What a Five-Year-Old Taught Me About Strength, Business, and Life
A kindergartner who lost everything in a house fire looked around at his classmates and said, "I have all I need right here," and it changed how I think about training, business, and what actually matters.
How to Use the elitefts SS Yoke Bar: Every Application Worth Knowing
The SS Yoke Bar is not just a squat bar replacement. Here is how to get everything out of the most important specialty bar in any serious gym.
She Trained Through a Brain Tumor. Here's What She Learned About Autoregulation, Resilience, and Showing Up Anyway
elitefts Rebuild Series: Tom Sheppard sits down with powerlifter, gym owner, and brain tumor survivor Holly Torrez on autoregulation, sobriety, and what real resilience looks like.
The "Meathead" Manifesto: 6 Unconventional Lessons on Performance, Recovery, and the Edge of Sanity
"I wanted to know what it felt like to break a PR one more time."
The Student Guide to Grocery Store Navigation
For autistic college students, these guidelines can be instrumental in minimizing stress at the grocery store.
12-Week I Can Jump Rope Program
In a traditional gym class, how will the concept of jumping rope look for an autistic child? Considering that 79–83 percent of the autistic population does not display the appropriate motor skills for their age group, their needs will likely not be met. Until now...
Connect By Entering Their World
Where does a child go when their physical world is too loud or quiet, bright or dim, uses jargon that makes no sense? Somewhere worth visiting.
Why "The Power of a Note" is Empowering
The Power of a Note is an outreach tool for parents, educators, and personal trainers to help a child with autism reach his highest potential through movement and health.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength: Home Training
Now at home, this is a great opportunity to get the family involved by creating new healthy habits using indoor and outdoor space.
The Poopy Raccoon
In preparation for our next training session, I knew I needed the help of my coworkers. The next morning they all received the following email blast...
What's Right About "Rain Man"
Begin the motion to expand upon the public’s perception of autism with an educational application. How? Try filling in the blanks by using the movie "Rain Man" as your springboard.
A Program Progression for an Alternative Use of Basketballs and Volleyballs
It would’ve been easy to create another brand-new workout with different recreational equipment. But a more powerful lesson rather than starting at ground level in terms of skill, was for the students to observe their strengths and weaknesses and then create a plan to reach a new level of skill mastery.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #5 with Sheena Leedham
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate opens up about being a father to a son with Asperger's, and elitefts Managing Editor Sheena Leedham talks about training and educating Blaine and other young adults on the spectrum.
Supplemental Material for Table Talk Podcast on Autism
Do you have questions relating to exercise for a child or young adult with autism? For a father raising a child with autism? Click here to ask questions that Dave Tate and Sheena Leedham will address tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST on the Table Talk Podcast.
Under The Bar: They Are NOT Angry Birds! You Are the Parent
Navigating the seas of parenting a child with autism means weathering storms, passing shipwrecks, and getting stranded on an island. But there are always people willing to help get both parent and child back on board with resources aplenty.
An Alternative Use of Basketballs and Volleyballs for Exercise
The cool thing about this setup is we had a high possibility of creating new benchmarks and brand-new levels of mastery, which were more valuable than throwing a ball in a hoop or hitting a ball over a net (two activities by which these students have experienced failure through participation).
Change the World, Host a Joy Prom
I challenge you to use your gym to uplift and strengthen the community in another special way.
The 2018 Special Olympic Nationals with CJ Piantieri
I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of CJ. He may not fully understand what he’s overcome, but I do.
2018 Zoo Run Run: Team Not Team Old Man vs. Team Old Man
This was more than a 10-week prep geared to beat our previously recorded race time of 52 minutes and 32 seconds while flying past a self-proclaimed mashed-up meathead.
Year One with Men’s Aspirations — Developing Social Skills with Substance
This program provides a monthly social outlet for teens and young adults with high functioning autism. As we approach year one, I want to share how I’ve made this program my own.
Skip the Gym — The Scioto Challenge
Bridging the gap between immobility and action, this lesson served as another opportunity to reshape the students' negative associations with exercise and revamp their workout creativity in OSU’s backyard.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — Gym Training
The goal is to get an inactive child on the spectrum socially and physically strong through movement. This initial type of training, the first in a progression of eight, takes place in the gym.
![WATCH: Defining Autism — Beyond the Label [Documentary]](http://elitefts.com/cdn/shop/articles/DefiningHeaderImages.jpg?crop=region&crop_height=350&crop_left=117&crop_top=0&crop_width=465&v=1761017251&width=700)
WATCH: Defining Autism — Beyond the Label [Documentary]
This documentary is the culmination of years of intimate interaction with a child with autism. Interaction as a father, a mother, an educator, a trainer, and a friend.
