If you have an equal love for bodybuilding and powerlifting with a goal to become bigger and stronger, this program is for YOU.
Listen as Dave, Darryl, and Bret go down memory lane, and share stories and training gems they learned from John Meadows.
We will beat puniness and weakness once and for all as we combine bodybuilding and powerlifting to form the ULTIMATE unity.
John Meadows was interested in the things Jordan Shallow discussed in podcasts and IG posts, so he reached out to him with the intention to “steal” some of Jordan’s ideas. Well, that didn’t go as planned. Don’t waste an opportunity to steal this workout from elitefts. Not that it’s stealing; you have our permission.
It was in the year of 1993 and he weighed somewhere between 218 to 220 pounds. Who does that narrow it down to?
Out of all of the crap floating around on the Internet, I’ve only found 4 exercises to be worthy of mentioning. By the way, that says a lot because 2 of ’em use bands, and I am not a band guy.
Cortisol. It strikes fear into the hearts of most men. But cortisol is nothing to be afraid of. It serves a good purpose, and John Meadows is here to explain its benefits.
The thing to keep in mind as you read the remainder of this program is that I’m describing a method of training — not a set-in-stone program. It’s up to you to apply the method to your particular context: your body, your goals, and your life situation.
In this Table Talk Podcast episode, Dave Tate talks with John Meadows about accommodating resistance, putting on and maintaining muscle size, sport longevity, and more.
Here’s a preview of what we have lined up for you this June! We welcome Dr. Jordan Shallow to Team elitefts as the newest coach and columnist. Also, find out what was the most popular content in May (especially if you’ve been busy enjoying the summer weather — without a phone in hand).
Consider this me throwing you a lifesaver in the vast sea of information. This will help you figure out how to improve yourself by seeking out the best information possible… and how to best find that information.
Taking one step backward, space considerations are still on Jujimufu’s mind, upgrading from “Gym Fort” to “Gym Farm,” with the dream of an open training facility that maintains a garage feel, but where tight spaces are a thing of the past.
John Meadows breaks down three simple but effective exercises that are alternative movements to help build bigger trap muscles: band-pulls, a face-pull variation, and banded shrugs.
It requires humility—real humility—to admit that you have blind spots in life and training. But merely recognizing them isn’t enough to get past them.
A good off-season program gives your joints a break, helps you put on quality muscle, and gives you a mental break from the rigors of competing so you can just have some fun training. This program provides all of those things.
I was able to synch my first win of 2017 and an Olympia qualification with straight first place scores from both prejudging and finals. Here’s what I did differently in this season’s competition prep.
Science, intelligence reports, and training programs all require a thesis whereby assumptions are made on the path to turning raw information into good insight.
John Meadows’ expertise on shoulder training filled a void in the atmosphere of bodybuilding information. I’ve incorporated rear delt work with all of my clients, and I’ve learned a few things along the way.
This strategy is a synthesis of various methods and tactics I’ve learned over the years from John Meadows, Swede Burns, Charles Staley, and a few others.
I’m 22 weeks into my off-season and implementing some unique tweaks to my back training.
Dave’s back at The Table, and this time he’s answering your questions back-to-back with no preparation.
Play your cards wisely. Once you use them, you can’t get them back.
You will meet people who change your life forever. I’ve found most of mine within the four steel walls we call a gym.
Now that we’ve covered the four phases of Mountain Dog Training, let’s talk about a difficult—but very important—body part.
In the third part of his presentation, John goes into great detail about the layout of a training program and how to manipulate frequency to bring up weak body parts.
A shoulder day that will leave you never wanting to move your arms again.
After completing Phase 1 (Pre-Pump Activation), Mountain Dog Training moves to Phase 2 (Train Explosively) and Phase 3 (Supramax Pump).
As gym owners, we’ve followed elitefts for a long time, but this was our first chance to train at the compound and meet members of the team. It solidified every reason we love this company.
In this first video in the series, John discusses how Phase I of the Mountain Dog Training Program utilities a variety of hypertrophy principles to help you grow while avoiding injury.
The theme here is health and making better choices regardless of whether you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat.
What happens when an expert in powerlifting and an expert in bodybuilding train together for five years?
I could write a book on everything I learned from the 30-plus pages of notes I took from the weekend. Instead, I’m going to give you the Cliffs Notes version.
After back-to-back-to-back wins, Mark Dugdale is sharing his methods for making sure he is stage ready on show day.
The healthier you can keep your spine, the longer you can train heavy and grow muscle. Here are my top-10, spine-friendly exercises.
If nothing else, this show proved I still have something left in the tank at 41 years of age.
My viewpoint runs counter to much of the current climate, which is dominated by the short-term perspective of a “hypertrophy phase.”
These two back exercises are a staple of every bodybuilder’s program but there are many ways to screw them up. Are you performing them correctly?
You can’t easily change the shape or insertion of the lateral or medial head of the gastrocnemius muscles. But you can develop impressive calves with these techniques.
With only four weeks to go, our athletes are getting serious (and animated) in the S4 Compound.
Nobody who is serious about forward progress enters the gym without a plan, without a set of guiding principles. I’ll argue the same is true in life.
This five-principle compilation walks you through the ins and outs of Mountain Dog Back Training.
Training in the S4 Compound means knowing when and how to turn up the intensity. In this back session, Dave and John do exactly that.
If you want to rise to the top in bodybuilding, you have to start at the bottom. These ideas about gratification and perspective will help you on the climb.
Incorporate these alternative back-training methods into your programming to build a bigger back and sharper V-Taper.
After a competition season of pushing my body beyond its limit, I was no longer making process. Here’s how I’m turning things around for the future as I start my off-season.
Here is an unbeatable compilation of the best blood-pumping lower body movements from team elitefts.
Several popular training programs call for a regimented stretching protocol as part of every workout. Is this all hype, or could it be the secret to your next 25 pounds of muscle?
