The 5/3/1 Bench Routine for the Equipped Lifter
The entire routine is structured around the strength curve that you would use while benching in a good shirt. The main exercises are floor presses with chains, 4-boards, 5-boards, and shirted bench work.
An Interview with Paul Vaillancourt
Today is a real treat for the readers of EliteFTs.com. A good friend of mine, Paul Vaillancourt, just won the 105 kg Canada’s Strongest Man Competition and also placed eleventh at Canada’s Strongest Man (the real deal)!
Six of the Best Ways to Use Bands
Bands are nothing new to most coaches and trainers. They have quickly become one of the most versatile and effective training tools in a coach’s toolbox. Initially, many thought of them only as rehabilitation tools. However, Westside Barbell changed the perception of bands with its innovative techniques for using them for accommodating resistance.
Hardcore Extreme Sep. 08
This games didn’t really go as planned. In hindsight, I made some mistakes that really affected my throwing. On the plus side, I won the national caber championship.
Delusion Tube
A few years after my football career ended, I found myself playing linebacker in a recreational flag football game in Long Island’s Eisenhower Park. This is rarely ever a good idea.
Strength, Part II: The Conqueror
“The acquisition of strength” may alternately be called “the overcoming of weakness.”
Concurrent Strategies in Strength Training, Part 3
Please note that different classifications may be used depending on the athletes’ weak and strong points, level of development, training period, emphasis, and additional items. Those classifications are used to help the coach organize the training system and prioritize things according to the demands of sport and position.
Adding Strength with Little Equipment
Imagine—you’re a broke kid living in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The closest fitness center is miles away and you don’t have a car to get there anyway. None of your friends know what a weight is. You’ve asked them to give it a try, but they just gave you the middle finger as they sped off
Plateau Buster: A Look at Goals and IIx Fibers
When developing strength and speed, fiber type matters.
An Interview with Rob MacIntyre
Rob “Spray” MacIntyre is a strength coach for some top level athletes. Rob, tell me a little bit about your background.
The Steel Yard (Aug 08)
On February 17, 2001, Dave Tate opened up the Q&A section on the EFS server to find the following inquiry:
Countdown
We arrived at Metropolis (a night club) at 6:00 p.m. The fights were scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. The time had finally arrived—Ryan Farhat’s mixed martial arts (MMA) debut.
Strength
The quest for strength, the quest for power, in its basic essence is man’s quest to be “more than himself.” This is a basic, instinctive, seed drive that carries him forward through his own personal evolution.
Concurrent Strategies in Strength Training, Part 2
For more examples regarding loading protocols, I highly recommend reading Christian Thibaudeau’s, Black Book of Training Secrets–Enhanced Edition. Most of these graphs are taken from there. Another interesting book to consider is Joe Kenn’s, Coach’s Strength Training Playbook, which is another awesome read.
Hardcore Extreme July 08
My latest Highland Games competition didn’t go as well as I’d hoped it would, but I learned some stuff and didn’t finish too badly. I took second place overall, and second in the stone championship.
Under The Bar: WHERE TRIALS NEVER END
As a kid in high school, I never particularly liked math; I was OK at it I guess, but it wasn’t my favorite subject. One thing I did like about it, though, was that I immediately knew where I stood. Back then, my ninth-grade brain wanted some things to be at least certain.
Before You Blow Off the Gym, Read Jimmy’s Story
We all have our “off” days in the gym. Even the most dedicated of gym rats will find an excuse to blow off a workout every now and then. Let’s face it.
Elite Kids
I understand that not every 8-year-old knows exactly what a glute ham is or how to perform the movement. Few adults know.
Elitefts™ Classic: Words of Wisdom
Last night, I was sitting in my office going through some of my training journals and notes that had accumulated over the years.
Tricks of the Trade
In my many years of powerlifting and traveling to meets and gyms to train and through association with many shady characters, I have amassed a “bag of tricks” to help me on meet day.
Your First Meet Part I: Setting a Date and Developing Goals
Congratulations! You’ve finally decided to take the plunge and compete in a powerlifting meet
Spotlight on Nutritionist Shelby Starnes
Shelby Starnes, a brand new addition to Team Elite Fitness Systems, is one of Justin Harris’/Troponin Nutrition’s premier nutritionists.
Got Strength?
Who do you respect? Does that person have the strength to be who they are? As I sit here and type this, I can tell you that over the last year, I truly discovered what it means to have strength.
No Respect? Go to the Basement!
I have had some interesting conversations with Jim Wendler. One in particular struck a chord with me quite heavily. In fact, it has helped mold a process I use at my gym when training new athletes.
Advanced Sumo Deadlift Training
Deadlifting is one of those lifts that becomes more than a little frustrating, especially when you hit lulls and plateaus in your training.
Elitefts Spotlight: Lacrosse’s Nicky Polanco
If you don’t know anything about lacrosse – if you’ve never actually seen a game – chances are you’ve bought into the almost universal, yet severely mistaken, notion that it’s a leisure class sport populated by rich preppie-types from elite private schools in the Northeast.
To My Readers.. by The Thinker
One week ago I was offered and accepted an incredible opportunity to co-author a book outlining the physical preparation training of 6-time UFC Champion Randy Couture.
Are We Truly Improving Performance?
A noted sports columnist in the San Diego area lamented the fact that one of the state universities was unable to field a championship women’s volleyball team (they already dropped the men’s program even though it was the only program to bring in an NCAA championship).
The Prowler Uber Alles
Did you ever take a good look at the shape of the Prowler? How about someone giving you the finger?
No Matter How You Slice It, It’s Still Ratting
In the recent issue of the most popular powerlifting magazine on the market, one of the featured writers, who I will refer to as Mr. X, wrote an article decrying the “no snitching mentality” that is sweeping the country.
Train Through Pain
If you lift hard and you lift consistently, you have undoubtedly dealt with injury at some point. It is as inevitable as a surplus of hair gel at a nightclub.
The Learning Curve
How I understand, practice, and implement strength and conditioning programs for myself and my clients has drastically changed over the past four years.
The Wonderful World of Calisthenics
Typical bodybuilders and gym rats have forgotten about the old school ways of developing a great physique. Back in the old days, great physiques were made without the use of free weights or machines.
Interview with Chad Aichs
If you did hit that 3000-pound total, what would the breakdown look like for each lift?
An Interview with AJ Roberts
MB: Mr. Roberts, give me some background. Take us from the time that you were a little mate until now.
Ten Questions With Matt Rhodes
I won’t change much. I plan on running a 12-week cycle of higher volume once I’m cleared to go full speed. I want to gain about 40lbs for November. I’ll need the extra volume to gain some muscle and size.
Pet Peeve
I have a pet peeve that I need to get off my chest. I can’t stand how every hardcore lifter pisses and moans when they’re forced to train in a commercial gym. Now, hear me out before you say, “Paul Leonard isn’t ‘hardcore.’”
My First Year
On February 10th, 2007, I competed in my first Strongman contest, the Motor City Strongman at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It’s been exactly one year since my introduction to the sport so I feel like it’s a good time to reflect on what I’ve learned.
On Freud’s Couch (an excerpt from the book, The Tao of B)
Humans alone are granted the gift or capability of pondering their existence and the meaning of life. Weightlifters sometimes contemplate why they lift in a quest to uncover underlying factors or reasons that may shed light on their lifelong pursuit of power.
Powerlifting as Evolution
“Carryover” is a word often used to describe how equipment improves lifts. What kind of carryover has powerlifting had in other aspects of your life?
An Interview with Jim Hoskinson
Big Jim Hoskinson is a top level 308-lb lifter. He has a huge 1100-lb squat and 2500-pound total.
The Diesel Compound 2 with Jim Smith
Wrestling season is still going strong as of this writing. We have two athletes competing right now at the state tournament, and had several of our guys place at districts and regionals. The team really did well this year and is only losing a few seniors.
The Kroc Files March 08
I just always had this desire to be big and strong. I remember at a very early age being impressed with size and strength and having a strong hunger to get that way myself.
Cardiovascular System Training Principles, Part 2
As we’ve already alluded to, there are three main components of cardiovascular health that we must improve in order to raise your specific level of cardiovascular fitness—structure, function, and regulation.
My Encounter with the “Beast from the East”
As a chick, I must admit it was somewhat intimidating to pull into the parking area of Ocean State Gym alone.
Understanding the Cardiovascular System, Part 1
Although there are more than 600 muscles in your body making up almost 40 percent of your total body weight, there is one muscle that stands out as more important than all the rest.
Deadlift Considerations For Taller Athletes
Your height might be making a difference on your deadlift.
Gain 31 Pounds Before Football Training Camp (Part 1)
Football season has just ended and you’ve quickly realized that you’re only half the man you were in August. Losing 10–20 lbs during the football season is typical for most high school and small college athletes. But you’re not typical.
Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)!
As a strength coach, a good athlete—let’s call him Johnny—lands in your lap. Do you wonder what brilliant programs you can create to make Johnny bigger, stronger, and faster?
Manipulating a Training Program
I know I’m not the only one guilty of this, but far too often, individuals like myself go online and search for workout routines, help, or guidance
A Powerlifter’s Guide to Making Weight
The reality of competing in powerlifting is that at some point in time we all have to make weight. Making weight can make or break your lifting performance.
The Importance of Strength Training for Middle Age and Older Adults
Do you hope to maintain your quality of life as you age? Is it important for you to be able to perform daily tasks, enjoy recreational activities, and care for yourself? You probably want to stay fit, trim, strong, and mobile for as long as possible. You don’t have to accept frailty as you age!
Spud Inc. Jump Rings for Explosive Results in Athletic Performance
A slow athlete needs to develop speed-strength. Here is how.
