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.
The Terrible 10 Conjugate-Based Program for Geared Lifters Going Raw
Geared lifters who want to do a raw meet or transition to raw need to relearn or unlearn certain things, which is why this program can be manipulated for different weaknesses.
5 Essential Items That'll Keep You Warmed Up Without Doing Warm-Ups
It’s winter, it’s cold, and Dave says fuck warm-ups. With these items, you’ll stay warmer than you’ve ever been, in and out of the gym.
How to Use Knee Wraps for Strongman
Strongman is a brutal sport that will beat your joints up, so you might as well take all the precautions that you can. That means that knee wraps, knee sleeves, and elbows sleeves are musts.
THIRST: Bringing Quality, Service, and Integrity to Terre Haute
Anyone who walks into the Terre Haute, Indiana-based gym, THIRST, can see both quality and integrity through the primary services it offers, along with its affiliation to elitefts through gym owner Brandon Smitley.
Why Are We Doing This?
Here, in this article, you will find the answer to why accomplished coaches and athletes I’ve been fortunate enough to know gravitate toward the iron and have made it a core element of their life.
The Mind-Body Link: Posture Yourself Into a Winning Position
Posture makes a huge difference in every aspect of your life. It can be one of the reasons you were (or weren’t) mugged. It also can turn the tide mid-game from a loss to a victory. Try practicing your posture and see the difference for yourself.
5 Christmas Gifts for a Crazy Strongman Hermit Who Lives in the Woods
Now that I’m out in the middle of nowhere, I’m looking forward to beginning my descent into hermitude and madness as I train alone. Picture Jack Nicholson’s character in “The Shining” except more swole because of these 5 items.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — How Steroids Can Damage Long-Term Trai...
Don’t do drugs. Negative side effects and addiction concerns aside, PEDs can really harm athletes’ long-term development and careers. They’re not worth losing the future gains over, we promise.
WATCH: Farmer's Walk Tutorial with Brian Alsruhe
Fun fact: the farmer’s walk is one of Brian Alsruhe’s favorite exercises of all time. It works your grip, back, traps, biceps, core, and calves… what’s not to love?
16-Week Beginner Conjugate Program
I’m going to share a program with you that someone asked for my advice and input on. I know very little about this lifter. I got a little bit of information from them through Instagram, but other than that, what I’m writing are my initial thoughts and an improved program based on this information.
Two Lifters, One Ultimate Holiday Shopping List
If you have gym friends with different focuses, no worries! The gifts on this shopping list are sure to please both of your powerlifting pals, regardless of their goals, focus, or social media presence.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #37 with JM Blakley
Since you guys couldn’t get enough of him the first time, we’ve asked JM Blakley to come back to record another Table Talk Podcast episode. So sit back, relax, and listen to JM’s soothing voice instruct you on how to become a better lifter!
Common Strength Pitfalls to Avoid
Here’s an idea: If your team is losing a game, how about instead of celebrating one good play, try focusing on how you and your team can muster a win.
Caught in the Middle
It’s a double-whammy when you’re the last person standing from the most recent rounds of strength staff layoffs. You’ll have to deal with new head coaches and new staff members. What do you do in that situation? Follow these tips, and you’ll have a good grip on the handle if this happens to you.
8-Week Upper Body Powerbuilding Program
Using powerbuilding blocks intermittently can help the weak get stronger and the small get bigger without fully compromising or favoring the other. That’s exactly what this program aims to achieve.
Do You Have a Task- or Process-Oriented Mindset?
A couple of years ago, I was fixated on all the wrong things. The big picture was out of scope. I urge you to take the time to slow down on accomplishing tasks and enjoy the process. Build relationships and make memories — you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Even More Conjugate For A Little Old Man
This little old man’s secret to recovery lies in one word: bands.
WATCH: John Meadows and The Muscle Doc Train Back and Chest
John Meadows was interested in the things Jordan Shallow discussed in podcasts and IG posts, so he reached out to him with the intention to “steal” some of Jordan’s ideas. Well, that didn’t go as planned. Don’t waste an opportunity to steal this workout from elitefts. Not that it’s stealing; you have our permission.
RPE Method for the Max Effort Lane
Believe it or not, sometimes max effort work is not the best option. Here are a few scenarios where that may be the case as well as what you can do to fill in the gaps where the max effort method would be.
11 Things You Shouldn’t Do On Stage (Unless You’re Huge)
Don’t do any of these things… unless you can pull them off.
5 Items to Whip Your Powerlifting Fiancé into Wedding Day Shape That Won...
My fiancée has helped me grow as a person emotionally, mentally, and of note here, physically — I’ve put on about 100 pounds in the last four years, so I need to become the man she sees me as. The items on this list will help me accomplish just that.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Dan Green on Using Intensity to Build ...
“…I’m using powerlifting lifts in a bodybuilding style…” Dan Green shares the secrets to building muscle as a powerlifter and as a bodybuilder.
The Cycle of Detraining and Retraining
This is a completely different type of article you’ll find within my column. It’s personal and it makes a case for increased injury burden as an athlete progresses in their career, gets older, trains more, competes more, the list goes on…
Paying the Price of the Platform
The wear and tear of the sport doesn’t end when the lifter stops competing. The price of the platform may be one that they will pay for throughout the rest of their lives.
Nutrition, Supplement, and Drug "Facts" Explained
No aspect of physical culture is more rife with myth, misunderstanding, falsehoods, and fantasy than is the field of nutrition. There is a very good reason that there exists so much confusion to this day when it comes down to what to eat: money.
5 Gifts for the Garage Gym of Your Dreams
Having a garage gym has been my dream since 1999. Now I’m going on my 10th year in my second marriage with two kids and working as a part-time Mr. Mom and a part-time gas utility worker in Northern California. That dream is slowly becoming a reality, and the items on this list will help speed things up.
Chin-Ups at a Higher Bodyweight
If you’re a heavier trainee, chin-ups are difficult… but not impossible. Case in point: I’m nearly 50 years old and weigh 245 pounds, but I do chin-ups for volume rather than output. Here lies the secret to my chin-up success.
Touch as a Feedback Mechanism for Athletes
Not every athlete can feel their spine twist into a pretzel, so how do you teach them not to do that? This article will give you a model for how to manipulate the sense of touch to create an altered feedback environment for your athlete. Work your way up from simple movements, such as the prone stick hold, to something
The Education Disconnect
A third-year sports coaching strength and conditioning major told me he had learned more about exercise technique in two 10-minute sessions under my instruction than he had over the entirety of his degree to that point. How can we ensure these students are getting the best education?
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #36 with Jordan Shallow
The Muscle Doc is in the house! Dr. Jordan Shallow is here to answer your (bench) pressing questions, so hop on the livestream and ask away!
Are Bands a Bad Idea for Rotator Cuff Strengthening?
The proper resistance profile for strengthening external rotation should have less resistance in fully lengthened and fully shortened muscles and more resistance in mid-range lengthed muscles. While bands are great tools, they aren't so great for strengthening rotator cuffs.
10 L(G)ift Ideas for the Formerly MAMF (Military-Aged Male or Female) in...
Don't despair. Christmas is the season of hope, and these 10 ideas will help ease the pain that years of abuse from Uncle Sam have wrought on that body. So break out the AMEX and get your older military officer or veteran back in the fight!
November's GPP for Your Business
You write programs for your athletes, but have you programmed anything for your business? Think about GPP for your clients and then create a GPP program for your gym.
In What Are You Investing?
When you think of "investment," you usually think of money. For this article, think about other types of investments: time, effort, and energy. Now, answer this question: What are you investing in?
Don't Ignore Systemic Interplay
If we want to help people, we have got to stop picking camps and start putting the client first. Here's a prime example of how to do that with a focus on the respiratory system.
![WATCH: The Method Behind Brian Alsruhe's Training [Whiteboard Edition]](https://www.elitefts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/BrianWhiteboard-300x250.jpg)
WATCH: The Method Behind Brian Alsruhe's Training [Whiteboard Edition]
Brian Alsruhe's background in strongman, martial arts, MMA, and counter-terrorism led to his training system being "messed up" and unique from everyone else's. Despite that, he's found great success with his programming and will be breaking it down in this video.
How to Increase Work Capacity Without Overtraining
There's a fine line between doing enough work and too much work. Don't fall into this trap. Be realistic with yourself (and your clients, if you're a coach) and train for long-term success, not for short-term burnout.
How Athletes Come to College
I never cease to be amazed at how messed up new collegiate athletes are when they start lifting in the weight room. Year in and year out, this keeps happening without any sign of improvement. Why does this keep happening?
Interview: Brewers' Aaron Hoback's Individualized Template
If you're looking for sets and reps, you're in the wrong place. But if you wanted some insight on players' knowledge bases, individualized programs, and how new technologies are becoming more reliable, from Aaron Hoback, athletic trainer for the Milwaukee Brewers, you're right where you should be.
Creating the Perfect Warm-Up
We value warming up before lifting or any exercise, but we don't really think much about how to structure a warm-up. This article will help solve just that with a comprehensive review of the literature on approaches to warming up.
Life, Lifting, and Jeeps
Even after 47 years of life, I continue to realize there are crossover lessons between powerlifting and life. Case in point: modifying a new Jeep for desert driving.