Foot Placement for the Sumo Deadlift
I wish I could give you exactly the stance you need, but you’ll have to dial that in for yourself. Here are some tricks to begin this process.
Editor's Letter for July
For July, we move from the weight room to the kitchen. Fun fact: In totality, considering all of the content we produce, nutrition is the one topic that doesn’t get as much airtime. Why? No one knows. It’s provocative.
Goal Structure
When it comes to my training, I don’t just show up and happen to be able to perform. No one does that. I prepare for each mile marker target ahead of time. I eat enough. I sleep enough. I hydrate. The night before, the morning of; I run my mental game.
The Body of Work
It all comes down to three rules. These three pretty much cover everything, and they can be applied anywhere in life: Education, work, family, anything…
Programming is Irrelevant
The last time I checked, there are places that squat, don’t squat, wicket run, don’t wicket run, Olympic lift, Conjugate, Triphasic, unilateral, bilateral, and whatever else…BUT ALL OF THEIR ATHLETES SEEM TO DEVELOP.
Randomized Band Shoulder Press Benefits
Do two to three work sets at the beginning of one of the weekly upper body training sessions while the nervous system and muscles are fresh.
3 Tweaks Your Squat Needs
Without a doubt, there are some things you need to pay attention to when performing and coaching squats across the board. I will list them here.
A Fast Way to Get Stronger in the Bench Press!
I increased my competition bench with more than 40 pounds in one month when I did it the first time. I can’t promise you will make the same progress, but I think you will get close!
Ladies, So You Want to Bench 315?
I never missed 315. I went for it when it was time and when my training had prepared me for it. I attempted the weight when it was the next logical step in the progression of my coach’s orders. It wasn’t a YOLO, it was what came next.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Mark Bell Recalls Telling Louie Simmon...
Everyone likes putting their own tweak on popular programming. Louie Simmons was not very receptive when he learned Mark Bell had changed his, however. You’d think a 180-pound squat PR would speak for itself, but apparently it was still no good.
Three Phase Offseason Bench Protocol to Replace Dynamic Effort Waves
Following these phases, there seems to be, on average, around a five to seven percent increase in 1RM bench by the end of phase two, with a further increase after phase three.
So, You Think You Want to Build a Home Gym?
Are you the kind of person who needs the premade atmosphere of a small or commercial gym? There is nothing wrong if you do, but I would put some serious thought into questions like this before putting in the time, effort, and money it takes to create a home gym.
4 Tips for the Injury-Plagued Bencher
These ideas are all things that have helped me as my lifting age has advanced and nagging injuries have come creeping in. Don’t settle for tweaks and breaks. Instead, make these changes today to avoid being banged up.
How to Survive in the Warm-up Area
There are countless reasons for the disorganization in the warm-up room, and hopefully, some of this information will help those new or newer to the competition scene to survive in the warm-up area and benefit from it.
Back-to-the-Gym Program to Optimize the Loading Process
As most of us come out of COVID-19 lockdown and back into the gym, here’s a program that can be used as a three- or a six-day-a-week program with emphasis on simplicity and variability.
Table Talk Podcast #56: Where's Dave Tate?
What are people most interested in seeing on the podcast? Who would be the perfect guest? Which topics should be covered? Talking the future of the podcast and when Dave is returning!
Understanding Energy Systems for Freak Conditioning
When it comes to conditioning, we need to consider how fast our systems can produce ATP, how long we can produce it for, and how efficiently your body can utilize the ATP being produced. To do that, here’s what we need to do.
Putting Me Back in Max Effort
Assuming you have the basics like a straight bar, rack, bench, box, boards, bands, and chains—you have plenty to rub out a successful and safe max effort session. Go team solo!
The Most Underrated Exercise You’re Not Doing for Shoulder Health
Do your shoulders hurt at the bottom of the bench? If so, what are you doing to fix it? This exercise may help.
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.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Daily Movements Lifters Are Screwing U...
Stop screwing up your deloads and you’ll see less back pain and significantly increased performance. Then stop screwing up how you tie your shoes! Done incorrectly, small movements can add up to exacerbate back pain.
The Future of Box Programming (Part 2)
Right now, CrossFit faces challenges that no playbook illustrates. Here’s how I’m making sense of it all.
Try Harder
I want to elaborate on the most radical and misunderstood facet of the Nautilus training protocol—the concept of ONE SET TO FAILURE. Follow me down the rabbit hole.
Where Do Powerlifters Go From Here?
Listen as you may, but I strongly urge you to not max out once you return to the gym. I know, you wanna see exactly how strong you are and impress your friends, but resist. Here’s why.
I Didn’t Learn a Thing From My Father
As I got into my 20s, I was dead set on making a living as a bouncer. I mean, if John Dalton could make a living bouncing at the Double Deuce kicking everyone’s ass while driving a Mercedes, I could do it.
Bench Press More Weight
Watch this 4-part video series to learn everything from the technique of the movement to more advanced methods like overload training.
INTERVIEW: 1035-Pound Bencher Jimmy Kolb
Jimmy hit his first 600-pound bench press at the age of 18. Whether you train geared or raw, he has the info you need to harness to improve your bench press.
What We Can Do As S&C Coaches
What if the lineman loses 35 pounds as a result of not having adequate food. Are they ready for the upcoming season? Are they going to be able to perform optimally if that 35 pounds was force-producing muscle mass? Most likely not.
What Does It Mean to Be a Gamer?
The science behind cybersickness is what applies directly to anyone in the training realm of physical sports. For myself, it started in asking a straightforward question of a neurosurgeon I met decades ago.
Extra Workouts for the Off-Season Football Player
Here’s an excellent example of how to place extra workouts in a weekly off-season football training schedule along with what an extra workout accomplishes (or should).
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Dave Tate Exposes Fitness Hacks
What does the fitness landscape look like for beginners, and what can we do as trainers to help them best? It’s oversaturated with con artists, and we need to understand the beginner’s perspective to be able to help them best.
After 8 Weeks of Training Every Day During Lockdown
As the lockdown has lifted, at least in Ohio, I’m slowly transitioning back into the gym. Interestingly, a lot of what I did during lockdown remains.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #55: Strength History
Who becomes great? What matters now to keep your legacy moving to the next generation? Steve Goggins is Dave Tate’s pick for the most underrated powerlifter, and he has his theories for why he isn’t mentioned.
3 Pressing Tips for Long-Armed Lifters
When I started my powerlifting journey, Louie Simmons tried to teach me to bench press like Fred Bolt. It was clear that I was not Fred Bolt, but more importantly, I did not have the musculature at that time to bench with my feet out. Here are some tips for all you long-armed lifters to create a great bench.
8-Week Beginner Post Quarantine Strongman Program
This 8-week program is perfect for those who are just getting into strongman, or for those who have been doing bodyweight and band workouts for the last few months.
Resist the Urge to Compete
I’m betting that in the 6-8 weeks after the quarantine ends, a lot of contests are going to happen. My advice: Resist the urge!
Are Athletics Healthy for You?
Can you be an athlete performing at the highest level and also achieve optimal health, or are these two mutually exclusive? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but those who are truly pushing their limits are either consciously or subconsciously giving up their health to do it.
Band Exercise Index
An in-depth analysis of band movements I heavily depend on for augmenting my physical prowess on the mat, and for any athletes I coach irrespective of sport.
Dan Roche Resurrects An Old School Gym
Dan Roche had a goal in mind while creating his home gym. Recreate the old school vibe he loves, and put it in his own space that inspires hard training. He packed in quality and practical equipment to maximize the effectiveness of his training and transform his headspace.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Only Have 3 Days Per Week To Train?
If you’re struggling to make your workouts fit a new and tighter schedule, Dave Tate shares his pro tips for making 3-day and 2-day week splits work with great results.
The Thunderdome Within You
I ask a bunch of savages how this pandemic is affecting them. These strongman, powerlifters, coaches, and businessmen share their voice in this time of travesty. Here’s what they have to say.
More Advantages of Weight Training for Senior Strength
We all now know that we begin to lose muscle in our third decade. It happens so insidiously slow that we don’t realize it. Stop the cycle! Don’t succumb to fragility!
How To Reopen Your Gym
Follow this clear plan to reopen your business—whether you’re able to do that in a week or six months.
Get Your Head Out of Your Arse
Your kids, spouse, coworkers, and the crappy weather, are not the reasons you are 30 pounds overweight and hate your job. Go ahead and reread the title of this article.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #54: Strength History
We’re looking at freaky feats of strength across the board of strength sports. Listen to this first Table Talk podcast: Strength History.
Editor's Letter for June
For this month’s content pillar, our writers shift to the press. Whatever falls under this category is fair game: pec size, bench press technique, overhead press exercises, board pressing… Join the conversation to drop knowledge for all. Plus, check out the best of May—the best articles, coaching blogs, videos, and posts!
Down with the Decline?
If you decide to embark on the decline press, for whatever reason, regardless of whether or not the pursuit is to target these particular fibers of the pec, you may want to consider alternate options.
Control What You Can
I’m hoping that by the time this article gets published, things are on their way back to normal, but in the meantime (and even if they are), there are a few key tools I’ve given my clients to help them to mentally move forward (not just survive) when we feel a lack of control.
What is a Mental Skills Coach Anyways?
I want to make athletes better by getting them out of their heads. I want them to be able to focus, relax as needed, push through mental boundaries, deal with pain, learn self-control, and I'm sure there's more that I can't think of right now.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Brian Alsruhe and Dave Tate Discuss Fi...
Dave Tate and Brian Alsruhe both know you can't do the same thing forever and expect results. In the pursuit of maximal performance, you have to find your way to step ahead of the crowd. How do you identify what your own edge is?
4 Ways to Mentally Master Your Meet Performance
I’ve learned how to frame my meets so they are a positive and successful experience— no longer do I drink and cry (afterward). From goal setting to learning from mistakes to gaining some perspective, I hope a few of these tips help you.
Tough Times Need Clear Perspectives
The first thing is that lifters need to let go of the thought that they are going to lose all of those hard-fought gains after missing just a couple of training sessions. This is complete nonsense,
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #53 with Eric Cressey
Eric Cressey, a strength and conditioning legend known best for his expertise in baseball athletes, joins the Table Talk Podcast to talk with our elitefts co-hosts. This talk sounds off how to get athletes stronger, healthier, and better in spite of COVID-19.
Building Big Legs for the Strength Athlete
What exercises allow you to produce as much output as possible? What exercises and will allow you to target the muscles you want to hit and push things to failure while minimizing the risk of injury?
Self-Talk for the Quarantined Athlete
An inner narrative is currently running through the heads of millions of athletes who had their seasons – for some, careers – cut abruptly short. With the rigor of school days and workweeks in the rearview mirror, self-talk is in the driver’s seat.
Mental May — Burying Demons
Once you destroy your demons (part 1 of this reading series), it's time to put that crucible six-feet under, slam a headstone on it, and go forth to enjoy your life.
I Wanna Hold It
Let's travel back to 1995 at Maryland Athletic Club, where a 29-year-old man named Kirk Karwoski was heading into the gym to hit a 1000-pound squat for two.
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).