As Rusin adds proper breathing into his deadlift sequence (one of many tweaks you’ll see), he notices an immediate difference in his performance. Proper breathing, as he puts it, is a total “game-changer.”

Do you teach them the squat, bench, and deadlift the same way you would teach a powerlifter? If not, what differences are there?

I was beyond grateful that Dan Green still welcomed me to compete at Boss of Bosses V (a fantastic event) this year. Strap in and pay attention if you like a good drama.

From the presentations and coaching, I derived more knowledge than I shared. Everyone who has a serious interest in powerlifting should see the S5 Compound, and one of the best ways to do that is at a learn-to-train seminar.

Sixteen questions covering the basics (and often neglected) beginning with bench press templates to dimel deadlifts.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of CJ. He may not fully understand what he’s overcome, but I do.

You can use this platform for standard deadlifting or utilize its numerous positions and setups for band, reverse band, rack pull, and stacked band training.

The game of powerlifting is and always will be a choice of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. These lessons challenge us in many ways, not least of which is the challenge to our ego. Will you follow them?

How many times per week should you train the main lifts?

Content is king for big media. BIGHORN was a fun trip down memory lane, but now I have another foray into fictional content in mind.

Many lifters will be tempted to reduce their squat intensity to preserve energy for the deadlift, but that might not be the best idea.

A lot of lifters want to use these deadlift variations interchangeably, but Clint has a strong preference for one — and good reasoning to back it up.

Many lifters begin the pull with a good arch, approach lockout, and then exaggerate the finish position with overextension of the lumbar spine. This is a good way to become injured and weaker.

You will need a tape measure.

Finding your ideal stance, nailing down good form, and programming properly for volume, intensity, and frequency will keep your weights moving up and your body healthy.

This popular deadlift cue might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

I finished 7/9 with a 799 squat, 424 bench, and 815 deadlift (raw with wraps). That was good enough for a 2039 total and an all-time world record in the 198-pound weight class, plus a 592 Wilks and best overall lifter.

Using the Trap Bar Deadlift may be one of the best exercises for beginners in a team setting.

My key indicators (as well as yours) take time to know and develop. They also will change over time, so always be on the lookout and always monitor your training.

This is a repost of what Dave feels is one of the most educational articles we have ever posted.

Some days you go yard and sometimes the pitcher gets you reaching. You take what you can get and learn from your time in the batter’s box.

Companies are collecting data on everything: your recent purchases, internet searches, prescriptions, travel habits, and even the TV shows you are watching. So what does this have to do with powerlifting?

To be on the board at Westside, at the time, meant you had to break the all-time world record, because that was pretty much everybody that was on the board.

These elite lifters share some fundamental characteristics at the start of their deadlifts—hips high, arm length maximized, shins very close to the bar, and torsos not vertical.

This was my first meet in a year and a half, since October 2015, when I was battling through a torn supraspinatus and a half torn right biceps. Training went well, but the meet reminded me of a few crucial powerlifting lessons.

Bulk up your back, strengthen your deadlift, and learn to activate your lats with this one exercise.

Deadlifting is one of the oldest and hardest exercises around. It’s very simple—you just pick the bar up off the ground and stand up with it. Well, it’s not that easy for everyone.

Strongman requires speed, endurance, strength, and explosiveness. What if you could build all of these qualities at the same time?

I’ve had a taste for where I’m meant to be, and now I will be training with an unmatched ferocity. I may not have been strong enough to beat the colossus on this day, but I faced him prepared to die.

I’ve already written about my training strategy going into the meet, and what I’ve learned from my meet prep, but I didn’t share a few things for competitive reasons.

If I had a lot riding on this lift before, everything was riding on it now. Making it would be the highlight of my powerlifting career. Missing it would probably be the beginning of the end.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing”, and over-applying a cue when it’s not needed can really jack up a lifter’s technique.

Use this principle to analyze your training program, your technique, your diet, your recovery, and your time.

A brutally strong deadlift will never come easily, but that doesn’t mean you need to get fancy.

Have you ever eaten an entire box of Pop-Tarts in one sitting?

Despite all of the positive aspects of using a hook grip, there’s one significant deterrent: pain. What if you could avoid it?

Even the best of the best display small form errors while performing common lifts — Clint Darden challenges Dave Tate.

I walked away with a two-pound squat PR and breaking my all-time world record, a fraction of a pound PR on bench, and a 12 pound PR total. Soon enough, 1400 will be mine.

One of the most impactful statements in debate history can teach you a thing or two about deadlifting.

For strongmen, the deadlift is many times just a a tool, not a factor itself. Your routine should reflect this.

This meet was about a few monster numbers that have been weighing down on me. All of the lessons from my elitefts teammates are starting to pay off.

Without that experience in their back pocket, they simply get eaten up and spit out by the industry.

This weekend I cried more tears than I thought were possible. It was emotional, the entire thing, from start to finish. But, it’s something I had to do, for me.

After three injuries in a half a year, I was pissed. I was depressed. I was dumbfounded. But I found my way back, hitting a PR total for my first single-ply meet.

Here is one tip I use in the gym and on the platform to make the entire movement smooth as possible.

This was my first push/pull meet and I kept repeating to myself, “It’s time. Work is done. Make it happen.”

You need a lot in a strongman program: basic barbell lifts, accessory work, practice with the events, conditioning, flexibility, mobility, and recovery work. Use these ideas to build your own training program.

I hated that I fell short of my goal at the XPCs…90 pounds short to be exact. Each and every pound I left on the platform back in March is what fueled my training for my off-season and meet preparation.

There are three very important priorities for a strength athlete to keep in focus during a competitive year.

The healthier you can keep your spine, the longer you can train heavy and grow muscle. Here are my top-10, spine-friendly exercises.

Are you getting beat up from squatting, benching, and deadlifting? Here’s a handful of tips to help cure what ails you.

You have questions, team elitefts has answers. Today’s topic: building muscle through rep ranges and exercise selection.

Every lifter has their own reasons to love or hate this sport. Here are mine.

I don’t know how many questions we’ve gotten about how to train certain weak points. Of course, almost every question is in regard to a weak muscle group or a certain portion of a lift.

Getting outside of your comfort zone, and literally getting uncomfortable can be a key to get you past plateaus and sticking points.

I needed to regain confidence in myself as a lifter and take a step out of my comfort zone. I accomplished this at USPA Nationals.