Guidelines For Injury-Free Progress: Controlling Intensity
“If I train strength and conditioning at the same time, will both suffer?” Unless you are taxing your recovery or training in completely disparate ways, you can train both domains. Here are a few ways you can do that.
Physics 101 for Performance Enhancement
If you understand the science of physics and how to apply it, you’ll have a better understanding of sports and performance enhancement. You owe it to your athletes to understand the fundamentals. Let's get started.
10 Things You Can Start Doing to Extend Your Lifting Career
To this day, I still have new members of my gym argue with me on nutrition and training, only to regret not listening later on. Follow these tips and you will not only continue to get stronger for years to come, but you will also stay injury-free.
The Lost Art of Smelling Salts
No, that white powder I sniff before lifting is not cocaine — it's smelling salts! If you're curious about smelling salts, you're in the right place because back in my day, we would've never wasted the greatness of smelling salts...
Push/Pull/Legs Split for Muscle Size
Try out this very effective program for hypertrophy that's ideal for beginners and intermediates alike. All you've got to do is train four days per week using this three-day split: push, pull, and legs.
Stop Compensating Early
If you're new to powerlifting, you don't need gear. Seriously. Start training raw and see where it takes you. Oh, and if you're an athlete, I'd better not see you putting on lifting gear.
elitefts Classic: So You Think You Can Bench?
This is a series of videos Dave Tate asked us to republish due to the number of times he sends them out each week on his Instagram AMA and DMs.
Under the Baa-r: Lessons Learned in Herding, From Me to Ewe
In a week, my girlfriend and I went from the APF Women's Pro-Am in Cincinnati to taking our dog an Intro to Herding Class in Nova, Ohio. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I learned a lot about dogs, sports, and life in general.
3 Don'ts for the Early Deadlifter
My son sent a text last week — just a video of him deadlifting in our garage gyms. We discussed one of the mistakes we discovered he was making at the start of the pull. It was our discussion that influenced this article.
How to Build a Yearly Plan for Powerlifters
Plan, execute, evaluate, readjust, and repeat. Those are the steps I take when developing a program for a client — and coincidentally, the same ones I cover in this article.
44 Things to Pack for Your Next Meet
Packing the basics is just half the battle. Meet sites can be cold, uncomfortable, and might be far from easy access to good food. All variables need to be taken into consideration while packing for meet day... and these 44 items will help you cover your bases.
Strength and Conditioning is Failing: Certifications and Qualifications
It’s a system, not a program. It can be tailored to suit whatever your goals are: powerlifting, athletics, CrossFit, marathon running... You name it, and this system can’t be beaten. This article is meant to show beginner powerlifters how to set up their own conjugate-based program.
Your First Meet Cycle — How to Lay the Program's Foundation
Don't be the newbie lifter who falls into the tiger pit traps during your training cycle. That'll only hurt you in the long run — or at least in those first competitions. Don't be afraid to start training too light and save your attempts for the platform. Not enough advice? I've got six other tips, so read on...
The Dynamic Effort Method with Beginners
Many people will say, “Don’t do it with beginners” and it’s a good thing I’m somewhat anti-establishment because DEM has been a great tool in the development of a lot of beginner-athletes. The simple answer is: just do it.
WATCH: Table Talk — Best Ways to Improve Technique Without a Coach
There are times when new lifters have the determination to improve, but they don’t have a coach in their corner to help them stay focused and make the necessary adjustments to their technique.
The Biggest Mistakes First-Time Competitors Make in Training and at the Meet
These seven mistakes are by far the most prevalent I see for powerlifters in their first meet. They're also very easy to avoid if you know how.
5 Things You Must Know as a Novice Powerlifter
Your future in this sport deserves to be worked on not only at the gym and with your physical strength and power, but outside of the weight room as well, with your mental focus and contemplation.
Reasons Why You're Weak — Inefficient Technique, Outcome-Focused, Micro-Managing, Online, and Over-Thinking
Without question, the number one reason most lifters don’t lift the weights that they are able to is...
Advice High School Lifters Will Ignore (But Shouldn't)
While putting together a training presentation for a local high school, I gave some thought to the things I wish someone would have told me in high school. I probably wouldn't have listened anyway, but here they are.
Coaching Your First Powerlifting Meet
I'm going to give you what I wish I always had: a damn good guide for beginning coaches for their first meet. If you don't have a mentor or somebody to help guide you, this is perfect for you.
WATCH: Table Talk — Training for Your First Powerlifting Meet in 2018
Dave has responded to this question many times but, like the sport of powerlifting, the answer evolves. Based on the sport today, here are guidelines for expectations, performance, and how to design a program.
Observations of Beginner Powerlifting Mistakes
With five years in the sport of powerlifting, my best total before I came to Westside Barbell was 1685. After training at Westside for a little over three years, my best total is 1950. Here are the big issues to avoid if you want similar progress.
Find a Real Gym
Here are several reasons free weight training coupled with a real gym can be a superior alternative for a female trainee.
WATCH: Table Talk — How Should a 15-Year-Old Begin Training for Powerlifting?
What's the difference between a teenager who is an absolute beginner and an older lifter coming back from a decade-long layoff?