is different and why. -
Choices and Excuses – Motivation and Willpower by James Collinge –
I’ve had a shit week: running my own business, trying to fit 12 hours of work into 5-hour days, my household has had three sickness bugs in 2 weeks, two kids to take care of… -
Hips Rising Early in the Deadlift by Mia Inman –
At the start of the deadlift the lifter is taught to initiate the pull by extending the knees – “cued” to push the floor away. This elicits a strong contraction of the quadriceps… - Weekend Archives:
Performance Shooting and Strength by Justin Nazaroff –
From a practical standpoint, as of 2019, there are nearly 20 million people in the United States with a license to carry a concealed pistol. However, choosing to carry a weapon in public… - Weekend Archives:
The Minimum Effective Dose of Training by Mark Rippetoe –
Like any medication that has the power to alter physiology, barbell training must be administered with attention paid to dosing – the amount and the schedule. It’s damned hard to kill yourself with barbell training…
In the Trenches
Rip coaches Mel through her final set of squats at the Starting Strength Seminar held at WFAC last weekend. [photo courtesy of stef bradford]
TFW your online coach takes you through a heavy set of five on the deadlift platform at the Starting Strength Seminar. [photo courtesy of stef bradford]
Phil Meggers gives the final lecture of the seminar – Programming – Sunday afternoon in Wichita Falls. [photo courtesy of stef bradford]
Logan squats a new PR of 315lb for 5 reps at Starting Strength Boston. He’s on his way to a 405lb squat. [photo courtesy of Michael Shammas]
Get Involved
Best of the Week
Training in the heat
moose365
I have moved to Georgia and it will be my first time training in 90+ heat. I read this 2010 article on the website (Training in the Heat | Bill Starr).
Aside from training earlier/later in the day and drinking a fuckton of water, do you have any particular advice on training in these conditions?
Mark Rippetoe
Get an electric fan.
Jason Donaldson
Make sure you’re getting not just taking in water throughout the day, but also consuming salt.
Jenni
Imma stick my nose in here.
The advantage of early morning and late evening work is almost all just the lack of direct sunlight. Don’t be fooled. We get midnight temps in the mid 80s. You still need to play by the rules. It’s not just hydration. It’s electrolytes too. Invest in some solid electrolyte brand. Not Gatorade and not that pickle shit the normies drink. Be careful about too much water at once. It will make you puke especially if it’s ice water. In summer, I go immediately to the pool post workout. It sucks all the heat and soreness out of the muscles. Not a lot of gyms without ac but never underestimate the value of some dry ice in front of a fan. We used to get it for a couple bucks for an ice chest full, just use tongs. And cotton. Cotton tshirts, cotton socks, cotton towels. No polyester or you’re just going to feel hotter and stickier. Just remember, our ancestors did this all the time, with no accommodations.
Best of the Forum
Halting Deadlifts
MAD9692
About a month and a half ago I started doing them every other week like you recommend them to be programmed and holy shit are they hard.
Why the fuck do my lats gets so sore from them? The soreness is pretty much immediate…so much so that doing pull-ups afterwards is no longer an option.
The next day I’m sore as hell. I’ve done them three times in total over a 6 week span and every-time they fuck me up.
The Rack Pulls and Cleans I alternate them with don’t make me sore. Just the Haltings.
The set of 8 is no fucking joke either. By the time you get past rep 5 you just cant fucking breathe.
Who the hell came up with these.
Mark Rippetoe
Starr. They are why I didn’t need to do chins for the first 20 years of my training.
MAD9692
Brutal.
I wonder why no one else recommends them.
Kinda makes rows seem retarded.
