The Influence of Supernormal Stimuli on the Evolution of Bodybuilding
A conversation took me down the rabbit hole of supernormal stimuli — exaggerated stimuli that attract animals. It explains why people are attracted to over-the-top curves and beefy muscles… which you’ll find at bodybuilding competitions.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Why Do You Focus on Compound Lifts Ove...
In this clip from the first Table Talk Podcast, host Dave Tate and special guest Dan Green get to the bottom of this question… as well as what Dan means when he says the word “volume.” Is it muscle thickness? The amount of space an object occupies? Listen to find out!
Ask Questions, Read, and Ask More Questions
A beautiful transformation occurs when you begin to accept that difficulties are as inherent to our lives as breathing. For strength coaches, there is nothing more substantive to our daily lives than questions and books. Do you diverge from the routine?
The Quadruped Row Exercise for Lat Isolation Issues
Have a lat activation issue? So does elitefts athlete Joe Sullivan. After getting the green light from his physical therapist (and thinking like an athlete even though he’s a self-proclaimed “dumb weightlifter”), he’s working on some isolation exercises, like the quadruped row.
The Beginner's Guide to Conjugate and Concurrent Training Systems
It’s a system, not a program. It can be tailored to suit whatever your goals are: powerlifting, athletics, CrossFit, marathon running… You name it, and this system can’t be beaten. This article is meant to show beginner powerlifters how to set up their own conjugate-based program.
Training Our Thought Process
Just the other day, I was listening to a motivational speech that got me going. That speech made it clear to me that an evolution of the thought process and perception of what training should be is how lifters and strength athletes progress to the higher levels.
Leg Workout of the Day with 8x8x8 Banded Leg Extensions
No, you’re not seeing deja vu. This workout features: 1. Lying Leg Curls 2. Leg Extensions 3. Cambered Bar Squats 4. Banded Leg Extensions 5. Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deads. Per the usual, click to see the sets, reps, equipment used for this leg workout, and find out what’s super-setted.
How to Program for a Large Group of Athletes with Limited Resources
The DOMINATE method is a way of working out a team with the bare minimum while still being able to maximize results. It consists of eight principles that all successful strength and conditioning programs must have and must be able to do.
10 Tips for Managing Fat Loss Goals on the Road
Going on vacation is a blast, but not when you’re trying to blast body fat. Nothing is more frustrating than working on a show-prepped and/or beach-ready bod only to lose progress while you’re actually at the beach… so here are 10 tips to help you avoid that. Von boyage!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #2 with JL Holdsworth
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and JL Holdsworth reminisce about their time at Westside Barbell, perspective and the meaning of “going all in,” figuring out band and chain percentages, and more.
The Meet That Was Like a Family Reunion
This was the first meet that I attended neither as participant, lifter, nor spectator; instead, I was a coach, cheerleader, and go-fer. At this meet, Flex Gym proved it is as much a family as any group I have ever seen. Everyone is there for everyone else.
Bodybuilding for the Powerlifter: The Hamstrings (with Sample Deadlift R...
In this “powerbuilding” article, we’re looking at hamstrings — a muscle group bodybuilders and strength athletes alike struggle to develop. If you’re naturally lower-body dominant, you don’t need to spend tons of time on ’em. But if you’ve got piglets instead of hammies, I don’t need to convince you to read on.
Top 5 for February
Here are the articles, blogs, and logs that were clicked, read, liked, and shared the most for February: Add 100 Pounds to Your Deadlift, Technically, You’re Weak, Talon Grip for Squats, The Anti Shrug and Why It’s Important, and more! Find out too, a couple of things we’re compiling for March.
Bring the Juice
In order to fully help your athletes maximize their performance while bringing the juice as a coach, you have to be able to communicate to them how to do the lifts properly — through effective and efficient cues. Here, take a sample sip of some of my juicier cues.
Don’t Let the Wheels On The Bus Run Your Ass Over
If you were on a serious and strict diet in 1985, you really had very few, if any, options to go out to eat and you were relegated to eating only at home. In 2019, there really is no excuse not to eat relatively well while out at a restaurant unless you simply DO NOT WANT TO.
WATCH: What I'm Seeing and Why It’s Wrong: Fixing the Sumo Deadlift
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 first video of the series, she fixes the sumo deadlift.
The End Game: Flow and Performance
At the core of extreme well-being is a state of consciousness and physical experience that has been called flow. In this final chapter of the “motivation” series, we’ll define flow and have a better understanding of how it happens.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — How Do I Get Stronger at 41 Years Old?
In this clip from the first-ever Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and guests Dan Green and Andrew Herbert answer an Instagram DM question. They talk about aging tipping points, wear and tear, and walking a tightrope when it comes to becoming stronger.
Matt Mills Finishes in 18th Place of 40 at the 2019 Arnold Amateur Stron...
I might not have made it as a top-10 heavyweight finalist in the 2019 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships, but I sure learned a lot while I was there. Plus, I’ll be sure to apply everything I learned this time around at my next competition.
The Practice Squad
I recently reconnected with an old client: Don Cherry, whom I first met as a 16-year-old football player. Over the last several years, I’ve been lucky to watch that kid I trained in the belly of the Beast become a college and NFL football player and most recently, one of the voices behind a great podcast.
The Art of Programming for Injury Prevention/Risk Management
I believe the most important role of a strength and conditioning coach is to create programs that minimize the risk of injury. Armed with knowledge from a study on rugby injuries, I wrote a program that focuses on strengthening injury-prone areas. Here’s what I came up with.
JP Carroll Takes Second Place at the 2019 XPCs
Before I get into my recap of the 2019 XPC World meet, I want to say, I took second place — even with my fifth 2,200-pound total and seventh 900-pound squat — for no other reason than I wasn’t strong enough that day.
Workout of the Day: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps with Mark Dugdale
1. Incline Bench Press 2. Banded Dumbbell Flat Bench 3. Dips with Chains and Machine Flyes 4. Shoulder Press and High Lateral Plate Raises 5. Machine Laterals 6. Rear Delt Swings and Close Grip Bench — click to see the sets, reps, and equipment I used for this chest, shoulders, and triceps workout.
6-Step Method to Develop Pure Strength
Before you enter pure strength development, there are a few steps that must be considered. And I know this may sound like rocket science for some, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. I’ve used this method to develop three world champions in powerlifting in only 18 months.
Your Strength and Conditioning Blueprint for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
While training myself and others, I’ve started to notice areas where most BJJ guys and gals are lacking when it comes to their strength training: fundamental movement patterns, mobility, stability, core and upper back work, and recovery. Here’s how to improve.
Bryan Doberdruk Returns to Full Power Pro at 2019 XPCs
I moved back to northeastern Ohio and started training with a new group to prepare for the 2019 XPCs. For the last couple of years, I’ve only done the 21-Deadlift Salute. This year, though, I decided to come back and do the full meet, and here are the final results.
Jo Jordan Cuts Squat Suit to Lift 965 Pounds at 2019 XPCs
“It got to a point where I couldn’t feel my legs… I got the up call, and nothing happened.” Join Team elitefts athlete Jo Jordan as he receives his medal on-stage for the 2019 XPC Worlds competition. He recounts his lucky comeback in the squat event and shares a sneak peek at what happens behind the curtain…
Your Checklist for a Perfect Personal Training Session
Through my 22 years of coaching, I’ve found that all great personal trainers have things in common. While there’s no one single script we follow, it helps me to have a checklist. So I’m sharing a checklist I give to my staff when they start one-on-one training at my gym.
Learn to Train X — Dave Tate Teaches the Max Effort Method
“How do you get better at lifting heavier weights? Well, you do it by lifting heavier fucking weights!” In this video from Learn to Train X, Dave focuses on instructing the max effort method, which is working up to a “heavy fucking weight that’s generally going to be 90 percent or above,” including technical breakdown.
A Snapshot of My Off-Season Diet — Health, Recovery, and Efficiency
Despite my absence from the stage, I often get emails asking about my diet. Yes, it’s different and much looser than my approach when I’m highly focused on professional bodybuilding. In fact, that makes this article more applicable to the majority of people.
WATCH: How to Properly Do a Bench Press Lift-Off
Ideally, a good lifter should also be a good spotter. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Dave Tate will walk you through how to do a bench press lift-off — the proper way. This means you’re not putting your nuts in the lifter’s face and aren’t taking the majority of the lift.
The Future of Box Programming
I’ve seen an influx of boxes close over this last year—more than prior years. This tells me that we need to change to survive. My suggestion? Pull away from the hardcore box audience and focus more on programming for the general population.
Always Have a Plan
It’s never been about making these “New Year, new me” resolutions; it’s about dedicating yourself to the daily process, having a vision, and having a plan in every aspect of your life. Want to be a head strength coach? Have a plan and dedicate yourself daily to the process.
Returning From Injury After a Layoff
Coming back after a layoff can be a chance to address imbalances, but it also presents the opportunity for new imbalances to develop. Common sense suggests that testing strength after a layoff isn’t the best idea. But if you are going to do it, keep these things in mind.
12 Rules for Becoming a Better Strength Coach
These 12 rules are a culmination of experience and mistakes and were written for younger strength coaches, who I hope understand the long journey they have in front of them. While your principles are and should still be forming, it’s always a good thing to have some rules to keep you on track.
Men of Strength Sports Performance Podcast #4: Jeff Ward
This episode’s guest is Georgia Southern University’s director of Olympic strength and conditioning: Jeff Ward. Coach Ward was a part-time assistant when I started working there, and he made a huge jump to the director position. He’s got a good story of how he got there, so listen up!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #1 with Dan Green and Andrew Herbert
In the first Table Talk Podcast episode, Dave Tate, along with guests Dan Green and Andrew Herbert, answers listeners’ questions about getting stronger at 42 years old, compound movements, key indicators for bench press, and more.
Femoro-Acetabular Impingement and the Rehab Process: The Diagnosis
Femoro-Acetabular Impingement (FAI) can often be asymptomatic and will not affect some people’s daily lives — even who test positive to the diagnostic procedures. However, that does not mean that the management of FAI should be ignored, as it may be a factor in hip osteoarthritis in later life.
Buddy Morris on Stress and Recovery for the Athlete
“Play the game; don’t let the game play you.” Coach Buddy Morris (one of the speakers for the 2019 Strong(er) Sports Training and Success Seminar) talks about stress adaptation and recovery with Dave Tate, Tom Myslinski, and Jim Wendler in the sixth video of a nine-part conversation.
Workout of the Day: Back and Bis with Mark Dugdale
1. MAG Scapula Retraction Pulldowns 2. Max Tension Hammer Strength Rows 3. Decline Banded Pullover 4. Away Facing Pulldowns 5. Isolation Curls 6. Incline Dumbbell Curls — click to see the sets, reps, and equipment I used for this back and biceps workout.
Viva La Flama Blanca: An Interview with Anthony Fuhrman
Between three jobs, strongman competitions, and his appearance on The Titan Games, 105-kilogram World’s Strongest Man Anthony Fuhrman shares his thoughts on pro middleweight strongman issues, meeting one of his childhood idols, and Taylor Swift.
A Bodybuilding Rewind with Lee Haney and Dr. Fred Hatfield
Every once in a while, you find a rare gem hidden deep within your computer’s files. This particular jewel was an interview I did with bodybuilder Lee Haney and the late Dr. Fred Hatfield — Dr. Squat himself! — in 2014.
12-Week Strong(wo)man Program for the Off-Season
This month’s featured program is great for those who’ve recently finished training for a contest and are getting into the nitty-gritty of off-season training. It’ll keep your gains coming in at a steady pace, improve your base strength, and help you peak while training for your next contest.
Where Have You Been, Joe Clark?
As most writers in the bodybuilding industry are aware, the majority of people who troll are crybaby meatheads who think they deserve your writing gig because they are so much more knowledgeable. This was not so with Joe Clark…
The Staggered Leg Deadlift with Dr. Eric Serrano
This is a great exercise to use before the leg training session begins to activate the posterior chain and wake up dormant muscles. Feedback from numerous clients, including NFL athletes, tells us that squatting and running feel much better following this specialized movement.
WATCH: Table Talk — The Most Common Mistakes Novice Powerlifters Make
Sage words Joe Sullivan recently read online: “Powerlifting is basically just keeping your abs and back tight and squeezing a bar and trying not to lose position.” Joe notices his clients, both old and new, tend to struggle with at least one of these things. (And breathing. Definitely breathing.)
C.J. Murphy's Specialty Bar Car Show #2
In my second Specialty Bar Car Show, I'm going to teach you everything I know about the Tsunami Bar, Bandbell Bar, and — one of my all-time favorites — Safety Squat Bars. If I haven't sold you on any of these bars, remember this...
The Best Speed Drill for High School Athletes
Sprinting with a weighted sled has become my go-to exercise for improving an athlete’s ability to accelerate because it teaches and trains those mechanics. My athletes have consistently improved thanks to to sled sprints!
The Time In-Between Sets Matters
You see lost lifters jumping from one diet to another or from one program to the next, thinking they bought a long-lost ingredient to the stew that is strength and power. But the actual missing ingredients are right in front of them: consistency and an understanding of the basics.
Your First Meet Cycle — How to Lay the Program's Foundation
Don't be the newbie lifter who falls into the tiger pit traps during your training cycle. That'll only hurt you in the long run — or at least in those first competitions. Don't be afraid to start training too light and save your attempts for the platform. Not enough advice? I've got six other tips, so read on...
I'm Sick — Should I Train or Stay Home?
Listen: I'm no doctor or rocket scientist, but even I have enough common sense to know that if you're feeling under the weather, you shouldn't be lifting. You should be resting at home. Yeah, you heard me: Go home and stay home. And stay out of your fancy little garage gym, too!
How to Tame the Meet Prep Beast
The meet prep beast is going to rear its ugly heads at you sometimes, and its mugs come in many forms: injuries, stress, or a lousy no-show training partner. When one of them tries to bite, it's best to have a flexible plan of action that helps you nimbly dodge from the monster's jaws.
Positivity, Desire, and Magic
I had the pleasure of hearing Earvin “Magic” Johnson speak at a leadership conference I attended. Magic discussed his experiences in business and basketball and his pervasive passion for winning, regardless of the endeavor, much like elitefts' approach.
Workout of the Day: Legs with Mark Dugdale
1. Unilateral Leg Curls 2. Cambered Bar Squats with Chains 3. Blood-flow Restriction Leg Extensions and Goblet Squats 4. Cable Pull-Through — click to see the sets, reps, and equipment I used for this leg workout so you can enjoy the same pump.
Add 100 Pounds to Your Deadlift
These are the deadlifting tips that have helped my deadlift the most. If they helped me and my athletes, they'll help you too.
Troubleshooting Strength Injuries: What is Autoregulation?
There's a sweet spot where stressors are present as motivating and growth factors but not too much to where athletes become chronically sympathetic, causing a cascade of performance-altering events. This spot is called autoregulation.
General Criteria to Consider When Writing a Program
It's important to note that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all training protocol, and these are just some general suggestions based on a few successes and countless failures over my career that I consider when writing a program.
The Good and The Bad About Insulin
I don't think most bodybuilders who use insulin as a performance enhancer truly understand WHY they are using it and what it can actually do to their bodies — both good and bad. So let’s dive into the nitty-gritty on the subject of insulin...
LISTEN: Reactive Training Systems Podcast #80 with Dave Tate
In the 80th episode of the Reactive Training Systems podcast, host Mike Tuchscherer and Dave Tate talk about how to build and strengthen relationships in order to lay down the foundation for a strong business and a legacy in competitive powerlifting.