So, let me see if I understand this whole "bro" thing.

Bros are guys in the gym who are there just to look good. They do all kinds of splits, just working biceps and triceps, basically beach muscles. Not interested in upping weight, and moving forward or gaining strength, just into looking good on the beach or trying to attract females (or like-minded males). They don't do compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, or power cleans. They probably gel their hair and have tribal band tattoos. They mostly wear Ed Hardy clothing, including bedazzled hats at the gym. They have large upper bodies and skinny chicken legs. H&F posters disrespect them greatly.

Am I right?

Anything I'm leaving out?

pretty much nailed it. they also base everything they do on anecdotal 'facts' commonly known as bro science.

You nailed 95% of it for sure. Well done. Occasionally, as deaders pointed out, they will try to justify their work with "broscience," which is a bunch of BS that sounds good but in reality has no basis in fact.

I want to point out also that, while I'm just starting the SS thing, I haven't received my book yet (but it should be here any day now) so I'm not doing every exercise just yet...but I'm digging it. It gives you a greater sense of accomplishment doing all those complex, more difficult lifts. The soreness has subsided greatly from the first session, and I'm feeling more solid with all the lifts. I'm looking forward to getting the book and really getting into it and learning more lifts and refining my form. I just want to thank HF for all your help, and give SS my recommendation also.

Just received my Starting Strength book...

Squat 3x5 185

Bench 2x5 175 1x4 175...could have gotten a fifth rep w/ a spotter but I didn't want to risk sheer humiliation

Deadlifts 1x5 155

Both squat racks were taken when I came into the gym, so I had to wait a minute and watch the two guys finish. The first guy was a bigger older dude who eventually ended up squatting with 4 45lb plates on both sides of the bar, and his hands were all the way out touching the plates while he squatted and he went all the way down to the ground. The other dude was a skinnier younger dude squatting 95lbs. and his hands were also touching the plates, so I kinda chuckled to myself and just went about my business.

On the last set of my squats, I wobbled a little on a couple of my reps, finished my set. Took the plates off the bar and sat on the bench preparing myself to start benching. Some guy came over to me and was like "Hey when you're squatting, you want to put your hands further out on the bar for your balance. They shouldn't be so close together."

I just nodded and said "Thanks bro".

Hands in as close as is comfortable, obv. This is of course assuming that you're holding the bar with straight wrists, as Rippetoe harps on.

I've also worried about pinching the **** out of my hands reracking the bar when I've had a wider grip.

skunk!

Definitely using a Rippetoe grip, and it doesn't feel uncomfortable really at all...so I'm not looking to widen it...wobbles were due to non-optimal form

Why are you so focused on lifting? If you trying to lose weight diet and cardio is what matters. Dead lifts and squats might prepare you for the NFL but you won't lose any weight...

Bobby777: please refer to post #44

Malucci: Congrats on the great success so far. I started SS a month or two ago as well and am really loving it. Get used to bros trying to "correct" your form, especially on squats (I've had a personal trainer try it twice).

I am just posting to echo others' reccomendation to get some vids posted of all the lifts you are doing. I thought my technique was solid but taking the vids and subsequently receiving advice here really helped me improve. Don't worry about looking silly; 99% of people in gyms around the world don't even know what a squat looks like so of course they'll think you look silly.

Lastly, enjoy taking a couple of months to outlift those bros who have been in the gym for years doing p90x variants.

nameonthecakeavatar.jpg

bobby777- I am also dieting, and I'm going to start doing some cardio also with this too. But building muscle will help up the metabolism, and help me lose fat, which is what I really want. To improve my body composition. So far I'm already down 7-8lbs. and feel way better about myself.

toothy- yeah I really do need to get some videos of my lifts, but as of now I have no form of recording equipment. I'm planning on upgrading my phone real soon though so I should hopefully be getting something with the capabilities to take video and once that happens I will have videos for you all to look and laugh at.

Should I be doing chin ups or pull ups, or alternate between the two?

SS recommends alternating, although it's hardly a big deal.