The Machines Aren’t Alright
Technology is a beautiful thing. I used to work part-time as a DJ, and I remember hauling around hundreds of records and thousands of CDs. Transporting all the equipment and the music felt like powerlifting.
My Little Future Powerlifters
Lately, it seems as though I’ve been invaded by little kids. I have them around me all the time
The Virgin
Great, another article about some dweebs first meet? Well, I’ve reviewed the other articles posted in the last year to make sure that I didn’t reiterate every point made.
Hardcore: Part 2
I guess that I should explain why the subject of hardcore means so much to me. This is a very strong word in the world of powerlifting. Most lifters want to be considered hardcore to the point that they will train like maniacs so that people think they are hardcore.
What is Hardcore?
I’ve been training with weights for 25 years and have spent the last 25 competing in both bodybuilding shows and powerlifting meets. Although I’ve done fairly well in the sport, it seems my Internet persona has overtaken anything I’ve done lifting.
Powerlifting: The Choice of the Two Pains
The great philosophers pontificate about man’s existence preceding his essence.
Creating a Game Plan with the Right Mental Attitude
I believe that goal setting and mental attitude or sport psychology are often the most overlooked elements of any athlete’s preparation. Without a proper plan, what can really be accomplished? Without the right attitude, what can get done? The answer to both questions is not much.
New Scars
This the first week I’ve been to my gym since the meet. It hasn’t been the greatest month of my life—or year for that matter—but other people got it much worse so I ain’t bitchin’ too much.
Hardcore: Part 1
I happened to be scanning though some of the powerlifting forums, and I read an interesting post.
Handling Lifters at a Meet
Make sure you, the handler, knows where to meet your lifter and when. Make sure to be on time. The lifter doesn't need to worry about whether his help is going to show or not, he has too many other things on his mind.
My Life as a Heavyweight
Being pregnant has changed many things—my workouts, clothes, eating habits, you name it! However, on a long car ride to Indiana to visit family, I realized that I’m not unlike a large, super heavy powerlifter.
Addicted to Ammonia?
Recently, it has come to my attention that I and team “Disciples of Strength” may have possibly developed an addiction to ammonia caps. I don’t really agree with this, but it may be possible.
From Paper to Iron Mike: Mike Stuchiner’s Journey to Elite
Mike Stuchiner is a paragon of tenacity. In 1991, the native of Long Island, New York entered his first powerlifting meet. On August 18, 2007, he earned his first elite total at the Cincinnati Pro Am with a 775-lb squat, a 555-lb bench press, and a 620-lb deadlift in the 275-lb weight class.
Cutting Weight for the Pro Am
It was the afternoon before the meet, a Friday. I weighed in at 240 lbs. Weigh-ins were scheduled for 9:00 am Saturday morning. In preparation for the four and a half hour drive down to the meet site, I started my cutting process by putting on four layers of sweat clothes.
How to Increase Your Squat and Deadlift and Do Less Work in the Process!
While sitting in the warm-up room at the WPC World Championships in Lake George, New York, I reflected on the three squat attempts that I had just completed in bewilderment.
Under The Bar: Boston Seminar Recap
If strength and powerlifting are the topics, then I want to hear from those who are in the trenches day in and day out
Scott “Hoss” Cartwright: Get Injured and Get Stronger Interview
He has elite totals at a body weight of 275 lbs and 308 lbs and totaled 2204 lbs in single ply gear. After that, Hoss tried to make a jump to double ply gear but only added 18 pounds to his total.
Defending the Deadlift: An Interview with Coach and Powerlifter, Eric Cr...
If you needed an expert on Russian writer, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, you might contact Daniel Mahoney, a professor at Assumption College. For an expert on squatting, there’s Fred “Dr. Squat” Hatfield of the International Sports Sciences Association.
Sick of Your Gym, Part 7 - The Visitor
I first experienced The Visitor shortly after move to Columbus and began training at Westside Barbell. Over the years I have seen hundreds of visitors to the club
The Power of the Team
It’s similar to when your favorite song comes blasting through the speakers at the gym and you get that little extra charge of power for the movement that you’re performing.
What Determines Proper Squat Technique?
The question of how deep you should go in the squat is constantly debated.
What I Learned from Bodybuilding and How It Can Help Your Powerlifting
In May of this year, I competed in two bodybuilding shows: The NPC New York Metropolitan Championships and the NPC New England Championships. I
My Little Future Powerlifters
Lately, it seems as though I’ve been invaded by little kids. I have them around me all the time. Now, this is actually a gift from the gods because they amuse me and put me in a good mood.
Strength Czar: An EliteFTS Roundtable Discussion
With James Smith, Mark McLaughlin, Tom Deebel, Jim Wendler, Travis Mash, Julia Ladewski, C. J. Murphy, Matt Brand, Nick Zostautas, Kevin Deweese, and Tim Kontos
Persevering
I’m always amazed and amused at how many guys are in and then suddenly out of competitive powerlifting and bodybuilding. Many of these guys have almost unlimited God-given potential to become national or even world champions.
The Lift Strong Letter
Let me cut right to the chase here—I’m asking for your help. And it has to do with cancer.
How I Got Strong, How I Got Weak, and Where I Go from Here
When I first began powerlifting in 1993, I had about ten years of training and competing in bodybuilding under my belt. The first routine I followed when I made the switch to powerlifting was the one that Ed Coan had laid out in his training videos.
How to Break PRs
What I intend to offer you is an example of what has helped me increase my own lifts.
Texas BBQ: Talking Shop with Mark Rippetoe
The author of the book, Mark Rippetoe, owns and operates the Wichita Falls Athletic Club in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Marc Bartley’s Squat Routine
Squatting big in a meet is every powerlifter’s dream. For some, it can make or break the meet. The big squat sets the tone for the meet. This is truly the case for me. Therefore, my focus is always on the BIG SQUAT.
Sushi Improvements
After competing in the Iron House Classic this past spring, I wanted to turn my attention to developing my raw strength. Based on some reading and videos I had seen, I made some unique adjustments to my dynamic effort bench training. These changes helped improve my raw (sushi) bench by 40 lbs in only 14 weeks.
The Rise of the Internet Icons
[Billy Mimnaugh is known for speaking his mind, whether it’s about politics or powerlifting. If you are easily offended, read no further. Billy has a loud voice, and we want to give him the opportunity to speak. —Jim Wendler, EFS]
Training the Deadlift
The deadlift can be scary. It comes last in a meet and is the most stressful event on the various components that make the body a lifting machine. And well, it even has a scary name. On top of all of that, there are now a hundred and one ways to raise your one rep max on the deadlift. Rack
My To Do List
Sometimes I reflect back on my days (or is it daze?) in college when I could just wake up, go directly to the gym, and pump away.
Somewhere Between Moscow and Columbus
“People need to understand how to train themselves. When that happens and they finally figure it out, they no longer need to use someone else's program. That's the breakthrough factor.” –Dave Tate
Repetition Work (or How to Rip Off Joe DeFranco, Add a Twist, and Call I...
Last week, I wrote about dynamic bench work and how you shouldn’t just kick it to the curb. I listed several different dynamic cycles, and there are approximately 5,000 more that have been written about. The whole purpose of the article was to revive the dead and bloated dynamic bench press.
What Being Big Means To…. (Part Two)
You see, I’ve been hounding Dave Tate about his reasons for being big. For him, it was all about being strong. So to get another perspective, I thought you would be a good person to hear from when it comes to gaining weight and getting bigger.
Cutting Weight
I think the best method for cutting weight for a 24-hour weigh-in is to get your weight down and back up as fast as possible. The less time your weight is down the less it will affect your performance.
Periodization for the Competitive Bench Presser
I think you may find it interesting because I compare what we train with to NSCA methods and explain to the reader why so many NSCA studies are not completely accurate for use when designing a strength program.
Adjust Your Pull-Up Technique for a Bigger Bench
It is no secret among competitive bench pressers that big, strong lats make it easier to drive heavy weight off your chest.
The Art of Triples
Triples in the shirt is hands down the best exercise to increase your bench. What sucks is that they are hard as shit to master. They need to be completed on one breath. I don't know how many times I have told lifters to do this exercise. But what I usually hear from the lifter is, "why?" Because I said
So You Want to Gain Weight?
We have to go way back to get some understanding on this one.
Back in 2000, when we were skeletons and I was almost ripped, Adipose had just sold his gym and was going for his—literally—all for broke, make it or break it, in powerlifiting. Now, in order to complete his master plan, he had to dissolve all ties. I know
The Collegiate Power Rack
What makes the Collegiate Power Rack such a great piece of equipment? Just about everything!
Deadlift with Style
The deadlift has become very popular over the past few years. It’s a relatively easy exercise to understand.
A New Look at Three Days a Week
I received a call two weeks ago from a friend of mine, and he had some good news for me. About five months ago, he and I were discussing a three-day split that would accommodate his needs and time schedule. He’s an ex-football player, and competes in the 242 lbs class. Like many of you, he’s tried the standard four-day
Professional 45-Degree Back Raise
We’ve had the EFS Professional 45-degree back raise in the EFS weight room for about 2–3 years. It’s the best low back strengthener I’ve ever used.
Snowed in with Dave Tate
I’ve never met “Big Bad Dave Tate.” I have never even met Dave “Fuckin” Tate. Supposedly, he is some terrifying lunatic who would throw you through a wall for squatting less than 800 pounds in his presence or suck the brains from your skull if you looked at him wrong. At least that’s what I have read on the internet.
The Arnold 2006 in Review
I think everyone was holding their breath at this years WPO meet at the Arnold Classic.
Boston Seminar Overview
Drum roll please…..Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the myth, the man, the legend – Dave Tate! I am going to give you readers an overview of the phenomenal presentation put on this past weekend by Dave at Total Performance Sports in Boston, MA.
Skepticism in Training
I am a powerlifter. One of my great passions in life is spending time in the gym lifting heavy weights. To this day, I cannot think of anything more satisfying than setting a hard earned personal record. Well, let’s just say there are very few things that are more satisfying.
Cycling for the Big Meet
Getting ready for a big meet is stressful. There are a lot of things to consider, especially when using equipment. I am not going to write out all of my workouts, but I am going to give you a few points that I have learned over the last 20 years, and hopefully you can avoid some of my
The Right Piece for the Right Puzzle: Training High School Athletes with...
“There are a hundred ways to skin a cat, I am only good at one of them”, is something my grandfather used to say to me all the time.
Doing it Differently
As a follow up to Bob Youngs article “Things I Would do Differently”, I decided to give this idea a shot and see what I could come up with.
Intermediate Madness
As I traverse the bumpy road that leads to elite level lifting, I’ve pondered what things can hasten the journey. Most trainees can rapidly progress from being a beginner to an intermediate level lifter, but many often plateau and never move out of the intermediate phase. This article is designed for the intermediate level lifter, to help them
And You Thought You had it Tough
“Well, I stand up next to a mountain I chop it down with the edge of my hand.” –Jimi
The Triumvirate
The number 3 is held in reverence by many people. Of course, the title of this article is in reference to the Roman Empire and where would we be without them?