[scrrr]

Congrats and I concur. I wasted 2 years at the gym before I stumbled over "Starting Strength". I just decided to go for it, because I had the feeling that most people, including me, are just messing around wasting time at the gym.

And here's why. _Proper_ squats and deadlifts are hard. You breathe heavily, your whole body (as opposed to just certain muscles) exhausts itself in just a few movements. In the beginning you go to bed with every muscle sore. But I figured: It's pointless to go to the gym and avoid strain and exhaustion. So I might just as well aim for it.

And I did the Ripptoe program, and my life changed for the better.

My posture, ruined by years of computer programming, was fixed in less than two months. People started asking me if I've grown recently. I was just standing and walking properly.

My mood nowadays is good 99% of the time. It's just hard to be depressed or care about the little annoyances (or the whining of some people) when your body is strong. I don't know why exactly, but the mood improvement is significant, lasting and one of the best benefits of weightlifting. I can still enjoy every good thing that happens, but I don't sweat the bad stuff as much. I just shrug it off. A wonderful feeling to be able to do that consistently.

People react differently to me. Women, as you would expect, initiate flirting and so forth, but also I get the feeling that other men, children and the elderly, just look at me in a kinder way. Perhaps increasing strength also makes one seem more reliable. Or maybe they think I am used to hard work. Well, I guess they are right. Building strength is hard work.

There's one downside to all that.

When I started to follow the Ripptoe program, the barbell area at my gym was mostly deserted. After a year or so it's almost always busy. Perhaps I inspired the others or it's a general fitness trend of "less BS" and "back to the fundamentals". But if they don't expand that barbell area and install a few more chin-up bars this year, I'll have to find a new gym where I don't have to wait up to 30 minutes to start lifting.

[CrankyPants]

"My posture, ruined by years of computer programming, was fixed in less than two months."

Would you mind sharing the 80/20 gist of what aspect mainly contributed to that? I'm sure the best method would be to follow the program totally, but if one wanted just to see gains in that area with the least possible investment, what would you recommend?

[dredmorbius]

Posterior chain exercise. Between general posture, sitting, slouching, and the tendency for many people to emphasize "mirror / beach muscles" -- chest and biceps, as well as age-related sarcopenia (muscle loss at the rate of about 0.5 lb/year past your mid/late 20s), most people are losing muscle, including the "posterior chain" (calves, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, traps, lats, rhomboids) which support the body and spine.

You strengthen the posterior chain by training it: squats, deadlifts, rows, chins, power cleans.

The best way to get the gains you're looking for with the least possible investment is to do the program. Get the book. Do the program. Three workouts per week. Squats, deads, bench, press, power cleans, chins. Six to nine months will change your life.

http://startingstrength.com/

As for your questions, I'd strongly recommend looking over the Wit and Wisdom of Mark Rippetoe page as well, I believe you'd benefit from it, particularly the entry beginning "Responding to someone who wanted the book".

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Wit_and_Wisdom_of_Mar...

[CrankyPants]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[scrrr]

The single-best exercise for my back was doing squats. Those, probably mixed with deadlifts, build up my back muscles and my posture corrected itself. (I was slouching a lot.) I just can't think of anything more effective than those two exercises. (Perhaps swimming, though.)

I also recommend proper warmups. e.g. start with no or very little weight, and then keep adding until you reach your maximum, then do 3 sets at the maximum. I usually do 5 - 8 reps each set.

As for time investment: 2 - 3 times a week (doesn't matter if I was tired or lazy, I knew I would feel fantastic at or after the gym), 60 - 90 minutes each time. (no time-wasting, breaks only as long as necessary.)

As for 80/20: After doing the squats and the deadweights, I usually feel very motivated to keep doing other things. It's really switching the body into "workout"-mode.

Check these two videos for proper form: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huVujjfzphI , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JYCvtNKWc8

[nbvcxzcy]

how do you spend 90 minutes weight lifting? 5-8 reps, 3 sets per excercise, how many excercises?