How We Use The Prowler
A few weeks ago, we decided to put together a roundtable-style article about the use of the Prowler...
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.
Back and Forth: An Interview with Dave Tate and Alwyn Cosgrove
AC: Dave, you’re an Elite powerlifter and own one of the most successful strength training equipment companies in existence—and by extension a website that has become one of the best educational companies in the field. So, what’s the plan from here?
Spud Speaks: More News From Marc Bartley
Saturday was great because there was no cardio to do. I was drained from the week, and it took about two hours to get going. I usually do light upper body and then a dynamic speed pull day, but since I couldn’t get it going, I did some reverse bands, thinking that would be easy.
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.
Incorporating the “Big Three” into Sports Training: Part 2
For as long as I have been involved in sports and training, I have seen more cookie cutter training programs than you can shake a stick at (and that’s a lot).
Training Athletes: A Matter of Balance
The title of this article is a little misleading. It’s not about the balance that most trainers think about such as standing on one foot on a Bosu ball. It’s about building a physically and structurally balanced athlete. These ideas and qualities are what form the exercise selection of our strength program. Our staff has five major goals in mind
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.
Training Comes Full Circle
Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch and a kick just a kick.
Concurrent Strategies in Strength Training, Part 1
Concurrent training in the iron game was made popular by the Westside Barbell Club and Louie Simmons, who erroneously called it “conjugate."
Why Does the Butt Kick Reign Supreme?
If you watch runners before a race or if you watch baseball, football, or other athletes warming up before a game, you will see that most of them do the butt kick (quadriceps) stretch.
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.
NBA Elites and Lifting?
The elite NBA players of today includes Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki and their athletic ability.
Training Economy
When it comes to strength and sports—and how to increase strength for those sports—most of the information out there is about sports such as football, powerlifting, basketball, and hockey. But what about the lesser known sports such as cheerleading, figure skating, and dance?
elitefts Nutrition Roundtable
...with Jim Wendler, Mike Ruggiera, Tom Deebel, Julia Ladewski, Mark McLaughlin, Alwyn Cosgrove, Lance Mosely, James Smith, Brian Schwab, and Travis Mash
Why You Need a Coach: The Little Big Things
For most of you reading this article who used to compete in sports, think back to your younger days. Can you imagine stepping on the field without the direction of a coach?
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.
Metabolic Conditioning: One Size Does Not Fit All
The concept of metabolic conditioning has to be without a doubt one of the most misunderstood topics in strength and conditioning today. It seems that every fitness guru has some different method for improving your “conditioning” with the aim of burning fat or improving performance for a specific sport. However, none of them really get to the heart of how
Are You Setting Yourself Up for Injury?
Lifting weights is easy, but preventing injuries when lifting weights is not always as simple. Because of this, it is not uncommon to find many injuries in weight training. To help prevent injuries and make your workouts more productive, here are seven key factors that you should take into account when weight training.
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.
Gain 31 Pounds Before Football Training Camp, Part 3
This strength program is a combination of several styles and programs that I have discovered in my ten years of experience. You will read about systems that I’ve learned from Joe DeFranco, Dave Tate, and Louie Simmons. You will learn philosophies that I’ve adopted from BFS’s Greg Shepard, Mike Boyle, and Paul Chek. I’ve learned a ton by training with
Is Technique Important for Better Playing?
Coaches believe that technique should not be touched. They firmly believe that technique is an individual thing that is innate to each individual. However, these ideas could not be further from the truth. One of the most effective ways to improve sports performance is to improve technique.
After the Meet Is Before the Meet
Fans of Run Lola Run might recall a piece of wisdom featured in the beginning of the movie—“After the game is before the game.”
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.
Racing Toward Red Lights: A Real World Perspective on Apathy
We’ve all done it. Every last one of us. Been in a tight spot and the first thing we think is who can we blame?
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.
Does the Football Combine Predict Playing Ability?
Football coaches know that selecting a player based on combine results is a crap shoot at best. In this article, Dr. Yessis evaluates the tests used to offer a possible explanation of why the combine results are such poor predictors of game play success.
Incorporating the “Big Three” Into Sports Training, Part I
Sports training or sports-specific training is a different beast than competitive powerlifting. However, the “Big Three” have a great impact on the overall strength and explosiveness of the athlete. The $1500 question is how to develop a strength and speed program to help athletes excel in their sport of choice.
Top 17 Tips for Losing Body Fat ASAP (Part 1)
Summer is quickly approaching. Will you be at the pool proud of the way you look or hiding at the snack bar?
Gain 31 Pounds Before Football Training Camp, Part 2
On this program, you’ve got to eat. If you are skinny and weak, you need to eat a ton of food. And don’t just tell me that you “eat a lot.” I get this answer from many kids, and when I take one look at what they really consume, it turns out to be nothing more than a few slices
General Versus Special Exercises
One of the main distinguishing features of the Soviet system of training athletes is their distinction between general and specialized exercises.
Optimizing Your Size, Strength, and Recovery with Protein
I have one of those good news/bad news situations for you. Which do you want first? Let me guess….
Anatomical Fixer Upper
As an athlete, eventually you hit a point where performance stagnates, whether it’s from asymmetries, lack of mobility in certain joints, injuries, or false plateaus. Whatever the specific reason, we have all felt a loss of performance. It’s at this point that you need to go back and check your training, nutrition, and recovery journal. You should be looking to
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.
Rules for Maintaining a Successful Powerlifting Club
Over the years, I’ve seen many powerlifting/strength training clubs come and go.
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 Stretch Reflex
Many people refer to the stretch reflex as the key to explosive training. How it is applied, however, is frequently misunderstood. This article takes an in-depth look at this action and how you can better utilize it in any or all aspects of your training.
The Aerobic Fallacy
I believe that it’s part of my job as a fitness expert to bring the science to you. Much of what is currently out there is based on nothing but tradition and acceptance. You can do what you want with the information I’m going to present, but all I ask is that you at least give it some thought.
The Misconception
As a strength and conditioning coach, I feel there’s a duty not only to educate and learn from fellow sport-specific coaches on proper implementation of strength and conditioning programs but to educate and learn from the athletes as well.
Filling in the Holes, Part II
Previously I discussed how adding in various training tools can “fill in the holes” of standard barbell lifting. Kettlebells have gained a stronger and stronger following in the strength training community, but sleds and sandbags are two tools that have yet to gain their recognition.
