So, you want a big squat, bench and pull? You better learn how to breathe.
Instead of thinking of age as a disability or a disadvantage, recognize your experience for what it is: an advantage in achieving physical and mental greatness.
Screw up your back and being unable to squat or deadlift won’t be your only concern.
Nobody wants to waste hard earned money on equipment they’re not sure about. Use this overview of the SS Yoke Bar and the Rackable Cambered Bar to make your next purchasing decision is an educated one.
This 9-week program is designed to allow recovery, build muscle, improve conditioning, and prepare you mentally and physically for another heavy training cycle.
A multi-world record holder in the bench press, a successful gym owner, and a successful all-around lifter, Magruder has certainly made his mark.
Chad interviews world-record holding powerlifter Dan Green and his wife Sparkle after a seminar at American Iron gym.
Let’s evaluate how to train in the final four weeks leading to a competition. Most importantly, what does it mean to taper and how should you do it?
Dave and JL talk about the aspects of Circa Max that many lifters overlook: the what, how, when, why, and who.
This is the difference between running a system or following a program. It’s the difference between getting lost or arriving at your destination.
Training isn’t meant to be flashy — it’s meant to be effective. Resist the temptation of these “hip” techniques and stay on track to bigger PRs on meet day.
Where is your confidence and what are you willing to do to strengthen it?
Any successful team needs all of its athletes to be on the same page and shooting for the same goal.
This bar brings endless potential to your weight room — but only if used properly. Don’t forget these two cues.
If visions of vomit, blood, cysts, and puss make you queasy, find another video to watch.
Knowing now how to set up and execute the lift, there is one final process to perfect your bench press.
You will have the opportunity to learn about any topic in strength training you choose, from execution of the main lifts all the way down to minute details of accessory work.
I am not leaving the sport. I love this sport and even more so, the people in it, but the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
JL Holdsworth joins Dave for a look back at the years they spent training at Westside and everything they learned there.
With a limited time frame and many issues to fix for these three lifters, I had to target their specific weaknesses with training adjustments. This is how we did it.
I was unwilling, to my core, to be corrected. I would rather get hurt than admit I was wrong. And I did, many times. Once that character defect changed, so did everything else.
Smitley discusses each cue and technical advice given to the young lifters, explaining how and why it is important for them to make the changes in their training while preparing for competition.
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.
Every lifter has their own optimal place on the arousal curve. Going in either direction from that point will wreck your performance.
The beginning of XPC preparation proved how much I stood to learn from Dave, Matt Smith, and the other weekend regulars.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you’re competing raw but want to use briefs or a shirt in training, there’s one rule you need to follow.
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.
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.
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.
From beginner to immediate to advanced, your methods must progress and become specific to your needs.
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.
Bands? Chains? The strength curve? How can this data make you a better lifter and athlete.
Leverages will influence your ideal deadlift stance, but that’s only one small part of finding your weakness is.
Team elitefts did more than just compete this year at the Arnold. Everything we did is compiled here in one super-sized article.
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.
I’m making some changes and have employed the knowledge of several lifting legends to answer these crucial questions.
I hear lifters say this shit all the time. It’s ludicrous.
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?
For most powerlifters, exercise begins and ends with the barbell. What if I told you there were ways to get better without it?
Can you do both? This is Julia’s approach.
The first installment of a three-part series, this article discusses the first step of mastering the bench press: learning optimal setup.
These mistakes in the squat, bench, and deadlift seem small on their own. But add them to together? You’re leaving pounds off your total.
This mistake is really, really simple, even if no one wants to take ownership of it.
Talking with founders Shawn Sherman and Jonathan Loos, I learned of the benefits and limitations of this restorative system that aims at pinpointing and eliminating joint dysfunctions.
Most women are unfamiliar with this movement but, with the right techniques and teaching methods, this can be one of the easiest ‘big’ exercises to learn.
This article includes video that shows the many physical and technical aspects you need to master to get the most of your sumo deadlift.
There’s going to be a time when you can’t do this anymore. Don’t piss on this opportunity. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Fame? We never wanted it. My, how times have changed.
There are a whole shitload of really good reasons you should get as jacked as you possibly can.
This could be the simple rule to great strength — are you following it?
Consider the major powerlifting movements, cues, and technical adjustments that may prove helpful in both improving strength and prolonging health.
The key to breaking my long-term training plateau was turning to someone with more knowledge and training experience than me. He knew exactly what I needed.
The methods weren’t perfect, the food was mostly shit, but it worked. There are a few things I’d change before recommending this for someone else.