Another year of RUM, another weekend of 5thSet lifters kicking ass on the platform. Thank God no one I work with broke a world record, right?
If I never did another meet, wrote another article, or coached at another seminar, I would still love lifting.
It might take you 10 reps to find your groove, or it might take you 100. Keep working until that position becomes automatic.
Could he be the next man to bench press over 700 pounds raw?
Your time in the gym is precious. If you don’t summon the iron will to shut off the outside world, get out.
When moments of failure start to cloud your perspective of training, you need to return to your core philosophy. Asking these questions will force you to refocus on the big picture.
Looking for guidance from one of the best of all time? Steve Goggins breaks down the deadlift in video form.
From wraps and singlets to briefs and suits, here are the things I believe you should be wearing when you step on the platform.
There are benefits to having a crew and there are benefits to relying on only yourself. Which are most important for you?
Life stress is unavoidable. It can overwhelm you and have a negative impact on your training…if you let it.
This 16-week cycle is for gym rats who have been lifting long enough to have good technique but aren’t interested in peaking for a meet.
No amount of strategic planning can account for your body’s unexpected responses to training and life. Be prepared to stop bowing down to your program and start listening to your body.
When I competed in the WPO in front of thousands of people with standing room only, I loved it. But I also took it for granted not thinking that it would one day end.
The things to which you devote your time fall into one of two categories: those that are building your future or those that are holding you back.
For correcting weaknesses in a given portion of a lift, you need to use what I call Mechanically Similar Movements.
This program is built on the foundation of tried-and-true conjugate training methods and includes personal adjustments from a world-record philosophy.
A logical process of elimination begins by considering all possible causes of your sticking point. I don’t have the answer but I can help you find it.
As a powerlifter, you have one goal: move the weight. The faster, the better. Or maybe not.
Powerlifting is one tool I use to measure my strength. Through relocation, job change, a virus, a motorcycle crash, and children (the list goes on), there’s one thing I learned this past year: consistency.
The record-holder and 1075-pound bench presser openly discusses technique and his comeback from injury in this Kabuki Strength Lab video.
After two heart surgeries, I was starting to recover. I was making progress. That’s when my cardiologist called with more bad news.
The final powerlifting movement may seem simple, but it isn’t. Use this teaching progression with the proper cues to help new lifters.
The role and reputation of the DE bench press has received nothing but a bad rap. I have to admit that I am partly to blame.
Novice and advanced lifters make this mistake all the time, in the gym and at meets. To fix this, figure out if the problem is mental, physical, or technical.
If you ever want to reach an elite level in this sport, you have to get the rookie mistakes out of the way. These are the most common problems I see in intermediate lifters.
These options can help you combine the best parts of Wendler’s program with your regular routine of max effort and dynamic effort training.
It’s not all glitz and glamour in the world of gluttony — but there are some perks.
You may be hearing these four tips for the first time or you may need a reminder of things you already know — it doesn’t matter. Whether you’ve done two meets or twenty, avoid these mistakes at all costs.
A lot of lifters show huge discrepancies between their strength in training videos and their performance in competition. If you design your program correctly, your best lifts will happen where it counts: on the platform.
Life. It’s difficult. It always manages to throw you curve balls when you’re expecting a straight shot.
If you’re going to cut weight, you need to control your body’s response to food and water. Use these reliable methods to make your class without hurting meet day performance.
Aside from lessening my bench stroke, carrying extra bodyfat has really no upside. Consider these five easy steps I took to finally say goodbye to Fatville.
The rivalry between Duffin and Byrd has pushed both lifters to higher numbers and bigger squats. Hear them talk about their training, history, and competing against one another.
A lot of people disagree about how often you should deadlift in the gym, if at all. For 13 years of competing, this is how I trained my deadlift.
The five-time IPF World Champion and York Barbell Hall-of-Famer opens up about his life and the methods he used to build his incredible strength, including a 14-week deadlift routine.
If you want your facility to be capable of producing successful strength athletes, you need the right equipment. Here is my must-have list.
Now that we’ve tackled the squat, let’s break down the bench set up and introduce a cue system to use during every set.
This revision and reconsideration of the ‘block’ misnomer helped me better understand concentrated loading and produced a new way to program each lift.
You need someone who isn’t afraid to criticize; you need to listen to what you’re doing wrong.
The holiday season is here. If you’re struggling to come up with gift ideas for a girl who places training as her top priority, look no further. I’ve got you covered.
The decision to cut or add weight does not have to be so complicated. Is it a pleasant experience? Well, that’s debatable.
Your yearly setup is complete. Now let’s look at individual days and how to program main, supplemental, and accessory exercises.
We’ve had great success devoting three weeks to volume in transition from and to competition prep with this 2-on/1-off/2-on/weekend-off setup.
The annoying lifter in your gym might seem like he’s making no progress, but screwing around is exactly what he needs.
There are obstacles to overcome for effective online coaching. If you’ve considered working with a coach from a distance, here are the things you’ll need to do for an optimal working relationship.
This vital component of a safe and powerful squat has been misconstrued and misunderstood by much of the strength community. Let’s get it right.
To develop and ingrain the habits of success overlook no fine details.
With a growing record of impressive meet numbers, this young and talented lifter aims to take over the sport of geared powerlifting.
For us, lifting was a priority. Louie and Westside gave us the edge to move our lifters on up in the competitive world. More than a place to train, lifting was our lifestyle.
Biceps and triceps tendonitis are among the most likely aches to plague competitive powerlifters. Here are several go-to ways to manage these and other common tendon and joint overuse injuries.
In these videos, I speak with world-renowned biomechanics expert Stuart McGill about how all athletes can improve warm-up routines, competitive performance, and neural drive — all while decreasing risk of injury.
You’ve tracked the timing of rest between your sets, precisely selected your weight jumps, and perfected the fit of your gear. So why are you squatting to the same box height as everyone else?
Use these cues and coaching methods to teach an inexperienced lifter how to squat safely and build a foundation for future strength.
By designing his training program to address each of his technical, mental, and muscular weaknesses, I was able to help Dario claim the record he deserved.
I’m sharing my difficult story not to elicit sympathy, but to point out facts of life. We all experience challenges, we all have our stories. It is how we deal with them that determines who we are.
If you want to be more than a group of people lifting weights together, this is the guide you need.
Don’t build a false sense of security by relying on bands and chains. Remember this fact: straight weight trumps all.
As he aims to take his 540-pound bench up to 600, Casey is employing the help of these veteran coaches. Watch as he learns the adjustments needed to keep pushing forward.
