Strength 101 from Westside Barbell
If people would take their heads out of their asses and set their egos aside, they would see that what Louie teaches has nothing to do with multi-ply powerlifting.
10,000 Hours and the Pursuit of Mastery
Most people fail to achieve their goals not because they lack the ability but because they lack the tenacity. Life’s hard and frequently people quit, sometimes 10 meters from the finish line and sometimes two inches. Don’t quit.
WATCH: Table Talk — Straight Line or Arched Bar Path in the Bench Press
No matter which style you use, there’s one rule with your wrists and elbows you always have to follow.
The Simple Steps To Add Serious Weight To Your Deadlift
Finding your ideal stance, nailing down good form, and programming properly for volume, intensity, and frequency will keep your weights moving up and your body healthy.
WATCH: elitefts Fitness Professional Summit — DeFranco's Story and ...
Answer two questions about yourself, go do shit, and be prepared for the hard work to not always be gratifying immediately. Then you’re on your way.
The Strongest Man in the Gym
Although we have had a number of 1000-pound squatters and 800-pound benchers at the Monster Garage Gym, I can tell you—and so would the majority of the powerlifters at the gym—that Jerry is the strongest man in the gym.
To Arch or Not to Arch?
For all of my powerlifting career and for my best squat and deadlifters numbers ever, I used an arched back. After working with Chris Duffin on neutral back positioning and bracing, I’m starting to think there’s a better way.
Observations of Beginner Powerlifting Mistakes
With five years in the sport of powerlifting, my best total before I came to Westside Barbell was 1685. After training at Westside for a little over three years, my best total is 1950. Here are the big issues to avoid if you want similar progress.
Athlete Programming Made Simple
I cannot have rep integrity, movement efficiency, and tempo in the weight room if my athletes are dumbfounded by the extremely complex exercise selection that looks like a NASA test simulator. So let’s focus on simplifying things.
Rules for the Hard Gainer, Part Two — Six New Steps to Packing on Mass
If you’ve mastered and are continuing to follow the eight rules from part one of this series, I want to show you exactly how you can create an even better program that will pack mass on any true hard gainer out there.
Irresponsible Social Media Practices in Strength and Conditioning
Social media can be a very powerful tool to enhance your learning and your network, but you have to use it with some responsibility.
Adapting to Needs — Phase 1 of Winter Strength and Conditioning for Foot...
Our team is pretty strong in the weight room and it has transferred to the field, but we’re not a big team. The head coach and I have come to an agreement on changes we’re going to make, with a phase that starts January 16.
3 Missing Links in Your Hypertrophy Training
Before you can ever execute advanced training techniques, you must first master what I call The Three I’s.
Opinions and Credibility
The problem, if I may opine, is that too many people do not understand that credibility is not given by the person who opines; credibility is given by others.
Powerlifting Then and Now
The top guys today are light years ahead of where we were. Lifters today are far better trained with methods that are backed with actual science. But there’s something missing.
Reason
I realize powerlifters are all lions, beasts, and savages, but let’s not lose sight of the big picture.
WATCH: Table Talk — Making Time to Train Around A Busy Work Schedule
A busy work schedule can make it hard to train at the times you’d like to, but there’s always a way to make it work.
WATCH: elitefts Fitness Professional Summit — No Chihuahuas
There will be people in life who you have to pick up and carry around because their legs are so short that they can’t run fast enough to keep up with you and where you’re going. You need to cut these people out. Get rid of them.
Extra Workout Bodybuilding-Style Lat Training for Strength Athletes
Feeling your lats engage on accessory work will make it easier to activate them on the compound lifts. One of my favorite ways to do this when I can add an extra training day is with a light, high-rep extra workout.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Electrical Brain Stimulation for Athle...
Dr. Brett Wingeier is a biomedical engineer and neuroscientist who designed the Halo Sport device. In our conversation, we discuss the science behind transcranial direct current stimulation and its use for athletes.
MEET REPORT: 365 Strong Nationals — A Long-Ass Day and Questions Answered
I had help getting into my single-ply suit and didn’t have to wrap my own knees, but there was still the hand to deal with. There’s a long way to go and I’m taking it one post-surgery PR at a time.
WATCH: Equipment Feature with Steve Diel — elitefts 3x3 Rack
The most essential item of any home gym, you can use this rack to do anything you need for competitive powerlifting or general strength training.
Killer Mentality
Killer mentality means doing whatever it takes to be your very best and being willing to put it all on the line when the time comes. You have to be able to block out all negativity and draw in all positivity.
'If You Build It They Will Come' — Remembering My First Champi...
How do you build your team? How do you take a group of athletes from every aspect of society and get them pulling in the same direction toward a common cause?
The Student Guide to Grocery Store Navigation — Lucky's Market
Moving from theory to practice, this lesson took us from the classroom to Lucky’s Market on High Street in Columbus, Ohio.
A Letter to the Next Me
I’ve often heard people ask the question, what would you tell a younger you? This is a great question all strength coaches should answer.
WATCH: Should You Keep Your Lats Tight When You Deadlift?
This popular deadlift cue might not be all it’s cracked up to be.
WATCH: Programming Back Exercises for Mobility, Strength, and Joint Health
Our daily routines force us to live anteriorly dominant, meaning that everything we do is in front of us. These banded accessory and mobility exercises will build a stronger, healthier, more stable upper back.
Ways to Sneak Cardio into Your Training
Following one, any, or all of these suggestions is a solid way to help prevent packing on some holiday pounds and to keep your strength gains strong.
WATCH: Table Talk — Too Much Science?
There are two types of people when it comes to using science in training. Don’t be the first kind.
Instilling A Growth Mindset
During his first soccer season, there were several things I said to my son each week in hopes of helping him understand that no matter what he does in life, it will take work to get there.
The Five Exercise Assignment
You must pick five and only five exercises or drills to train all of the university sports for all of the seasons. What makes your list?
WATCH: elitefts Fitness Professional Summit — Action vs. Education, Gym ...
Chris Cooper shares the story behind his mentorship and books, outlines the two most important takeaways from his lecture, and shares several key lessons all gym-owners should know.
Thanksgiving 2017 — A Letter from Dave Tate
Reflecting on past Thanksgiving letters, my closing from 2016 hit me like a ton of bricks. It has been a big year of challenges and opportunities, hardships and success.
Competition Report: The Third Annual Beer City Brawl
I only trained the events once or twice each and hadn’t hit competition weights on any of them. But I hadn’t done a strongman competition in 2017, and between PT school and my relocation to Virginia, I wasn’t giving up the chance to compete.
Alycia’s List of Takebacks
There are a number of thoughts, beliefs, and philosophies about life and training I once thought to be true that I no longer do. Here are the disagreements I have with my former self.
The Candle Protocol for Deeper Sleep
What you will find in this article is an easy-to-implement solution that will have a quicker, more impactful, and longer-lasting effect on your health, your physique, and your progress than anything you’ve ever done before.
Powerlifting — A Sport for Everyone?
If you wait for the perfect training cycle before doing a meet, you aren’t a powerlifter. You should stop calling yourself one and instead start saying you like training the squat, bench press, and deadlift.
Full Circuit Athletics and the Role of Strength and Conditioning for Bas...
Charlie Karstedt has left no stone unturned in giving his guys every opportunity they need to be successful at his facility.
Surviving Max Effort Day
I thought about just putting my workout off until tomorrow. That would have been the smart thing to do.
Good Luck Getting a Tan These Days
I've been tanning since I was about 16 years old, and beds these days just aren't the same. If you really want a tan you're going to have to find another way.
From the Judge’s Chair: The Deadlift
Now that this series has covered the insight of a powerlifting judge for the squat and the bench press, we move to discuss the knowledge we can gain regarding the final lift of the meet: the deadlift.
WATCH: Table Talk — Back-Down Sets
After you've reached the heaviest set of the day, is there a reason to reduce the weight and do more reps?
WATCH: elitefts Fitness Professional Summit — That's It?
Two words forever changed JL's perspective on what it means to grow a business.
WATCH: Building Armor-Plated Pecs with Josh Bryant and Jonathan Irizarry
This workout uses a holistic approach in order to build strength, explosive power, and hypertrophy, utilizing a combination of light weight, heavy weight, tempos, isometric contractions, giant sets, bands, and the Juarez Valley finisher.
WATCH: Equipment Feature with Steve Diel — elitefts Core Blaster
Small, compact, and completely versatile, this is the perfect implement for the home gym.
Training Clients for Free — The Unsustainable State
For both trainer and trainee, the service is most valuable when the terms are mutually beneficial and serve the aims of both parties. There's only one circumstance for me that I've found no compensation is sustainable.
LISTEN: The Australian Strength and Conditioning Association Podcast wit...
Appearing as special guest for episode 13, Ashley joined the podcast to discuss his career, the knowledge he has gained through his experience in the industry, and the lessons he has found most valuable for training and coaching athletes.
Meet Report: All-time World Record and Best Overall Lifter at 2017 Reebo...
I finished 7/9 with a 799 squat, 424 bench, and 815 deadlift (raw with wraps). That was good enough for a 2039 total and an all-time world record in the 198-pound weight class, plus a 592 Wilks and best overall lifter.
Developing Your Own Strongman Program
Designing a program that builds agility, speed, strength, and conditioning, while also training the strongman movements, can seem a daunting task. Here’s how I approach it.
Common Behaviors of Lifters Who Know How to Improve
Lifters who succeed share a lot of qualities — and so do lifters who fail. I'd challenge you to honestly evaluate how closely you fall on the spectrum of each of these qualities.
Chase the Pain for New Levels of Muscle Growth
To improve the CTP protocol, I've made a few tweaks so that you introduce a unique pain technique through one round and then switch it each time.
Four-Day and Three-Day Training Splits for Strength and Size
With the holidays and all of the celebratory foods coming, why not make those extra calories work for a change? This plan is designed to get you bigger and stronger using a 4-day split (and a 3-day split if you're pressed for time).
Density Training — How I’m Training Now
Inspired by John Meadows' primary and secondary workouts, combined with what I know about density training from Vince Gironda, my current split accounts for time and intensity limitations.
WATCH: Table Talk — Method Muppets
There are people who have been in the gym for two years or less and now they have their own method. What's the method? Tying their shoes and walking through the gym?
ACL Rehab Phase One — Returning to the Weight Room
After an ACL injury, the athlete is first rehabbed exclusively in the training room. Once they're released to me, we start this phase of the recovery process.
WATCH: elitefts Fitness Professional Summit — Don't Be A Big Fish i...
The fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. It's the war you want to be in.
Sequencing Assistance Work
How and when should you perform assistance exercises? What protocols are used for assistance work? Should exercises be changed or rotated? What about bands, chains, and specialty bars?
WATCH: Inside the Home Gym of elitefts CFO Steve Diel
Having a home gym has allowed me to have the time to fit everything together and never have to sacrifice my training. Here's how I designed my gym layout, prioritized my equipment selection, and ordered from elitefts.
