The Education of a Powerlifter
This is one of the best and most popular articles to ever be posted on the site. After you read this you will understand what it means to Live, Learn, and Pass On.
Peaking Technically
Peaking technically is reeling in your training from general to specific as a meet approaches while changing and removing variations and setting yourself up to be at your best technically. This is important when transitioning to a conjugate approach.
Your First Meet Cycle — How to Lay the Program's Foundation
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…
Bodybuilding for the Powerlifter: The Big Picture (With Sample Routine)
Instead of just trying to get strong by getting as big as humanly possible, many lifters are paying more attention to their muscularity. Just take a look at Larry Wheels or Dan Green, and you’ll immediately know how successful this strategy can be.
WATCH: Check Your Ego When Choosing Attempts
A lot of powerlifters have trouble with this. They can’t get out of the way of their own ego in order to call proper attempts.
WATCH: Fixing Dave Tate — The 10-Week Update Discussion
Dr. Rusin returns to the elitefts headquarters to get an update on Dave’s progress through two training phases.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Deloads and Fatigue Management
Using a planned deload is one effective way to manage fatigue during a training cycle, but strategic exercise selection can help reduce the need for “off” weeks.
Off-Season Bodybuilding Program for Powerlifters and Strongman Competito...
The introductory four weeks should have improved your joints and helped you become accustomed to high reps. Now it’s time to get more challenging.
8-Week Base Building Program for Busy Lifters
This program requires minimal setup and equipment, includes three training days per week, and is designed for each session to be completed in roughly one hour.
MEET REPORT: 2017 IPA Flex Lewis Classic
Team Nebobarbell and I went to Murfeesboro, Tennessee, where I took a crack at one of my competition bucket list lifts.
WATCH: Table Talk — Tapering for a Meet Using Conjugate
The appeal of conjugate is the ability to build multiple performance traits at once, but this confuses a lot of lifters as they get closer to a meet. It doesn’t have to be so complicated.
WATCH: Table Talk — Feeder and Recovery Workouts
You can’t just throw in extra workouts or recovery protocols and expect to get the most out of them. Like everything else in training, they need to be programmed strategically and used at the right times.
The Pursuit of Elite
Surrounding myself around top-level powerlifters for over 30 years, I’ve noticed a trend.
Matt Sohmer — Squat and Deadlift World-Record Strategies
Bottom line: all that matters is results. You are either creating or you are disintegrating. If this requires breaking from orthodoxy, so be it. Here are five ways we did this with Matt.
WATCH: Dave's Squat Tips for NBS Lifters
What began as a heavy squat session in the S4 Compound became an impromptu coaching session with Dave. Here are the five things he told these lifters to fix.
WATCH: Table Talk — Flaws of Percentage-Based Programming and Training
In this video, Maliek and Dave discuss the problems with percentage-based training and share alternative methods for strength programming.
The Week Before the Meet — Unstructured or Accounted For?
This is a time when your mind will start to play tricks on you. Are you mentally committing to the time off?
Parallels of Lifting and Life — Confidence, Arrogance, Priorities
Chad shares how difficulties in a personal situation had him look to lifting for answers.
Post-Meet Training — What to Do the First 9 Weeks After Competition
This 9-week program is designed to allow recovery, build muscle, improve conditioning, and prepare you mentally and physically for another heavy training cycle.
Three Powerlifting Fads That Are Hurting Your Total
Training isn’t meant to be flashy — it’s meant to be effective. Resist the temptation of these “hip” techniques and stay on track to bigger PRs on meet day.
My First Training Cycle at the S4 Compound
The beginning of XPC preparation proved how much I stood to learn from Dave, Matt Smith, and the other weekend regulars.
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.
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.
WATCH: Table Talk — Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Techniques
How you choose to prime your body for a training session is up to you, but not all warm up and recovery methods are equal.
Lessons Learned From Bilateral Bone Breaks
This case study, derived from my extensive rehabilitation, details every aspect of the steps I took to overcome an unexpected and immediate halt to my training.
The Warm-Up Clock and Controlled Chaos
When meet day arrives, you’ll be faced with variables you don’t see in the gym. At Monster Garage Gym, we’ve developed a way to control the most stressful of these variables: the clock.
The Mental Woes of Breaking in New Gear
The whole process is a mental fuck if you let it be. From poly to canvas, here’s my most recent battle with unanticipated obstacles.
Rehab and Training: Forward-Thinking Prevention, Retrospective-Thinking ...
You’re always going to be in one of the three phases of training. Your goal is to find a way to stay in Phase One as long as possible while avoiding Phase Three at all costs.
WATCH: Annual Programming for Powerlifting— Daily Layout of Squat and De...
Your yearly setup is complete. Now let’s look at individual days and how to program main, supplemental, and accessory exercises.
WATCH: Annual Programming for Powerlifting — Off-Season Between Meets We...
With your qualifying meet out of the way, you now have an opportunity to return to building mode before starting a peaking cycle for your next meet.
Figure and Powerlifting Program Design: 4-Week Training Cycle
If you are a dual sport competitor, your training must allot proper focus to the intricacies of each discipline. Use this template as a guide.
Everything You Didn't Know About Surviving Smolov
This program is known for two things: absurd increases in competition lifts, and destroying lifters’ bodies. Use these tips to make sure you fall in the first group.
Individual Training in a Team Setting
If your athletes were part of the Thursday night pub crawl, how can you expect them to squat heavy on Friday? #beergainz
My Unique Methods for a World Record Squat
Not any old training system will give you an 860 raw squat at 220.