WATCH: What I'm Seeing and Why It’s Wrong: Flaring the Bench
elitefts coach and 2019 Stronger Sports Training Success Summit speaker Julia Anto has seen far too many social media lifts with poor form — enough to start up a video series to correct lifters’ form. In the second video of the series, she fixes the bench flare.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The Programming Process Behind the Wor...
Training is more than the squat, bench, and deadlift — especially for a child on the autism spectrum. According to Sheena, bring together observation, communication, scheduling, progression, and motivation, and you’ll have a solid start to a program.
A Legendary Interview with the Legendary Al Vermeil
It’s not every day that you get to listen to an interview with the only strength coach who’s won a championship in both the NFL and NBA. That means today is your day! A few topics we cover are recovery, early morning workouts, trends, intensity, injury, calf exercises, buy-in, and more!
Training and Competition
It is crucial to delineate these training and competition as separate but mutually impactful things. I’d wager that the majority of lifters who had a bad meet were doing a whole bunch of competition in training, leading up to the actual competition.
Supplemental Training Mistakes and Essentials
I learned a large portion of my knowledge of supplemental training from many mistakes I made in the gym. I am hoping to help all of you readers avoid at least a few of the mistakes I made and get more out of your supplemental training.
A Program Progression for an Alternative Use of Basketballs and Volleyballs
It would’ve been easy to create another brand-new workout with different recreational equipment. But a more powerful lesson rather than starting at ground level in terms of skill, was for the students to observe their strengths and weaknesses and then create a plan to reach a new level of skill mastery.
Is Your Foundation Made of Rock or Sand?
Your foundation needs to be deeper and stronger than your core values. It must be a part of your being, some things that you will never give into or allow to change. These can also be small things that will get you, your staff, and your players through just about anything.
Pushed by Pain
I’ve realized I’ve never told my story, save for a couple of people. Those who’ve heard it were surprised because, against all odds, I didn’t end up completely fucked up because of everything that happened. Instead, I became strong and independent. So here it is. My story.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #5 with Sheena Leedham
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate opens up about being a father to a son with Asperger’s, and elitefts Managing Editor Sheena Leedham talks about training and educating Blaine and other young adults on the spectrum.
Supplemental Material for Table Talk Podcast on Autism
Do you have questions relating to exercise for a child or young adult with autism? For a father raising a child with autism? Click here to ask questions that Dave Tate and Sheena Leedham will address tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST on the Table Talk Podcast.
Murphy's Law Reigns Supreme at Tennessee State Championships
Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. That’s pretty much a solid description for how the Tennessee State Championships went for me. But hey, good job to the victors. Now it’s time to prepare for my next meet…
Back and Bis Workout of the Day with Banded Pullovers and Spider Crawl S...
Don’t let those creepy eight-legged critters stop you from getting a good workout. Instead, use them as inspiration as you do spider crawls and spider curls in this workout of the day. Or pretend to smash them. Yeah, that’ll work.
Going on the Record with ATWR Holder Heidi Howar
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and training with Heidi, and I can say with absolute certainty that she is the real deal, an ATWR-holding meathead who’s willing to do what it takes to become, and in her case, stay the best.
How Strong is Strong Enough?
Generally speaking, if we can get an athlete stronger, that athlete will get faster. But at what point is the athlete strong enough for continued speed improvements? I hope you weren’t looking for a quantifiable answer on this one…
Under The Bar: They Are NOT Angry Birds! You Are the Parent
Navigating the seas of parenting a child with autism means weathering storms, passing shipwrecks, and getting stranded on an island. But there are always people willing to help get both parent and child back on board with resources aplenty.
It's Time to Stop Calling Suicide Selfish
I’ve seen a lot of people call suicide “selfish.” I’m not saying I understand why people kill themselves, but when I’m the compassionate one who has to say maybe people should be a little more understanding, that should say something.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Jim Wendler's 2-Minute Conjugate ...
Conjugate. You keep using that word. We do not think it means what you think it means. Why is conjugate training so hard to understand? It’s not! In fact, because it’s so easy to understand, Jim Wendler can explain it in two minutes. Two minutes! It’s that simple.
How Stuff Works: The Belt
If you are reading this, either you train/enjoy strength training or you like/manufacture personal equipment. In either case, I want to help you. As always, I am committed to causing as much damage as I can to shallow thinking and shortcuts to critical-thinking. This is how the belt works.
Start Building Aerobic Capacity for Your Sport
Science has proven time and time again that having a football player running endless 100-yard sprints isn’t the best option. In fact, it shouldn’t even be thought of as an option. Instead, use current information about energy systems to improve training.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The Worst Powerlifting Injury Dave Saw...
Dave answers this question barely even a second after hearing it aloud: “Marc Bartley.” This one isn’t for those with weak constitutions… or stomachs…
Editor's Letter for April
Take a look at what we can expect to read from Matt Mills, JP Carroll, Chris Cooper, Mark Dugdale, Swede Burns, Matt Ladewski, and Dave Tate this month. Inside we’ll also rewind to March to see the most popular content from your favorite guest writers, columnists, coaches, and athletes.
Our Children, Athletics, College, and Memories
I will refrain from boring you with a litany of reasons for children to participate in athletics, outside of the apparent physical conditioning benefits, but I will mention that sports are a great way to acquaint them with adversity and the dedication and commitment necessary to overcome.
3 Technique Fixes to Squat Like a Baby
Do you seriously call that a squat? I’ve seen babies squat better than you! No, seriously, I have. Babies don’t know how to do the squat wrong! By the time your kids are toddling and in soccer camp, their squats start to fall apart. Here are the three things I do to correct athletes’ poor squats.
Powerlifting for the Bodybuilder — Huge Pecs
As the bodybuilder or raw powerlifter, you have to lift heavy-ass weights and build a big-ass chest. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done! So here are some ideas (cues and a sample chest workout) to help you get started.
Ocham’s Razor and the Pareto Principle in Weight Training Programming
According to the Pareto Principle, 80% of results come from 20% of your time. Ocham’s Razor states the simplest solution tends to be the best one. Simplicity is the missing ingredient in most training programs. Hence why I return to the famous paradigm of the pull-push-squat.
Top 5 Accessory Exercises for the Squat — New for 2019
I still stand by my original Top 5 article series, but even I can admit it needed an update. So I expanded on the list I already had. The original articles were for assistance and accessory work. This series is for accessory work only. We’ll start things off this time with my 2019 accessory exercises for the squat.
Unlocking Your Muscle Chain
Muscle chains are like dominoes: It’s enough for you to drop the first one, so the others fall from the power that is constantly transferred from one domino to another and then the weight takes over the job and pulls over the domino that falls and hit the next one into falling… and the next one… and the next one…
LISTEN: Table Talk Clip — Dave Tate's Worst Powerlifting Meet
As the title states, Dave Tate talks about his worst meet. It happened not long after he’d joined Westside in the mid-1990s at the Junior Nationals in Aurora, Illinois…
Use Heavy Prowler Pushes for a Massive Leg Pump Finisher
2019 elitefts Strong(er) Sports Training and Success Summit presenter Joe Bennett describes the Prowler as “one of the most intelligent, brutal, effective, and underutilized tools in bodybuilding.” See for yourself what else the Hypertrophy Coach has to say about the elitefts Prowler.
These 10 Words Are All You Need to Get Your Clients Back
Rather than try to get new clients, why not try to win back your former clients? They just need a teeny, tiny bit of a nudge to come back through the door. Lucky for you, I have 10 words that’ll get these guys and gals back in your gym — and three easy-peasy alternatives, too.
The Specific Demands and Application of Conditioning for Sports
With all the knowledge we have available to us, you would think that we have gotten past the idea that distance running will get an athlete in shape for any sport. So how should we program for athletes? Sport-specific? Sort of. In order to approach something that is actually sport-specific, we must take into account the actual demands of the
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Is An Exercise Science Degree Worth It?
Dave Tate advises potential college students to bust their asses, get the best grades they can in high school, try to get scholarships and grants to knock the price tag down; Jim Wendler suggests going to a junior college to get basic requirements out of the way; and both of them stress the importance of internships.
WATCH: Why Geared Lifting?
I think a lot of people who’ve never used anything like these in training have a negative perception of people who use gear. It’s easy to think it’s cheating since you can lift a bunch more with gear or that it makes the lifts easier. But these are misconceptions, and they’re gravely wrong.
FAI and the Rehab Process: The IT Band as the Root of All Problems
Soft tissue therapy is an undeniably important aspect of the rehab process of Femoro-Acetabular Impingement, but there’s a commonly overlooked aspect as well: the iliotibial band, or IT band, which is often a major player in the cause of FAI.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #4 with Dave Tate
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate puts on a one-man show and answers listeners’ questions about his worst powerlifting meet, his high school football and wrestling career, and more.
Leg Workout of the Day with a Goblet Squat Death Drop
It’s not all that often you can say you made up a type of exercise… but that’s exactly what I did. Enter the Goblet Squat Death Drop, a Mark Dugdale Original. Or exclusive. Whichever one you prefer to call it, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it’s brutal and will complete your leg workout.
Kill Your Heroes
My heroes were strength athletes I admired and wanted to be like. They give us a base for the kind of person we want to become. But as we grow up, we eventually realize that our heroes are no different than us. That moment is the time to kill the heroes and rise above them.
The Evidence Supporting Partial Rep Training for the Squat, Bench, and D...
While full range of motion reps may be more convenient for the more inexperienced lifter, partial range of movement reps may be a good tool for advanced lifters hitting a plateau. Partial reps can overcome the main limitations of full range of motion training.
Conventional or Sumo? Or Both?
I’ve noticed a lack of variety in how people deadlift — conventional or sumo — as well as the fact that they rarely change pulls. As someone who does both, I wondered why that was. I set out to solve that mystery with a survey and found some answers from a variety of respondents…
WATCH: 8x8 Chest and Biceps
This part of the 8×8 program is brought to you by the Chippendales, coming to a workout near you! Just kidding — we’re going to build those pecs and biceps and make you, yes, you, look better than the average Chippendale stripper. (Program results may vary.)
Championship Nature Series: Dealing With Fear and Accepting Responsibility
This month, I have three stories to share on the topics of dealing with fear and accepting responsibility. Using illustrations from Joe Montana, the founder of Aikido, and Harry S. Truman, hopefully, next time you’re faced with adversity you won’t question, “Why me?”
Alwyn Cosgrove's 4-Week Program for Busy Times
We get that training is a top priority for most of our readers, but we also understand that life is messy and complicated. School and/or work can get in the way of training. It’s not realistic for training to come first all the time, which is why this realistic program was made.
Improve Your 1RM Bench Press with These Variations
I wanted to know the best movement to improve a lifter’s 1RM bench press, so I asked my powerlifting pals from all over the country for their two cents. I ended up with a lot of awesome movement suggestions, so hopefully one of these will work for you.
If You Snooze, You'll Lose Fat and Boost Your Productivity
“If you snooze, you lose,” as the old adage goes — though it never tells us what we lose from that snooze. But it turns out if we don’t snooze, we lose a lot of health benefits. Seven to eight hours of sleep is best for the average person, but the quality counts, too.
The Most Exciting Thing I've Ever Seen at a Bodybuilding Show
Before the Men’s Bodybuilding Finals could begin on stage, strongman had to finish the Stone Over Shoulder event. My first reaction was a giant eye roll. As if anything else couldn’t be any more boring than watching guys pose, I instead get to watch 400-pound men lift stones. Yay me.
C.J. Murphy's Specialty Bar Car Show #3
In my first two Specialty Bar Car Shows, I showed you a plethora of specialty bars: the elitefts Power Bar, trap bars, deadlift bars, the elitefts Rackable Cambered Squat Bar, and the Tsunami and Bandbell Bars. Now, in the grand finale, I’ve saved the best, most badass bar for last…
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Jim Wendler's 5 Core Values for T...
Core values are something that Jim... well, values. He’s got core values for every aspect of his life, whether it’s the core values he and his wife share, the core values at work, or core values for training. His fifth core value on the list took him eight years to figure out.
The '90s Called and It Wants Its Diet Back
When I tried out the fast-food dirty diet in the 1990s, I fit in my Frantz canvas suit like 15 pounds of sausage in a five-pound casing, and worse yet, my deadlift went down. Don't make the mistake '90s lifters (myself included) made — learn from it. Eat cleaner to lift better.
Gain Weight in Your Off-Season with This Meal Plan
After reading Mark Dugdale's recent off-season diet article, I thought I would write about what my current diet in the off-season is like as well. Not only will I share my current off-season diet, but I'm also going to write about my process for gaining weight — not fat, but muscle.
Omaha Barbell Is More Than Just a Gym
"When we opened this gym, I just didn’t want it to be a gym; I wanted it to build a legacy that would always be remembered in Omaha." Bret Carter, owner of Omaha Barbell Gym, talks about the growth of his gym and how he keeps his diverse gym membership thriving.
The Leadership Parallels Between the Successful Coach and the Successful...
After eight years of competing in strength sports and seven years of supervising employees, I've found that these parts of my life share several similarities when it comes to success. I've learned what makes the best coaches and bosses stand out from the rest. These three keys will help you do just that.
Back Workout of the Day with Rows, Pulldowns, and Pullovers
Another day, another back and bis workout. This one includes one of my favorite pulldown variations: Alternating Hammer Strength Pulldowns. You can do it from a stretched position or from a fully contracted position. Click to find out which one I chose and watch me do it in action.
The Two Variables That Change It All: Load and Speed
Your athletes' load and acceleration will vary greatly depending on the skillset and experience of your athletes. Your athletes' levels of experience will impact the ability of what they can and cannot do, as well as how you can assess and train these athletes at each level.
44 Things to Pack for Your Next Meet
Packing the basics is just half the battle. Meet sites can be cold, uncomfortable, and might be far from easy access to good food. All variables need to be taken into consideration while packing for meet day... and these 44 items will help you cover your bases.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #3 with Jim Wendler
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and Jim Wendler talk about a couple of documentaries, majoring in exercise science, the best way to break down the conjugate method, and more.
Equipment Feature — elitefts Power Bar
In this video, Equipment Sales Director Matt Goodwin shows off the elitefts Power Bar and its specs, focusing on the bar's gnarly knurling. It's amazing how it easily fits into just about any gym — garage, private, or commercial. It’s no wonder it’s a favorite!
How I Trained for a 600-Pound Bench
I’d been using the same blueprint that goes to 500 to get me to 585, and that's where I went wrong. I had to analyze everything in order to customize a new plan to break that 600-pound barrier. This is how I did that.
Troubleshooting Strength Injuries: How to Autoregulate
Autoregulation is about being able to gather as much information as possible to assess the current situation and knowledge. Once you know that, you can apply this knowledge to autoregulate your training... but you'll need to learn a couple of skills first.
WATCH: SSTSS Presenter Dr. Kinakin on Weightlifting Injuries in Athletes
With all of his credentials, it’s no wonder Dr. Ken Kinakin has been a speaker at elitefts seminars — and he’ll be taking up the role again for the upcoming 2019 Strong(er) Sports Training and Success Summit. Here are the topics he'll be presenting on.