Raising the Bar: A Review
Raising the Bar: A Review
Dave Tate’s first book, Under the Bar, was billed as a book that wasn’t about training but kind of was. It wasn’t about business but kind of was, and it wasn’t about life but kind of was. His second book, Raising the Bar, is very similar but with a dark twist.
 Training Considerations for the Tactical Athlete
Training Considerations for the Tactical Athlete
Many people consider sports such as golf, tennis, and martial arts to be some of the top sports that are most reluctant to buy into modern strength and conditioning techniques.
 Failure Fixation
Failure Fixation
Did Arthur Jones have it right when he essentially devoted his life to convincing people they needed to train to failure?
 Your First Meet
Your First Meet
There are a few factors that must be addressed before you decide on a competition. First and foremost, are you physically ready for a competition?
Bench Training for Gear and Raw
Bench Training for Gear and Raw
Here at Lexen, we train raw for much of our upper body development, but by using both environments (the shirt and raw training), you can actually make personal records in each.
 Underground Strength Session 2009 Review
Underground Strength Session 2009 Review
It was Friday night. I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. This was nothing new, but when I woke up in five hours, I would be starting my trek to one of the strongest gyms in the Midwest—the EliteFTS compound.
Injury Prevention Strategies for Female Basketball Players
Injury Prevention Strategies for Female Basketball Players
Injuries are a major setback for any competitive athlete. It can be physically taxing to recover and mentally stressful and draining to be sitting on the bench and going through rehabilitation.
My First Three Weeks as a Strength Coach
My First Three Weeks as a Strength Coach
Since I enlisted in the U.S. Army, I’ve wanted to be a coach. My drive is directly related to my high school experiences as a student athlete and the positive impact one person can have on another individual.
Things I’ve Learned
Things I’ve Learned
As I sat here reading the new articles on EliteFTS.com, I wondered why many of the authors weren’t female
Five Huge Training Business Mistakes
Five Huge Training Business Mistakes
Running a personal training facility isn’t easy, but it’s not rocket science either. Since starting Synergy Athletics, I’ve learned a lot through trial and error (emphasis on a lot of error).
My Experience at the 2004 WPO Bench Bash for Cash by Ed Rectenwald (as told to Dave Tate)
My Experience at the 2004 WPO Bench Bash for Cash by Ed Rectenwald (as t...
Let me first tell you briefly about myself for those who do not know me.
 Problems of Progression
Problems of Progression
During my humble personal training career, I’ve witnessed some interesting training philosophies that personal trainers have in relation to training their clients and themselves.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Juliet Deane
EliteFTS Spotlight: Juliet Deane
I’ve been reading the site for a while, but we have our own training studio business, and in the past couple of years, it’s been about a hundred-twenty-five miles an hour, every single day.
Strongman Training for Rugby
Strongman Training for Rugby
Rugby is a fast-paced game that requires athletes to pass, kick, tackle, and run. All 15 players on the field need to be competent in these very different areas.
 Under The Bar: The S-4 Weekender Program
Under The Bar: The S-4 Weekender Program
I'm still not quit sure how it happened, but over the course of the past twelve months, we have attracted a group of competitive powerlifters into our gym. It was not that long ago that I retired from the sport and spent my weekends training with one or two other guys, and that was it.
Reach a 1000-lb Squat Easily
Reach a 1000-lb Squat Easily
When I went to local meets and saw 600-lb squats, I thought about how cool it would be to achieve that strength. Boy, times they do change.
Going Raw
Going Raw
I’m a lifter just like you. I’m not a trainer nor do I have any connection to the strength and conditioning field outside of elitefts™.
 Training Individuality
Training Individuality
In powerlifting, there are many different paths to achieve our lifting goals.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Al Caslow
EliteFTS Spotlight: Al Caslow
This week's EliteFTS Spotlight focuses on powerlifter Al Caslow, the newest EliteFTS sponsored athlete and member of the Q&A staff. Al is currently ranked #1 in the world in the 165 pound class.
Block Periodization in the Sport of Powerlifting
Block Periodization in the Sport of Powerlifting
This program is based on the concepts outlined in Dr. Vladimir Issurin’s, Block Periodization: A Breakthrough in Sports Training.
 Memoirs of a Strong(er) Beta Tester: Part 2
Memoirs of a Strong(er) Beta Tester: Part 2
As with my last article, my goal is to give you a glimpse into what I did and how I felt while beta testing Dave Tate’s Strong(er) Program.
Six Strategies for Surviving Tough Economic Times as a Personal Trainer
Six Strategies for Surviving Tough Economic Times as a Personal Trainer
Some personal training businesses are struggling mightily right now, but others are thriving. Why? What’s the difference between the two?
EliteFTS Spotlight: Vincent Dizenzo
EliteFTS Spotlight: Vincent Dizenzo
This week’s EliteFTS Spotlight interview introduces the readership to powerlifting legend Vincent Dizenzo. If you’ve been reading this site for any length of time, Vincent’s name – as well as his exploits under the bar - should be very familiar to you
Proof of Life
Proof of Life
One of my favorite moments in the history of powerlifting is Doc Rhodes’ third deadlift at the 1977 IPF Worlds in Australia. Rhodes was in the 165-lb weight class and had squatted 512 lbs and benched 374 lbs.
 Proper Sprinting Mechanics of the 40
Proper Sprinting Mechanics of the 40
Coaches on various levels are trying to find the latest workouts to improve strength and speed in their athletes.
Product of Your Desires
Product of Your Desires
You hear people talk all the time about how someone is a product of his or her environment. This is almost always the case when someone has done something wrong, and the argument is used as an excuse for the person as if they had no choice in the matter other than to become what their environment leads them to be
 Tighten That Belt
Tighten That Belt
How strong is your core really? Do you give it as much attention as you do your other muscles when you squat or deadlift or even when you’re doing bicep curls in the squat rack (just kidding about that last point)?
 Under The Bar: WTF
Under The Bar: WTF
Have you ever been asked a question or heard a statement that made you think or say, “WTF?!?”
 How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?
How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?
When it comes to weight training, there are generally two schools of thought when it comes to exercise form. First, you have the typical personal trainer “fitness experts” who say that you should perform all lifts with light to moderate weight and use very slow and controlled movements.
 The Top Five Movements for Shoulder Health
The Top Five Movements for Shoulder Health
Recently, I received an email from an average, middle-aged man who, after years of training, was unable to pick up his three-year-old son over his head due to shoulder pain. His goal was very simple.
The Origin of 5/3/1
The Origin of 5/3/1
In the summer of 2005, I was burned out from competitive powerlifting. I was tired of bench shirts, box squats, bands and being fat.
Matt Holmes’ Journey of a Warehouse Gym
Matt Holmes’ Journey of a Warehouse Gym
ZE: Matty, tell the readers of EliteFTS about yourself, how you started in the fitness industry, and what you have going on right now.
Advice to the Beginner and Elite
Advice to the Beginner and Elite
When we begin to train, usually the goal of most lifters is to get big and strong. On this path, our goals stay in that realm, but how we reach them becomes ever changing and more difficult as we push our genetic and mental limits.
How Henry Ford Wrecked Your Gym
How Henry Ford Wrecked Your Gym
When Henry Ford invented the automobile, it nearly bankrupted him—more than once. It’s a popular story, a testament to perseverance and belief in oneself. It’s quoted by business gurus and fans of Americana. It’s retold to aspiring entrepreneurs and turned into near poetry by the self-help industry.
 Interview with Jeremy Frey
Interview with Jeremy Frey
I first started lifting when I was about 11-years-old. I started doing little things before this time, but I entered a weight room when I was about 11-years-old.
Sometimes More Is Better
Sometimes More Is Better
One of the first things we learn in the fitness industry—whether you’re a trainer, a gym rat, or that “newbie” who is still wet behind the ears—is that more isn’t always better.
Sporting Parents from a Coach’s Perspective
Sporting Parents from a Coach’s Perspective
I know that the EliteFTS.com website and article listings that I look forward to each and every Friday are usually reserved for strength and lifting as well as articles of an informative nature. However, I’m writing one myself from a different perspective.
How to Open Your Own Warehouse Gym
How to Open Your Own Warehouse Gym
When I was four-years-old living in Long Island with my parents, my uncle ran into some hard times. He had just gone through a tough divorce at the age of only 23
Bridge the Gap: Sprint-Resisted Training
Bridge the Gap: Sprint-Resisted Training
“Heredity only deals the cards; environment and training plays the hand”(1). It’s possible for an athlete to improve in every phase of playing speed, whether it be maximum miles per hour, stopping and starting, feinting, faking and cutting, or multi-directional high speed acceleration with a complete “holistic” speed development plan (1). Genetically gifted athletes may be fast with little work or preparation, but they are nowhere near their genetic limitations with regards to maximum speed.
Recession Strategies for Fitness Trainers
Recession Strategies for Fitness Trainers
Two shoe salesmen from competing companies were assigned by their firms to sell shoes in the middle of the jungle in Africa.
Predictor Lifts for the Grappling Sports
Predictor Lifts for the Grappling Sports
For every sport, there are certain key lifts that when performed by the athlete will tell you how well he or she will do in the sport. Once a predictor lift is improved, it will correlate with an improvement in performance.
 Westside for Fat Bastards!
Westside for Fat Bastards!
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the monsters at the Westside Barbell Club in Ohio.
5/3/1 In A Commercial Gym: Observations
5/3/1 In A Commercial Gym: Observations
Because of a major career change, I've recently relocated to a new city. With this move, and all the bullshit that goes along with moving, I've been forced to endure the misfortune of trying to find a new gym
The Five “Cs” of Successful Fitness Entrepreneurs
The Five “Cs” of Successful Fitness Entrepreneurs
After being around some of the most financially successful fitness professionals in North America a few weeks ago, the difference between them and the typical trainer struggling to stay afloat became very evident.
 Ten Tips to Improve Your Football Training
Ten Tips to Improve Your Football Training
If we all simply followed this one, there’d be better results and more time for real training. Jogging has no place in a football training program. None. Not as a warm up, not as a cool down, and definitely not as punishment
 Off-Season Soccer Strength
Off-Season Soccer Strength
In recent years, strength and conditioning has became more and more popular among the soccer populations. The benefits have been seen in many other sports, and it’s finally showing up in soccer.
Speed Development for High School Athletes, Part I
Speed Development for High School Athletes, Part I
National high school signing day was February 4, 2009. After listening to all the “gurus” discuss recruiting, one thing stood out—speed.
 Under The Bar: The 2009 Underground Strength Session
Under The Bar: The 2009 Underground Strength Session
Before I get to the Underground Strength Session (UGSS) I need to take care of a little business first and bring everyone up to speed with what’s been going on around here. Don’t worry – I’ll be quick and even use bullet points.
 Five Pounds Is Gold
Five Pounds Is Gold
With astounding strength, brilliant technique, and a champion’s will, Andy Bolton returned to the platform and showed us who he always was. And looking at the speed of the 1008-lb deadlift, he’s not finished.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Joel Jamieson
EliteFTS Spotlight: Joel Jamieson
My career as a strength and conditioning coach essentially began at the University of Washington when I interned under a great coach named Bill Gillespie back in the late 1990s.
My Fight: Living With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
My Fight: Living With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
If you’re in the military, or you’re a police officer or fireman, or you work some other job where you’re under considerable amounts of stress on a regular basis, you’re going to want to read this article.
Triple Extension Movements for Football Using Strongman Training
Triple Extension Movements for Football Using Strongman Training
When you watch the world’s strongest man contests on television, it should be obvious that these athletes are not only aggressive, fast, explosive, athletic, and flexible, but they have a great anaerobic threshold.
 Raising the Bar Introduction: Blast and Dust
Raising the Bar Introduction: Blast and Dust
Were you fed through a bottle, or were you fed naturally? Did you eat from plastic plates? Stand too close to the microwave? Did you grow up in the ghetto? Are you a recovering drug addict? Is your life a living hell? Are there things about yourself that you don't like? Do you procrastinate?
 ABCs of Squatting, Part I
ABCs of Squatting, Part I
Learning to squat properly may be one of the hardest tasks you have ever undertaken, but it is well worth the effort.
Five Random Things I’ve Learned at Westside
Five Random Things I’ve Learned at Westside
You see, unless you train at Westside, you don’t know Westside
Pointing Out Gluteal Atrophy
Pointing Out Gluteal Atrophy
Whenever I’m approached by an avid exerciser or athlete who complains of knee or lower back pain, the first thing I do is check out his or her backside…literally. Not to sound like a sexual implication, but observing the glutes actually helps me understand a client’s description of knee and lower back pain.
The Return of Hardcore
The Return of Hardcore
That’s it. I can’t take it anymore. These sissified commercial gyms and their clipboard holding trainers have just about ruined the weightlifting world.

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