How To Approach Warm-Up Weights
From the bar to 95 pounds, 135, and so on, you should get under the bar and treat it like it's 400 pounds. How will you unrack that weight? How will you set it up? How will you pull air? How will you sit down?
Slamming The Bar - Gen X Lifters
One thing Gen X powerlifters need to understand about today: at no time in the sport have the lifters had as much control as they have today. They have more control than they even know.
Westside Vs The World Is Now GLOBAL!
Westside Vs The World is an in depth documentary look into the world's strongest and most notorious powerlifting gym: Westside Barbell.
Founder & CEO of Elitefts Dave Tate – Absolute Strength Podcast Ep.59
Absolute Strength Podcast Ep.59. Topics: Business, Social Media, Powerlifting and Outfitting a Gym.
A Strength Coach’s Guide To Success & Strength Training with Dave Ta...
Dave takes us through his experiences as a strength coach, the mission of EliteFTS, and his secrets to success as a strength-training professional.
Jujimufu & Antoine Vaillant Deadlift Every Chain at EliteFTS?
Some stupid curl train and then they began pulling with chains. Twenty chain per side is impressive regardless of the weight.
Strength Chat Podcast 35: Dave Tate, CEO of EliteFTS
"Today our hosts sit down with Dave and talk life, business, and challenges faced in this industry. Dave has years of experience in Powerlifting and strength sports, and his insight is invaluable"
STB - Finding an online Powerlifting coach 101
Nothing bad ever comes from good powerlifting squat technique.
Dieting For Noobs - Blast From The Past
Published - 2007 - Republished Published on Jun 29, 2017 - Short interview with Justin Harris and Jim Wendler.
Slamming The Bar - The Hustle - Live For It
If you're going to tell me you "live" for Powerlifting, you might want to check your shit first.
Westside Barbell Misconceptions - Years 90-05
Over recent years many assumptions have been made about what it was like at Westside Barbell Club, and how we trained between 1990 and 2005. I've noted I can't speak on the times before or after this, but I sure as hell can about the time I was there. I'm amazed at the number of people who say they've trained there (that didn't) and the number of experts who claim to know everything that went on. This is the perspective of someone who was there, never missed a session and went on to coach thousands on what is now known as the "Westside Method".
Win Free Money Raffle
Enter to win elitefts Gift Card Raffle. Answer a few questions. Takes no longer than 30 seconds. Seven total winners selected. Raffle ends Tuesday, June 27th.
5 Biggest Bench Mistakes - Blast From The Past
Five biggest bench mistakes from 2009 video. Advice is just as true today as it was back then.
Slamming The Bar - The Hustle
When I played football, the coach would shout, “Hustle up,” and we would...
Slamming The Bar - Micro, Meso and Macro BS
If you can't figure out how to speak about these concepts like an average person, then you have little understanding of them, to begin with.
UGSS Summer 2017 Preview Video
Media preview video for Underground Strength Session (UGSS), summer 2017
Slamming The Bar - Valgus Virus
You can think you have the experience and credentials, but if you suck, you still suck.
Now That You Have Been Told, Stop Doing This Stuff in the Gym
The main reasons people miss weights are because the set up is off or they are scared. Here is how you can fix both.
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — High Standards
To be on the board at Westside, at the time, meant you had to break the all-time world record, because that was pretty much everybody that was on the board.
The one thing you can only learn under the bar
Many times, I see lifters that don’t train hard enough physically but train too hard emotionally.
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — Athlete Recruitment Process
You've probably heard it said that Westside became the strongest gym in the world by bringing in the best lifters from outside. This is a lie. What made Westside great wasn't recruiting.
5 Critical To-Do's For Every Training Session
Regardless of how you train, these five critical aspects must be part of every training session. These are the real game changers.
New Series - Blast From The Past
Keep an eye on our YouTube page every Thursday for these Blast from the Past videos.
Slamming The Bar - Self Entitled Pricks!
A great coach will never have to BRAG how good they are. Their results and athletes will speak for them.
WESTSIDE VS THE WORLD - Documetary Update
It's rare that a week will go by where I'm not asked about the status of this documentary.
I've put together a collection of relevant links below for those who have been asking.
When should you stop giving away information for free?
Are you sick of all the stupid questions? What about that one person who just NEVER stops? This is what you get paid to do, right? Where do you draw the line?
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — Program Design with Gear
From 1990 to 2000, there wasn't a single person who came to Westside and stayed who didn't get significantly stronger. Everyone got stronger, wearing gear or not.
Why Powerlifting Gear Didn't Make Lifters Weak
"I was shocked at how weak I was when I took the gear off. All those wasted years for nothing"
- Said many former geared lifters when they switched to raw. What a load of crap that is and here is why.
Is Your Deadlift a Disaster? Part 2- Troubleshooting
Dropping deadlifts? Losing it at lockout? Weak off the floor? Here are some troubleshooting tips to turn your tragic training into triumph.
5 Strength Tips from the 90's Everyone Should Know
These five things are all that matters. You can RPE, AMRAP, ME, DE, CM, TM, PRE, INTRA, POST...and move from milligrams to grams per week until you are blue in the face. These five still matter most.
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — Max Effort Workouts in Circa Max Phase
A circa max phase isn't easy, and recovering from it isn't either. Should you remove max effort training or keep pushing forward with it?
Is Your Deadlift a Disaster? Part 1- Setup and Execution
Deadlift sticking points can be mental, physical or technical. This post takes a look at all three by someone who hates to pull.
Bradley Martyn's Zoo Culture is PR-Rated & Custom Built — A New...
Watch this video and see why this will become a new mecca of LA.
The Greatest Gift My Dad Gave Me
Regardless of what anyone says, no parent has this all figured out. I want my kids to embrace what they love to do but to also understand that this doesn't come without work and effort. Very few people (if anyone) loves their work and lives ALL the time. In my opinion, this would be impossible- with obsession comes depression.
What Changed - Westside Barbell 1990-2005
If you were a tweed, you got kicked out. If you were late, you could be kicked out. If you didn't go to help at meets, you could be kicked out. If you put yourself over the gym, you got kicked out. This plus over 100 changes I saw during my time at Westside Barbell Club.
4 Basics of Strength Training
Years back, these rules used to be covered in the beginning of every seminar I did.
Fuck nobody - Become somebody
I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard this comment, and what a bunch of crap it is.
"In the grand scheme of things, nobody cares what you squat."
WATCH: Table Talk with Dave Tate — Balancing Your Life
Most people just suck at time management. Have you ever paid attention to how much time you spend every day doing stupid shit that doesn't matter?
The Powerlifters Guide to Assistance Exercises & Training
This essential guide to supplemental and accessory exercises contains text and video that will help you better understand how to program and attack your secondary movements.
Defining Autism: Beyond the Label Documentary | elitefts.com I Full Video
What is Autism? Dealing with the label.
WATCH: Table Talk with Nate Harvey — Do You Need A Planned Deload?
Is deloading a necessary part of improving as a lifter or is it just a weak excuse to be lazy one week out of every month?
The Pitfalls of Digital Training
If the trainer can't get results using every form of communication in the physical world, how can they ever do it when most of these are taken away in the digital world?
![Defining Autism: Beyond the Label [Preview]](https://www.elitefts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/13227125_10100599319840690_7321211802667503958_n-1-300x250.jpg)
Interesting Observation
Maybe this is just part of the evolution of any industry, and I have not been around long enough to see it until now.
Celebrate World Wish Day with elitefts
To date, we (thanks to you) have granted 47 wishes. Let's make it 48 — meet Hayden. #worldwishday
WATCH: Table Talk with Nate Harvey — How Important Are the Quads for a R...
You want debate? Go to a powerlifting meet and ask the lifters in the warm-up room if you should be focusing on your quads to build your squat. You'll hear a lot of opinions. Who's right?
SUPERTRAINING
In the past week, I have spent more time on the road than I have in a long time. While I am not a huge fan of podcasts (I prefer audiobooks), I do listen to Andy Frisella's MFCEO Podcast from time to time. He hit on an interesting topic the other day: comprehensive knowledge. I firmly believe in education but believe even more in the execution of it. Read more...
What's The Price of Self-Worth?
"Why sacrifice so much when it's just lifting weights?" is usually followed with "I'd respect it more if it was a real sport or a sport that paid top dollar prize money." Really!?
11 Simple Grassroots Strength Tips - Overcoming Sticking Points
11 Grassroots Strength™ Tips that will help you overcome sticking points.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Hip Position, Not Strength, to Fix Yo...
Want to know how to have a better deadlift lockout? Look at what Pete Rubish has done in recent years and you'll see it.
StrongCast EP33 - Dave Tate's lessons from a life in Powerlifting
In our conversation, we discuss everything from his biggest lessons learned from his time at Westside, the qualities of a great coaching and training environment, and the hurdles he had to overcome to grow EliteFts into what it is now. - Bootstrap Barbell