How SWIS 2016 Blew My Mind
People will be talking about the 2016 SWIS for a long time to come as one of the best symposiums ever.
Our UGSS Experience with John Meadows
As gym owners, we've followed elitefts for a long time, but this was our first chance to train at the compound and meet members of the team. It solidified every reason we love this company.
Frankenstein's Perfect Powerlifter
Once I caught wind of Dr. Frank's new project, I knew I wanted to learn more. This is the story of my visit to his lab and home gym.
The SWIS Symposium — Everything That's Right with the Fitness Industry
I could write a book on everything I learned from the 30-plus pages of notes I took from the weekend. Instead, I’m going to give you the Cliffs Notes version.
The Real Reasons You’re Not Making Progress
You can come up with a lot of excuses to explain your plateaus or you can follow this advice and find a solution.
BIGHORN — The Mace and the Jedi
Watching the hydraulic door slowly lower itself closed had felt like an eternity. We wouldn’t last long if a couple of those things followed us inside.
Breathing IS NOT Bracing
A hot water balloon and a balloon for a child's party can both be filled with air, but that doesn't make them equally strong or stable. This is how you need to think of your training.
Fatigue vs Fatigue Compensation: Functional Abdominal Training
Instead of relying on outdated and sub-optimal methods, choose a more functional approach in combination with PRI to optimize ribcage position and abdominal strength.
Why Fitness Articles Suck — Confessions of a Content Mill Author
If you’ve been in the fitness industry for a couple of decades like I have, you may be wondering what the hell happened. Fitness articles weren’t this bad when we were starting out, were they?
Novel Stimulus or Stupid Human Trick?
Cutting through the clutter of fitness information out there, here's a checklist to help you to figure out what works (and what doesn’t) for your training and the training advice you offer others.
Just Breathe
Every lifter should learn to "fill low" and generate pressure in the proper area of their lower abdomen.
BIGHORN — The Prowler and the Comanche
It was hard to expunge Jeff’s screams from my mind—and the blood; so much blood sprayed over the Prowler he’d been pushing...
Selfish or Selfless?
Everyone has a line. You may not know where it is and you may never reach it, but it's there.
Why I Love Powerlifting: 2016 RPS Lexen Dog Days
This was my first push/pull meet and I kept repeating to myself, "It's time. Work is done. Make it happen."
Strength Training for Young Athletes — Safety, 1RM Testing, Growth Plates, and Testosterone
In this second part, we are going to look at more research regarding 1RM testing and break down multiple falsehoods about why young athletes should not strength train.
Mental Health and the Strength Athlete: Building A Better Training Program
When building an effective training program, you must consider each variable that influences your performance — including the stressors that affect your mental health.
You’ll Be An Old Bastard One Day Too
If you had asked me when I was 20 if I was going to still be training at almost 50, I would have said absolutely. I just didn’t know these five things would change.
Fatigue vs Fatigue Compensation — Manual Resistance
First in this series, we are going to improve the body's resistance to fatigue compensation by better understanding and coaching movement.
How to Naturally Manipulate Insulin to Improve Body Composition and Performance
This is a highly effective tool when trying to gain new muscle and recover from tough workouts...but only if used appropriately.
Tweaking the APRE Cluster Method
I had used the APRE Method with great results in the past. After trying some new things in the summer, we decided to implement these changes in the fall.
Expectations vs. Suggestions
I've been struggling with this and now it's time to talk. When rules and expectations become mere suggestions, we need a change.
Understanding Self-Sabotage — Too Legit To Not Quit?
There are legitimate reasons that sidetrack us, and there are situations where we want to find an obstacle so we don't have to work. Do you know the difference?
We Are Just Cavemen With Smart Phones
Technology moves forward, but we are the same. Physically, we are all made of the same DNA as the humans who came before us. Let's train like it.
Mental Health and the Strength Athlete: Why Powerlifters Get Ulcers
I’m going to focus on three variables and interactions that affect stress response in the athlete: life events, mental illness, and training.