A Thanksgiving Letter from Under The Bar

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Every year around this time, I sit down, stare at a blank screen, and think, “What am I supposed to say this time that I haven’t already said?”

Then I walk out into the gym.

The bars are still bent. The platforms are still scarred. The mats still have chalk ground into them from lifters who trained here years ago. The weight remains the same; a 45-pound plate is still 45 pounds—but the people under it are different.

Some are just starting. Some are chasing records. Some are trying to get strong enough to live without pain. Some are trying to regain their strength so they can feel like themselves again.

And every time I watch someone walk up to a bar, I’m reminded of the same thing:

We don’t carry this alone.

Not the weight on the bar.
Not the weight on our shoulders.
Not the weight of life, business, family, or the unknown.

Behind every lifter there’s a whole line of people holding that bar with them; spotters, training partners, coaches, friends, and yeah… companies like ours that try to make all of this a little better, safer, and more possible.

This year, that’s what I’m most thankful for:

Not just the strength, but the shared strength.

What You’ve Carried for Us

Over the years, I’ve written about being thankful for:

The little details of the gym: the chalk, the knurling, the sound of plates being loaded.
The dues we paid when nobody knew our names.
The dreams we chase but never “arrive” at.
The walls we left behind and the people who made those walls matter.
The lessons my kids quietly hand me when I think I’m the one doing the teaching.

All of that still stands.

But somewhere along the way, I realized there’s a big part of the story I don’t say enough:

What does all of this cost YOU?

For you to read, listen to, watch, train with, and support us…

You get up early or stay up late to squeeze in your training.
You spend money you worked hard for on equipment, bands, straps, apparel, and seminars—because you believe this stuff matters.
You drive hours to meets, to gyms, to events.
You watch the videos, listen to the podcasts, and share them with friends.
You keep training even when life hits you in the mouth, and it would be easier to walk away.

You’ve carried us through slow years, good years, weird years, and everything in between.

When sales dip, algorithms change, platforms move the goalposts, or we’re trying to figure out the next evolution of elitefts, the thing that always pulls us back on track isn’t a spreadsheet; it’s you.

It’s the email that says, “Your article helped me get out of pain.”

It’s the message that says, “I listened to that Table Talk episode three times.”

It’s the meet photo where you’re wearing our logo on your chest, or the garage gym picture with a rack that’s clearly been through war.

You may not think of that as “support.”

To us, it’s everything.

The Weight You Don’t See

A barbell is honest. If 600 is on the bar, it’s 600 whether the room is full or empty.

Life isn’t that simple.

This past stretch has been heavy, both in the world and in business, and for many of you personally. I hear it when you come through the doors, whether you write in, send a DM, email, or call. People are dealing with real stuff: injuries, job changes, kids growing up, losses, uncertainty, and all the mental crap that comes with it.

What I’ve seen—and what I’m thankful for is that you’re still showing up.

Maybe the numbers on the bar aren’t what they used to be.

Maybe training looks different than it did ten years ago.

Maybe the goal isn’t a record anymore; it’s staying in the game.

I’m grateful that you let us be part of that process.

You’ve trusted us when you were at your strongest.

You’ve trusted us when you were at your lowest.

You’ve trusted us with your first squat and with your “one more run at this” squat.

That trust is not a small thing to me.

Where We Go From Here

I don’t know precisely what the next year looks like for me, for you, or for elitefts.

What I do know is this:

We will continue to do everything we can to live this life under the bar.
We will continue to learn on the platform, in the clinic, at the gym, and in the business world.
And we will keep passing it on to you in the most honest way we know how.

Articles, Q&As, podcasts, videos, new products, events… those are all just different ways of saying the same thing:

“You’re not doing this alone. We’re under the bar with you.”

My Thank You

This Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude in the simplest way possible.

Thank you…

For reading and watching when you could be scrolling past.
For choosing our racks, bars, benches, bands, and shirts when you had a thousand other options.
For bringing our gear into your gyms, schools, teams, basements, and garages.
For letting our stories and mistakes become part of your training, and for sharing your stories back with us.
For holding us accountable to the standard you expect from elitefts.

You’ve given me and everyone here the chance to spend our lives doing work that matters to us and hopefully matters to you.

That is not something I will ever take for granted.

From my family, our staff, our team, and everyone who turns the lights on in this place:

Thank you.

May your bar be heavy enough to challenge you, light enough to move well, and surrounded by people who make you better under the bar and outside of it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Live, Learn, Pass On.