This has been and is currently called the “Crossfit Total” but since Coach Mark Rippetoe designed it for Crossfit, I’ll refer to this great workout by giving the credit to Rip!

By either name, it has been a very long time since I have done it, but today was a good day to break some PR’s. In the squat, previously I had done 315# and today kicked it up to 340# and went deep. I equaled my PR in the shoulder press-barely, at 185#. Finally, in the deadlift, I pulled 435#, which is 25# off my 1RM. My total for the three events jumped from 905# to 960, which was really exciting to me.

Now, if I can pull that 1RM of 460# in the deadlift and kick up the squats a bit, I can break 1,000#.

As I type this, I am futilely trying to fight off a nap, but why fight it? The CNS is shutting down a few non-vital systems for now! The hammock awaits.

If you are a proponent of the big compound lifts; power cleans, deadlifts, bench press, and squats you probably know of Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore and their well-known book, Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training. I can’t think of a better how-to book to learn these lifts.

Have you ever used Wikipedia, the user-editable online encyclopedia? Then you have an idea about the Starting Strength Wiki. There is some great information here in this wiki so I invite you to take a look.

Here are a couple of classic Mark Rippetoe quotes you’ll enjoy.

“There are few things graven in stone, except that you have to squat or you’re a pussy.”

“Pierre, if you are eating 5500 calories a day, then I am a female kangaroo with a Sonic Drive-In franchise and a heroin habit.” (I have no idea what that means).

On steroids:

“There are no shortcuts. The fact that a shortcut is important to you means that you are a pussy.”

“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general.”

Newb: Got any good ab exercises?

Rip: Got any better questions?

I could go on, but you’ll have to go to The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Rippetoe.

Running shoes are designed for running and weightlifting shoes are designed for…well you can finish the sentence. Then why do so many people lift at the gym with running shoes?

Here is what a power clean looks like in slo-mo wearing spongy, cushy running shoes.

Now here is what a power clean looks like wearing a pair of weightlifting shoes.

For contrast, go back and look at the squishy running shoes again.

If you were a runner, you wouldn’t think twice about going out and getting a pair of running shoes, in fact several throughout the course of a year, would you? Well, if weightlifting is your thing, what is holding you back from getting proper footwear for your sport?

MarkFu’s Blue Suede Do-Wins

You can get a nice comparison of the most popular weightlifting shoes and decide for yourself and read Mark Rippetoe’s comments about the advantages of weightlifting shoes in general.

Adidas has long been the pre-eminent weightlifting shoe around the world and for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing but this year Nike has a shoe in the competition, the Nike Romaleos and you will see Team USA, Team China and Team Ukraine wearing them. At the moment, they are unavailable to the rest of us.

For those of you who enjoy powerlifting, you probably know who Mark Rippetoe is and if you don’t, you should. Mark is the author of Starting Strength, Second Edition, Basic Barbell Training and Practical Programming.

Craig Rasmussen of Elite Fitness Systems posted the second installment of Texas BBQ Part 2: More Shop Talk With Mark Rippetoe.  You’ll also want to go back and read Texas BBQ, Part 1. In part 2, Rasmussen asks Coach Rip about the fine points of the back squat, deadlifts and programming. 

I was also happy to read that a dvd is forthcoming. That will be great addition to his body of work.

You can also find video of Coach Rippetoe teaching the lifts at the Crossfit site.

One, if not the best weightlifting book out there, “Starting Strength” by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore is a “must have” in your library. If you don’t have it, get it. Next up is the sequel, “Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training”. **Could the sequel be better than the original? Bet on it. SS:BBT picks up where SS left off, according to the authors. From their website,

“With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed
analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a
new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic
Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the
most effective way to exercise.”

This book will be shipping at the end of September and now is the time to order to get the pre-release price of $24.95, which is 5 bucks off the retail price.

**(Enthusiastic, but unsolicited testimonial/ad for the books. I receive no compensation for any book sales as a result of this post although I am not opposed to the idea!)

To get a taste of what you are in for, Mark and Lon are frequent contributors to the Crossfit Journal and has instructional video snippets on the Crossfit website and probably YouTube as well.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I had a PR in the Front Squat today. Check it out. 12 singles.
135/155/185/205/225pr/220/195/195/185/185/185/185/.