Dave in the gym

Ten Rules I Learned Under the Bar (That Have Nothing to Do with Programming)

Dave Tate

The gym teaches you more than how to get strong. If you pay attention, it teaches you how to lead, how to think, and who you actually are.

Thin Bar

The Death of the Straight Bar? How This Revolutionary "Thin" Design Unlocks Elite Force Production

Dave Tate
The American Thin Press Bar enhances pressing efficiency by allowing lifters to maintain a neutral grip and a stacked-joint position, reducing shoulder rotation and minimizing wrist discomfort. Its unique thin profile provides superior lateral stability and greater range of motion than traditional logs or bulky multi-grip bars.
spider crawls

John Meadows Demonstrates Band Spider Crawls: A Shoulder Warmup Worth Keeping

Dave Tate

John Meadows knew how to take care of a body that had been through the wringer. Watch him demonstrate one of the best shoulder activation drills you're probably not doing.

February 1980: The State of Powerlifting

February 1980: The State of Powerlifting

Dave Tate

Analyze the February 1980 issue of Powerlifting USA. Featuring Mike MacDonald's bench press specifics, Mark Dimiduk’s rise, and the Finnish Deadlift routine.

s5 gym

The WarGrip Knee Sleeves Were Built for the Gym, Not the Platform

Dave Tate

The elitefts WarGrip Training Knee Sleeves are a dual-ply training sleeve built for daily use, with enough compression to keep you protected session after session, without the fight of getting them on.

mike brinsen and dave tate

The Best Lifters Know When to Stop Following the Plan

Dave Tate

Auto-regulation isn't a cheat code for lazy lifters. It's the hardest skill in strength sports to develop, and most people never get there.

Cris Edmonds

Reps in Reserve is a Lie, and 4 Other Brutal Truths from the Iron Trenches

Dave Tate

I made a promise to John Meadows at his grave site that I would never walk away from the business, meaning I had to show up every single day with integrity and the highest work ethic possible to uphold his legacy. This ongoing commitment involves using a hybrid training approach, rotating between low- and high-volume exercises based on the body's response, and guiding clients through strategic fat loss and rebound phases to maximize progress.

 

4 way station

Five Stations, One Corner: How We Built Our Custom Cable Tower (And Why It Works for More Than Just Us)

Dave Tate

We installed a custom multi-station cable tower in 2025 and it became one of the most-used pieces in the gym. Here's what we built, how we actually use it, and how it scales for training centers and high school programs.

The Bar That Saved My Training (And My Shoulders)

The Bar That Saved My Training (And My Shoulders)

Dave Tate
Since 2005, I haven't squatted with a straight bar, and the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar is the reason I have never had to stop training
Bodybuilding Redemption

Bodybuilding Redemption

Dave Tate

For years, bodybuilding work was treated like fluff, something “real” lifters didn’t waste time on. Powerlifters mocked curls, lateral raises, and cable work as meaningless vanity exercises. If it didn’t build the squat, bench, or deadlift directly, it didn’t matter. But time has a funny way of proving you wrong.

rebuilt

10 Strategic Questions for Radical Self-Mastery and Professional Evolution

 In this deeply personal case study, coach and educator Tom opens up about his transformative journey from battling severe depression, self-harm, and eating disorders to finding genuine self-worth by dedicating his career to helping others succeed.

 

Mike Brinson

Strategic Insights into In-Season Strength Training and Athletic Development

Dave Tate

 "The most important person in the room is not the athletes, it's the coach, because if the coach is not successful, the kids have no chance of being successful".