When Janette Johnson was diagnosed with osteopenia, her doctor told her the best way to stay off medication was to get stronger. She wasn’t sure where to start until a neighbor told her about Starting Strength Boise.
Janette had never lifted before and was dealing with knee pain, a shoulder tear, and a wrist held together with screws. Her coaches taught her how to train safely, adjusting each lift so she could build strength without making old injuries worse.
Now her posture is better, she feels leaner and more capable, and she’s squatting more than her own body weight. For Janette, strength training hasn’t just improved her numbers. It’s changed how she moves, feels, and lives every day.
Lee is a 77-year-old geophysicist who’s spent his life working on complex projects around the world. After a series of health issues and a kidney transplant, he lost weight and muscle and needed to rebuild both. He turned to Starting Strength Houston for coaching that focused on form, safety, and steady progress. With consistent training, he regained his leg strength, balance, and confidence. Now he’s stronger, steadier, and back to living the active life he values.
Kenny couldn’t sleep on his left side for 10 months after a skiing injury. His doctor told him his muscles were weakening from babying the injury. Within a month of training at Starting Strength Houston, Kenny’s shoulder improved so much he completely forgot about the skiing accident.
But the real surprise wasn’t his shoulder healing, it was what happened to his mental health. At 42, Kenny went through some of the hardest times in his personal life. At that point, Strength training became the thing that carried him through.
Stacie has been training at Starting Strength Boise through her entire pregnancy. The first trimester was rough, but she kept showing up and doing what she could, and it paid off every time. She worked back up to 70-80% of her max weights, building strength to prepare her body for labor. The time under tension and stress recovery she practiced with the barbell trained her muscles for exactly what happens during delivery, and squatting turned out to be one of the best movements for preparing her body for the physical demands ahead.
A Parent’s Strength: Support for Disabled Children | Stronger is Better Podcast #14
In this powerful episode of the Stronger is Better Podcast, Nick Delgadillo is joined by UK-based client and father James Collinge to discuss how strength training has transformed his life—not just in the gym, but in parenting a disabled child.
James shares how barbell training prepared him physically and mentally for the unpredictable demands of caring for his autistic son, and how strength offers freedom, control, and peace of mind in even the most chaotic moments. Whether you’re a parent, a coach, or someone seeking a deeper reason to train, this episode is a must-listen.
00:00 – Intro: Meet James Collinge 01:45 – Training overview and coaching relationship 06:00 – Programming simplicity and advanced progress 09:00 – Current lifts and Dinnie Stones goal 13:20 – Grip work and unconventional lifting prep 18:56 – Specialization vs tradeoffs in strength 21:00 – Daily life with recovery, food, and structure 27:30 – How strength helps parenting a disabled child 30:30 – Real-life travel and care challenges 33:45 – Physical freedom and reduced anxiety 36:30 – Strength makes things easier—not just possible 38:11 – Strength changes social dynamics and confidence 40:40 – Controlling physical situations safely 43:41 – The emotional toll of high-stress parenting 46:00 – A message to parents of disabled children 48:33 – Capability = lower life stress 50:45 – Capability for the long haul: aging with responsibility 53:08 – It’s your responsibility to stay strong 55:00 – Final reflections and future of Starting Strength Gyms
Rose couldn’t stand up from a chair without using her hands after multiple falls that sent her to the emergency room. Her daughter Emily gave her a Starting Strength Austin gift card for Mother’s Day, but Rose had second thoughts about whether she could handle it. The Coaches met Rose exactly where she was and made the modifications she needed. Now she has her confidence back and people notice the difference.
Fighting the Lust for Comfort | Stronger is Better Podcast #13
In this episode of the Stronger is Better Podcast, Nick Delgadillo shares a talk he delivered at the Starting Strength Cincinnati Member event in August 2025.
This talk dives deep into the consequences of modern comfort, the transformative value of hard physical effort, and the role of barbell training in reclaiming your physical existence. Nick outlines how stress, recovery, and adaptation aren’t just for strength gains — they’re foundational to becoming a better human.
He also explores the three dimensions of capability: intelligence, connection with others, and connection with your physical body — and how barbell training uniquely activates all three.
If you’re looking for meaning in your training — or need a reminder of why it matters — this is the episode to watch.
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: The power of community at SS Cincinnati 02:00 – Why strength training is still underrated 05:00 – Better people through hard physical things 07:00 – Stress–Recovery–Adaptation and the S.A.I.D. principle 10:20 – Why lifting gets harder, and why that’s the point 13:00 – Accumulated stress and managing recovery 16:00 – Why performance is non-negotiable 18:00 – The “Three Capabilities” model: Mind, connection, body 21:00 – Why physical capability is a human-level multiplier 25:00 – Strength training as a humbling and clarifying process 28:00 – The law of diminishing returns in real time 30:00 – Why you don’t need to quit lifting for cardio 33:00 – Understanding the physical spectrum 36:00 – Bigger muscles = health, longevity, and looking better 40:00 – Why barbells are the most disruptive and accessible tool 43:00 – Three ingredients for happiness (from Matt Larsen) 46:30 – “The lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul” 48:00 – Final thoughts and closing quote from Rip
JD Shipley never felt as strong as someone his size should be, despite trying different approaches. After discovering Starting Strength and helping friends with their training, he realized during his daily commute that he wanted to help people get stronger full-time. He left his oil and gas engineering career to open Starting Strength Houston and later expanded to Katy.
Stop Screwing up your Novice Linear Progression | Stronger is Better Podcast #12
In this episode, Nick Delgadillo and Ray Gillenwater revisit one of the most important topics in barbell training: the Starting Strength Novice Linear Progression (NLP). Originally recorded in 2021, this conversation outlines everything you need to know about the NLP — from day one in the gym to transitioning into intermediate programming.
Whether you’re brand new to strength training or getting back under the bar after a layoff, this episode will help you understand how to approach programming with confidence.
Topics covered: • What actually makes someone a “novice” lifter • Why you should not overcomplicate your early training • Programming for each lift: squat, press, bench, and deadlift • How to know when to adjust your program — and how • Why most people change things too early (and fail) • How NLP builds confidence and transforms lives
Key quote: “The change that you actually need to make is probably much smaller than the one you will want to make. So make the small change and then keep progress going.”
📚 Read Rip’s article: “The First Three Questions”: https://startingstrength.com/article/the_first_three_questions 📩 Questions or suggestions? Email us: podcast@ssgyms.com
00:00 – Intro: Why this episode matters 01:08 – What is the Starting Strength NLP? 06:45 – Basic structure: MWF training, lift rotation 12:58 – Deadlift: When & how to adjust 31:38 – Consistency, recovery, and form checklist 34:24 – Press progression strategies 47:00 – Bench press variants based on lifter profile 50:00 – Squat as the program driver 55:00 – Top set + backoffs, then one weekly PR 59:39 – Avoiding failure and staying consistent 01:05:55 – Final mindset & success advice
Tony spent five years doing yoga and 5Ks, frustrated he wasn’t getting stronger. When he asked his instructors what else they were doing, he found out they were secretly adding deadlifts and curls. This led him to discover the Starting Strength Method, which became personal when he coached his mother during chemo and MS treatments and saw the positive impact it made in her everyday life.
Instead of traditional physical therapy focused on preventing complications, strength training helped her cook meals and move around independently. Now as Head Coach at Starting Strength Houston, Tony works with people who can sometimes struggle just to walk through the door, helping them build strength that changes their daily lives.
