By predicting a lift's perceived exertion and comparing it to the actual physical outcome, athletes develop crucial "neural encoding" that trains the central nervous system to consistently achieve true high performance.

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

A training method built on Paul Anderson's original overload principles that lets advanced lifters break through strength plateaus by systematically raising neurological force output.

Build a bigger chest and back by learning how elbow path, grip angle, wrist freedom, and joint position determine where tension actually goes. This article breaks down smarter pressing, dips, pulldowns, rows, and EliteFTS gear choices for more precise hypertrophy training.

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.

Most missed benches are not just strength problems—they are position problems. This guide breaks down how to use elitefts bands to create controlled “chaos,” build a tighter unrack, strengthen the upper back, improve lat engagement, and develop the bracing capacity needed to stay locked in under heavy weight.

The max effort method is one of the most powerful tools in strength training. It's also one of the most misunderstood.

The method that built your best results can become the thing holding you back — here's why most lifters stay stuck and what to do about it.

Build a stronger, faster, more explosive lower body with a sport-focused training model that blends maximal strength, contrast training, plyometrics, sled work, unilateral development, and force–velocity profiling for better transfer to the field.

 "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.

Every strength athlete eventually faces the question: Can I come back, or should I? Tyler Desplenter, PhD, reflects on 14 years of strongman, serious injuries, lessons in rehabilitation, and the moment when the pursuit of strength becomes bigger than the platform.

Most of what wrecks you never actually happens. It's the thinking about it that does the damage.

"It's just always constantly trying to improve your situation, you know, constant and never-ending improvement all the time; that's just what it's about to me".

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.

Four traps will end most training careers before they start — here's how to recognize them and what to do instead

You are broadcasting pain to people who cannot change it, while avoiding every conversation that could.

A practical guide to neck training for lifters, combat athletes, and contact sports. Learn when to train the neck, how to progress neck bridges safely, and how to use harness extensions, lateral flexion, and banded protraction to build a stronger, more resilient neck.

In late 1980, powerlifting was at a crossroads. While icons like Mike Bridges were shattering barriers, the sport was grappling with internal politics and the steroid debate. We revisit this classic issue to uncover the training secrets of Hiro Isagawa and the gritty culture of the original iron game

A simple thought experiment with a plank reveals more about your values, your training, and your life than any goal-setting framework ever will.

Motivation is not something you wait for. It is something you build. This article breaks down how action, progress, and better goal-setting create the kind of long-term drive that keeps lifters training when the weight gets heavy, life gets messy, and excuses start talking.

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.

Most people think podcasting is as simple as hitting record. Table Talk proves otherwise. This behind-the-scenes breakdown shows the 25-hour workflow Elitefts uses to produce every episode, including guest sourcing, booking, AI-powered prep, live production, post-production, thumbnail strategy, and publishing.

The June 1980 archive captures a sport at a technical crossroads. From the inaugural Women's World Powerlifting Championships to the physiological secrets of Roger Estep's incredible mass, this issue is a masterclass in old-school strength and early exercise science