5 Must Do’s for an Intern
There is much to learn from being an intern. Take it from a former intern himself, there are a few things you should keep in mind during your interning process. Do this and your dreams of being a coach get closer.
Training Through Setbacks
No matter the area in life, you are bound to face setbacks. When it comes to powerlifting, you are the only one who can decide what is best for you and whether you will compete or not.
Garages are for Gyms, Not Cars
Building a garage gym is an investment that can save you time and money in the long run. Take it from one powerlifter who built her own garage gym; here are some things to keep in mind.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #44 with Dave Tate
This week’s table talk will be a combination of Dave’s weekly sport science meetings with the strength and conditioning intern and answering your questions. Whether you want to advance your knowledge as a coach or athlete this one is sure to be a knowledge bomb on everything strength!
Off-Season with a Reason
No idea what to do now that your meet is over? Here is an easy guide to help you make the most out of your “off-season.”
How to Avoid Pitfalls with Exercise Selection and Progression
You found a new fancy-looking exercise on the ‘gram, so you do it. Then, you have your athletes do it. But you don’t know the exercise’s common technique flaws or how to fix them — all you know is how the person looked and how you felt doing it.
WATCH: JM Blakley Shares His Secrets on Bench Press Form
You won’t be able to properly improve your bench press without the proper form. JM Blakley recruits Yessica Martinez and Lily Starobin to share with us his secrets to a solid bench press form.
5 Things I Learned in the Transition From Intern to Strength Coach
Becoming a strength and conditioning coach is not the path for everyone. However, for those ready for the challenges, here is some advice from a young coach.
The Post-Surgical Knee: The Stability and Proprioception Rebuild
The initial stages of the balance, stability, and proprioception phase will be performed through the slow rebuilding of ROM through single-leg movements and will eventually use more advanced dynamic movements, such as jumping and landing mechanics drills.
Breaking Up with the Barbell
Even though lifting weights is a passion, sometimes life challenges you to take a new direction. When Nicholas Bronkall’s body couldn’t take any more of the same, he got acquainted with movement in brand new ways.
Conjugate for Throwers—Putting Your Athletes on the Right Trajectory
Conjugate training can make a huge difference in track and field athletes’ overall performance. For throwers in particular, give this conjugate workout a try and see the improvement for yourself.
The Post-Surgical Knee: The Range of Motion Rebuild
The focus of this article will put on the importance of the phase following the rehab phase in terms of the rebuilding of stability, strength, and proprioception in knee injuries, such as patellar fractures and ACL tears.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip – JM Blakley Challenges the Idea of Spee...
Is speed work really doing anything for your progress? JM Blakley is willing to bet that it isn’t. Powerlifting is about force, not speed.
Test of Time: The Power Rack
Most people walk into a gym and expect to see a power rack. It’s as natural a thing as the grass is green or the sky is blue. Over the decades, the power rack has remained a gym staple due to its versatility and reputation.
A Bag of Bricks
What can a retired Navy SEAL teach us about managing stress and fear in our lives? Robert O’Neill says carrying stress is like carrying around an unnecessary bag of bricks.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #43 with Julia Anto, Yessica Martinez, and Al...
This episode will have a little less testosterone than usual, but don’t let that stop you from listening! Tune in to find out what makes these three women strong(er) than you…
Know When to Hold 'Em and Know When to Fold 'Em
Reading enriches our lives and teaches us invaluable lessons. One of these lessons is taking control of our own lives and doing what’s necessary for our happiness and our career.
Equipment Purchasing Considerations for Fitness Centers
Purchasing equipment is a big investment for rec centers and fitness establishments alike. Making sure you’re getting what that you’re clientele needs is equally as important.
WATCH: Jordan Shallow Explains How Bicep Curls Can Help with Your Should...
Another way to combat the shoulder and elbow pain present in many powerlifters is by doing bicep curls, and doing them properly. It will help prevent injury when doing your bench press.
Mountain Dog Makeover
Don’t be afraid to steal from others if it benefits your training. Incorporating borrowed ideas into your training can take it to the next level.
3 Things I Learned From Training My @ss Off with Dave Tate
The Train Your @ss Off with Dave Tate event was not only a life-changing experience; it was also truly something I will remember forever. It has made me a better coach, a better training partner, and a better overall human because it helped me figure out what is truly important in my life.
12-Week Powerlifting/Strongman Hybrid Program
How are strongman and powerlifting related and how do you combine the two in a program? This is something Dave Tate wanted me to write, so here it is.
Three Questions You Should Ask Your Chiropractor
Finding a new healthcare provider can be tedious and frustrating, particularly if you don’t feel you’re being heard. Start a new visit off by asking the right questions to be sure you’re speaking to the right professional.
Finding Your Way into the Strength and Conditioning Industry
My hope is that this article will help new coaches or aspiring coaches with their transition into strength and conditioning by highlighting some barriers and providing a personal example of how those barriers can be overcome.
7 Exercises That Have Become Extinct
Trends come and go and with them, certain exercises. With that in mind, which exercises does a seasoned bodybuilder say are outdated?
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Common Causes of Hip Shift
Hate to break it to you, but you can’t out-correct a corrective exercise.
WATCH: 9 Steps to Developing a Growth Mindset
You only have as much potential as you allow yourself to have. Josh Bryant takes a dive into what it means to have a growth mindset and how you can start cultivating one today.
Your Haters are Pushing You to the Top — Embrace It
Maybe instead of flipping off the haters, you should be thanking them instead. If anything, the haters are just bringing more people your way!
Don’t Forget Who You're Dealing With
It’s easy to assume a young athlete is slacking off due to laziness. However, it’s always important to remember that there may be more than meets the eye.
New Year, New Resolutions?
Why wait until the start of a new year to start working towards your goals?
The Waverly Project: Phase I and II
In phase I of Nate Harvey’s Waverly Project, it’s all about movements; getting them down properly before moving on. Phase II is where the work really comes in for student athletes.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #42 with Mason Nowak
This week’s Table Talk features elitefts strength and conditioning editorial intern, Mason Nowak. Tune in to this dialogue between the industries of powerlifting and strength and conditioning.
5 No-Bullshit Tips to Help You Reach Your Resolution Goals
Have you considered that you may be the reason you’re not reaching your goals? It’s time to reevaluate what is really holding you back.
2020 Vision
Powerlifting benefits all ages, from young to mature. No matter your age, results won’t come without motivation and motivation won’t come without discipline. What are your 2020 goals and how will you achieve them?
The First Eight Months
The journey of being a strength and conditioning coach is different for everyone. However, there’s something to be gained from sharing what you’ve learned along the way.
WATCH: How Tricep Extensions Can Improve Your Bench Press
Elbow pain is a common ailment of powerlifters, particularly when it comes to the bench press. However, an unlikely move can help treat and prevent bench press related elbow pain.
Peaking Technically
Peaking technically is reeling in your training from general to specific as a meet approaches while changing and removing variations and setting yourself up to be at your best technically. This is important when transitioning to a conjugate approach.
Create SMART Goals for 2020
It’s not enough to simply declare a goal. In order to stay realistic and successful, make sure your goals are SMART.
Relationship Roadblocks to Overcome
Relationships aren’t always a walk in the park. It’s all too easy to avoid talking about issues because they make us uncomfortable. However, when we face the discomfort, we become stronger.
WATCH: Dave Tate's Powerlifting Warm-Up Circuit
If you’ve dreamed of training the same way Dave Tate’s athletes do, today’s your lucky day… well, not exactly. Maybe you can’t train like them, but you can sure warm up like them!
Writing Through the Storm
Three years and counting, through change of grounding and shelter, one thing remains. Here’s my attempt at living, learning, and passing on.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #41 with Swede Burns
Join Dave Tate and Swede Burns for today’s Table Talk.
Stress Management for Growth and Recovery
Whether it’s good or bad stress, how can we deal with stress so it does not outstrip our ability to recover? There are plenty of techniques to explore, so turn off the TV and grab your cat (or dog) so we can start trying some out.
Your “Other T” Levels
Testosterone isn’t the only “T” that’s driving internal health and performance. Meet the thyroid, the main metabolism gland in your body. It’s in charge of influencing food consumption and the amount of energy strength sports athletes have to hit new PRs and doing daily tasks.
Phase 2: How You Should Start Young Athletes in the Weight Room
In this phase, we will focus on developing more stability. We’ll also introduce movement patterns that the athlete will need down the road.
WATCH: Reconsider Bands as Your Strength Warm-up
Are you really utilizing your muscles at their maximum strength?
Pre-Season: Our Time to Shine
It is the one chance each year that sports practices do not take priority or leave players fatigued that they cannot give 100 percent to the physical development program.
2020 Goals and Strategic Execution
Your 2020 goals won't be achieved in a day. It takes time to build new habits and make lasting changes. See how 75HARD made a difference in Erik Eggers' goal execution.
Mount Baker High School Looks at What Really Matters
Chris Bartl is an experienced powerlifter dedicated to teaching high school kids the proper way to lift weights. More than that, he's teaching them life lessons they'll take with them well past graduation.
Week of Testing: Rest or Train?
Rest and recovery is a key part of any workout program, no matter the type or level of difficulty. Remember that while reaching your PR goals is important, so is your mental and physical health.
I’m a Prep Coach, Not a Salesman
I was invited to a bodybuilding group on Facebook the other day and though I get a lot of these types of invitations and usually dismiss them, I decided to click on this particular one because the discussion being showcased was asking who in the group was a nutrition or prep coach.
The Stretch Reflex: A Power Generator or Not?
The theory is that when you rapidly descend into the “hole” of the squat, there will be a reflexive contraction of the muscles that primarily extend the knee. This will act as some sort of muscle trampoline and will allow you to reflexively contract your way to a completed rep.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Dave Gives Advice to College Students
"It's going to feel heavy as fuck, but it doesn't mean you can't do it."
10 Training Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some simple mistakes to avoid that will allow you to put yourself in the best position to train pain-free for life, perform like a stud, and look good naked.
WATCH: I am Jordan Shallow
“I’m not the strongest guy in the world, but I might have a run as one of the stronger chiropractors.” elitefts coach and columnist Dr. Jordan Shallow wants to make his mark in chiropractic, education, training, and fitness — and he might be doing just that through his travels and writings.
Pause
More recently, as a result of various social media platforms, some things seem to have gained popularity because one or two highly esteemed lifters or coaches with powerful spheres of influence begin to do them.
Is Programming More Important Than Technique?
I decided to poll lifters at a meet to get their opinion. Their answers may surprise you.
Caffeine for Strength Athletes
Considering all of the good stuff, why wouldn’t a strength athlete consume caffeine day in and day out?
