Updates
Where do I begin? There’s been a lot going on since my last column. Here are some highlights:
1. We’ve totally updated our internal software systems. This will enable us to ship faster and offer our customers a higher level of service than ever before.
2. We’ve added new clothing items, educational products and equipment to the site, and we’ll continue adding items over the next several weeks.
3. The Lexen Xtreme (Team Xtreme) log as been loaded on the site. Lexen Extreme is owned by powerlifter and trainer Dan Dague, and it’s the home of Chuck Vogelpohl’s Team Xtreme. Lexen Xtreme is a powerlifting and strength training gym located in Grove City, Ohio. With more than 35 active powerlifters – including world record holders Chuck Fought, Matt Wenning, and Chuck Vogelpohl – Lexen is quickly becoming one of the premier training facilities in the country.
4. The Angry Coach has been added to the log and Q&A section. The Angry Coach is the strength coach, and also a positional coach, for a successful high school football program. Since 2001, an impressive number of his players have gone on to play college football, including several at the Division I and I-AA levels and two who have played professionally in the NFL. The Angry Coach has also worked with athletes at the college and professional levels in a variety of disciplines, including football, track and field, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, rowing and mixed martial arts (MMA). For professional reasons, the Angry Coach will not be using his real identity.
5. Matt Smith has been added to the Training Log and Q&A section. A current member of Westside Barbell, Matt Smith competes in the SHW class. To date, his best lifts are a 1160 pound squat, 749 pound bench, 850 pound deadlift, and a 2673 pound total. Matt has competed in powerlifting for more than 12 years. His first meet was in September of 1996 at the NASA Ohio Regional meet held in Delaware, Ohio. He first came to Westside Barbell in 1999, ranked 83rd in Powerlifting USA’s Top 100 list (308/SHW class). With the help of Louie Simmons, eighteen months later he totaled 2,445 pounds and moved to number two on the list.
6. Gym Talk - Memoirs of a Horny, Hungry Gym Rat E-Book was loaded to the site and has been selling very well. These are the stories you’d hear discussed between sets in the weight room, after training sessions, in locker and warm-up rooms and at the dinner table with a bunch of gym rats. Some of these have already been shared and lost in the archives of the Q&A. Remember The Oreo, The Forearm Jack Program and other classics such as Captain of the Cups? This book brings them back to life plus 26 others!
7. My Elitefts Bench Press Manual (e-Book) is finally completed and is selling like crazy! This 212 page manual covers everything you’ll ever need to increase your bench press. I’ve spent over two decades under the bar. I’ve learned from the best coaches and trained with more world record holders than most people will meet in a lifetime. This manual contains the best bench press training information gathered over these years.
8. The Strong(er) Workout Phase One should be out of testing within the next week or two. The results have been great, so all we have to do is build in the FAQ, price it, and load it on the site. This is the first of four training phases that will span a period of one year. This first 16-week phase is designed to increase GPP and muscle mass to help prepare you for the next phase of the program. I will get more into this at a later time, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a program actually tested before hitting the market. There are currently 62 people testing this training program.
9. Under The Bar Part Two will now be called Raising The Bar - Advice and Inspiration From The World Of PowerLifting. This is in the formatting and typesetting phase, and it’ll then be sent to the publisher who will do one last quick edit and then print. I may have to cut some material due to typesetting and page count, but this thing is pretty much ready to go. It will not be out in time for the holiday season, plus I want to sit on it for a few weeks after it’s all done before I really decide to pull the trigger. This one gets more personal than the first Under The Bar, and I want to make sure I’m really ready before publishing it. Right now I’m about 95% sure.
10. The was Passion Into Profit Seminar loaded but we will be making a date change for sometime in January or February. We will post this information when we know for sure. The 2008 EliteFTS “Passion Into Profit” Small Business Conference promises to be a unique event during which you’ll have the exclusive opportunity to engage in an informal roundtable discussion with top authorities in business development and growth.
Be sure to check out the site, and my log, for updates.
Cool Stuff You May Have Missed
The November Underground Strength Sessions Video
Video Q & A’s
Topics:
Dynamic Days (speed or strength)
Time for squat v/s bench press
Internships
Lagging Bench Progress
Topics:
Raw Squatting
Will Westside still work?
Topic:
Increasing lockout and adding tricep work without elbow and shoulder pain.
Topic:
Tour of Gym
The Holiday Season is Here
On the 8th Week of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me
On the 7th Week of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me
Don’t forget we also have Gift Cards
$25 GIFT CARD $50 GIFT CARD $75 GIFT CARD $100 GIFT CARD
*This is the best way to get the E-Books you want and maybe a shirt of two in our EliteFTS Gear section.
Music
Training Music Survey
This started as a post I made on Twitter and Facebook. Then I decided to email a few people to see what I would get.
The question:
What do you listen to when you train?
Chad Aichs
It doesn’t really matter much to me. I’m usually too busy yelling at my team to worry about what type of music is on. I’m always watching technique, speed and all sorts of crap, so much is just like ambient noise to me. Then, when I’m lifting, I’m so much in my own head that I can’t hear shit. All I know is the lift I’m about to do.
American Iron is kind of a public gym in addition to the powerlifting, so they play a lot of alternative-type stuff. Every now and then they play old heavy metal 80’s shit, which I could do without – especially Def Leppard. I fucking hate them. I’d rather just listen to old school punk.
Hannah Johnson
On my playlist right now: Thriving Ivory, Metallica, Kid Rock, Shinedown, Godsmack, Chevelle, NIN, Pantera, Flyleaf, Rehab (GOT to be “The Bartender Song/Crash That POS”), Saving Abel, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, The Outfield, The Pink Spiders, Led Zeppelin and Nickelback.
Marc Bartley
Pantera or Korn
Brian Schwab
Linkin Park, Metallica, Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage, Ministry, Pantera.
Jim Wendler
I listen to the same stupid training mix every time I train. This is because I’m too lazy to make any changes to it. I’m not going to list the songs, because that’s too easy. Here are the names of the bands and the LP’s.
Danzig - S/T
The Abominable Iron Sloth - S/T
Black Flag - My War
Mouth of the Archictect - Eyehategod tribute album
Outlaw Order - Legalize Crime
Demericious - One
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
Melvins - (A) Senile Animal
My War - Wounds
Black Cobra - Bestial
D.R.I. - Crossover
James Smith - Smitty
SOAD, DMX, 50-Cent, Eminem, Metallica, Slipknot, Days of the New, Darwin’s Waiting Room, Nullset, Nas, Lamb of God
Mike Szudarek
Danzig, Metallica (1980’s), NIN (old), Black Sabbath, AC/DC
Scott Yard
Judas Priest, Metallica. Classic hard rock, and, shamelessly, 80’s hair metal. Anything in that category, although I’m not into the guttural vocal stuff.
Eric Talmant
Just a morning show on a local radio station.
Matt Rhodes
Tool, Metallica, Real Rap (not that shit that's called rap today), Pantera, 80's hair bands (the tougher ones)
Jo Jordan
AC/DC, Ministry, Metallica, Killswitch Engage, Pantera, Eminem, Static-X, Powerman 5000
Zach Even-esh
DMX, Public Enemy, Metallica, The Catherine Wheel, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Dropkick Murphys, Rage Against the Machine, NWA, The Game, Eminem, Billy Idol
Julia Ladewski
Metallica, POD, AC/DC, Chevelle, Korn, DMX, and Disturbed are some of my faves.
Chris Clark
Variety of heavy rock,,,,.....Buckcherry, AC/DC, static x, disturbed, motor head, etc
Jeremy Frey
Rock, hard rock, metal, anything with a solid beat.
Drowning pool
Zombie
Dope
Hatebreed
Saliva
even some Nickleback
Social Networking
In case you don’t see another column from me before the end of the year I want to wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season. I also want you to know you can always keep up with me on the elitefts Q and A and my training log.