Jordan Buchla squatted 820 pounds at a fraction of the size of most elite lifters. The reason comes down to one thing most people refuse to give: time under the bar before the bar moves.

Valerie Smith’s path through powerlifting proves that the platform is only one part of the education. From bombing out at her first meet to becoming a lifter, coach, referee, and meet director, she learned that better lifting comes from better decisions, sharper standards, and a broader view of the sport.

The barbell builds you, teaches you, humbles you, and eventually demands something back. Inspired by Elitefts Table Talk Episode #422, this article breaks down the hard-earned lessons Jim Wendler, Matt Rhodes, and Vincent Dizenzo share on aging under the bar, coaching the next generation, training for longevity, and redefining strength when max-effort lifting is no longer the goal.

Table Talk #346 with Dr. Todd Lee breaks down the exact checklist to run before assuming you've hit a real plateau

From teenage lifter to burned-out founder, Mike Stratton’s story is a raw look at strength culture, hormone health, entrepreneurial sacrifice, and the wake-up call that reshaped his mission with Marek Health.

 "All of these different diets at the end of the day do their thing because of how they influence the actions of insulin," meaning the best nutritional approach is simply the one that allows you to remain consistent within the demands of your specific lifestyle and budget.

What does it take to hit PRs for 10 straight years without burning out? Marcellus “The Swolefessor” Williams breaks down competing often, building work capacity, treating powerlifting as a skill, protecting your mental battery, and using strength to build a better life—not just a bigger total.

Table Talk guest Mike Niklos breaks down why your first assessment question should never involve a barbell, what the conjugate method actually means, and why communication is the only coaching skill that will matter in 30 years.

Matt Sharafinski’s story is more than a powerlifting comeback. From high school addiction and identity struggles to becoming “The Sheriff,” an elite 2,000-pound totaler and coach, this feature breaks down how discipline, psychology, health, and the weight room helped him rebuild his life under the bar.

"I'm a poly athlete, I do everything, not all year round. Usually, I layer things seasonally, in the right time period, and I periodize them correctly in blocks."

Elite strength is built in the margins. This article breaks down how elite powerlifters evolve over time through smarter programming, better fatigue management, refined technique, harder accessory work, stronger training environments, and strategic weight-class decisions.

"If you want to achieve your ultimate physical goals, you must become 'every type of jacked' by mastering autoregulation and truly understanding the biological systems that drive your performance and recovery."

Three elite athletes sat down at the S5 Compound and broke down the American Gladiators reboot on Prime Video, including everything the cameras didn't show.

Dr. Pat Davidson breaks down the billionaire myth of accidental muscle growth, the meathead bell curve, and how high-ground training choices change everything for hypertrophy.

Dr. Dwayne Jackson returns to Table Talk with six science-backed lessons on RPE calibration, auto-regulation, the gym as medicine, and what actually separates lifters who keep progressing from those who plateau and break down.

Dave Tate and a current multi-ply competitor, Bob Merkh, go deep on fractured federations, band shirts, judging inconsistency, and the hidden cost of putting the bar before everything else.

Swede Burns walked into a Philadelphia meet sick, fifteen pounds lighter, and without his wrist wraps. What happened next took a surgeon and three years to fix.

"As much as I talk about the setup being so key for a raw bench, the handoff process is bar none the most important part for a quip bench in my opinion".

Former powerlifter Pete Rubish discusses his radical transformation into a marathon runner, unpacking the severe health scares that forced him to step away from extreme lifting in pursuit of a balanced life, longevity, and faith.

Tim Walsh drove 12 hours through a blizzard to sit down at the S5 Compound and deliver one of the most practical gut health conversations we've had on Table Talk.

 "I've said you cannot outlift being an asshole, your numbers are going to get you attention, that's not what lasts".

Every system in the human body... is highly affected by movement and movement has a Tipping Point that is either going to be anabolic or catabolic depending on which side of the Tipping Point you are too much or too little".