How Powerlifting Saved My Life
Years of self-destructive life and eating habits led me to 430 pounds and a combined diagnosis of pre-diabetes and hypertension. I had two options: make a change or die.
Finding Strength: Durniat Strength
Settled in Wooster, Ohio, Andrew Durniat created the training facility he’s always wanted: his own.
How To Get Your Athletes to Buy In
There’s a simple system to getting your athletes on board with your program’s principles and goals. It starts with an acronym — FORM.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — ½ Gym, ½ Off-Si...
The goal is to get an inactive child on the spectrum socially and physically strong through movement. You’re ready to leave the comforts of the gym and move off-site to extend the learning curve.
You Are What You Eat — Facts of the Food Industry
What you consume on a daily basis not only affects your training but also directly controls your quality of life. Are you sure you know what you’re eating?
Debunking Dieting Myths: Is Skiploading Unhealthy?
For sixteen years I have been honing the method of Skiploading and only now am I starting to hear complaints from inexperienced kids who don’t understand it. Let me break it down for you.
WATCH: Destroying the Paradigm of a 'Functional Bench Press'
This presentation from the University of Western States Chiropractic College breaks down the bench press and examines why there is a benefit to performing the movement outside of a posturally correct position.
WATCH: Table Talk — Peak Arousal for Performance in Strength Sports
Every lifter has their own optimal place on the arousal curve. Going in either direction from that point will wreck your performance.
WATCH: Julia Ladewski Q&A — Hamstring/Glute Exercises, Youth Trainin...
Responding directly to your questions, Julia offers training insights in these short clips.
Magnesium and Vitamin D3: Two Neglected Parts of the Power Game
If flashy labeling or fancy bottles are what draw you to a supplement, these are not for you. If a ton of research and statistically measured results are how you determine your supplement regimen, you need Mg and D3.
My First Training Cycle at the S4 Compound
The beginning of XPC preparation proved how much I stood to learn from Dave, Matt Smith, and the other weekend regulars.
Failure Is Always An Option
You may have heard that committing to your goals means eliminating the possibility of failure. The problem? This isn’t realistic. You can’t always win.
Football Testing Season — Five Weeks to Gain Strength
Entering the time period away from pre-season or in-season training, our head coach made his expectations clear: “I want to see bench presses go up by 20 pounds and squats by 40 pounds in the next five to six weeks.” Easy, right?
Leaders and Followers: Understanding The Root of Conflict
Your business or team will only thrive when each member firmly grasps the purpose of the organization and their role contributing to it. Understanding this concept is simple, but applying it is not.
Team Elitefts Welcomes Seven New Members
Every member of this team has been meticulously chosen based on their unique talents. There’s more to earning your spot than lifting big weights.
The Long Road to Victory: Approval, Stress Management, and The Shining L...
The shining light appeared after a long nightmare in hell. This is what I encountered. This is how I persevered.
A Call to Arms Series: Eccentric Biceps Training
Try this one-armed eccentric barbell curl to induce sleeve-busting growth.
WATCH: Tarra Oravec Joins Team Elitefts
If Tarra never lifted more than her current best 1200-pound raw total at 181, she would still be one of the greatest. The scary thing? She’s just starting.
Effective or Ineffective: When To Keep or Drop Your Training Program
Your body must undergo multiple stages of adaptation before you decide whether or not your training program is working for you. Patience, my friend. Patience.
WATCH: Table Talk — Can Single-Ply Gear Supplement A Raw Lifter's T...
If you’re competing raw but want to use briefs or a shirt in training, there’s one rule you need to follow.
Gas Station Gains — High Calorie, Low Effort
Yes, you read that right. If you you want to get big quick, you’re not going to do it with broccoli and egg whites. It’s time get to dirty.
The Obstacles You'll Face Becoming A Great Powerlifter
You can be the best in the world or a complete beginner — you’re going to deal with many of the same challenges either way.
How to Fix Your Bench Press: The Execution
So far, we haven’t even moved the bar. Keeping in mind what we learned in part one of this series, we are now ready to begin the press.
WATCH: BOSS Barbell Club Training and Business Principles
The second part of this interview, Dan Green and Dave Tate share business challenges and the process of building a successful training facility.
WATCH: Dan Green and Dave Tate Discuss Powerlifting Training
From beginner to immediate to advanced, your methods must progress and become specific to your needs.
Arch Your Way to a Bigger Bench
A shorter range of motion means a bigger bench. Here’s how to get your chest closer to the bar without taking your ass off the bench.
Glute Gains: Mastering the Pelvic Tilt Technique
If you aren’t doing this right, say goodbye to building a fully developed backside.
How Do We Get to the Steak, Not the Sizzle?
There’s nothing wrong with trying the newest, flashy technique, but if you don’t know how it will help your team, stick to the basics.
Finding Strength: Titan Barbell
Eric Dawson opened his Medford, Massachusetts gym in his back yard—literally—to always be there to oversee his gym and help his athletes.
The Fuzzy Case for Forskolin
You’ve likely heard of this plant extract gaining traction in the supplement industry, but is there any science behind the hype?
The Science of Variable Resistance
Bands? Chains? The strength curve? How can this data make you a better lifter and athlete.
Sleep More, Lift More
The most basic source of recovery is free and easy, powerful enough to improve your strength and conditioning without resorting to any prescribed medication. Are you taking full advantage of it?
A Call to Arms Series: Terrorizing the Triceps — Cluster Sets
Instead of the crusty old three sets of 12, use the same weight for this method. WARNING: Not for those who lack testicular fortitude.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in High School and College Weight Rooms
These six missteps of sports training could keep your athletes small and weak — or worse, injured on the sideline.
WATCH: Table Talk — Finding Solutions to Deadlift Weaknesses
Leverages will influence your ideal deadlift stance, but that's only one small part of finding your weakness is.
2016 Arnold Sports Festival — Expo, XPC Meet Reports, and S4 Compound Ev...
Team elitefts did more than just compete this year at the Arnold. Everything we did is compiled here in one super-sized article.
Hypertrophy Hierarchy: How Your Muscle-Building Program Should Evolve Ov...
The techniques of top bodybuilders may look fun. They may entice you. But first, you need to earn them.
THREE DAYS LEFT — Win 12 Weeks of Free Online Training from Team Elitefts
Participating coaches include; Swede Burns, Clint Darden, Julia Ladewski, Brandon Smitley, Joe Schillero, Ken Skip Hill, Zach Gallmann, Matt Ladewski, Shane Church, David Allen, Casey Williams, Dani Overcash, David Kirschen, Sheri Whethem, Ken Whethem.
Training and the Dead Cat Bounce
In a downward slump, my training has started to look up. I attribute this to one simple programming tactic.
Consumer Beware The Youth Sports Syndicate
Many youth athletes are spending precious time and energy just to go get tired and worn out. Are you wasting time, energy, and money?
To Split or Not to Split: The Athlete-Training Question
Bodybuilders are known for splitting weekly training into specific body parts per day. Will the same approach work for athletes?
Switching to Single-Ply and Walking Out the Squat
I'm making some changes and have employed the knowledge of several lifting legends to answer these crucial questions.
Assessing Your Dysfunction — Finding Why
Still searching for your quick fix? You won't find it anytime soon.
Practice What You Preach — A Behavior Guide for Young Strength Coaches
Your relationship with your athletes is fundamental to helping them improve. It's also fragile. Don't risk compromising your role as a leader and your job as a coach.
Ignorance Can Be Bliss
An overload of information may tempt you to abandon your plan when something new comes along. Pick a program, one program, and stay committed.
Defending Margins
You might think I'm talking about business. I'm not. I'm talking about something much more important.
Project Jonah: The Final Report
This four-year journey following the development of a young athlete has finally come to a close, with many lessons learned.
WATCH: Table Talk — Do Some Training Programs Only Work If You Take Ster...
I hear lifters say this shit all the time. It's ludicrous.
Life and Lifting After Double Hip Replacement Surgery
With 20 years of lifting behind me, I was scared to death of my double anterior total hip replacement. What would life be like after surgery? Could I ever lift again?
Beyond the Barbell
For most powerlifters, exercise begins and ends with the barbell. What if I told you there were ways to get better without it?
Depression Answers for Athletes
I can only imagine from my personal experience with depression how athletes like Dave Mirra reach the point of tragedy.
WATCH: Physique and Strength Sports — Training and Competing as a Dual A...
Can you do both? This is Julia's approach.
Combining Fortitude and CTP Training
With the help of David Allen and Scott Stevenson, I have turned my six months of recovery into a period of growth and new training insight.
A Call to Arms Series: Terrorizing the Triceps — The Ultimate Superset
Over the next few weeks I am going to introduce you to some of my favorite hypertrophy training techniques for arms. Let's start with the triceps.
WATCH: Anaheim Ducks Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mark Fitzgerald
In this video interview, we take an inside look at NHL strength and conditioning from someone right at the center.
Finding Strength: Force Barbell
Working in conjunction with other professionals and experts, owner Tyler Miller has created a home for strongman athletes in Fishers, Indiana to train and prepare for any athletic endeavor.