In my first two Specialty Bar Car Shows, I showed you a plethora of specialty bars: the elitefts Power Bar, trap bars, deadlift bars, the elitefts Rackable Cambered Squat Bar, and the Tsunami and Bandbell Bars. Now, in the grand finale, I've saved the best, most badass bar for last...
When I tried out the fast-food dirty diet in the 1990s, I fit in my Frantz canvas suit like 15 pounds of sausage in a five-pound casing, and worse yet, my deadlift went down. Don't make the mistake '90s lifters (myself included) made — learn from it. Eat cleaner to lift better.
After reading Mark Dugdale's recent off-season diet article, I thought I would write about what my current diet in the off-season is like as well. Not only will I share my current off-season diet, but I'm also going to write about my process for gaining weight — not fat, but muscle.
Packing the basics is just half the battle. Meet sites can be cold, uncomfortable, and might be far from easy access to good food. All variables need to be taken into consideration while packing for meet day... and these 44 items will help you cover your bases.
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and Jim Wendler talk about a couple of documentaries, majoring in exercise science, the best way to break down the conjugate method, and more.
In this video, Equipment Sales Director Matt Goodwin shows off the elitefts Power Bar and its specs, focusing on the bar's gnarly knurling. It's amazing how it easily fits into just about any gym — garage, private, or commercial. It’s no wonder it’s a favorite!
I’d been using the same blueprint that goes to 500 to get me to 585, and that's where I went wrong. I had to analyze everything in order to customize a new plan to break that 600-pound barrier. This is how I did that.
In this clip from the first Table Talk Podcast, host Dave Tate and special guest Dan Green get to the bottom of this question... as well as what Dan means when he says the word "volume." Is it muscle thickness? The amount of space an object occupies? Listen to find out!
Have a lat activation issue? So does elitefts athlete Joe Sullivan. After getting the green light from his physical therapist (and thinking like an athlete even though he's a self-proclaimed "dumb weightlifter"), he's working on some isolation exercises, like the quadruped row.
It’s a system, not a program. It can be tailored to suit whatever your goals are: powerlifting, athletics, CrossFit, marathon running... You name it, and this system can’t be beaten. This article is meant to show beginner powerlifters how to set up their own conjugate-based program.
Just the other day, I was listening to a motivational speech that got me going. That speech made it clear to me that an evolution of the thought process and perception of what training should be is how lifters and strength athletes progress to the higher levels.
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and JL Holdsworth reminisce about their time at Westside Barbell, perspective and the meaning of "going all in," figuring out band and chain percentages, and more.
This was the first meet that I attended neither as participant, lifter, nor spectator; instead, I was a coach, cheerleader, and go-fer. At this meet, Flex Gym proved it is as much a family as any group I have ever seen. Everyone is there for everyone else.
In this "powerbuilding" article, we’re looking at hamstrings — a muscle group bodybuilders and strength athletes alike struggle to develop. If you’re naturally lower-body dominant, you don’t need to spend tons of time on 'em. But if you’ve got piglets instead of hammies, I don’t need to convince you to read on.
In this clip from the first-ever Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and guests Dan Green and Andrew Herbert answer an Instagram DM question. They talk about aging tipping points, wear and tear, and walking a tightrope when it comes to becoming stronger.
Before I get into my recap of the 2019 XPC World meet, I want to say, I took second place — even with my fifth 2,200-pound total and seventh 900-pound squat — for no other reason than I wasn't strong enough that day.
I moved back to northeastern Ohio and started training with a new group to prepare for the 2019 XPCs. For the last couple of years, I've only done the 21-Deadlift Salute. This year, though, I decided to come back and do the full meet, and here are the final results.
"It got to a point where I couldn't feel my legs... I got the up call, and nothing happened." Join Team elitefts athlete Jo Jordan as he receives his medal on-stage for the 2019 XPC Worlds competition. He recounts his lucky comeback in the squat event and shares a sneak peek at what happens behind the curtain...
Ideally, a good lifter should also be a good spotter. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Dave Tate will walk you through how to do a bench press lift-off — the proper way. This means you're not putting your nuts in the lifter's face and aren't taking the majority of the lift.
Coming back after a layoff can be a chance to address imbalances, but it also presents the opportunity for new imbalances to develop. Common sense suggests that testing strength after a layoff isn't the best idea. But if you are going to do it, keep these things in mind.
In the first Table Talk Podcast episode, Dave Tate, along with guests Dan Green and Andrew Herbert, answers listeners' questions about getting stronger at 42 years old, compound movements, key indicators for bench press, and more.
Sage words Joe Sullivan recently read online: "Powerlifting is basically just keeping your abs and back tight and squeezing a bar and trying not to lose position." Joe notices his clients, both old and new, tend to struggle with at least one of these things. (And breathing. Definitely breathing.)
In my second Specialty Bar Car Show, I'm going to teach you everything I know about the Tsunami Bar, Bandbell Bar, and — one of my all-time favorites — Safety Squat Bars. If I haven't sold you on any of these bars, remember this...
You see lost lifters jumping from one diet to another or from one program to the next, thinking they bought a long-lost ingredient to the stew that is strength and power. But the actual missing ingredients are right in front of them: consistency and an understanding of the basics.
Don’t be the newbie lifter who falls into the tiger pit traps during your training cycle. That’ll only hurt you in the long run — or at least in those first competitions. Don’t be afraid to start training too light and save your attempts for the platform. Not enough advice? I’ve got six other tips, so read on…
Listen: I’m no doctor or rocket scientist, but even I have enough common sense to know that if you’re feeling under the weather, you shouldn’t be lifting. You should be resting at home. Yeah, you heard me: Go home and stay home. And stay out of your fancy little garage gym, too!
Team elitefts athlete Jo Jordan hasn't participated in the XPC Worlds since 2017. Two years later, and he's ready to go, even if his strength isn't quite recovered after his recent shoulder surgery. Still, that's not stopping him anytime soon...
The meet prep beast is going to rear its ugly heads at you sometimes, and its mugs come in many forms: injuries, stress, or a lousy no-show training partner. When one of them tries to bite, it’s best to have a flexible plan of action that helps you nimbly dodge from the monster’s jaws.
In the 80th episode of the Reactive Training Systems podcast, host Mike Tuchscherer and Dave Tate talk about how to build and strengthen relationships in order to lay down the foundation for a strong business and a legacy in competitive powerlifting.
There are quite a few things to take into account when it comes to accessory training. If you ask Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan, a few of these things include program design and competition distance (measured in time, not miles or kilometers), and more.
I asked my elitefts colleagues to do a study or if a study exists on whether or not we can build muscle and get stronger as seniors. Rather than wait for their responses, I decided to take matters into my own hands to address the topic myself, based on the individuals I’ve trained and observed.
It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on coaching part-time or full-time; coaching is a job that requires time, passion, and a deep love of the sport — no matter the paygrade. If you’re only in it for the glory or money, you’re not going to last long.
Enough of the excuses. I’m sick of hearing them. You have the energy to roll on the floor for 45 minutes before you train, take 34 selfies, and tag the gang before you leave the gym, but you can’t spend an extra 30 minutes on your back?
Are you a woman? Check. A pro lifter? Check. An amateur lifter? Check. Are available the weekend of April 13th-14th? Check. If you've checked off at least three of these prerequisites, you should go register for the 2019 APF Cincinnati Women's Pro-Am meet.
It’s inevitable that a lifter will hit a plateau at some point or another. It’s frustrating, I know. Trust me, I’ve been there. But after 10 years of powerlifting and 14 years of strength training before that, I think I’ve unlocked some of the secrets to making gains. Here are five things that helped me increase my lifts.
Most intermediates that have come to me without ever working with a qualified coach before are lacking a few qualities in their technique, especially on big lifts. Lacking these qualities can potentially lead to injury at one point or another. These two qualities are tension and torque.
Sure, you could just pull out some tarot cards or dust off your great-grandmother’s crystal ball to predict what powerlifting’s going to be like in 10 years. Better yet, you could listen to Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan’s powerlifting predictions.
“If the bar ain’t bending, then you’re just pretending.” What that saying doesn’t account for is the danger of a bar bending over you mid-squat. Joe Sullivan’s no pretender, and luckily he’s here to tell the tale of surviving a bar-bending incident that could’ve been deadly.
We associate the word “heart” with an emotional response and driving purpose, when it is, in fact, the opposite. It’s the act of leaving emotions and connections behind, if only for a short while.
One of Dave Tate’s answers to an Instagram Q&A prompted me to think about what makes a good coach in more detail… and yeah, this kind of turned into a verbal Jerk-off of Dave. But I believe what he does for lifters is the pinnacle of coaching.
There is a tool for every job, and as there are many jobs for the powerlifter, there are many tools at their disposal. The key is to apply the proper tool to the proper job at the proper time. Let’s focus on the tool known as the wrist strap.
Powerlifting gave me a great foundation for strongman, but I still had to do a lot of training for it. Even though I technically qualified for USS Nationals, I want to make sure I can handle heavier events before I even think about competing.
With all of the information we have at our fingertips, it’s easy to lose track of some of the basic principles of strength training. One that’s easy to forget: Balance training and recovery as evenly as possible.
In this collaborative podcast, Zach Gallman and Mark Valenti bring on Dave Tate as a guest. Together, the trio talks about a variety of subjects, including elitefts’ history, Crossfit, the shift from geared to raw powerlifting, and more.
If you are a bench-only lifter, an older beat-up powerlifter, or just really need to get in some lower body training in, these six exercises will cover all three of those bases. These exercises are my workaround to hammer the lower and upper body while keeping a strong bench.
I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me and my logs. And… in a way, you might have. But at the very least, I wanted to update all of my readers and followers here on my life before I start a social media blackout so I can get back into training.
“Training is my therapy” should sideline a powerlifter from competitions. If training really is your therapy, you’re going to get hurt. If that’s the case, you need to see an actual therapist. Seriously.
This question makes me want to bite someone’s head off. But then I remember it’s one of those questions that also requires me to take a step back and reflect on how I got to where I am today. That’s an extremely valid question and one I haven’t answered in many years.
People keep asking me how long I intend to train at a high level and compete? My answer: As long as I can continue to improve and get my old ass to the platform, that is where I intend TO BE.
Don’t want to see Ted drop his nuts on the bar? Then look away! Keep your eyes off the bar! Besides, that’s exactly what Ted does when he sets up to do the deadlift: He doesn’t look at the bar.
Is Dave still following Dr. Rusin’s protocol? What are Dr. Rusin’s top-two training takeaways working with Dave? In this Q&A, Dave Tate and Dr. John Rusin share their overall experiences from video series “Fixing Dave Tate” and “Breaking John Rusin,” and more.
Whenever one of the greats of bodybuilding or powerlifting passes away, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on the present and learn from the past. With the recent death of Ed Corney in mind, let’s take time to do just that.
What is the last thing you quit to better yourself? Reflecting on this past year, 2018 has been a very interesting year for me all around, and I have grown a lot. In with new and out with the old, here’s what I’m changing for 2019.
How is powerlifting doing as a sport compared to bodybuilding, which is kind of dying? Is it growing? What drugs are powerlifters using these days? How much do you think genetics play a role? At what age does a person’s strength usually peak and start dropping?
It’s easy to sit around and pound your chest and call other people wimps while bragging about how strong you are… but if you ask Dave Tate, the people who do that are the real wimps.
