training
COVID-19 and the Gym Rats
“Well, Lifetime Fitness is closed for now. They are freezing memberships – I am getting bloated as hell. I was wondering if you wanted some company in the garage gym and (long pause) maybe I could come and train with you a couple times?”
20 Questions
Time to play “20 Questions” to help you see the better side of the effect this pandemic has on your training. Bonus: Learn of an alternative household item you can use instead of toilet paper.
To Go or Not To Go?
The IPA, one of my favorite federations, held the Tennessee State Championships in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on March 14th. I went.
Ricardo Garcia and The Posterior Chainsaw
Ricardo Garcia had a problem. He had agreed to kill someone. Garcia accepted the money. He promised to do the job and took the money – an advance payment, from Jimmy Luciano of all people, “Chainsaw” Jimmy Luciano.
The Squat Epiphany
If I was that young woman in the picture with my present old mind, I would do it all differently. Unfortunately, I can’t rewind that tape but if you're reading this and you are or know of a young couple expecting a baby or handling their first one, this read may change your child-raising perspective.
Editor's Letter for April
I hope this letter lifts your sanity as we at elitefts continue to live, learn, and pass on – educating and outfitting the strongest athletes around the world. You'll find new content inside!
3 Major Principles of Weight Loss
Don’t start at 60 minutes a day on the stair stepper. It’s not about losing as much weight as soon as possible. Remember, it is very hard to gain muscle so we don’t want to be too aggressive with our weight loss and sacrifice the hard-earned muscle we have.
The Slipperiest Slope in Fitness
If you are a strength coach, personal trainer, or whatever other random fitness guru label and you’re diagnosing someone’s pain or prescribing rehab for an injury, you may want to watch your step – because you are on quite a slippery slope.
The Merits of Patience
If you are a “millennial” or, like me, a person from another generation who has become beguiled by the power and comfort of the internet and the society that it has engendered, I want to revisit the value of “the long haul.” World = Fast, Gym=Slow.
1300 at the WPO Semi-Finals
I’m glad that I got the total I wanted and hit a bench and deadlift PR. I JUST WANT TO MAKE MY GEAR DADDIES PROUD.
From Meathead to Streethead
I quizzed Mitch to uncover some of the keys to his transition from a resistance training focus to a largely conditioning focus – from a max bodyweight of 235 to a lean bodyweight of 165.
4 Barefoot Movements You Should Be Doing
Take it from Donnie Thompson and JL Holdsworth: If you are a powerlifter, field sport athlete, or strength coach ignoring the foot and ankle, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
Five Filters for Fitness Business Advice
Like the glass and boards around the rink that shield the players from hearing the noise from their parents, you as a business owner need to filter the advice you receive from outsiders (those that don't even run a business of their own). Here are 5 filters to consider.
The Next Generation Athlete
If you refuse to recognize that training the brain is the new frontier of sport science, you will be left behind. So, what video games are you and your athletes playing to increase performance skills?
Boosting Performance for the Desk Athlete
“Desk athlete” is a term that I have coined to describe corporate clientele. It's important for my clients to understand that although they may not be competing in a sport, they are part of a respective team where their mental, physical, and emotional well-being is required.
Information Overload
In today's world, information is being thrown at us 24/7. We have books, magazines, podcasts, video websites, Web pages, social media, etc. We have information about any subject literally at our fingertips. How do you decipher between what's quality or crappy?
How to Become a Successful Columnist for elitefts
Or in other words...here are five things I feel are important if you're going to be a successful writer. If I can do it, you can too.
TSA, Travel Sports, and Screwdrivers
For those of you required to travel by air frequently, if you have had difficulties with the Transportation Security Administration, you might enjoy this read. Just remember this: lacrosse sticks are NOT allowed in carry-on bags when flying.
One Training Size Fits One
Believe it or not, you don't need the assistance of a research team to make your training, health, and life decisions. Here's how to navigate through your uniqueness from identification to decision making.
War Within a Breath: How it Works
This is a brief introduction to a topic that we’ll chase down the rabbit hole over the series of the next couple of months. To master the breath and breathing can be one of your best assets for improving your training.
Editor's Letter for February
Last month, I shared the highly trafficked content from last year. For this month's letter, I'm sharing a few ways we’re tweaking content for 2020 — all to serve you better as training remains a top priority.
Test of Time: The Power Rack
Most people walk into a gym and expect to see a power rack. It's as natural a thing as the grass is green or the sky is blue. Over the decades, the power rack has remained a gym staple due to its versatility and reputation.
























