Brandon Smitley

www.brandonsmitley.com

Brandon Smitley is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University where earned his Bachelor’s degree in Health and Fitness, and of Indiana State University with his Master's Degree in Coaching. His best lifts to date are a 567-pound squat, 330-pound bench, 510-pound deadlift, and 1377-pound total in the 132-pound weight class! Brandon holds his CSCS, USAW, and CPT certifications. He has opened THIRST with his wife, Adrian, to help athletes and others realize their full potential from proper strength training methodologies.

 
The Bar You're Not Using But Should Be
The Bar You're Not Using But Should Be
Most lifters will have one if not two, main issues when they squat: pitching forward and tightness. What does this bar help fix? 
Implementing APRE With Max Effort Conjugate Training
Implementing APRE With Max Effort Conjugate Training
Although this may look super confusing initially, I promise that if you can do some simple math, you can make the APRE system work.
10 Exercises Powerlifters Should Be Doing (But Aren't) to Stay Pain-Free
10 Exercises Powerlifters Should Be Doing (But Aren't) to Stay Pain...
What do you believe you need more of in your training? More rotation? Is the low back super cranky? Pick 1-2 exercises and get started.
The Most Underutilized Training Tool to Break PRs 
The Most Underutilized Training Tool to Break PRs 
You likely see it every day in the gym and just think of it as a safety feature for your training. You’re not entirely wrong but USE it!
5 Max Effort Cycles to Break Your Next PR
5 Max Effort Cycles to Break Your Next PR
How you set up your max effort work is crucial to setting up the rest of the session. Don’t just pick random exercises here.
2 Exercises to Get Your Stalled Deadlift Moving Again
2 Exercises to Get Your Stalled Deadlift Moving Again
If your deadlift sucks at lockout, mid-position, or from the floor, you’ll want to add the stiff-legged deadlift and Romanian deadlift into your training program. Here’s how to do them correctly, with a sample training template to get started.
12 Exercises to Build Massive Triceps for Your Bench Press
12 Exercises to Build Massive Triceps for Your Bench Press
If you’re looking to have massive arms, a respectable bench press, and just fill out that elitefts T-shirt, these should get you well on your way.
5 Exercises to Improve Back Strength in the Deadlift
5 Exercises to Improve Back Strength in the Deadlift
There are a ton of great back exercises to choose from, but what exercises translate to more pulling power? More specifically, what exercises bring up weaknesses found in your erectors, lats, and rhomboids?
Life as a Gym Owner: What I Learned in Year Two
Life as a Gym Owner: What I Learned in Year Two
From everything we could tell, year two was going to be a great year of advancement, and what we had hoped to be a start to an end of our full-time jobs. But then, life happened: COVID-19, cancer, closure, and more.
Dynamic Effort Board Press Cycle
Dynamic Effort Board Press Cycle
I’m looking at saving this cycle for the next meet prep that I do (with the COVID-19 pandemic, who knows when that will be). In prep for a meet or not, I guarantee this will spice up your dynamic effort training for the bench press.
Understanding How To Utilize PRI With Youth Athletes
Understanding How To Utilize PRI With Youth Athletes
The Postural Restoration Institute® (PRI) course I took helped me understand body position optimization so much. I immediately saw how I could use this to help benefit my athletes and clients (and hopefully, I can help you help your clients and athletes).
World Record 12-Week Squat Cycle
World Record 12-Week Squat Cycle
You can take plenty away from this program on how to structure a meet prep training program to peak a particular lift, and alternate accessory work and supplemental work to aid in building the squat.
6 Conditioning Finishers for New Personal Training Clients
6 Conditioning Finishers for New Personal Training Clients
Here are six conditioning finishers that I’ve used to help clients to end tremendous sessions but also give them swift kicks in the asses, coming back for more.
How to Start a Gym with Less Than $20K
How to Start a Gym with Less Than $20K
Believe it or not, it took less than $20,000 to get my gym, THIRST, up and running. It’s a little over a year old now, and it’s still going strong. Point is, you don’t have to be a millionaire to start up your own gym. Here’s how I did it with THIRST.
Saturday Upper Accessory Training
Saturday Upper Accessory Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 4, Day 6 - 1.18.20
Friday Evening Leg Training
Friday Evening Leg Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 4, Day 5 - 1.17.20
Thursday Back Training - Giving Some Light Deadlifts A Go
Thursday Back Training - Giving Some Light Deadlifts A Go
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 4, Day 4 - 1.16.20
Wednesday Arm Volume Increase
Wednesday Arm Volume Increase
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 4, Day 3 - 1.15.20
Tuesday Chest and Delt Work
Tuesday Chest and Delt Work
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 4, Day 2 - 1.14.20
Monday Lower Body Training
Monday Lower Body Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 4, Day 1 - 1.13.20
Friday Light Lower Body Session
Friday Light Lower Body Session
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 3, Day 5 - 1.10.20
Thursday Back Training
Thursday Back Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 3, Day 4 - 1.9.20
Wednesday Arm Training
Wednesday Arm Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 3, Day 3 - 1.8.20
Tuesday Chest and Shoulder Training
Tuesday Chest and Shoulder Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 3, Day 2 - 1.7.20
Monday Lower Body Training
Monday Lower Body Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 3, Day 1 - 1.6.20
Lower Body - 500 Rep Challenge
Lower Body - 500 Rep Challenge
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 2, Day 4 - 12.31.19
Chest and Shoulder Training
Chest and Shoulder Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 2, Day 3 - 12.30.19
Light Lower Body Training
Light Lower Body Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 2, Day 2 - 12.28.19
Another Back Training Session
Another Back Training Session
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 2, Day 1 - 12.27.19
Arm Training Session
Arm Training Session
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 1, Day 4 - 12.26.19
Light Leg Training - First Session in Nearly 8 Weeks
Light Leg Training - First Session in Nearly 8 Weeks
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 1, Day 3 - 12.24.19
Three Abdominal Exercises We Use At THIRST Gym
Three Abdominal Exercises We Use At THIRST Gym
Here are some great abdominal exercises you can use for yourself or clients/athletes.
Light Chest and Shoulder Training with Adrian
Light Chest and Shoulder Training with Adrian
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 1, Day 2 - 12.23.19
Some Light Back Training
Some Light Back Training
Post Hernia Surgery; Week 1, Day 1 - 12.21.19
Hernia Surgery Update, Part Two
Hernia Surgery Update, Part Two
Still pretty banged up, but making steady progress.
Teaching Jumps, Warm Ups, Core Training, Do I Miss Bodybuilding? - VIDEO Q&A
Teaching Jumps, Warm Ups, Core Training, Do I Miss Bodybuilding? - VIDEO...
I took the time to answer some questions on my YouTube.
Hernia Surgery Update
Hernia Surgery Update
I'm slowly falling apart.
Final Training Session Before Surgery
Final Training Session Before Surgery
Off Season Training; Week 11, Day 2 - 11.11.19
Max Effort Upper: Bench Press vs Doubled Mini Bands
Max Effort Upper: Bench Press vs Doubled Mini Bands
Off Season Training; Week 11, Day 1 - 11.9.19
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Bench and Accessory Work
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Bench and Accessory Work
Off Season Training; Week 10, Day 5 - 11.6.19
Lower Body Accessory Work
Lower Body Accessory Work
Off Season Training; Week 10, Day 4 - 11.5.19
Upper Fluff and Buff Session
Upper Fluff and Buff Session
Off Season Training; Week 10, Day 3 - 11.4.19
Max Effort Upper: Floor Press and Accessory Work
Max Effort Upper: Floor Press and Accessory Work
Off Season Training; Week 10, Day 2 - 11.2.19
Simple Lower Body Training
Simple Lower Body Training
Off Season Training; Week 10, Day 1 - 11.1.19
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Bench, Quick Back Accessory
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Bench, Quick Back Accessory
Off Season Training; Week 9, Day 5 - 10.30.19
Lower Body Fluff and Buff
Lower Body Fluff and Buff
Off Season Training; Week 9, Day 4 - 10.29.19
Five Things To Avoid As A College Lifter
Five Things To Avoid As A College Lifter
This is probably the best part of your lifting career, don't make these simple (yet common) mistakes.
Upper Body Fluff and Accessory Fun
Upper Body Fluff and Accessory Fun
Off Season Training; Week 9, Day 3 - 10.28.19
Max Effort Upper: Reverse Band Fat Bar Bench Press
Max Effort Upper: Reverse Band Fat Bar Bench Press
Off Season Training; Week 9, Day 2 - 10.26.19
Hard Lower Body Training Session
Hard Lower Body Training Session
Off Season Training; Week 9, Day 1 - 10.25.19
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Bench vs Mini Bands, Upper Accessory Fluff
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Bench vs Mini Bands, Upper Accessory Fluff
Off Season Training; Week 8, Day 3 - 10.23.19
Hypertrophy Leg Training
Hypertrophy Leg Training
Off Season Training; Week 8, Day 2 - 10.22.19
Max Effort Upper: Cambered Bench Press vs Chains
Max Effort Upper: Cambered Bench Press vs Chains
Off Season Training; Week 8, Day 1 - 10.21.19
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Floor Press, Upper Back Accessory
Dynamic Effort Upper: Speed Floor Press, Upper Back Accessory
Off Season Training; Week 7, Day 4 - 10.17.19
Upper Body Extra Accessory Work
Upper Body Extra Accessory Work
Off Season Training; Week 7, Day 3 - 10.16.19
Lower Body Day Training
Lower Body Day Training
Off Season Training; Week 7, Day 2 - 10.15.19
Max Effort Upper: Foam Board Press
Max Effort Upper: Foam Board Press
Off Season Training; Week 7, Day 1 - 10.14.19
Dynamic Effort Upper: Floor Press and Back Accessory
Dynamic Effort Upper: Floor Press and Back Accessory
Off Season Training; Week 6, Day 5 - 10.11.19
Upper Filler Work
Upper Filler Work
Off Season Training; Week 6, Day 4 - 10.9.19

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