Mark Rippetoe

Charles Mark Rippetoe, born on 12 February 1956 in Wichita Falls, Texas, is an American strength training coach, author, former powerlifter and gym owner. He is best known for his barbell training program, the subject of his book Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, and for a brash teaching style and humor that has prompted several online compilations of his quotations. He earned a degree in petroleum geology from Midwestern State University, where he met his mentor, the weightlifter Bill Starr, in 1979. He competed in powerlifting from 1979 to 1988, winning the 198 pound class at the Greater Texas Classic in 1981, and in 1984 he bought Anderson's Gym, which he renamed the Wichita Falls Athletic Club.