Mark Rippetoe
Mark Rippetoe
Biography of a Strength Training Icon
Full Name and Common Aliases
Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training expert, author, and coach. His full name is Mark Stephen Rippetoe.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on August 22, 1957, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. As of this writing (2023), he is still alive.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Mark Rippetoe's nationality is American. He has worked as a strength training coach, author, and online course creator.
Early Life and Background
Rippetoe grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, where he developed an interest in weightlifting at a young age. He began lifting weights during high school and soon became passionate about the sport. After graduating from high school, Rippetoe attended Oklahoma State University (OSU), where he studied strength training under renowned coach, Carl Lee.
Major Accomplishments
Mark Rippetoe has had an illustrious career as a strength training expert. Some of his notable accomplishments include:
Co-founding the CrossFit affiliate gym, Aasgard's Brigade in Logan, Utah.
Developing the Starting Strength program, which focuses on building foundational strength through squats, deadlifts, and bench press exercises.
Publishing several books, including Practical Programming for Strength Training, Strongest Shall Survive, and The Starting Strength Digital Day Planner.Notable Works or Actions
Rippetoe's contributions to the world of strength training are numerous. Some notable works include:
His book, Starting Strength, which has become a classic in the strength training community.
The development of the Rippetoe Method, a programming system for building strength.
Rippetoe's involvement with the CrossFit affiliate gym, Aasgard's Brigade, where he coaches and trains athletes.
Impact and Legacy
Mark Rippetoe has had a profound impact on the world of strength training. His emphasis on foundational strength exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and bench press, has influenced a generation of lifters. His work has also been instrumental in popularizing the concept of deload weeks, which involves reducing training intensity to allow for recovery.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Mark Rippetoe is widely quoted and remembered due to his no-nonsense approach to strength training. He emphasizes the importance of proper form, progressive overload, and consistency in achieving results. His straightforward and often humorous writing style has made him a favorite among strength enthusiasts.
Rippetoe's legacy extends beyond his books and online courses. He has inspired countless athletes and coaches around the world with his commitment to building strength through evidence-based training methods.
Through his work, Rippetoe has helped shape the modern strength training landscape, and his influence continues to be felt in gyms and training facilities worldwide.
Quotes by Mark Rippetoe
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man’s training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.” Thomas H. Huxley.
There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.
People seem to have acquired the idea that they have the inalienable right to stroll through life without either having sweated, picked up anything heavy, worked hard, or eaten less than they wanted at every meal. This approach is, of course, wrong. And it has resulted in a lot of expensive, unattractive, and entirely preventable problems amongst people who seem puzzled about why things aren’t going well.
If a program of physical activity isn’t designed to get you stronger or faster or better conditioned by producing a specific stress to which a specific desirable adaptation can occur, you don’t get to call it training. It’s just exercise.
Since the trainee is both inefficient and unadapted, only a few basic exercises should be used, and they should be repeated frequently to establish the basic motor pathways and basic strength.
The full-range-of-m otion exercise known as the squat is the single most useful exercise in the weight room, and our most valuable tool for building strength, power, and size.