Visiting the elitefts compound to train for an upcoming meet, Henry Thomason utilizes a giant camber bar to accommodate his limited shoulder mobility while performing heavy single-ply squats and discussing the benefits of bar instability for hip strength.

The right weight for speed bench isn't found in a book — it's found under the bar, using a simple method that tells you exactly what to use based on your own strength and skill level.

The lifters and coaches who truly understand the phrase realize that competition doesn't kill community, it sharpens it.

"When you're in the poly bench shirt, there is a large horizontal travel with that bar, so you want to land like an airplane, not a helicopter, to reinforce proper elbow tucking mechanics".

To manage a torn hand mid-competition, a brutal "Russian" trick involves violently grinding a wire brush into the open wound seconds before the attempt to overload the brain's pain receptors. This extreme stimulation reportedly shuts off sensation just long enough to execute a heavy pull before the pain inevitably returns.

The elitefts Shoulder Saver Pad lets you bench press through shoulder problems by replicating a board press without needing a board, a training partner, or a prayer.

The EliteFTS gym evolved from a simple backyard shed used for sled work in 1998 into a world-class strength facility over the course of two decades of growth and warehouse relocations.

Grip failure doesn't announce itself until the bar is already moving — here's the complete system to fix it before it costs you another pull.

By maintaining a neutral pelvic position and initiating the descent by pushing through the quads like a leg extension, lifters can isolate the hamstrings without relying on the lower back or glutes for compensation. This technique allows for heavy training in a lengthened position with zero spinal loading, making the Glute Ham Raise (GHR) a superior tool for injury prevention and long-term resiliency.

The bench press is a sagittal plane grind. The Belden Bar trains the rotational capacity your shoulder girdle needs to survive it.

Autoregulation is fundamentally about managing your neurological fatigue by strategically adjusting training volume, intensity, and load to prevent overtaxing your central nervous system.

"Back then, you weren't training hard unless you crawled out of the gym. You thought you were wasting your time if you didn't see stars, puke in the trash can, or question your life choices on the drive home.

Conjugate training is fundamentally the coupling of different methods of muscle tension, combining the max effort method, the repetition method, and the dynamic effort method. The training week is typically divided into Max Effort Lower/Upper Body and Dynamic Lower/Upper Body days, with the critical requirement that the max effort exercise must be changed every week to provide a necessary varied stimulus.

Why the rackable cambered squat bar belongs in your training and how to use it to build a squat that doesn't fall apart under real weight.

Most lifters spend their time obsessing over sleep, supplements, and nutrition while the two variables that actually drive progress sit untouched. Here's why volume and intensity are still the volume controls on your training board.

The April 1980 issue of Powerlifting USA captures a pivotal moment in the history of strength. Bill Kazmaier is on the rise, organizational politics are heating up, and the training advice is as gritty as it gets. From roundback rack pulls to the secrets of the Spanjian Supersuit, we’re looking back at the legends who built the sport.

Most of us start out thinking strength is everything—until the bill comes due in the form of pain, surgery, or burnout. Here’s how to chase big numbers without letting them take everything from you.

"When moving heavy weight on the bench press, holding your breath through the entire repetition maximizes full-body stability, leading to the lifting mantra that 'blindness is anabolic' because staying tight and safe is more important than having perfect vision."

Incorporating Pendlay row variations into your training repertoire provides a posturally demanding strength movement that builds massive upper back strength and teaches the full-body tension needed to directly carry over to your deadlift and bench press.

Justin Zottl explains that common bench press mistakes, such as improper forearm angles and flaring elbows off the chest, cause lifters to waste energy and increase the risk of shoulder injury. To fix these issues, he recommends specific cues like squeezing the pinkies to maintain a vertical forearm and driving the knees out to keep the glutes glued to the bench for proper leg drive,.

The Glute Ham Raise (GHR) is an exceptional tool for building hamstring resiliency and strength in a lengthened position without the spinal loading associated with movements like stiff-leg deadlifts. By maintaining a neutral pelvic tilt and using the quads to initiate the descent like a leg extension, lifters can ensure the hamstrings take the full load while avoiding common compensation patterns from the lower back and glutes.

"Powerlifter Zachary 'Zeus' Smith sits down to discuss the gritty reality of strength sports, sharing wild stories of his viral rivalry with Joe Jackson, defending his gym from armed trespassers, and building a fiercely loyal, legacy-driven lifting community."

Discover the profound mental challenges athletes face when returning from a severe injury and explore actionable strategies to overcome self-doubt, rebuild your identity, and confidently regain your strength.

Applications for the 2026 Train Your Ass Off events close March 15th. Here's what past attendees said about it, in their own words.