Doing more gen pop or accessible workouts doesn’t make someone any less strong. Just ask elitefts athlete Yessica Martinez. Or, better yet, read her training logs to see how doing yoga or some gen pop exercise could lead to some bigger numbers in the squat.
My niece and nephew recently took weightlifting classes, and I am baffled by what they are being taught. This information is not only wrong, but it puts them at greater risk of injury. Quality knowledge is easily accessible, so why are we stuck in this loop of bad information?
I found the most success when I box squatted, and I applied what I learned box squatting to my raw squat. On meet day, I felt the most dialed in, the most explosive, and the strongest that I ever have on a raw squat. Here’s how.
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate is hosting solo once more and has plenty to say about a variety of subjects, such as JM Blakley not knowing how to use the Internet and things he’s learned in his training career, and more.
People have asked me to write about how I train. I haven’t done it because I figured you guys thought it’d be boring… until now. Here’s a look at my training and the process behind it.
Powerlifting is so much more than physical strength. Yeah, that’s part of it, but only a fraction of the big picture. Are you strong mentally? Are you strong intellectually? Are you strong emotionally? Let’s find out.
While Dave’s AWOL, Jim Wendler, Matt Rhodes, and Vincent Dizenzo fill in and answer questions. This question (what lifts are you most proud of?) sparks a conversation about coaching and fond memories this trio of friends shared and are now sharing with you.
Believe it or not, Cailer Woolam gets a lot of questions about why he’s not gaining weight to break more records. But at age 24, he’s got plenty of time and work ahead of him.
Whenever I ask for topics people want to learn about in my column, “how to stay motivated” is always at the top of the list. Motivation is in high demand: you see it all over Instagram in memes, pictures, and captions. Despite the high demand, it sure seems like it’s in short supply….
Looking at dieting as one big picture can be incredibly stressful. Let’s break that big picture up into three more manageable pieces. We’ll call them phases: the post-show phase, the reverse dieting phase, and the meet prep phase.
Newer lifters seem to think that they can squat 1,200 pounds in less than a year of training. I hate to burst your bubbles, but that’s not going to happen. It’s a long game, and you need to understand that if you’re going to survive in this sport.
Through the use of unconventional movements (or awkward movements), you can really force yourself to utilize better form and recruit numerous additional muscle fibers. Here are a handful of Big 3 variations you can try out.
In order to show real strength, arching isn’t the way to go. In order to build more strength for different sports, arching is pretty much a waste of time. But I’m not criticize arching. On the contrary, there are advantages to it if you are a competitive powerlifter.
Move over college football, college powerlifting is coming for you! OK, fine, powerlifting might not be as popular as college football, but it does provide prospective students with another way to knock down the full price of college tuition: scholarships.
If you’re a Marvel fan, you might know that Ant-Man and The Wasp produced an evil offspring, Red Queen. Likewise, elitefts’ heroic Rackable Cambered and SS Yoke bars came together and created the nefarious Spider Bar. What makes this bar so villainous? Read on if you dare…
When a Union Fitness client approached me for training, I was foaming at the mouth. He had experience in powerlifting and wanted a conjugate training approach. With this program, he added 10 pounds to his bench! You might as well give it a try.
We’re starting to see more and more bone injuries. We’ve seen it in powerlifting, where all of a sudden, if someone, especially younger lifters — they don’t have enough time to lay down that bone properly — I’ve seen bones actually snap. That’s why recovery is so important.
You must slow down to truly get a feel for the mind-muscle connection. I know some of you who do slow-motion reps or time under tension think you do not need to slow down. Well, then, this article is ESPECIALLY for you!
Not everyone is as lucky as me when it comes to seeing some of the most amazing moments in powerlifting. Since that’s the case, I’m sharing memories from the archives starring Chuck Vogelpohl, George Halbert, Steve Goggins, Travis Rogers, and Oleksandr Kutcher.
What is it about powerlifting that draws people to it like a magnet? Is it the parts of us that start as iron ore and are melted down into knurled steel through training? Is it a religion we worship? What power does powerlifting have over us?
elitefts has a strong focus on the freedom of education — so strong that we’re willing to invest in all of the content we provide for you. For 20 years, the strength of this value has enabled us to earn your trust, and therefore, produce more content.
2018 was not a good year for my powerlifting career. 2019 has been better. My training’s gotten better, I’ve gotten better at caring for myself, and I competed better. I want to do better next time around, though….
Believe it or not, sometimes words can be heavier than your PR. These words and the ones that follow are my weights to bear… and also, to share with you and others who may need to hear them. This is my story.
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate sits down with Cailer Woolam — a 220-pound powerlifter with a 950-pound deadlift. Listen to how he makes training a priority at 4 a.m.
The thing to keep in mind as you read the remainder of this program is that I’m describing a method of training — not a set-in-stone program. It’s up to you to apply the method to your particular context: your body, your goals, and your life situation.
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate talks about his childhood, attempting meditation after the episode with JM Blakley, Q&A videos in the elitefts archives, and of course, he answers as many questions as time allows.
Two years ago, I injured myself at a meet. The pain was so bad I nearly pulled out of the meet. After talking with some experts, I decided to hop into the APF Nationals without a weight cut and with a quick prep. Let’s just say it’s good to be back.
The biggest thing you need to take away from muscle tears is that the healing process is largely chemically based and physiologically mediated in order to remedy the mechanical disruption and restore (again) mechanical strength.
Do you ever wonder where your weak points come from? What to learn how to overcome them? This FREE resource is for you…
To call this program hard is an understatement. The volume is high, the work is heavy, and you’ll want to quit. But I can promise you, your back will never be thicker and your PRs will become something of the past.
This life we live is comprised of sheep, and it is also comprised of shepherds. Followers or leaders. The flock goes where it is directed. Shepherds set the course for the journey. Are you part of the flock? Or are you a shepherd? Are you a serious powerlifter or not?
During SSTSS 2019, Chris Janek sat down and briefed us on his childhood, previous jobs, geared and raw lifting, and the effects of having four open-heart surgeries. Now, he’s on a heart transplant waiting list and doing as much as he can without overdoing it.
For some, training is just a hobby; but for others, training is much more than that. It’s what keeps me going, and it’s very close to the top of my list of priorities. But sometimes, we need to remember those other priorities, too. Here’s a reminder of what they are.
Sometimes, I have to remember I am not Superman. I remembered how I have been feeling, sleeping, and how much I have been working. So I took a break and slept in… and managed to get this article done, too.
Getting a new tattoo doesn’t mean you have to throw the bar down and not step foot in a gym for two months. What it does mean is that you need to ensure you don’t do anything reckless for the first couple of months.
To this day, I still have new members of my gym argue with me on nutrition and training, only to regret not listening later on. Follow these tips and you will not only continue to get stronger for years to come, but you will also stay injury-free.
The feedback from this Podcast has been unreal! Due to the overwhelming number of emails, DM’s and comments we have decided to blast this out to all of our channels asap. We know you will enjoy this one so much you will share it with all of your training partners and friends.
If Dave Tate has to pull himself together before answering a question, you know it’s going to be a good answer. And boy, does he deliver (along with some tips from Joe Sullivan and Janis Finkelman).
Hard work pays off — not snake oil sales and get-rich-quick schemes. That doesn’t mean you can’t get stronger quickly. It just means you’ll have to put in a little extra work, like bumping up a weight class.
No, that white powder I sniff before lifting is not cocaine — it’s smelling salts! If you’re curious about smelling salts, you’re in the right place because back in my day, we would’ve never wasted the greatness of smelling salts…
A few years ago, I attempted to bring 4 strength sports together into a training plan for rugby. This time, I want to delve deeper into the framework that makes up the programming of these sports and how we can program them into a usable athletic development plan.
My training was more organized than it was for the IPA meet. But I decided to experiment before this meet: I trained using my squat suit without the briefs. It actually improved my speed, depth, and how much weight I could handle.