Time has a way of humbling lifters. You stop worrying about who’s right and start recognizing who lasted. The legends weren’t always popular — they were just consistent long enough for everyone else to catch up. When you’ve been around this long, you realize that respect always arrives late, but it’s the only thing that sticks.

A 385-pound preacher once used a 1,000-pound squat to illustrate life, faith, and teamwork. His message was simple: you can take on a heavier weight when your family, friends, and purpose are solid, because nobody moves their biggest load alone.

Lifters chase novelty because the body adapts, and the mind gets bored. High-volume builds a base, while low-volume refines it. The pendulum keeps swinging because both work — for a while. What matters is not the method but the phase of life you’re in.

The truth is, every generation believes they had it tougher. The older crew will tell you, “Back in our day, it was real lifting,” and the new generation will say, “We’re stronger, faster, and more scientific than you ever were.”

Most lifters don’t stall because their program sucks—they stall because their habits do. These are the 7 “deadly sins” of training that quietly wreck your progress and what to do about each one.

Master the use of floss bands to achieve pain relief and increase range of motion through compression, tack and stretch, and blood flow occlusion in joints like the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

Everyone starts somewhere. Early on, it’s easy to look at newcomers and forget you were once guessing too. The difference between arrogance and experience is humility. If you’ve been in the game long enough, you realize the next wave isn’t your competition — they’re your continuation.

This approach provides several key benefits, including the desensitization of GGI tendon organs, improved recruitment of high threshold motor units, and a significant boost in confidence when handling super maximal loads, leading to direct carryover to the full main lift

Be careful what you criticize — you may do the same thing one day.

Fat bar training has been around for decades. I am not the first to discover it. However, I don’t know of anyone who has switched over to it 100% after 20 or more years of training with the standard bar.

Every year, the bars, racks, and chalk stay the same—but the people under the bar change, grow, and carry each other through. This Thanksgiving letter is my thank you to the lifters, coaches, and crews who’ve turned elitefts into a shared strength community, under the bar and beyond it.

Real functionality is simple — moving well under load and being able to repeat it tomorrow. If your “function” can’t translate to sport, life, or strength, it’s just entertainment.

This project is not just an upgrade; it’s a total reimagining of what a high school strength and conditioning facility can be. But more than that, it's a physical manifestation of a community's belief in its children. The result is a space that rivals collegiate-level programs, meticulously crafted with incredible attention to detail and a clear, unified vision.

I still remember the moment I got my first weight set. It was after I’d already started training for wrestling, and let’s be honest — I wasn’t exactly a natural. We had a universal weight set in the locker room, and the coach laid out the prescription: three sets of ten on each exercise.

The deadlift is one of the most debated lifts in strength training—celebrated for building raw power but criticized as a recipe for injury. The truth lies somewhere in between. 

Craig Foster has squatted over 1,000 pounds in 14 straight meets, but his success isn’t about chasing heavy gym lifts—it’s about patience, smart programming, and saving his best numbers for the platform. In this Table Talk conversation, Craig shares how he built a 2,298 lb total, why he keeps his biggest lifts for meet day, and the strategies he’s using to chase Ray Williams’ 1,080 lb all-time raw with sleeves squat record.

The box squat is a powerful tool for building explosive strength, improving squat mechanics, and developing the posterior chain. Learn how it compares to the back squat, with a clear breakdown of pros and cons for both lifts.

Powerlifting icon Dan Green returns to Table Talk to share 10 proven lessons on training, longevity, and building strength that lasts decades.

Strength isn’t just built in the gym — it’s the product of your body, your mind, and the world around you. In this episode of Table Talk, I sit down with Dr. Dwayne Jackson to unpack the Biopsychosocial Model and what it means for lifters, coaches, and anyone chasing long-term performance.

Dave Tate's FULL presentation from the LTT8. The topic is supplemental and accessory training for powerlifting. This is the entire uncut version:

Are you looking to take your bench press to the next level?

Conjugate Training offers several benefits for powerlifters. It helps in developing strength, power, speed, and muscle mass. The constantly changing exercises prevent overuse injuries and keep training interesting