Mark Rippetoe Success Story

[quote]MickyGee wrote:
I find it humorous that I was Googling “rippetoe success stories” to find the alleged article where he brags about getting some kid fat, and this is one of the first few links… lol[/quote]

Ohh and gotta love the way in which they throw around 300lb Bench and 400+ squat around that program too. Apparently every goober who starts that program after 2 years his benching 3x5 for 315lbs and 400lbs squatting.

Seems legit.

[quote]caveman101 wrote:
Ripptoes 5x5 and similar is great if you’re trying to coach a bunch of newbs and bring them up to at least BW x10 squats. But GOMAD is the biggest bullshit ever.[/quote]

Dude, I sometimes wonder how many people’s lives he has ruined with GOMAD

[quote]M.B wrote:
Real Starting Strength success story LOL…

http://calisthenicsworks.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/gomad-before-and-after-the-classic-1930s-way-to-get-fat/

Zach Everett, a so-called GOMAD success story, gained 55 pounds in 11 weeks. Here are his before and after pics. For the avoidance of doubt, the after pic is the one in which he looks very fat.[/quote]

LOL! I have done Starting Strength in the past (sanse the milk) and liked it, but this is some funny shit. Some people just don’t know when to stop doing shit that is not working

BTW, cool pics OP (for several reasons)!

[quote]paulieserafini wrote:

[quote]caveman101 wrote:
Ripptoes 5x5 and similar is great if you’re trying to coach a bunch of newbs and bring them up to at least BW x10 squats. But GOMAD is the biggest bullshit ever.[/quote]

Dude, I sometimes wonder how many people’s lives he has ruined with GOMAD[/quote]

Drinking a ton of milk while being told to squat for a mere 75 reps a week (at sub 200lb sets certinley messed up my first year

[quote]caveman101 wrote:
Ripptoes 5x5 and similar is great if you’re trying to coach a bunch of newbs and bring them up to at least BW x10 squats. But GOMAD is the biggest bullshit ever.[/quote]

Honestly, I’m a fan of the approach, because so many supposed “hard gainers” suddenly learn that they’re just full of shit when they actually force feed themselves a gallon of milk a day and that they’ve just been undereating.

I’ve done it before and it worked out well, but I was already lifting heavy and goal was strength. It is poorly implemented by many.

Hey don’t knock Starting Strength! It worked very well for me for awhile. But I suppose it only made me more womanly so maybe you’re right =D I didn’t follow gomad however.

At least bash the actual creator of “The Strongest Shall Survive” Bill Starr. Erhem, I mean starting strength by Mark Rippetoe.

Seriously though, has any serious bodybuilding started out with this crap? Even one extremly admirable physique would be nice to see.

[quote]ElevenMag wrote:
At least bash the actual creator of “The Strongest Shall Survive” Bill Starr. Erhem, I mean starting strength by Mark Rippetoe.

Seriously though, has any serious bodybuilding started out with this crap? Even one extremly admirable physique would be nice to see.[/quote]

STrongest shall survive and starting strength are geared towards strength training. The authors make no claims about them being great bodybuilding programs. With that said Reg Park used a variation of 5 x 5 .

[quote]jimg21 wrote:

STrongest shall survive and starting strength are geared towards strength training. The authors make no claims about them being great bodybuilding programs. With that said Reg Park used a variation of 5 x 5 .[/quote]

My problem with them comes from people with cosmetic weightlifting goals (i.e. almost every single person who does these) hugging the nuts of these strength programs. Why do them if you have a completely different goal then what the program is designed to accomplish.

Also, Reg park achieved his best physique with a combination of 5 X 5 and high rep work at the same time.

[quote]GrindOverMatter wrote:
to add to this thread,

i more or less always followed BBing type splits, i remember trying ws4sb when i was starting out and also the madcow 5x5- i didnt like either that much really. However i have done the Big Beyond Belief program (still a bbing program) which i think is the most beneficial thing a beginner can do if their goal is to obtain a great physique. The outcome of this is i never really got very strong on the powerlifts, buti did build a decent physique i think…
[/quote]
YOOO nice ibanez man

[quote]ElevenMag wrote:

[quote]jimg21 wrote:

STrongest shall survive and starting strength are geared towards strength training. The authors make no claims about them being great bodybuilding programs. With that said Reg Park used a variation of 5 x 5 .[/quote]

My problem with them comes from people with cosmetic weightlifting goals (i.e. almost every single person who does these) hugging the nuts of these strength programs. Why do them if you have a completely different goal then what the program is designed to accomplish.

Also, Reg park achieved his best physique with a combination of 5 X 5 and high rep work at the same time.[/quote]

Agreed but that is the fault of the individual implementing the programs. I did a lot of SSS and variations of it in my 30’s. I knew that strength was my main goal and that achieving a “body builders physique” was not realistic on this type of program. I do have to say that I achieved a new level of back mass from doing heavy pulls and rows four days per week. I no longer do SSS type programs but have friends who do them on occasion, usually as a break from traditional BB programs.

True. I should have added the fact of the high rep work. My point was that a 5 x5 rep scheme was one component of how Park built his body. A 5 x 5 or 4x 6 etc seems to be demonized more or less now days.

[quote]GrindOverMatter wrote:
to add to this thread,

i more or less always followed BBing type splits, i remember trying ws4sb when i was starting out and also the madcow 5x5- i didnt like either that much really. However i have done the Big Beyond Belief program (still a bbing program) which i think is the most beneficial thing a beginner can do if their goal is to obtain a great physique. The outcome of this is i never really got very strong on the powerlifts, buti did build a decent physique i think…
[/quote]

dude I just realized this was a picture of you. haha wild man nice dreads metal head

[quote]paulieserafini wrote:

[quote]caveman101 wrote:
Ripptoes 5x5 and similar is great if you’re trying to coach a bunch of newbs and bring them up to at least BW x10 squats. But GOMAD is the biggest bullshit ever.[/quote]
Dude, I sometimes wonder how many people’s lives he has ruined with GOMAD[/quote]
The nutrition advice Rippetoe actually wrote in the Starting Strength book told people to “eat well.” He explained it simply and clearly:

“Eating well means 4 or so meals per day, based on meat and egg protein sources, with lots of fruit and vegetables, and lots of milk. Lots. Most sources within the heavy training community agree that a good starting place is one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, with the rest of the diet making up 2500-5000 calories, depending on training requirements and body composition.”

I don’t see how this can be argued as being bad advice.

He also explains that the milk/GOMAD is meant for skinny guys who need help gaining weight, and they should be eating well ^^^ first. If people misinterpret that to mean “everyone should do GOMAD”, it’s not Rippetoe’s fault anymore than it would be Ronnie Coleman’s fault if a skinny guy watched his training videos and then tried to get huge by doing only cable crossovers, preacher curls, and walking lunges.

The Starting Strength program is not a cure-all that everyone should do, but it’s certainly not as horrific as people like to make it seem.


Gained 35 pounds in 2 months and a bunch of strength following Starting Strength to the letter.

169 to 201 in 7 weeks and added over 100 pounds to squat and deadlift following Starting Strength to the letter.

6’2", 150 (far left) to 190 (other pics) in 6 months on Starting Strength. Added 150 pounds to deadlift and squat, added 135 to bench.

[quote]paulieserafini wrote:

oh there is no point to this thread except, to show off really dumb pictures of myself.

[/quote]

Oh, so you going all “skinny guitarist before pic” on us?

I’m down, traded my finger tip calluses for one on my palms. Hands rough, finger tips smooth. sigh Can’t play longer than 5 minutes…lol

RE: SS…Made my hips and ass grow but kept my long arms nice and skinny. As long as you squat and Deadlift from the jump, any split or even FB routine will work for the beginner provided no body parts are neglected.


Rippetoe looks like an over sized coyote turd. His program is terrible. Read the book, burned it for firewood!

(edited for grammar)

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
Rippetoe looks like and over sized coyote turd!

[/quote]

It’s kind of funny that the words “genetic potential” is written right above his head.

Chris Colucci hows that Kool Aid taste?

Notice a trend in all those pictures? The guys start with defined abs then they are gone and they just look a little bit chubbier.

Ohh and everybody and there mom can bench 300lbs like its nothing after doing starting strength.