Powerlifting

It took more than 20 years of surveys for us to define what is optimal. These are some of those key items and teaching points we've picked up from those surveys, such as training group size considerations and training the squat from the bottom up.

Ideally, a good lifter should also be a good spotter. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Dave Tate will walk you through how to do a bench press lift-off — the proper way. This means you're not putting your nuts in the lifter's face and aren't taking the majority of the lift.

There are quite a few things to take into account when it comes to accessory training. If you ask Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan, a few of these things include program design and competition distance (measured in time, not miles or kilometers), and more.

Sure, you could just pull out some tarot cards or dust off your great-grandmother's crystal ball to predict what powerlifting's going to be like in 10 years. Better yet, you could listen to Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan's powerlifting predictions.

Disclaimer: Not all of us here at elitefts are doctors or physical therapists. Case in point: Joe Sullivan thinks the best way to deal with bicep tendonitis is to watch Dave Tate's Q&A because someone asks this question at least once a week.

Training is my therapy should sideline a powerlifter from competitions. If training really is your therapy, you're going to get hurt. If that's the case, you need to see an actual therapist. Seriously.

Even though you don't want to do it, you have to do it. And by "it," we mean "deload."

The phrase "when in doubt, test it out" applies to a lot of things, including bench pads that may or may not be at regulation height. Although technically, "when in doubt, throw it out" also works, except you're repurposing a yoga mat — not tossing a protein shake that might have been sitting in the back of your fridge for too long.

Technically, it isn’t wrong.

Why were you such a dick to me in 1998 when I met you and Lou for breakfast for the first time? You hurt my feelings.

His answer — revolving around canvas gear, Westside, and Louie — may surprise you.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the super-heavy lifts that cause most of the problems when training alone.