Strength
Strength is, quite simply, the most important thing you can build.
For the average person, being strong means that everything else in your life becomes easier. Physical tasks become less challenging; nagging back pain may vanish. Everyone who becomes stronger finds their self-confidence skyrockets. And becoming stronger helps protect against disease and illness later in life.
For the athlete, becoming stronger is the most sure fire way to increase your athleticism. Being stronger means being more powerful and explosive, and it means being able to express your athletic skill at a qualitatively higher level. For the competitive athlete, committing to a serious and sustained strength program is one of the best and most important decisions he or she can make.
Barbell Training
There are many tools and training methods you can use to increase your strength. But none can match the barbell.
The barbell, by its very nature, is ideally suited to train the entire body. Barbell exercises, by placing the entire human body under a load, create a training stress and adaptation that is unrivaled by any other training modality. There is no machine exercise that can match the strength training impact of the barbell back squat.
And the barbell is for everyone. It can be loaded at very light weights, so that everyone can start training with a resistance they can handle, and then be increased in whatever increments are appropriate.
Barbell Medicine
Barbell training is big medicine.
Millions of people in the US suffer from metabolic syndrome — a collection of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and increased body fat that increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Barbell training, by building muscle and assisting in fat loss, effectively brings these risk factors under control.
As people age, we tend to lose muscle mass, and our bones become more brittle. The consequence is that we lose the ability to move around with our old youthful vigor, and something as minor as falling down can become a life threatening event. Barbell reverses these trends by stimulating the growth of muscle and of denser, stronger bones. Need to be convinced? Watch the video above to see what it can accomplish.
For those interested in learning more about barbell training’s value in combating illness and disease, emergency room physician and Starting Strength Coach Jonathan Sullivan’s article, Barbell Training is Big Medicine, is required reading.
Starting Strength
Starting Strength is a comprehensive approach to using barbell training to dramatically improve one’s strength. The book of the same name is widely recognized as the authority on the barbell lifts, is the #1 selling book on sports training on Amazon, and has been written about by the New York Times.
By using a few whole body movement patterns and gradually increasing the resistance involved, barbell training strengthens the entire human body. Not only does the trainee gain increased muscle mass and strength; bones become thicker and less brittle, flexibility improves, the heart becomes stronger, and all athletic attributes are improved.
The lifting techniques elaborated in Starting Strength are based on mechanics and human anatomy and physiology. And the linear progression of the program means that compared to any other training approach, you will make the greatest possible strength gains in the least amount of time.
About Bay Strength
Bay Strength is the personal strength coaching practice of Jeremy Tully, a Starting Strength Coach.
Jeremy coaches clients of all backgrounds on the basic barbell lifts. Whether you want to be stronger for improved health and everyday life or for athletic performance, Jeremy is specially qualified to help you.
Jeremy coaches at Game Changer Fitness, an award winning gym in Temescal in Oakland, CA. The gym is located just off Route 24, making it easily accessible to people throughout the East Bay.
Jeremy is available during the week and on Saturdays by appointment. He specializes in introducing people to the Starting Strength program and in 1 on 1 and small group private coaching.
To contact him, use the Request a Consult form below.
Get Started
Ready to get started? Send me an email telling me a little bit about yourself and your goals, and I’ll be in touch soon.