The Coach's Guide to Programming and Periodization: Basic Principle...
We can’t simply throw random exercises and set and rep schemes on a piece of paper haphazardly and then hope for the best. In this series I will teach you how to write programs, including a coach’s assignment for each article.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — Gym Training
The goal is to get an inactive child on the spectrum socially and physically strong through movement. This initial type of training, the first in a progression of eight, takes place in the gym.
7 Exercises Lost to the '80s
There’s a reason techniques in the past were so widely used for so long: they worked. Go old school and give these exercises a shot.
Africa Lifts
These are the gyms of Sub-Saharan Africa, where the training environment is unsheltered and un-floored and the equipment is made of scrap iron, car parts, cement, and anything else that works.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Training Frequency of the Powerliftin...
How many times per week should you train the main lifts?
WATCH: Jim Wendler's 2018 elitefts Sports Performance Summit Presen...
To close his presentation, Wendler discusses exercise selection, indicators of athlete readiness, and the importance of knowing the trapdoors of your training program.
Training Terminology
Trying to understand programming without knowing the terminology is similar to navigating a country without knowing the language: you can do it, but it won’t be easy.
Collegiate Athlete Essentials: Parameters for Incoming Athletes
This method has worked well in the past and could help you with your starting point in the programming for your athletes.
Balance and the Big Picture
I hear all the time that balance is impossible and that to be amazing at something you have to give it up. I also hear that every person needs perfect and equal balance in life. Which is it?
WATCH: Equipment Feature — Mike Bartos' Stone of Steel
No longer do you need to go through the daunting, messy process of measuring, mixing, and pouring concrete into molds to make stones. There’s now a better way.
Self-Efficacy: The Science of Getting Shit Done
According to Bandura, there are four major sources contributing to a person’s individual self-efficacy. This is what coaches need to be building in their athletes.
WATCH: Equipment Feature with Josh Bryant — Neck Harness Training
These are the three best exercises you can do with a harness to build a stronger, thicker, more muscular neck.
My SPS Weekend and Visit to the S5 Compound
My recent trip to Ohio included attending the 2018 elitefts Sports Performance Summit and visiting the brand new elitefts office, warehouse, and gym. Along the way, I learned a lot about training.
WATCH: The First Time I Trained with Ronnie Coleman
The plan for the training session was to squat but the bodybuilding group had a lot more in mind.
In-Season Training Considerations to Uphold Off-Season Progress
Many programs account for energy system considerations and athlete deficiencies, but there are a number of other factors I believe are incredibly important for transitioning from off-season to in-season training.
![WATCH: Defining Autism — Beyond the Label [Documentary]](https://www.elitefts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/DefiningHeaderImages-300x250.jpg)
WATCH: Defining Autism — Beyond the Label [Documentary]
This documentary is the culmination of years of intimate interaction with a child with autism. Interaction as a father, a mother, an educator, a trainer, and a friend.
WATCH: Fixing Dave Tate — Observing Dave's Current Training Capabil...
To gain a greater understanding of Dave’s current capabilities, Dr. Rusin watches a full training session of six movements.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Deloads and Fatigue Management
Using a planned deload is one effective way to manage fatigue during a training cycle, but strategic exercise selection can help reduce the need for “off” weeks.
Bands and Underloading: The Often Ignored 'Secrets' of The Con...
There’s a piece to the accommodating resistance puzzle that I don’t think anyone ever really discusses: using bands too often can ruin you for straight weight. There’s also an equally overlooked method of fatigue management.
WATCH: Jim Wendler's 2018 elitefts Sports Performance Summit Presen...
In the previous videos, Wendler discussed his general mindset and approach to strength and conditioning for a high school football team. In this segment, he goes into detail about how he has designed the training sessions.
Take the Emotion out of the Bar
Motivation doesn’t mean a thing if you haven’t done the work. Relying on the psych up didn’t work for me and this is why.
Fivearms and Sibling Rivalry
Never underestimate the ability of healthy competition to fan the flames of the training spirit — even for something as small as forearm size.
Don’t Fear Failure — Hate It
Everyone loses sometimes, but that isn’t the mentality you should mold your life around.
The Qualities I Look for in a Strength and Conditioning Intern or Colleague
When I interview someone and consider letting them join my team, these are the things I consider.
The Sumo Deadlift for Strongman
You may never do this lift in competition, but training the sumo deadlift can add tons of strength to your conventional deadlift, carrying events, and overhead strength while relieving stress on your back.
WATCH: Travis Mash's Barbell Life Podcast Episode 190 with Guest Dr...
In one of his most detailed podcast discussions yet, Dr. Bryan Mann shares a number of discoveries he’s made about athlete training and the use of velocity based training.
Four Simple Mistakes to Avoid to Stay Injury-Free
These are what I’d consider the biggest mistakes in letting injury dictate your ability to train.
Advice High School Lifters Will Ignore (But Shouldn't)
While putting together a training presentation for a local high school, I gave some thought to the things I wish someone would have told me in high school. I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway, but here they are.
30-Minute Chest Annihilation Workout
High volume and high intensity can be achieved in a short timeframe with this cluster set training session.
My Powerlifting Influences
I would not be the person or the lifter I am today without the influence of these seven people and the lessons they taught me.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Block Pulls and Hip Position in the S...
Getting into the right position for the sumo deadlift can be a challenge. Is focusing on “sitting back” the right approach?
Quality, Safety, and Doing It for the Gram
Purchase some quality equipment and find some good spotters or your next rep could be your last.
WATCH: Jim Wendler's 2018 elitefts Sports Performance Summit Presen...
When Jim took over the training, the team had no identity and had no idea what they were going to be as they entered the 2017 season. What they became was the strongest team on the field every night they played.
WATCH: BandBell Equipment Demonstration with Founder Jim Seitzer
By explaining the concept of Oscillating Kinetic Energy and demonstrating the setup, Jim gives you everything you need to know to get the most out of the Bamboo, Earthquake, and E-Maxx bars.
Embrace Being the Individual You Are
There is so much information that you could spend days, weeks, and months learning, without ever actually lifting a damn thing. Don’t become paralyzed trying to weed through all of the varying perspectives.
WATCH: Fixing Dave Tate — The Three Areas of Focus Discovered During Ini...
With the discovery phase nearly complete, Dr. Rusin has identified three key areas that will be imperative for Dave moving forward — hip stability, posterior chain upper quadrant stability/thoracic spine cage mobility, and program formation.
Strength Union: Building A Unified, Empowered Strength Community
A union operates to give a group of individuals one voice, empowering them to lead in the right direction. This fully-equipped facility aims to provide exactly that for each of its members as they become the strongest versions of themselves.
Finding True Happiness
I feel that, along with some financial security and fulfillment, you also need these six variables to achieve true happiness.
The Coach Rulebook: 5 Rules to Follow
You can be the smartest nutrition or training coach in the world, but if you don't know how to actually help people your business will fail.
What Is the Common Denominator?
If you want to be relevant in the sport for years to come, you need to know how to tell the difference between the coaches and the players.
In-Season Softball Training Guidelines and Myths
The longer the season goes on, the more important it is to maintain performance. Don't spend the season losing the physical abilities built during the off-season.
The General Adaptation Syndrome and Its Applications for Training
As a scientist who studies the fundamental basis of how muscles get bigger and repair in response to stress, and as a lifter who has always cared a bunch about programming, I find the debate surrounding GAS very interesting.
Case Study: Programming Considerations for the Injury-Prone Powerlifter
Taking two of my lifters, let’s break down all the variables that come into play for individualizing their programming to keep them not only progressing but also healthy.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — How Dan Structures His Training
Through years of mistakes and experimentation, Dan has refined his approach and found a setup that works for him.
Get Stable, Get Strong: Pressing, Pulling, and Squatting
In this article, we’re going to cover the most bang-for-your-buck cues to action when performing any type of pressing, pulling, or squatting motion.
WATCH: Jim Wendler's 2018 elitefts Sports Performance Summit Presen...
The starting point with youth athletes today is drastically different than it was 30 years ago. This means the training plan needs to be different too.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Measuring Athlete Stress and Improving...
Joel Jamieson, one of the world’s foremost authorities on strength and conditioning for combat sports, joins the Peak Mental Performance Podcast for a discussion of stress, HRV, and improving athletic performance.
Weight Room Lessons from Former Athletes
After writing about the importance of getting to know your athletes, I decided to take a real look at whether or not I've had an impact. I contacted two of my former athletes and asked them to tell me what they learned in the weight room.
WATCH: How to Box Squat with the Rackable Cambered Squat Bar
Not only does this bar help avoid the wear and tear a straight bar can have on your shoulders, but it also enables you to build strength while using less weight and perform several very useful exercise variations.
Back on the Wagon: Returning to Training After a Long Layoff
For three months I dealt with my life while putting training in the backseat. Now with more time, energy, and motivation, these are the keys I'm using to getting back to where I was.
Tissue Load vs. Tissue Capacity: Increasing Tissue Capacity While Alteri...
This second article of the series discusses additional loading concepts, training considerations, and rehabilitation protocols for increasing tissue capacity while maintaining or decreasing training load.
Has the Max Effort Method Been Forgotten?
Is there any value left to this method or has the lifting world moved on?
A Calloused Hands Guide to Conjugate Training for the Beginning and Inte...
My main goal for this article is to make the vast bodies of work on conjugate more digestible and more easily applicable to what is popular now: raw powerlifting.
Training the Strongman Yoke
When I began strongman I was terrible at the yoke, even though it was in almost every competition I had competed in. With it being so common, I had no choice but to improve. Here's what I learned along the way.
The Great Fructose Debate
Some believe that fructose only replenishes liver glycogen and is unable to replenish muscle glycogen. Others believe that fructose is used first to replenish liver glycogen and then will replenish muscle glycogen. All we care about, for carb-loading use, are the visual results.
The Privilege to Work Hard
Your skills and abilities can get you the job, but your tenacity will get you the results needed to excel at it.
The Barbell: What It Is and How to Take Good Care of Yours
Good, quality bars are a component of good, quality training. More so than with other pieces of equipment in a gym, lifters tend to develop a personal (sometimes quite emotional) relationship with bars.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — The SS Yoke Bar for Squats and Good M...
There are a lot of ways to use the SS Yoke Bar and good mornings. Here's what Dan is doing with both in his current program.