LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — What Lift Are You Most Proud Of?
While Dave's AWOL, Jim Wendler, Matt Rhodes, and Vincent Dizenzo fill in and answer questions. This question (what lifts are you most proud of?) sparks a conversation about coaching and fond memories this trio of friends shared and are now sharing with you.
Should the Patient Hear the Pop?
When I started adjusting patients, I liked the sound of popping. I was really attached to it. But if you're just trying to hear that "pop," you might end up hurting someone for something that might not have been necessary in the first place.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Cailer Woolam on Gaining Weight and Going for WRs
Believe it or not, Cailer Woolam gets a lot of questions about why he's not gaining weight to break more records. But at age 24, he's got plenty of time and work ahead of him.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Wendler, Rhodes, and Dizenzo Respond to Robert Oberst’s Criticism of the Deadlift
It's not really a controversy unless we talk about that particular controversy, right? Well, if you wanted some hot takes on Robert Oberst's deadlift criticism, you're in the right place!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — What High School Strength Coaches are Screwing Up for Incoming Freshmen
If "what you're saying you're doing and what you're doing to the athlete doesn't match up... I'm calling BS on your integrity." Phil Matusz, OSU's associate director of strength and conditioning, shares a powerful message for high school strength coaches.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — What is Cortisol? John Meadows Explains
Cortisol. It strikes fear into the hearts of most men. But cortisol is nothing to be afraid of. It serves a good purpose, and John Meadows is here to explain its benefits.
If I Don't Have a Practitioner, Where Do I Go for Help?
I don’t care if it’s a physical therapist, a chiropractor, or a medical doctor. You need someone who looks at the overall picture, not just the area that's giving you trouble.
Learning the Language of a Prospect
We tend to go into things with fitness coach or trainer eyes. We need to start seeing through the clients' eyes and thinking like they do. We need to relate to them. Once you do that, you can take them on a journey.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Why Strength Coaches are D-Bags
Matt Rhodes' takeaway lessons for strength coaches in this clip: Put your best foot forward. Stop screaming and start communicating. Hold yourself accountable. Do better and be better.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — JM Blakley and Dave Tate Discuss Meditation for Athletes
“Meditation is like a drink of water. You’re thirsty. You drink a little bit, and you feel better. Then you get thirsty again, and that’s what meditation’s like.” Meditation might not be a cure-all, but it can make a huge difference in an athlete's performance.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The ONLY Way to Build Confidence
“There’s only one way to build confidence, David...” JM Blakley, the creator of the JM Press, isn't afraid to call Dave Tate out... by his full first name, then, in true coaching fashion, breaks down what it is that good trainers and coaches do.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Trying to Bulk to 400 Pounds?
If Dave Tate has to pull himself together before answering a question, you know it's going to be a good answer. And boy, does he deliver (along with some tips from Joe Sullivan and Janis Finkelman).
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The Glory Days
Talk about a blast to the past: Dave Tate, Jim Wendler, and Matt Rhodes relive the so-called glory days of training in the winter without heat and using knee wraps as wrist wraps. Best of all, it's all documented in an old video. There's no way to bury that evidence!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Training for the US Marines
Unless you're trying to become a Special Forces operator, don't sweat it too much. The biggest training you'll have to do is in your brain. Stay strong, and you can survive boot camp.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The Big Misconception About Chuck Vogelpohl
If you're emulating Chuck Vogelpohl by ramming your head into the bar and yelling like a wild person at meets, you're doing it wrong.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — "Figuring Shit Out" is Lost
If you're new to strength sports, don't be afraid to go into a gym and try to figure shit out. You don't need to hire a coach immediately — in fact, Dave Tate and Hypertrophy Coach Joe Bennett recommend going into the gym with a friend and have some fun.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip —The Missing Link to Social Skills: Movement
This is going to debunk everything we know about autism. Sheena Leedham talks about how she intertwined movement and social skills through the OSU Men's Aspirations program.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Playing the "Autism Card" in Public
When a stranger asks the guardian of a child with autism to calm down their kid, should they say, "Sorry, my kid has autism"? Dave Tate and Sheena Leedham share their perspectives on what to do in that situation.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The Programming Process Behind the Workout
Training is more than the squat, bench, and deadlift — especially for a child on the autism spectrum. According to Sheena, bring together observation, communication, scheduling, progression, and motivation, and you’ll have a solid start to a program.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Jim Wendler's 2-Minute Conjugate Breakdown
Conjugate. You keep using that word. We do not think it means what you think it means. Why is conjugate training so hard to understand? It's not! In fact, because it's so easy to understand, Jim Wendler can explain it in two minutes. Two minutes! It's that simple.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — The Worst Powerlifting Injury Dave Saw at a Meet
Dave answers this question barely even a second after hearing it aloud: "Marc Bartley." This one isn't for those with weak constitutions... or stomachs...
LISTEN: Table Talk Clip — Dave Tate's Worst Powerlifting Meet
As the title states, Dave Tate talks about his worst meet. It happened not long after he'd joined Westside in the mid-1990s at the Junior Nationals in Aurora, Illinois...
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Jim Wendler's 5 Core Values for Training
Core values are something that Jim... well, values. He’s got core values for every aspect of his life, whether it’s the core values he and his wife share, the core values at work, or core values for training. His fifth core value on the list took him eight years to figure out.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Why Do You Focus on Compound Lifts Over Isolation Lifts?
In this clip from the first Table Talk Podcast, host Dave Tate and special guest Dan Green get to the bottom of this question... as well as what Dan means when he says the word "volume." Is it muscle thickness? The amount of space an object occupies? Listen to find out!