Stuff Doctors Say | Starting Strength Radio # 28 

I had a doctor tell me flat out "You are too old to be lifting weights', I was 56 at the time, and "I don't want you running or walking either, just ride a bike or swim". I now have a different doctor.

In countries with the metric system doctors routinely tell patients not to lift more than 4.5359 kg.

To be fair...deadlifts do have a scary-sounding name, that might be why Drs don't want you to do it. Maybe they should be retitled Unicorn lifts.

The Starting Strength method saved me from misery. A spinal anaesthetic damaged my spinal cord, resulting in loss of balance, severe pain and atrophy of the leg muscles. I staggered about like a drunk, frequently falling over. Doctors had nothing to offer but painkillers. Physiotherapy was useless. After years of pain, depression and comfort eating I had a heart attack. I bought an exercise bike and soon found that I got the most benefit from turning the resistance up to max and straining hard to pedal, so I looked into resistance training. Rubber bands didn't do much for me. Magazines and certain RU-vidrs confused me with talk of shoulder day and back day and arms day and legs day... Then I chanced upon your videos, bought the book and started training properly. I became stronger and stopped falling over, with the result that I lost my disability. So I'm suing Mark for loss of income (joke).

I am a doctor (not one of the stupid ones). I have learned more about improving the function of my patients through sports medicine / fitness (and nutrition for that matter) than anything I learned in medical school. Not that medical school is useless but it focuses on disease (allopathic medicine) rather than educating a medical doctor on how to keep someone healthy or make them better / stronger / faster. Most doctors who have learned this do so because of a personal interest rather than official curriculum learned in medical school. Virtually all of the useful, day to day things to counsel patients on (what to eat to be healthy is a far cry from learning The Kreb's Cycle in biochemistry) I have learned due to personal study of fitness and/or nutrition. Medicines are tools and should be used where needed but if your diet is all processed junk food and you are very sedentary, your fitness and health will decline regardless of anything your doctor does. More doctors should learn these lifestyle tools. They are literally the fountain of youth in terms of function and energy which is what everyone says they want. No pill comes close.

If I can’t lift over 10 lbs how am I supposed to pee

Just now listened to this episode. The authority of doctors has certainly made a huge jump since this was uploaded. In fact we can nominate the last 6 months to the next episode of Stuff Doctors Say

I've been told not to deadlift by a doc for an old back injury. Wasted my time listening to her.

Before my junior year of high school, when I was 16, I went to get my annual sports physical. I was 6'0" 220lbs at about 15-17% body fat. The doctor looked at the height and weight chart for my age and told me that I was almost in the "severe obese" category. I said, "I can see my abs!" Nope. The chart shows that I'm obese, she said. At first she wasn't going to allow me to play football that season but my dad lost his shit and went off on her. She said she would allow me to play but warned that I was at severe risk of cardiac issues. I went on to play DII football. I'm almost 32 and this story still makes me laugh lol.

My doctor told me to never run again after my foot surgery. He told me to only use exercise bikes and low impact cardio machines. I was devastated, but I still wanted to run so I focused on making my feet stronger. I started walking miles a day and running whenever I could. If I felt pain when I ran, I'd stop running and just go back to walking. Eventually, I could run with no problems. That was years ago, and now I can run barefoot. I think back at how family would get mad at me for even trying to run because the doctor said not to. If I had listened to them and took it easy on myself how much less would I have achieved? I often wonder what would happen if I went back to my doctor and told him about all this. Would he congratulate me or slap me in the face?

Nice shirt, Rip! Thanks for another great podcast this week.

I will have a toilet made 6 inches off the ground, so I'll have to stay young and mobile forever.

600 pound deadlift after being told he'd never walk again. *holy shit*. That is amazing. Also amazing is how stupid doctors can be lol

I was getting pre-op testing for THR and the doc said that my kidneys were not reading well and wanted to delay the surgery until they “look into” my poor kidneys. I am healthy, normal weight, non/drinker/smoker lifter. I stopped taking my BCAA for a week, convinced the surgeon to retest me...a miracle that my “bad kidneys” got healed in a week! The doc told me it must have been a bad reading the first time 🙄 I got my surgery, resumed BCAAs and competed 8 months later. I am 56 year old woman who began lifting at 52. Barbell is the best medicine ever. And no, my THR had nothing to do with weight lifting. In fact, my surgeon said he had all the surgical femur pins sizes in the OR and he was shocked that he used the longest pin usually reserved for much younger patients. He said hammering in that pin into my femur was like hitting a spike into an oak tree.

Hey Rip. I heard holding farts in is a great ab exercise and will give me a 8 pack. Is this true?

When i first heard this man speak, after 3 minutes of listening i realized i didn't know how to build muscle. I thought i did somehow without seeing any results. Now I've increased all my lifts and I'm growing visibly already! Insane! Thank you for cutting through the bullshit of the fitness industry and getting straight to the point. Top bloke!

after my appendectomy i was told not to lift more than 20lb. when I hurt my left shoulder, my rear delt hurt when ever I pulled anything,.... like pulling my pants up, she said "don't pull your arm like that. no one does that." we listen to them because they are gatekeepers, just like insurance companies, to other doctors that actually might be good ~ my policy is when you know better you really need to lie to them to get better.

So love this! I’m 56 breast cancer survivor and my doctors told me to Lift and lift heavy to OFF SET BAD HORMONES THAT CAUSED “my” Breast issue! 2 years clear! Lifting heavier for 5 years! ❤️

on statins-I am a clinician in health plans. Statin adherence is a quality measure for plan performance.Yes the system still incentivizes it. my lipid panel was high enough to be on them a while back. However I went opposite. I stopped them, made red meat center of my diet, very low carbs, intermittent fasting and kept lifting. My triglycerides dropped and lipid panel normalized, A1c receded, weight and waist dropped. My cardiologist was cool when he did my CAC scan and I came back with zero calcification despite eating 1lb ribeyea day. LOL. Clinicians still balk at my meat centric eating hahah. I still have trouble reconciling this as a health measure when I know a better way of curbing metabolic syndrome.

Rip reminds me of the vacuum cleaner from the brave little toaster

If a mechanic told you...I fixed your car, now take it home and park it, or it might break again, you would look for another mechanic. Doctors should be treated no better. Make them explain everything, ask every question you can imagine, and go home and spend some hours of research into what is wrong and what the doctor wants you to do. For example, I had pain in both my legs. I was tested, $6000 for a 3D cat scan and some othe tests and the doctor (a vascular surgeon ) said, I can't find anything wrong. I went home and began to research. I found a RU-vid video by a vascular surgeon who had the problem and gave great information as to the most likely causes. Those being hard and soft plaque in arteries and veins. He used "K2" and "Cyruta+" to alleviate each of them, so I tried it. My pain was gone in three weeks. I don't have to tell you, my respect for the medical community lessens each time such things happen.

I worked in an Endo office 12 yrs ago & can say the med staff knew the pharm reps by name & came to stock up the free sample cabinet once a week with gleeful joy.

This is such a valuable video that has made me double down on my reluctance to take a statin - as my PCP is getting close to prescribing for me. Thanks for covering the topic.

That shirt really suits him. I want a shirt like that. The shoulder lines flatter the frame, and the arm sleeves are fitted nicely. Looks like a bespoke shirt.

My doc told me when I eventually get injured and have to stop lifting weights my muscles will turn into fat.

My family doc, an anti pill pusher told me a long time ago that to live a long healthy life all you need to do is: 1 exercise regularly 2 eat a clean whole foods diet 3 sleep 7-8 hrs nightly 4 avoid drugs and alcohol but if you must use moderation 5 control your stress

Good Lord, a lot of this sounded familiar to me! I had an office visit with my PCP last year and he stated that the Pravastatin was doing its' job, because my HDL dropped considerably. He's a nice guy, so I didn't have the heart to tell him that I discontinued that medication 8-months prior. Since an L4 surgery in 1990, I've had my share of back issues. Started at a Cross-Fit gym a year ago and worked up to 75 lb kettle bells (2) for Russian Dead Lifts. One-arm rowing with 70lbs put a torque on my lower back and caused a bad flare up in my lower back. When I went to see the Dr. he asked what I'd been doing at the gym. When I told him the weights I was using at 58 years of age, he almost passed out. Said that there's no reason for me to be using anything more than 15 pound dumbbells. I made a recovery, became fanatical about form, and am progressing well. I just don't tell him about it. Lastly, I've been an insulin dependent diabetic for over 10-years. Lost 40 pounds 5-years ago by cycling 3,400 miles in one year, and in six months was able to get off of my insulin. A major shoulder surgery, where my shoulder was immobilized for 6-weeks and a year to recover fully led to me gaining the weight back and having to get back onto the insulin. Fast forward to the Cross-Fit gym a year ago, with strength training combined with HIIT cardio, and I lost 24 pounds in six weeks, and got off of Lantus (injectable insulin) in three weeks! Yes, three weeks. Then got off of Victoza (second injectable diabetes medication) by the end of the fourth week. Have been off both injectable medications for 11-months and my A1C is 5.1 (lower than many normal folks). Dr. was damn near giddy, stating that I've gotten off medications that most people need to take for life. Since he's a Vegan, I didn't tell him about all the meat I've been eating over the last year. So, I've gained a lot of respect for strength training!

So I'm listening to you while i am work and so agreeing with all that you say. Again, my GYNO- and for us ladies that are older with hormones depleting and or, lifting stimulates a hormones that COMBATS Menopause, fat storage, over all health on bones. I am on meds that will or may cause bone loss. After a test that i have had -bone scan, she said that my bones are like a 20 year old ALL BECAUSE OF HEAVY LIFT. Not sure why Ladies don't heavy left. Makes me feel "high" in a great way. Favor, more on ladies and heavy lift. and the benefits. You may have spoke about this before, but worth repeating over and over again. My Docs said to me that more ladies NEED TO LIFT! Thank you for your candid conversation, etc.

"Lift low weights for higher reps, it's the same thing." That's a diamond bullet of insight. I've been doing it ALL WRONG. Here I've been working my way up to (attempt) squatting 405 lbs, when I could just squat 135 lbs for 3 reps, and get the exact same results!

The Hippocratic oath is "first do no harm", it doesn't say anything about secondary harm...

Been dead lifting I'm 73. Sooo I guess I have to stop. lol lol lol

I find it quite scary that so many people take so little active interest in learning about the various health issues and the drugs used to treat them. I typical interaction for me with doctors, especially those I don't know well is like jousting. They attack (a.k.a. say something ignorant) and I parry (offer alternative information) then I attack (I ask questions they can't answer ) and they usually just blink. Doctor: "you need to take statens" Me: "No" Dpctor: "You had a heart attack" Me: "How do you know?" "If it's because of high Troponin levels then why did the first test indicate .5, but then after I was in the hospital on a ventilator they rose every two hours up to 6.0?" "DId I have constant heart attacks while under your care?" Troponin rises from stress, and in my opinion being on a ventilator is quite stressful whether I was conscious or not." My main point is NEVER just take their word. Ask questions about everything. It is your body and your life and doctors will never admit to killing patients out of ignorance. They are mostly doing what Big Pharma, who funds medical schools tell them to do.

Also, the first 2 minutes was so funny. Haven't laughed like that for years.

These people have crappy doctors. A lot of people have crappy doctors. I have a great relationship with my Doctor. Came as a result of telling the last one to fuck off and then finding one who engaged with me like the grown man that I am.

Sooo entertaining and informative

Just so happens I ate 3/4 lb of bacon and 5 eggs for breakfast. Lunch is 1lb beef, bbq sauce and 7 slices of cheese for lunch at work. Been doing this 5 days a week for years. What scares me is the names of chemicals in the bbq sauce that I can't pronounce. 5'10" 170# with abs at 50yo. Guess I'm washed up now. Dammit!!!

"No more than 2 eggs a week." Bro I eat 6 eggs a day and 4 (smallish) fillets of fish with plenty of cheese! Ain't I gonna be high on cholesterol. It's the seed oils and ultra processed carbs, that you really gotta watch out for. That sh1t is poison.

A doctor saying "you'll never walk again" to anyone short of a paraplegic is bordering on malpractice and IMO is an EXTREMELY RARE OCCURRENCE. People hearing a doctor say something like "a full recovery is not likely" and interpreting it as "you'll never walk again" because they're panicked and not listening correctly or just stupid is far more likely.

I see Rip cruising Wichita Falls in a top-down LeBaron, blasting this theme music, and mean-muggin' the world around him through a pair of flip up sunglasses.

That rib fx example is Golden!! Wolff’s Law at work.

Rip’s lobster hands are rejecting his body, because he lifts more than ten pounds

When I was sixty I needed a hip replacement. I surfed, keen judo competitor, lifted weights for decades, ran... Anyway the first specialist goes to me, "after the surgery you can do everything you did before". I said great. So I can surf - he goes no. I can do judo - he goes no. I can run - he goes no. I can lift weights - no squats or deadlifts he says. He was dumfounded when I said the consult was finished and started babbling. Went to another surgeon who understood. Shop around. BTW. I now do everything I did before but better & 100% pain free. I also have added skateboarding to my hobbies which initially was definitely not pain free - concrete hurts.

I had a road accident back in 2015 that messed up my lumbar 3,4 and 5 disc.I was told by my ortho that ill be crippled in no time if i keep lifting weights. For few months i stopped my squats n deads and that even worsen up the pain even i was going through certain therapies. So i said screw everything and get back to my squats and deads.... to cut the story short, after 5 years pain is down to almost negligible and im back to 95%plus strenght of my competitive days.... im 51 by the way.... Much Respect for Mr. Rippatoe

I lifted 10 1/2 pounds once, I’ve regretted it ever since

I know this is a little older, but I'm just coming to know Starting Strength more... I actually told my Dr. that the vast majority of doctors get into it for 3 reasons... 1. Money (they think they get rich) 2. Family forces them 3. They have at least a little bit of a God Complex. His reply was... "Well, I definitely don't have a God complex." Right before he told me how wearing a cloth mask will save lives and they're trying to save as many people as possible. Yeah, I need a new doctor around Pittsburgh if anybody knows one.

This is what is going to get me past my post concussion syndrome, I understand now. No more resting, use my brain, even if I feel like crap.

You are so right about some doctor's advice. I was a "victim" too, but used common sense and did what I had to do to walk, squat, deadlift, and lift weights again.

PhD: you have to give up squat entirely. Me: do "you" squat? PhD: no. Me: then how do you know?

This is great.

You touched on something I find disturbing today. You mentioned that generally, doctors don't want you asking questions. I grew up in the 70s/80s and remember when doctors used to spend time explaining things to you and answered questions, at least. Today you are a name on a chart, something to diagnose, be told what needs to be done or what you need to do, and then they need you out the door because they're in a hurry to get to the next patient. Part of this is corporate controlled system and less independent doctor's offices. That's if you're fortunate enough to be in the presence of a doctor at all. Now you just see an assistant.

Best person best advice

Amazing how well this one aged

Just watched Bryan’s story, how cool and rip is obviously a humanitarian at heart.

My dad is turning 60 in 2 months. He bikes, does some bodyweight exercises, and lifts some dumbbells every morning. His small business keeps him sweating and on his feet for 12 to 14 hours a day. He doesn't have abs or as much muscle mass as he used to (I have to talk to him about that), but he's in better shape than a lot of 45 year olds and most 50 year olds.

I am 5'7 215lbs @ 13 % bodyfat and my doc at the VA says I am too heavy, need to jog, and stay away from heavy weight

"Quick, quick, give him the ......" "One word, three syllables, first syllable....sounds like head...."

Because you are over 50 you can't get stronger (LOLOLOL) - Mark, I was told I couldn't walk after a neck and back injury :) - When I was 42, 44yrs old I pulled my first 505 in the deadlift. I got a mental block with squatting because of the crap the doctors kept drilling into my mind

A truly intelligent person will use this phrase....i "I dont know"

My father-in-law had back surgery which of course didn't work. His Dr. told him never to lift or exercise again (he was elated to here this). Shockingly his back still hurts but he claims it is because he is "doing too much".

I have lower back pain, not strong, it does not prevent me to do any movement and I do not need painkillers for it. But it is there. Should I do strength training or should I do something else first?

Who gave these doctors the level of a God; was it themselves or the people who got better with their treatments?? And from THAT i guess people thought they also were knowledgeable about EVERYTHING else!! I got a nephew who is in FIRST year of med school, now he throws medical words he just learned at me in arguments about all sorts of things, and he is already thinking he knows better than me just because he is in med school. First year!! Imagine how fucked up he'll be by the time he finishes!!! he is fat like all his brothers and sister, and his parents are also with all sorts of ailments and sicknesses, yet he knows better than me who is 52 and healthy as a horse from lifting, he saw me with 455 pounds on my back doing squats and he shook his stupid head in disapproval, I laughed and did my reps and looked at him right back. So now is over a year later and he is still fat and lazy and I am still lifting. Imagine the wreckage of dead people and other damage he'll leave in his wake as he moves along as a "doctor"??

Update from 2024: "be a germaphobe, get your shots and boosters" 😎

All kinds of meme material 🤣

Lighter weight at higher reps means squatting #45 for 10 reps is the same event as a #450 single

Many Drs are cool, good people, but some don’t know how or when to stay in their lane either, not realizing an MD or DO doesn’t make them the last word or expert on every subject-even those that have nothing to do with health or medicine. But, you’ll find this in any occupation.

@ 1:34 Doctor Strangelove reference!

Riip, you are so true about Doctors, they have God complex. So true

Okay I put that drill through my skull where the pain was and I feel A LOT BETTER!! I can do Strict curls with 405lbs for reps

My cholesterol has been between 280-330 for over five years. My small particle LDL has been between 10-16, my calcium scan is 0, and my triglycerides are less than 50. Any doctor that prescribes a statin on serum cholesterol alone should be FIRED by the patient. I've refused a statin so long as I have the other tests with good results.

If I am to not lift over 10lbs how am I to carry my weekly groceries that always contain 2+ gallons of milk?

Doctors care more about what they know at the expense of what they don't know....sadly

Son was born 11.5 early. Doc said he would likely always be small, have learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, speech issues, and struggle with medical issues throughout his life. My wife literally told the director of the Neonatal care at a major hospital, f you. 19 years later? He has had a great childhood, and is healthy, tall, strong, good looking, speaks several languages, and a EXTREMELY smart. Pretty much everything the doctor said has been the opposite. Wait, no actually he wears contacts, albeit a weaker prescription then mine. My ortho doctor told me I needed to stop doing heavy squats. I challenged that, If I don’t lift regularly including squats, my back pain is so great, I cannot sleep at night. My joint injuries also occur more frequently with simple activities. He could not advise me how to deal with any of that as he was only concerned about my knee as if related to his profession. I don’t trust anyone. Doctors are at the top of my list. I have had health events that went full circle with no solutions but cost tens of thousands. Again, no solution or any real proper diagnosis, just expensive tests and tracks towards $ for them and their colleagues. We need health coaches and minimize our needs for medical doctors.

I've been using lower pressure pills for about 4 years because of 1 test xD and after that a real heart doctor said that i have normal values and even thou i took the pills they didn't do anything cause the dose was too low to have any impact

That coffee cup

Well ill keep my doctor then, my blood pressure and cholesterol were high, he recommended lifting weights

Do you think you can rehab a broken arm/leg by doing the main barbell lifts without a hard cast? Not being sarcastic ,it's a serious question. Thanks.

My doctor said I can't do power cleans if I don't have bumper plates

Would the 13 year old kid happen to be Kyle Gulledge? Who did the 190 lb reverse curl?

its on spotify too

27:35 Gold , well, for me anyway

I´m 65!

I like how winded this dude is just describing how to fry eggs in butter.

I once got into a fight with five fellas bigger than me and a policeman? amongst some other injury I got fractured ribs hurts like a bastard for-weeks

Shout out Fenix Ammunition

Doctor: "Dont lift more than 10 lbs" Women: "B-but...my purse weighs like 35 lbs" Doctor: "............................................................"

BTW, a good many surgeons, especially the orthopedic guys, being the jocks of the medical profession, are often gym rats--sometimes nothing beats the ability to just grapple a shattered limb back into position against the resistance of the patient's muscles.

I do 6 eggs cooked covered in a small pan seasoned then slide it off onto a 🥩 every morning.

Only 2 eggs a week. I eat 15 a day so i guess their against the steak and egg diet.

He first rule of Starting Strength is you do not talk about cannibalism. The second rule of Starting Strength is you do not talk about cannibalism.

Where’s the “g”?

I love Rip radio, but thank God for being able to speed it up to at least 1.5

Thank you for posting this video! Made me laugh and think that what I like about Rip is that he can be extremely ironical in 2019 and not get arrested by it, strange times we are living. By the way: please call Joe Rogan back. He deserves a chance, so seriously, call him back.

Hhahaha..well yeah..aren`t you..lol

Rip knows all this because he's broken more bones than Evel Knievel.

mark "the rip" rippetoe - what are your thoughts on weed (reefer/ganja/marieJay/the green stickie eckie)?

How about risk of retina detachment from doing valsalva maneuver? Has anyone suffer retina detachment from valsalva?

A few years ago I had a doctor tell me to stop running so much, it was “bad for my knees”. I didn’t listen until much later, started squatting after that, knees got better

Go on Joe Rogan

That’s a cool colored shirt. (No homo).

1:03:40 Doctors are: