Barbell lifting is an interesting thing. Everyone here may not agree on what it means to “get good” at it. If a guy who walks in off the street can pull 600 pounds, does that mean he’s good at lifting? If a different guy has to put the work in to squat around 350 for reps, yet he’s done it with patience, persistence, and pretty good technique, does that mean he is worse since he is almost half as strong as the first guy?

Barbell lifting is a process. Whatever genetic ability a person has, what they do with it is important. The process is a collection of doing things right each workout as well as over time — simplified to technique and programming respectively. The problem, especially for a new trainee, is knowing what is “right”. Sources are varied across the internet to include bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting, powerbuilding, DoggCrapp, MadCow, Lance Uppercut, Rock Strongbow, and Rusty Trombone. The good news is that the majority of these variations of programs (or frightening sexual techniques) are all derived from simplicity.

Athenaeus gave the first lesson of simple strength training by creating the myth of Milo of Croton. Milo merely lifted a little more today than he did yesterday; small, yet consistent increments were how his strength were developed. Nowadays we use barbells instead of farm animals (the desire for “same day cow” has grown) and we know that squatting, pressing, benching, and deadlift are how we establish strength and muscularity. We can make similar consistent process by lifting a bit more each time we lift. Most new trainees, including the skinny and weak ones, don’t understand that it’s an accumulation of strength work over time that makes people strong, not trying to increase the load as quickly as possible in a matter of months. Most soft tissue injuries are associated with pushing too much too soon. Remember that since Milo’s bull increased in small increments of weight each day, he never overreached. The bull didn’t increase 20 pounds suddenly, and Milo didn’t have to reset by removing the testicles (there is no correlation between lack of testicles and resetting, stay on task, sir).

Additionally, Milo’s programming wasn’t complicated. He just moved his future meal around and wrestled (six time Olympian and more). Programming with barbells doesn’t have to get complicated…in the beginning. But this is the point. If you are new to lifting (have done it less than a year or two), worrying about program is a waste of your time since you don’t require complicated program to have success. Dan John is excellent at creating simple strength and/or conditioning programs; he is your friend. Maintain simplicity over time and strength and muscularity will develop.

Here is a simple guideline of barbell lifts to establish a base of strength and muscularity.

– Squat 2x/week
– Deadlift 1x/week
– Press and Bench 1 or 2x/week each
– Chin-ups and pull-ups 2x/week

By virtue of doing these things every week over time, you will grow stronger. “Strong” doesn’t indicate a load on the bar, it more so indicates the structure and capability of your body. Beginners won’t benefit from hitting a maximal set of deadlift before their structures have developed to handle such an endeavor (QED). Instead, consistent and patient increases over time will lay the foundation. It isn’t complicated; don’t analyze it to death. If the body or structures are feeling fatigued and tired, it’s painfully logical to reduce the workout or rest. In a beginner, halving their previous workout will still give them stimulation to continue the “accumulated workload concept”, yet not cause as much stress.

There is far too much over analysis in programming, especially for beginners. Keep it simple and consistent and ensure the body is fresh for each workout. I promise the strength will come. In Part 2 I will discuss how lifters over analyze their technique.

I want to share a video with all of you. It’s something that has really moved me. This video comes from the footage from Restrepo, the movie about the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and their fifteen month deployment to the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. It specifically focuses on Sal Giunta’s actions that earned him the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious American award to a member of the military.

Sal put his life on the line for his friends to earn the medal, yet he considers his actions average and equal to that of his entire platoon. The story itself is emotional, yet it’s his attitude that inspires me. In a world of narcissists, Sal is painfully humble. If you don’t watch the whole video, Sal is asked what went through his head when he was up for the Medal of Honor. His response begins at 11:48. Uncommon courage became a common occurrence for Sal and his friends.

I also want to draw your attention to Major Kearney (a Captain during the deployment) in this video. Major Kearney exhibits a tenacious, controlled rage towards his enemy. At 4:32 he says, “I made the decision, being the commander on the ground, that I wanted to go into Landigal and get our damn weapons back and show these people that we aren’t gonna give up…I don’t want them to have a war trophy…Hell no, I’m getting that stuff. It’s not theirs it’s mine.” Decisive. Tough. Determined. Major Kearney, Sal Giunta, and plenty other courageous military members are 70’s Big.

It’s almost embarrassing to sit here and compare these guys with 70sBig.com. Instead I want you to reflect on this video because you can learn just as much from these men as you can from Kazmaier, Pisarenko, and Konstantinovs. When you sit in the gym or at home and feel sorry for yourself, remember the story of Sal, and remember how Major Kearney never questioned his decision to kick ass. Remember these stories when you feel defeated, because you’re only defeated if you let yourself be.

Things came up; quick post today. Hopefully your training went well this week. Let us know in the comments, and be sure to note your PR’s!

Additionally, here are some things we can discuss throughout the weekend:

Are you bothered by steroid use?

What’s your favorite meal you’ve had in March?

What’s the most 70’s Big book? Movie? Song?

I don’t know Spencer, but he seems like a happenin’ guy. I like his reaction to hitting 197kg; the slow six shooters. Then he hits 200kg. And he’s 19 years old.


I’ve never met Donny Shankle, but I’ve heard that he’s, uh, unique. Here’s a vid of him talking about hand care:


I actually know Chris and we’ve used speed squats (AKA dynamic effort) with a lot of success in Chris’ training. Here is a video from about a month ago — he’s doing doubles on the minute every minute for ten minutes at 385 (I watched him do around 400 the other day when we were in San Antonio). The focus is on a ferocious bounce. Technique is secondary to getting the sharpest bounce and fastest ascent possible:

Today’s post is incredibly pertinent to everyone here. Learning from other people’s mistakes is almost as good as learning from your own mistakes. The powers of observation will help you from having to experience it yourself in order to ingrain the lesson. For example, if the dumb broad that wrote the linked article in yesterday’s post had made logical observations, maybe a couple inferences, and not performed the Tracy Anderson POW program, she wouldn’t have had to waste her time getting so obnoxiously unhealthy.

I have two stories that should blatantly teach you not to lift heavy after a long day of traveling. Traveling itself is a necessary hindrance (we haven’t developed a floo network yet). My observation has been that training hard upon getting to the new destination is doable. However, once returning home — typically after a busy few days that are capped off with that last “I can’t wait to get home” traveling day — it would be best to ease back into training.

Traveling, though tiring at times, broadens our horizons and exposes us to new cultures. It’s a necessary hurdle to jump over if you want to experience the world’s wonders firsthand. Take Hawaii, for example. Imagine sinking your toes into the warm sand of Waikiki Beach, the sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore. You could be snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, surrounded by vibrantly colored fish and coral reefs. Or, perhaps you’d prefer to cruise the island on a mopeds, feeling the wind in your hair as you explore hidden coves and charming towns. Hike through a lush rainforest, enveloped by the scent of plumeria flowers and the call of exotic birds. Hawaii offers a unique blend of relaxation, adventure, and cultural immersion.

When I worked with Rip we came home from doing a Starting Strength Seminar in California. The next day I was volume squatting for the Texas Method; I was on my third set of 5×5 at 430. When I went down on the third rep, I felt a sharp movement and pain in my lumbar/sacral area. I actually squatted it up with help so I didn’t kill my spotters (Chris being one of them). There were some other circumstances that made the injury worse, and it ended up preventing me from squatting for about two months. During that time I qualified for nationals in weightlifting without squatting heavy and a yanked back.

The second story happened yesterday. I traveled back from San Antonio (where the military nationals for USAPL were) on Monday; the day started at 3:50 AM and I got home around 8:30 PM (this included six hours of driving). It was arduous. Yesterday I was squatting heavier than I have in a while. I planned on doing two or three reps. At the bottom of the second rep, I feel kind of a pop in my left TFL/hip flexor area, yet it doesn’t necessarily hurt and I squat the rep up well enough. I stood there debating whether or not to do the third rep; it didn’t hurt, so I descended. When I got to the bottom it didn’t hurt, but it felt…fluid, like there wasn’t normal support. So I just eased the bar onto the pins knowing that things weren’t normal.

A day later, it’s sore. I am continuing to treat it (especially with ice), but I’m irritated with myself because what happened is obvious. The day before I was sitting a lot with my hips in complete flexion; they were undoubtedly tight. I worked on my back and lateral hips a bit before going to bed, but I didn’t really give the anterior thigh any attention (I’ve never had issues in this area, with injuries or as a result of squatting technique). In any case, the negligence in not working on them when I got home and choosing to lift heavy resulted in an injury that will take at least a week to rehab (by my estimation).

Be aware of how certain body positions can effect training. If you sit at a desk for 8+ hours a day, you are more than likely experiencing something similar. Whether you are traveling or working in an office, give your hips and low back attention. Stop and think; what is my back doing all day? Is it in weird lumbar flexion with bad posture? Mine is if I’m traveling; my torso is long and I don’t fit in regular chairs. I have to slouch in order to be comfortable (why airline and car seats don’t have lumbar support is beyond me). What are your hips and knees doing all day? My thighs are bigger than average, and they don’t fit in seats comfortably. Hips are in flexion when sitting and I’m usually externally rotated so that my thighs don’t smash down on my junk. Based on that observation, right away I should know to pay attention to my sacral/lumbar and lateral hip areas. It’s obvious that when the knee is in flexion all day that the rectus femoris would be tight (or even the TFL or adductor longus). The easiest way to address these muscular irritations is with a foam roller or PVC pipe. Roll over the area, and when you find a painful spot, spend some time working it out.

To bring this lesson full circle, remember that your body adapts to stress. “Stress” doesn’t necessarily have to be something you’re imparting on the body for performance gain. “Stress” can be a lack of activity, or even a lack of movement. You intuitively know this; when you get out of bed or up from the couch, you have to stretch or move to loosen your muscles up. Sitting for long periods of time makes you feel stiff and rigid. Here is Dr. Gil Hedley talking about this topic. He conceptualizes it by calling it “fuzz”, but after watching this video you’ll have an understanding of why sitting still can make you stiff. Staying stiff without addressing the muscle tissue with stimulation or movement can make muscle too “rigid”. Rigid muscle and tendons are easily injured.