Rip speaks with Mike Davis about the functioning of the rail system in the US, the personnel involved, the equipment used, the different types of trains, and more. 00:49 Mike Davis 02:33 The equipment/unions/divisions 11:43 Power 24:18 Efficiency and types of trains 32:00 New railroads/cars and engines 44:52 Materials 48:35 Assembling the trains/unloading the trains 53:48 The actual job 1:07:25 Who works there 1:32:36 Don’t beat the train
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 05:39 Comments from the Haters! 14:10 Enhanced games 24:34 Staying tight in the squat 31:29 Hamstring injury and rehab 42:57 Starting out at 41 52:38 Power clean over squat 1:10:58 How bad is a shoulder replacement? 1:15:15 Just come out dude 1:19:18 Baseline strength for different ages
Feb 09, 2024•2 hr 38 min
Rip talks to Brian Yarvin, author of The Ploughman’s Lunch and the Miser’s Feast, A World of Dumplings, and Lamb: A Global History, about his travels involving food. 00:28 Mutton 08:27 British BBQ 09:27 Brian Yarvin 18:32 What is a carvery? 22:23 British food isn’t bland 28:50 Brian's travels with food 32:44 Patrick O'Brian 38:01 The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast 46:37 Pies 50:02 A World of Dumplings 56:58 Food and colonialism 1:03:47 Chili 1:11:09 Lamb: A Global History
Feb 02, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Rip answers questions from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 00:59 Comments from the Haters! 09:53 Setting records without lifting weight 14:55 Equipped powerlifting 22:56 Training after healing from surgery 28:01 Carl took me to a gay bar 29:14 Training after a hip replacement 31:01 Figure 8 straps 35:43 How to deadlift with flat plates 37:47 Why 5s? 47:19 What’s the deal with Chase? 49:36 Pressure problems 57:52 Gaining strength after 40
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Rip discusses a common question of trainees: "What should my goals be?" and explains the importance of following a process while keeping priorities straight.
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Rip shares some classic muscle magazines from his collection and talks about their influence, the origins of isolating muscle groups during workouts, and how Starting Strength contrasts with the traditional bodybuilding routine.
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 02:31 Comments from the Haters! 09:16 Lifting with compromised abdominal wall 16:37 Jake is still not eating enough 33:54 Lat pulls as assistance 43:46 Perks of being a subscriber 45:55 Arguing with Rip 54:51 Recovery needs 1:13:08 Dropped shoulder
Jan 05, 2024•2 hr 30 min
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 01:54 Comments from the Haters! 14:52 Things we like: Chester’s Chicken 20:40 How the lifts compliment each other 27:09 Leg drive too hard during bench 33:22 Do you read fiction? 39:10 A.I. and coaching 56:09 Is it over? 1:08:27 Forced to weight train
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Rip talks to Naomi Wolf about her new book Facing the Beast: Courage, Faith, and Resistance in a New Dark Age, discussing their perspectives on recent, current, and ongoing events.
Dec 22, 2023•37 min
Rip has a conversation with Jim Steel, a renowned strength coach and frequent contributor to the Starting Strength website. Rip and Jim discuss the evolution of training, the importance of the barbell as a training tool, and the latest activities Jim is involved in. 00:31 Jim Steel talks other writers 04:38 Jim’s training history 10:12 Feeding on the fear and RPE 25:28 Misconceptions about getting bigger 36:24 The best lifters were huge 42:26 Motivated people will train hard 48:32 Fancy equipmen...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 02:19 Trains - part 1 05:49 Comments from the Haters! 13:15 Things we like 17:36 I want to use my bar 26:01 Trains - part 2/Expert talks 41:10 Gaining and losing weight, still stalling 46:27 4-day split over two weeks 52:45 Books on shooting 1:01:35 Young kids need to do the program 1:05:17 Rattlesnakes
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 19 min
Ray Gillenwater talks with Austin Force about his journey to becoming the financial expert at Starting Strength Gyms, prioritizing health and fitness, the keys to success in entrepreneurship, and contributing value to society.
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Rip answers questions from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 03:58 Comments from the Haters! 13:02 Guy tells Rip about water in sinks 16:06 How does anemia affect training? 21:31 Postpartum diastasis recti 23:46 Rip’s thoughts on Dunkin’ Donuts coffee 27:10 Do you think people are waking up? 44:19 Butts are genetic 47:18 Have haters ever become lovers? 49:20 Coffee cup 50:50 Rusty’s eyes 52:40 Should I go up in weight? 57:08 Getting big numbers at 50? 1:01:14 Pulling vs. pushing a ...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 21 min
The human body does not change under suboptimal stress because it doesn't have to. The dogma ex-phys people are still pursuing is that higher reps produce better hypertrophy than sets of five with heavy weights. Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of muscles. The amount of weight lifted, aka intensity, is the primary driver of hypertrophy. 04:19 Comments from the Haters! 14:20 Hypertrophy 21:41 The phenomenology 31:44 You are not strong enough/Stress management 38:35 People are scared of lift...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Ray Gillenwater talks to John Kawauchi (60 years old) about a past shoulder injury, how he rehabbed with Starting Strength, financial advice for preparing for retirement, and life insurance. 01:35 Summary of John's shoulder injury 04:44 Rotator cuff tear 05:56 Everyday life with a shoulder injury 07:50 Will's approach to PT 11:06 Starting numbers 16:18 Retirement planning 18:40 What would you tell your old self? 21:19 Training together with family 30:31 How to prepare for retirement - financials...
Nov 20, 2023•55 min
The simplest way to improve your performance is to get stronger. Strength is the basis of physical performance. The Standard Model of strength and conditioning tries to blend practice and training and, therefore, does neither well. 01:42 Comments from the Haters! 12:03 Things we like 19:54 Starr Rehab explained 30:01 Two-Factor Model 36:59 Being athletic improves skill in skill-based things 48:19 You are not a freak athlete 59:16 How did they get there?
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Rip answers questions from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 03:01 Comments from the Haters! 17:39 Starting Strength 30 years from now 18:40 Beef heart 20:12 Starting Strength involved in the culture war 23:32 People avoid Nick D in the streets 27:32 Rolfing sessions 36:54 Seeing a doctor in the absence of symptoms 1:03:44 Coffee brands 1:09:24 Training schedule for 1-2 hours a day
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Ray Gillenwater talks to the rehab specialist for SS Gyms, Will Morris, about accessory work, "chiseling in" after you're strong, and "chasing the pump." 02:26 How do you get big and muscular? 05:32 Strength training is bodybuilding 08:34 Isolated movements don't cause enough stress 12:02 Build strength from the inside out 14:52 Ray's programming 16:33 Programming/Recovery autoimmune 24:28 Built like a meatball 31:03 Mobility 36:13 Treating patients as they need to be treated 37:48 Chiseling in ...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Rip discusses his opinion of "The Science" by reviewing the paper: Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines, and discusses the exercise science narrative and its exclusion of commonly observed phenomena. 02:17 Comments from the Haters! 15:14 Follow "The Science" 17:57 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research paper 28:20 The phenomena 38:25 The details 52:10 The subjects 58:51 The program 1:05:50 Just increase the load 1:15:00 This is the “Science.”
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 2:42 Comments from the Haters! 11:14 Things we like: Pitch Black Forge 17:06 Low back rounding in the deadlift 27:49 Deadlift with short arms and legs 33:56 Pre-workout and paranormal experiences 41:43 Deadlift stall, not pulling hard enough 50:14 IT band releas 59:18 Back tweak after 315 for 5 1:13:20 Keeping my abs AND staying strong 1:23:21 Are eggs bad for you?/Bow-legged squat
Oct 27, 2023•2 hr 33 min
Ray talks with Dr. Carter about the common misunderstanding that lifting weights can destroy bones, the relative safety of lifting compared to various other sports, and the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. 01:14 Does lifting destroy bones? 2:52 Stress recovery adaptation applies to the whole body system 07:30 Lifting weights is safer than soccer 11:04 Muscle as a protective mechanism 15:32 Flexibility isn't something to pursue 20:08 Where's the medical field in understanding this st...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Rip discusses his article First Things First and elaborates on how Starting Strength differs due to its development of a model based on first principles. 00:51 The Wichita Falls sign 05:30 Comments from the Haters! 14:39 Things we like 22:50 First Things First 30:48 Making you stronger builds muscle 41:03 What works 51:32 Learning from doing it 1:08:32 Practical application vs. exercise science
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Rip talks to the author of Fossil Future, Alex Epstein, about the need for increased usage and accessibility of fossil fuels, the advantages of fossil fuel consumption, the impact on global warming, and the role of nuclear energy. 00:33 Alex Epstein 01:26 Fossil Future 04:29 Rip’s position 10:07 Philosophy of science 14:30 Global warming 19:53 Selecting the terminology/Naming the state of things a catastrophe 26:33 Fear and guilt 31:06 Nuclear energy 41:44 Incentives 48:38 In conclusion
Oct 13, 2023•52 min
Megan Yeh, co-owner of SS Columbus, and Ray Gillenwater discuss the responsibilities of being a hospitalist, the advantages of strength training, and the common tendency of individuals to overlook their health by making unwise choices. 01:38 - Medical background 02:37 - Hospitalist 03:19 - Starting numbers and current PRs 05:45 - Discussing strength training with patients 07:15 - Aspiring to be a doctor 10:11 - Position on strength training as a medical professional 18:56 - Pregnancy and back pa...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr
Rip answers questions from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 05:02 Things we like 10:26 Comments from the Haters! 22:40 Sumo is gay 30:51 Chin-ups vs. pull-ups 33:23 Programming during a cut 39:00 Which type of testosterone is best? 44:23 Belt for power cleans 46:14 Does the house always win? 49:53 Rip’s lightbulb moments 59:15 Alcohol is a part of the program 1:02:17 Missing reps
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Rip talks to Greg Ellifritz, who underwent the TULSA procedure at Dr. Busch's office in Atlanta, about prostate cancer, treatment, and quality of life. 00:31 Greg Ellifritz 09:19 The diagnosis 16:24 Joe Busch and the TULSA procedure 25:30 After surgery 30:45 Quality of life over quantity 35:33 About the procedure 45:35 Research on decision making
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Heart surgeon Dr. Philip Ovadia joins Ray on the show today to discuss the most important topics from Ovadia's book, Stay Off My Operating Table. The cholesterol controversy, diagnostic testing, blood panel specifics, and other areas of interest related to avoiding heart disease are reviewed in as much detail as an hour show allows. 01:17 - Stay Off My Operating Table 06:37 - The standard of practice 10:28 - Why are there so many sick people? / Being red-pilled 13:19 - How do I take back control...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Rip talks to former NFL football player John Welbourn about the NFL, process vs. outcome driven individuals, and applying field strength. 00:32 John Welbourn 07:12 Zangus 11:23 College 18:01 Process vs. outcome 25:18 John’s move to Austin 33:27 The education system and politics 42:44 About the NFL 54:12 Brain injuries in the NFL 1:09:11 Learning and teaching 1:17:21 Displaying strength 1:24:39 Rip and John do two different things 1:38:34 Let’s table that topic for next time
Sep 22, 2023•2 hr 42 min
Rip answers questions live from Starting Strength Network subscribers and fans. 01:57 Comments from the Haters! 16:57 Programming and certification questions 29:53 Overweight and having spine problems 42:57 Kids and training while in season 56:39 Elbow replacement and deadlift 1:00:32 NLP and deadlift numbers 1:11:35 Why increase in weight if still making progress? 1:26:39 Neuromuscular disease and fatigue
Sep 15, 2023•2 hr 35 min
Ray and Nick review the steps in the NLP and go through progressions to intermediate programming for each lift and examples of common issues with making changes. 01:47 Squat progression - Novice to Intermediate 03:37 Start with the basics - only make changes when needed 06:22 Technique/form 09:23 Adding a light day 11:59 Changes are individual dependent 13:51 Go up on the first set of five 15:33 Anything that's not adding five pounds to a workout isn't NLP 16:54 40-year-old/last steps for progre...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 12 min