Book Review: Strong Enough? by Mark Rippetoe
Mark Rippetoe is a strength coach who is well known for his popular book Starting Strength and his advocacy of barbell exercises. In Strong Enough? Rippetoe gives his opinion on everything from the squat to the overall state of the fitness industry. I will admit that I'm a fan of Rippetoe and his methods such as the low bar squat. Having said that I'm not a Starting Strength purist. I also subscribe to the teachings of others such as Dan John with his advocacy of the goblet squat and kettlebell swing, or Mike Boyle with his advocacy of single leg exercises. I mention this because Rippetoe has a sizable loyal fan base, however he also has a fair amount of detractors. Given these facts I felt responsible to give full disclosure of my leanings.
In short, I can tell you that if you like Rippetoe and his previous books, then you will like Strong Enough?. If you do not like him, then you won't like the book. Strong Enough? is written in Rippetoe's no nonsense style, and at times is actually pretty humorous. One thing I appreciate about this book is how he addresses training for people other than 20-30 year old males. For example, he spends a chapter discussing training for women, and another on training for older lifters. In my experience the over whelming amount of information about lifting weights on the internet, magazines, books, or otherwise is catered specifically to 20-30 year old males. It's nice to see lifters outside of this narrow demographic getting some attention. He also discusses his thoughts on the fitness industry, fitness advice given by healthcare providers, and the supplement industry. And, of course he talks about the squat, deadlift, and press; among many other topics. It's all classic Rippetoe.
The book is not perfect and I do have a couple of criticisms. One is that it can be a little dry. In his defense an entire chapter talking about nothing but the squat is going to be a little dry. Which brings me to my next point, if you have read Rippetoe's other books such as Starting Strength or Practical Programming for Strength Training, then a lot of the information in this book is just going to be a repeat of what you've already read.
So if you would like to get the opinions of a renowned strength coach on all things fitness, or if you're already a fan of Rippetoe, then this is a decent read. If you're not a Rippetoe fan this book will not change you to one, so it may be one to skip. Personally I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about lifting weights and overall fitness.
