Frankenstein's Perfect Powerlifter
Once I caught wind of Dr. Frank’s new project, I knew I wanted to learn more. This is the story of my visit to his lab and home gym.
My Wife and God Cause All of My Stress
While I was recently wallowing in my own self-pity, I had an idea: what else could possibly go wrong?
How to Wreck Your Training with Pre-workout Supplements
Highly caffeinated pre-workout supplements are robbing people of their strength potential. You read that right.
The Mountain Dog Diet—A Healthier Way to Get Lean/Add Muscle...or Both!
The theme here is health and making better choices regardless of whether you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat.
WATCH: Auto-Regulation vs Percentage-Based Programming for the Off-Season
You can be certain that every great lifter you admire has mastered auto-regulation. If you want to be great, you’ll need to do the same.
WATCH: Scary Exercises and More Halloween Questions with Dave
There’s only one thing you should truly fear this Halloween: not getting stronger.
Support Sport Science Through Crowd Funding
Through your support we can answer how muscle myonuclei control growth and recovery in fast vs. slow-twitch fibers. Back this project today.
Do Not Limit Yourself With Comparisons
Mental strength is a complex monster. You may think you’re motivating yourself by trying to beat other lifters, but you’re actually holding yourself back.
A New Kid Under the Bar
Erasing the zoo schedule from the dry-erase board that served us for a 14-week prep was unsettling. Where our training has gone, is miraculous.
Win the War — Day-to-Day Battles of Strength and Conditioning
This is not a list of excuses, but the reality of what really goes on, no matter what level or program you are at.
Contest Prep Aftermath: Reverse Diet and Training Gone Right
For reverse dieting and training there are several components that play the biggest role in an athlete’s success.
Our Evolving Understanding of Hypertrophy — Comparing New and Old Theories
Science is in a state of constant development. This article examines several recent studies that provide new theories on hypertrophy.
Finding Strength: The Anvil Gym
This Strongman’s paradise in Cedar Rapids, Iowa has the people, the equipment, and the expertise you need to get stronger.
What Type of Powerlifter Are You?
I polled our team members to get an idea of why some of the best lifters in the world compete raw or in gear. Here are their answers.
WATCH: Anterior Pelvic Tilt Fix with Casey Williams and Dani Overcash — ...
We’ve worked on several components separately but this exercise brings them together: first getting into the left hip, then finding neutral, and then breathing and bracing while in this proper position.
What Is the SLAB?
This exercise will challenge strength and stability in all three planes of motion with various subconscious lessons.
2016 Olympia 212 Showdown Report
In four months, I tasted the emotional joy of winning and then the character-shaping process of dealing with missed expectations.
WATCH: Table Talk — Lessons from Training with John Meadows
What happens when an expert in powerlifting and an expert in bodybuilding train together for five years?
The SWIS Symposium — Everything That's Right with the Fitness Industry
I could write a book on everything I learned from the 30-plus pages of notes I took from the weekend. Instead, I’m going to give you the Cliffs Notes version.
WATCH: What Are Your Halloween Questions for Dave?
Dave covers training and weight gain principles through Freddy Krueger, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Hershey’s Bars.
The Real Reasons You’re Not Making Progress
You can come up with a lot of excuses to explain your plateaus or you can follow this advice and find a solution.
WATCH: Anterior Pelvic Tilt Fix with Casey Williams and Dani Overcash — ...
We pulled him into his left hip in the previous exercise, while this correction is designed to help drive him “off” his right hip.
BIGHORN — The Mace and the Jedi
Watching the hydraulic door slowly lower itself closed had felt like an eternity. We wouldn’t last long if a couple of those things followed us inside.
Extending The 30's Method for Strength and Size
This method has shown effectiveness in hypertrophy training, so I’ve decided to try something new: what will happen if we take this method and alter it to cover two extremes of the training continuum?
Training for Movement — 4 Easy Program Fixes
Having mobility issues? While direct work in the traditional sense will certainly help, so will continuing to train, if you plan correctly.
Improved Back Recruitment for a Bigger V-Taper
My program design was technically sound and my lifting technique was good, but my back still wasn’t improving. This is when I turned to the study of anatomy and biomechanics.
The 10 Principles of Being Personal with Personal Training
Personal training is a field that allows for creativity in how you do things with exercise, but at its core, it is still working with people. You need them to like you.
WATCH: Why You Should Use Calibrated Plates
If you’re training for a new world or personal record, every pound matters.
WATCH: Anterior Pelvic Tilt Fix with Casey Williams and Dani Overcash — ...
The purpose of this exercise is to help you get into your left hip and improve how well the socket receives the ball.
I Might Be an Asshole But I'm Not Arrogant
Apparently when you become a self-proclaimed expert in training and nutrition, you also know everything about politics, social issues, and life. Have we always been this arrogant?
How I Trained When I Was at My Best
There are two categories for max effort exercises: strength builders and strength testers. Every lifter has their own. Once I found mine, I built an 1160 squat and an 850 deadlift.
WATCH: Table Talk — Should Elite Totals Be Updated?
Does being an elite powerlifter mean something different today than it did 10, 15, or 20 years ago?
WATCH: Wendler's UGSS Presentation — Exercise Selection and Attempt...
You want your athletes to get stronger but not in a smokescreen fashion. You have to be strategic about how and when to attempt PRs.
How to Wrap and Why — A Guide to Wrist and Knee Wraps
If you show up on day one of your wrapped training and start off in the strongest wraps on the market, things are probably not going to go as well as they could.
4 Ways to Maintain Healthy Joints
It’s easy to avoid degenerative downfall and instead promote longevity in your joints — but only if you know how.
You're Probably Not Overtraining
Thinking that overtraining cannot happen is wrong. Immediately jumping to the conclusion that you need to back off or deload is also wrong.
WATCH: Anterior Pelvic Tilt Fix with Casey Williams and Dani Overcash — ...
It took Casey a month just to get everything into position for this exercise. When you try it, you're going to be tempted to engage every muscle you have. Don't.
Training for Police Officers: The Necessities Every Cop Needs in their P...
For most people who step into a gym, your training isn't a matter of life and death. For police officers, it is.
The Deconstruction of a SHW Powerlifter
I have two options: keep going in the same direction and die, or make changes to my life and start dropping weight.
The Only Thing You Can Control
There's a very short list of things you can control and a very long list of things you can't control. Choose to focus on the right one.
WPC World Championships — My 12-Week Meet Prep for a 1000-Pound Squat
I won my division at the 2014 WPC Worlds. I'm hoping to repeat this year, but there's also another goal I'm focused on.
The Evaluation of a Strength and Conditioning Coach: A Process-Based Pro...
Why do strength coaches quit and the people that hired them don't care? Before exploring some possible answers, let's look at the problem.
Energy Balance: How Your Body Fights Weight Loss
Let’s tackle some of the issues contributing to failed attempts at creating a negative energy balance.
Staying Motivated With No Chance of Winning the 2016 USAPL Raw Nationals...
We often find ourselves swimming in a sea of excellence, chasing the purple dragon of someone else’s achievements. That's not how to become a champion.
Breathing IS NOT Bracing
A hot water balloon and a balloon for a child's party can both be filled with air, but that doesn't make them equally strong or stable. This is how you need to think of your training.
WATCH: Table Talk — Bench Press Bar Path
Should you press in a straight line or in an arc, finishing with the bar over your face?
WATCH: Wendler's UGSS Presentation — Programming Layout for Youth A...
The first step to having a good program is following a training outline that balances every need of the athlete.
20 Pro Strongman Tips for the Strength Athlete
Prepping to become a pro-card carrying competitor? These tips from professional strongwoman Kristin Johnson will help you reach your strength and power goals.
WATCH: Simple and Effective Training for the Recreational Athlete
This presentation is directed towards the recreational athlete with the goal being to provide simple and effective tools to improve performance, reduce injury, and improve general levels of fitness.
Building the Raw Bench Press
We first need to look at the specific needs of a raw bencher — once we know what body parts need brought up, we can then create a program that strategically utilizes the most beneficial exercises.
The Absurd Effectiveness of Simplicity
Young strength coaches, go back to the basics to improve your athletes' performance.
5 Lessons from 13 Years in Leadership
When I began this career, I was 26 years old. I've learned a lot since then. These are some of my most valuable lessons.
The Yearly Training Plan of the Strength Athlete — Adapting Evaluations ...
Evaluating your training protocol is only the first step. The real differences are made by enacting them into the practicals of training.
WATCH: Physical Therapy — Anterior Pelvic Tilt Fix with Casey Williams a...
The last two years have been the most uncomfortable but also the most rewarding of my life. Part of this process was putting aside my ego to address some physical dysfunctions that were holding me back.
Manipulating Acute Variables in Training— A Guide to Building Lean Muscl...
If you're training under a Conjugate System, variation is your key to success. Let's talk about the two acute variables that you should use to your advantage: exercise variation and equipment selection.
7 Daily Rituals for Success
Three years ago I wrote about habits of trying to be successful. Since then, these practices have evolved into something better: rituals.
How to Run a Great Strongman Contest: The Final Days Before Competition
If you followed my advice from the first article and prepared for the events, there are just a few more things you need to do before kicking off the competition.
6 Things I Learned About S&C When I Moved from College to High School
After 15 years at the collegiate level, I didn't think I had anything to learn from high school. I was wrong.
WATCH: Table Talk — The Widowmaker Squat Challenge
A high-rep squat set is a MFer challenge, there's no doubt about it.