The End of an Era?
Hardly. Those who think the world of weights has a definitive destination are unfortunately on the wrong path.
Programming the Overly Complex Needs Assessment
Stepping away from collegiate strength and conditioning, I’ve had time to reflect. In this article, I’ll delve into programming — the good and the ugly. Program-wise, exactly what are your goals?
The $500 Christmas List Winner
After four days of reading, comparing, rereading, and finally voting, the big winner is…
What's Most Important?
This is a question that we need to ask ourselves as many times as possible year after year because everything we do on a daily basis needs to be grounded on our answer.
5 Common Strongman Weaknesses and How to Fix Them
Consider the Press, Deadlift, Farmer’s Walk, Death Medley, and Atlas Stones. I’ll pinpoint the common weakness in each event and provide an exercise (a solution) for you to fix the weak point. No excuses!
6 Training Rules for the Washed-Up Meathead
These rules are NOT for those competing. They are not for those who want to increase their “longevity” in the sport. They are not for the beginner, intermediate, or advanced lifters. There are different rules for all of these groups, and these are NOT them.
December's GPP for Your Business
How can you bulk up your gym’s profits during the holiday season? These 5 steps will help your gym get those financial gains.
Evidence-Based Practice: Are You Really Ahead of the Curve?
With the same irony that Botox and liposuction clinics have absorbed the words “health” and “wellness,” the evidence-based approach has become a marketing buzzword to try to signal to the public that you are “cutting edge”. Are you all hype or really ahead of the curve?
The 7 Pillars of Leadership
It took time and a whole lot of failures for me to learn these core principles of leading others. But they are what helped me grow my business to over 160 members and a team of four others working alongside me… which brings me to these 7 lessons of leadership.
Jeff Guller's 2019 in Review
Even though I didn’t make all of the goals I set for this year, I did have some good results. And if results are the measure of a year, then it was a good year.
Vote for the Best 2019 Christmas List
With your vote, a fellow meathead will be just a click away from fulfilling their wildest iron dreams this holiday season…
Choose wisely.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — What is NEVERsate?
NEVERsate started off as a band name and became the name of Brian Alruhe’s gym — but there’s more to the name than that.
Top 5 Recovery Tools From elitefts
Want to prevent injury by building a bulletproof back? Have achy elbows and knees? Suffering from a low-grade strain?
12 Gifts for the Whole Family
Move over, Oprah’s Favorite Things — these are the hottest and strongest gifts of the season, all in a one-stop-shopping guide.
More Nutrition "Facts" Debunked
Nothing is bad for us, per se. What we have to do is figure out how much we need, and then supply it in the correct amounts. But to villainize sugar, carbs, fats, and other nutrients is a gross miscarriage of judgment.
Run a Successful High School Strongman Contest with This Christmas List
If Santa and his reindeer deliver these items, you’re guaranteed to have a great Christmas and an amazing strongman contest at your school!
Got Upper Back?
It seems that lifters do not understand the importance of the upper back or how to use it in the three main lifts. The lifters I judged at a recent meet and just about all of my clients prove that to me, so let’s fix that.
The Gifts of Manhood to Make Those Jingle-Balls Drop
Do you know a poor dude whose testicles really need to drop this holiday season? This selection of gifts has been proven to raise testosterone levels by as much as 1,849 percent!
Enjoy a Drink and Still Lose Weight
Let’s be honest, tis’ the season. Here’s how to socialize with your friends, drink alcohol (more than a glass of champagne), all while still reaching your fat loss goals. Cheers!
5 Items for a Fatter Christm-ass Than Last Year
While your keto-obsessed cousin and diabetic grandmother stress over their diet decisions and stay away from the dessert tray, go all in. Make Christmas count this year.
Competition Results: 7 elitefts Athletes, 3 Meets, 1 Weekend
Check out how some of your favorite lifters did this past weekend at Great Lakes Raw, IPA Buckeye Brawl, and APF Raw Power Challenge.
5 Gifts for the Legacy Lifter
This list is for the aged, the battered, and the arthritic lifter you love. Let’s face it, he or she will always train, so help ease their pain.
Win Games by Waving Volume
Most college programs that I’ve seen basically run three sets on all accessories. I didn’t want to be most college programs. I had to find a way to do a ton of work and build work capacity but also not run the kids into the ground. That’s where waving volume came into play.
Gifts for the New Class of Annoying Gym Members
Members in smaller training facilities are like family, and what says family more than giving a gift to someone you can’t stand?
Programming Through Injury: Good, Better, and Best Options
Programming through injury doesn’t need to be nearly as complicated as we make it. It’s not really all that different than programming a regular training block for a movement with a few differences.
Squatting from Womb to Tomb: Why You Must Train 'Til You Die
I’m aging, my parents are aging, and yes, you’re aging too. Aging equals disease. Or does it? In this article, I will introduce explanations about the role of strength and conditioning in healthy living and suggest how we can promote that before disuse and decay unleash their vicious cycle.
5 Items That'll Transform Your Dad Bod Into a Beach Bod
The term “dad bod” was tossed my direction more often than I could count when I found out I was going to be a dad, and I was certain that I wasn’t going to fall into this physique and let my lifestyle slip because of any children. These items will ensure that I have a beach bod, not a dad
Does the 225 Bench Press Repetitions Test Even Matter?
In a published journal article, we examined 31 football players on the 225 Test (and we also collected some velocity data, so hold on to your hats for future publications from this data set) to see if this test made any difference in playing time.
5 Gifts for the Ultimate Powerlifting Garage Gym
I am here to tell you if these are on your Christmas list and you get all these items, then you will be on track for a massive total and some of the best training of your life. I cannot recommend all of these pieces enough.
Creature of Habit
Habits can be a double-edged sword that work against you, particularly in training. Attending elitefts’ LTT3 Seminar catalyzed the habits I needed to break to push past my training plateaus.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #39 with Dave Tate
Fun fact: Dave’s out of the purple Monsters, so green is his next best option (the white Monster’s make him shit). Tune in and ask away!
Integration of Strength and Power Programming for the Lower Body in Spor...
Running sports are tangential in nature, so in order to optimize transfer from the weight room to the field, both vertical and horizontal movements need to be considered. To this end, the program I am going to outline will look at elements of training to ensure all bases are covered.
WATCH: I am JM Blakley
“Our human potential is much higher than we recognize.” elitefts coach and columnist JM Blakley might be the namesake of the JM Press, but he hopes his impact in the strength sports world will go far beyond that and the weights he’s lifted.
How to Screw Up Your Posture with the Leg Press
Sure, you can build bigger quads in the leg press, but that is the only benefit I can see of doing it. The cons outweigh the pros when it comes to this machine.
7 Items That'll Make You a MILF
Use these items 20 minutes a day, every day, and you’ll be a MILF in no time.
![WATCH: How to Implement Strongman into Your Powerlifting Training [Whiteboard Edition]](https://www.elitefts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-12-09-at-1.37.31-PM-300x250.png)
WATCH: How to Implement Strongman into Your Powerlifting Training [White...
If you’re interested in doing some strongman movements but are hesitant because you’re in the middle of a program, don’t be! Brian Alsruhe will show you how to implement those movements into your current program.
7 Gifts for New Dads
Let’s be honest: Moms do most of the work at first with babies. That means us dads need to make sure that we’re in the best shape to help our strong, badass wives with the newest addition of the family, and this wishlist will kick our dad bods back into shape.
5-Week Triceps Program for Bigger Arms
This five-week program provides a balanced approach to adding triceps size. Get ready to stretch those sleeves.
5 Gifts for the Powerbuilder
With no weight class or aesthetic events to worry about around the holiday season, it’s a perfect opportunity to pack on some extra mass… and to pick up some gifts for your favorite powerbuilder.
Smarter Programming for the Competitive Box Athlete
Believe it or not, it is possible to train multiple qualities at the same time. Athletes all over the world are training that way and making huge strides.
Phase 1: How You Should Start Young Athletes in the Weight Room
If you’re not sure where to start training a 12-year-old who’s a complete novice in the weight room, this program might just be the place.
Training the Lats in Dao
Lifters concern themselves with putting tension across the fibers of the lats in the hopes that they’ll grow — without dosing them in the smallest moment of function to help stabilize their trunk and core, minimize the risk of low back pain, and ultimately, promote longevity in lifting.
How to Set Up a Successful Meet Prep
The harder you work and push yourself in your off-season, the better and more productive your competitive season will be.
The Good Trainer
You don’t need to hire the Stephen Hawking of all trainers, but you’ll still want a knowledgeable, safe, efficient, and successful trainer.
Editor's Letter for December
Happy holidays from elitefts! We’ve stuffed your stockings with more content to get you closer to your strength, hypertrophy, and power goals — performance in bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman. All you have to do is rip the wrapping!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #38 with Dave Tate
Is that Santa Claus or a powerlifter? It’s Dave Tate, back to host another Table Talk Podcast episode.
WATCH: Atlas Stone Tutorial with Brian Alsruhe
Even if you're not a strongman competitor, the Atlas Stone's benefits have carryover to the Big Three. Besides, it's fun to train something new. So what are you waiting for? Grab an Atlas Stone, heavy med ball, or sandbag so we can get started!
5 Things Every Small Garage Gym Owner Should Have
Your training space is a one-car stall garage, and you want quality equipment at a decent price. Does this sound like you? Great, say no more. Every small garage gym owner should have these five things for endless training possibilities and year-round gains.
The Ultimate Guide to Designing a Muscle-Building Diet
"How do I make my own muscle-building diet?" is a complex question, and this article will take you through a complete step-by-step process. By the end, you'll have a muscle-building nutrition program ready to go.
Women's Only Seminar at Tank's Training Facility
I found that I was even able to take something away from the women's only seminar, and these takeaways helped me in my coaching abilities and some made me ponder more on the female experience and perspective in a male-dominated area. I also got to interview three NCAA female student-athletes.
How to Choose the Right Christmas Gift
A short Christmas gift guide for different types of strong people (including yourself).
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Training Hard Through Chemotherapy
Training through chemotherapy took everything Clint Darden had. All in all, he believes it was important that he did. There was nothing else he'd rather do and no place he'd rather be.
5 Gifts for the Friend on Santa's Naughty List
Bad news: Your buddy is on the Naughty List. The only thing he deserves for the holidays is a kick in the ass to get back into the gym. Good news: You take the high road and give him the gift of training with you next year with some nice incentives.
What If No One Was Watching?
One might act a certain way at a concert Saturday night but act entirely different at church Sunday morning... and of course, one might lift a certain way for the sake of Instafamousness and socialookatmedia versus how they should lift and train for the pending meet or competition.
Max Effort Modifications for Lifters with Anxiety and/or Depression
Many lifters with anxiety and/or depression find that during or following max effort, their mental health symptoms worsen, and/or their sleep quality and recovery suffer dramatically. These three modifications to max effort work may prevent or lessen some of these issues.
The End of My Era as a Strength and Conditioning Coach
I have left collegiate strength and conditioning because I'm concerned with where we're going as a profession. I still want to be a positive force for the profession, but I'm not sure how to help. I'll try to keep being a voice of change for positivity.
Express Gratitude This Thanksgiving
We all have things that we are grateful for. You won’t know it, though, because it isn’t posted on social media or the headline of the e-blast you are about to receive. Likely, it’s a culmination of little things that collectively bring happiness to our daily lives.