10 Reasons to Call your Mom
If you are like me, you probably forgot it was Mother’s Day this weekend. It’s not that I don’t love my mother; I love and admire her. But I had to clear the space in my head to make room for important things such as band tension, the history of Slayer and porn passwords.
Why I Hate Joe DeFranco
Joe DeFranco is full of shit. There I said it. If you have a problem with that statement, then you are wrong.
Teaching the Squat
I have been going to Force Training Seminars, either to help Dave or to do them on my own, for almost 3 years and one of the hardest things to do is get someone to squat correctly.
Tattoos, Training, and the Wisdom of Stu
About a week ago, I went into Lexington to get a new tattoo. I went there with about ten ideas and worked with the artist, Stu, to develop them. After some talking, we decided on one, and Stu drew something up. Now where to put it…
Repetition Work (or How to Rip Off Joe DeFranco, Add a Twist, and Call I...
Last week, I wrote about dynamic bench work and how you shouldn’t just kick it to the curb. I listed several different dynamic cycles, and there are approximately 5,000 more that have been written about. The whole purpose of the article was to revive the dead and bloated dynamic bench press.
Letter of Resignation
This letter is to inform you that I am resigning from my position as head strength and conditioning coach. I enjoyed my time while at the university and feel grateful for the knowledge and friendships that I have gained. I feel I owe it to you to offer an explanation as to why I have made this decision.
The Collegiate Power Rack
What makes the Collegiate Power Rack such a great piece of equipment? Just about everything!
A New Look at Three Days a Week
I received a call two weeks ago from a friend of mine, and he had some good news for me. About five months ago, he and I were discussing a three-day split that would accommodate his needs and time schedule. He’s an ex-football player, and competes in the 242 lbs class. Like many of you, he’s tried the standard four-day
Professional 45-Degree Back Raise
We’ve had the EFS Professional 45-degree back raise in the EFS weight room for about 2–3 years. It’s the best low back strengthener I’ve ever used.
The High School Odyssey
About 12 weeks ago, I started training with a local football player, Caleb Sexton.
The Arnold 2006 in Review
I think everyone was holding their breath at this years WPO meet at the Arnold Classic.
The Magic of the Pin Pull
Recently I have been flooded with e-mails and questions on the EFS Q/A, and rather than answering them one by one, I decided to put them into an article form so that everyone has access to them. There is a lot of great information in these answers.
A Beginners Guide to elitefts™
I’m going to do is make a list articles and other assorted products that will make things very, very easy for someone navigating this site and trying to learn.
Deadlifting with Chains
Almost a year ago, Matt Bash and I put our collective heads together and were thinking of different ways to approach our weak point in the deadlift; the lockout.
Doing it Differently
As a follow up to Bob Youngs article “Things I Would do Differently”, I decided to give this idea a shot and see what I could come up with.
Choosing and Training Your Openers
We get a lot of questions regarding how to choose openers for powerlifting meets and there are a lot of ways to look at this.
Since most veteran powerlifters have their own way of doing things and will probably never read this article, we are not going to address them. What I am going to do is address the lifter
Deload to Reload
I’ve wanted to write this article for awhile and there have been several questions on the Q/A that touched on this subject. For those not familiar with the term “deload” by basic definition of it is this: to take a break from extreme training.
The Triumvirate
The number 3 is held in reverence by many people. Of course, the title of this article is in reference to the Roman Empire and where would we be without them?
How to Strengthen Rosie and Her Five Friends
One of the biggest things that I struggled with during my deadlift training was my grip. This was never a big deal when I was lighter (under 250lbs), but as I became bigger my grip began to suffer.
Push/Pull
This article was inspired by Alwyn Cosgrove and something that he mentioned to me in passing.
The Circa-Maximal Squat Phase
The circa max phase is a three week squat phase designed to peak you for your contest.
Causal Friday
How things have changed. Five years ago, all you ever read were articles on how to use your gear, how to use your bench shirt, squat suit, knee wraps, etc. Now people want articles on how to train without gear. Very strange.
Cornucopia
Cornucopia. Hodge Podge. Horn-a-plenty. Whatever you want to a call a huge grab bag of stuff, I’m selling it here.
Top 3 Dynamic Squat and Dynamic Bench Cycles
In the spirit of the 4th of July, we are going to focus on explosive (re: dynamic) training. So listed below are the top 3 cycles for the squat and bench.
Going Heavy
For those that don’t know how I train or how I think – it all comes down to one thing; Going Heavy.
Accessory vs. Supplemental
We get asked all the time what the difference between an accessory lift and a supplemental lift. After doing some research, I came up with the following ideas. I got these from “A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting” by A.S. Medvedyev. To make things easier here are some basic definitions;
Davidson College Football Program
Evan Simon recently became the head strength and conditioning coach for Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.
Tales From the Dark Side: 13 Stories of Woe
Here are some actual stories from actual strength coaches. All these stories have been substantiated by coaches that I know very well and trust.
Devil’s Advocate: The Seven Seals
When training your lower back, think about it two ways; to strengthen your lower back and injury prevention. These don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Many people who have very strong backs injure themselves.
Matt Rhodes' Westside Template
Matt is one of the least physically gifted lifters that I have ever seen.
The Devil’s Advocate: Random Thoughts
The Monday after the 2005 Arnold Classic I had to attend a meeting about 45 minutes away and found myself driving the back roads of Ohio
To the Critics
Being a part of Elite Fitness Systems for the past couple of years as well as powerlifting and competitive sports, I have been exposed to a lot of critics telling me what I’m doing is wrong or, in the case of football, what the team is doing wrong.
Interview with Chuck Vogelpohl
Dave and I wanted to do an interview with Chuck Vogelpohl for awhile and for several reasons.
Why?
We’ve all been there. Whether it be in front of our families, while lying in bed with a significant other or while sipping on a few cold drafts with a new acquaintance at a bar, we’ve all encountered the question; “Why do you powerlift?”
Variation on Max Effort Training
There are two variations to this structure. For the sake of time and space, I will only discuss one at this time. The second variation is a bit more complicated and is recommended for an experienced lifter only.
Squat Training: A Different Perspective
The program listed below was done by one of my training partners, Kevin Deweese.
Beginner Mistakes, Part III; Have a Plan
Here are 10 things that will help you plan your workouts and help keep you focused
Beginner Mistakes, Part II: The Dynamic Bench Press
Having coached for several years and after attending several Force Training seminars, I see the same problems on dynamic bench day no matter where I am. These problems aren’t always reserved for the beginner; I seem to make some of these same mistakes and have to take a step back and re-evaluate. Let us first take a look at the
Beginner Mistakes - Part I: Max Effort Progression
When I first started training using the Westside methods, I would often end my max effort exercise and feel like I didn’t do anything.
2002 – One Year in Review
The 2002 IPA Nationals marked the one-year anniversary of my competitive powerlifting career.
Training High School Athletes
One of the most asked questions throughout the day was “What would you have done differently, if you knew what you know now?” And though I answered the question as best I could, I couldn’t help but rethink the question over and over.
General Training Journal For High School Field Athletes
When discussing training, there are many things to consider, such as speed work, building absolute strength, improving form, raising work capacity, recuperation, and selecting exercises and rotating them them in proper sequence to avoid adaptation.
Westside Training and Football
The other day I got off the phone with a friend of mine who coaches college football. I told him that I had recently consulted with Dave Tate about applying the Westside principles for a college football player
Preparation for the 2001 IPA Nationals
Here is a training diary and some thoughts on my preparation for the 2001 IPA Nationals.
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