Communication in Strength and Conditioning — The Heartbeat of a Successf...
With your athletes and with your staff, communication is all you have for keeping everyone on the same page. If you won't talk to them, you won't understand them, and your program will fail.
Seminar Lessons from Kettlebell Workshop at Elite Training Systems
Even at the highest levels of coaching and training, there is a need and desire to continuously learn from different people to consistently improve your ability to help your clients get better and improve.
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
If I left work and went to the bar instead of the gym, would it really make a difference?
REGISTER NOW: April 30th Training Camp with JL Holdsworth, Swede Burns, ...
You will have the opportunity to learn about any topic in strength training you choose, from execution of the main lifts all the way down to minute details of accessory work.
Your First Summer of Planning — Schedule and Program Setup as a New Coach
Young coaches often find a spot late in the summer leaving little time to prepare for the year ahead. Here are the planning and scheduling factors to consider as you construct your program.
Armour Plating the Upper Body and Power Training the Lower Body
Trial and error over time has led me to where my programming is today. This has produced a philosophy that includes a different approach to upper and lower body training.
WATCH: Weightlifting, Baby Formula, and Wild Cats
In some way all these things come together before, during, or after a House of Biceps training session.
Women and Imposter Syndrome
The more I reflect, I realize how much I have permitted this fear to dictate to the extent to which I engage in certain opportunities or cultivate a niche for myself as an educated, strong ass woman who wants to get you healthy.
New Product: elitefts Brain Torch
After months of research, development, and testing, we're finally releasing an ammonia product unlike any other.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — ½ Gym, ½ Off-Si...
The goal is to get an inactive child on the spectrum socially and physically strong through movement. You’re ready to leave the comforts of the gym and move off-site to extend the learning curve.
WATCH: Table Talk — Peak Arousal for Performance in Strength Sports
Every lifter has their own optimal place on the arousal curve. Going in either direction from that point will wreck your performance.
Magnesium and Vitamin D3: Two Neglected Parts of the Power Game
If flashy labeling or fancy bottles are what draw you to a supplement, these are not for you. If a ton of research and statistically measured results are how you determine your supplement regimen, you need Mg and D3.
Failure Is Always An Option
You may have heard that committing to your goals means eliminating the possibility of failure. The problem? This isn’t realistic. You can’t always win.
Football Testing Season — Five Weeks to Gain Strength
Entering the time period away from pre-season or in-season training, our head coach made his expectations clear: “I want to see bench presses go up by 20 pounds and squats by 40 pounds in the next five to six weeks.” Easy, right?
The Long Road to Victory: Approval, Stress Management, and The Shining L...
The shining light appeared after a long nightmare in hell. This is what I encountered. This is how I persevered.
The Obstacles You'll Face Becoming A Great Powerlifter
You can be the best in the world or a complete beginner — you’re going to deal with many of the same challenges either way.
How to Fix Your Bench Press: The Execution
So far, we haven’t even moved the bar. Keeping in mind what we learned in part one of this series, we are now ready to begin the press.
WATCH: BOSS Barbell Club Training and Business Principles
The second part of this interview, Dan Green and Dave Tate share business challenges and the process of building a successful training facility.
WATCH: Dan Green and Dave Tate Discuss Powerlifting Training
From beginner to immediate to advanced, your methods must progress and become specific to your needs.
Arch Your Way to a Bigger Bench
A shorter range of motion means a bigger bench. Here’s how to get your chest closer to the bar without taking your ass off the bench.
How Do We Get to the Steak, Not the Sizzle?
There’s nothing wrong with trying the newest, flashy technique, but if you don’t know how it will help your team, stick to the basics.
The Science of Variable Resistance
Bands? Chains? The strength curve? How can this data make you a better lifter and athlete.
Sleep More, Lift More
The most basic source of recovery is free and easy, powerful enough to improve your strength and conditioning without resorting to any prescribed medication. Are you taking full advantage of it?
WATCH: Table Talk — Finding Solutions to Deadlift Weaknesses
Leverages will influence your ideal deadlift stance, but that’s only one small part of finding your weakness is.
Hypertrophy Hierarchy: How Your Muscle-Building Program Should Evolve Ov...
The techniques of top bodybuilders may look fun. They may entice you. But first, you need to earn them.
Training and the Dead Cat Bounce
In a downward slump, my training has started to look up. I attribute this to one simple programming tactic.
To Split or Not to Split: The Athlete-Training Question
Bodybuilders are known for splitting weekly training into specific body parts per day. Will the same approach work for athletes?
Ignorance Can Be Bliss
An overload of information may tempt you to abandon your plan when something new comes along. Pick a program, one program, and stay committed.
elitefts Welcomes Newest Team Member — Tarra Oravec
"Today probably comes in top 5 for one of the best days of my life."
Life and Lifting After Double Hip Replacement Surgery
With 20 years of lifting behind me, I was scared to death of my double anterior total hip replacement. What would life be like after surgery? Could I ever lift again?
Depression Answers for Athletes
I can only imagine from my personal experience with depression how athletes like Dave Mirra reach the point of tragedy.
WATCH: Physique and Strength Sports — Training and Competing as a Dual A...
Can you do both? This is Julia’s approach.
Finding Strength: Force Barbell
Working in conjunction with other professionals and experts, owner Tyler Miller has created a home for strongman athletes in Fishers, Indiana to train and prepare for any athletic endeavor.
How to Fix Your Bench Press: The Setup
The first installment of a three-part series, this article discusses the first step of mastering the bench press: learning optimal setup.
Fix These Simple Mistakes to Lift Heavier Weights
These mistakes in the squat, bench, and deadlift seem small on their own. But add them to together? You’re leaving pounds off your total.
WATCH: Table Talk — The Worst Beginner Mistake
This mistake is really, really simple, even if no one wants to take ownership of it.
7-Step Guide to Learning the Sumo Deadlift
This article includes video that shows the many physical and technical aspects you need to master to get the most of your sumo deadlift.
Eccentric Training Techniques for Added Strength and Size
If you want your strength and muscle mass to go up, you need to focus on how the weight is going down.
The Vertical Jump: It's More Than Just Inches
The most valuable information you will find from testing your athletes is not a measurement of height.
The Work Comes First
You will find no forward momentum by doing nothing. Without work, passion and purpose won’t take you anywhere.
WATCH: Table Talk — Where Is the Sport Discipline?
There’s going to be a time when you can’t do this anymore. Don’t piss on this opportunity. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Recognize Your Weaknesses and Limitations
This could be the simple rule to great strength — are you following it?
Supplements for Women: The Myths and Marketing Schemes
Let’s discuss protein powders, fat burners and pre-workouts, and what specific things you should look out for.
Culture of the Team: The Hardest Part of Coaching
This problem started to creep up on us several years ago and I only see it getting worse.
Health Considerations of Powerlifting Technique
Consider the major powerlifting movements, cues, and technical adjustments that may prove helpful in both improving strength and prolonging health.
Elitefts Welcomes Newest Team Member and Columnist Zach Gallmann
As Zach travels the country building his new project, Finding Strength, he will deliver a new look into the world of Strongman.
LISTEN: Ashley Jones — Incorporating Games in a Pre-Season Program
With proper consideration of neural, mechanical, and metabolic elements, this podcast covers the methods used for developing a proper pre-season plan.
Troubleshooting the GHR: Are You Performing Them Correctly?
The glute-hamstring raise is one of the best exercises for lower body development. Don’t ruin it by making any of these three common mistakes.
WATCH: Table Talk — Training Tips to Break a Bench Press Plateau
Stop beating yourself up after hitting a sticking point in your training. Figure out what the problem is and fix it. These tips will help the troubleshooting process.
The Best Exercise
The future success of your training program hinges on the inclusion of this one exercise. Don’t train without it.
Coaching: Sometimes It's All in the Delivery
Learning to connect with and effectively motivate your athletes can go a long way. Choose your words wisely.
WATCH: Choosing the Right Weightlifting Singlet
Sleeves? Zippers? Material? Fit? Here are a few specific qualities to look for.
How I Benched 500 Pounds As A Teenager
The methods weren’t perfect, the food was mostly shit, but it worked. There are a few things I’d change before recommending this for someone else.
Coaching CJ Piantieri at the Special Olympics Southeast Meet
For over six years I have watched CJ overcome many obstacles. I am always impressed by his competitive tenacity and love for powerlifting.
Being God Awful Precedes Being Good
Personal training is like any other craft, it takes time and perseverance through many mistakes to master. I recently reflected on my climb as a professional.