Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training coach, author and gym owner. He is a former powerlifter and is the author of Starting Strength.
He is also the best sports coach in town.
Mark’s work has changed my life. I’ve followed his training principles for over a decade and find them highly effective both physically and mentally.
Barbell training is best
Basically, Mark rips apart trendy fitness fads, pushing for simple, effective barbell training. After all, barbell training gives you the best bang for your buck. Why? Because compound movements, like squats and deadlifts, work multiple muscle groups at once. This means more muscles are engaged, leading to greater overall strength and muscle growth.
Furthermore, compound movements mimic real-life activities, improving functional fitness. By engaging core and stabilising muscles, they enhance balance and coordination, making them efficient and effective for building overall strength and fitness.
Put another way, barbell training is boss level.
Using machines, he says, is silly because they isolate muscles instead of working multiple muscle groups simultaneously, don’t mimic real-life movements, and fail to develop functional strength.
Starting Strength
Starting Strength pushes a no-nonsense, aggressive approach to strength training, focusing on five foundational barbell movements: squats, deadlifts, presses, bench presses and power cleans.
I don’t do power cleans and do barbell rows instead. In fact, I do a modified version of Starting Strength, but the principles are the same.
The program is all about getting strong fast, using proper technique and progressive overload.
My own routine is very minimalist. It is daily and not much longer than an hour. I generally separate my workout into two parts, each on alternating days.
Workout A:
- Squats
- Bench press
- Rows
Workout B:
- Deadlift
- Overhead press
- Inverted rows
That’s it.
No machines. No lying on a ball while balancing a dumbbell on my nose and doing stomach crunches. No strawberry protein shakes or wife-beater tops. No bicep curls in the squat rack.
Podcast
My conversation with Mark had some technical gremlins . My apologies.
Something that is important to remember that, contrary to popular belief, women don’t become bulky from weight training unless they use bodybuilding supplements.
There is no such thing as ‘toning’ either.
You either strengthen muscle or you don’t.
However, women can’t build nearly as much muscle as men due to a lack of testosterone, which is why ‘toning’ became a popular phrase.
Barbell training not only builds physical strength but also teaches mental discipline and focus.
Jim Wendler
