FAI and the Rehab Process: The IT Band as the Root of All Problems
Soft tissue therapy is an undeniably important aspect of the rehab process of Femoro-Acetabular Impingement, but there’s a commonly overlooked aspect as well: the iliotibial band, or IT band, which is often a major player in the cause of FAI.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #4 with Dave Tate
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate puts on a one-man show and answers listeners’ questions about his worst powerlifting meet, his high school football and wrestling career, and more.
Leg Workout of the Day with a Goblet Squat Death Drop
It’s not all that often you can say you made up a type of exercise… but that’s exactly what I did. Enter the Goblet Squat Death Drop, a Mark Dugdale Original. Or exclusive. Whichever one you prefer to call it, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it’s brutal and will complete your leg workout.
Kill Your Heroes
My heroes were strength athletes I admired and wanted to be like. They give us a base for the kind of person we want to become. But as we grow up, we eventually realize that our heroes are no different than us. That moment is the time to kill the heroes and rise above them.
The Evidence Supporting Partial Rep Training for the Squat, Bench, and D...
While full range of motion reps may be more convenient for the more inexperienced lifter, partial range of movement reps may be a good tool for advanced lifters hitting a plateau. Partial reps can overcome the main limitations of full range of motion training.
Conventional or Sumo? Or Both?
I’ve noticed a lack of variety in how people deadlift — conventional or sumo — as well as the fact that they rarely change pulls. As someone who does both, I wondered why that was. I set out to solve that mystery with a survey and found some answers from a variety of respondents…
WATCH: 8x8 Chest and Biceps
This part of the 8×8 program is brought to you by the Chippendales, coming to a workout near you! Just kidding — we’re going to build those pecs and biceps and make you, yes, you, look better than the average Chippendale stripper. (Program results may vary.)
Championship Nature Series: Dealing With Fear and Accepting Responsibility
This month, I have three stories to share on the topics of dealing with fear and accepting responsibility. Using illustrations from Joe Montana, the founder of Aikido, and Harry S. Truman, hopefully, next time you’re faced with adversity you won’t question, “Why me?”
Alwyn Cosgrove's 4-Week Program for Busy Times
We get that training is a top priority for most of our readers, but we also understand that life is messy and complicated. School and/or work can get in the way of training. It’s not realistic for training to come first all the time, which is why this realistic program was made.
Improve Your 1RM Bench Press with These Variations
I wanted to know the best movement to improve a lifter’s 1RM bench press, so I asked my powerlifting pals from all over the country for their two cents. I ended up with a lot of awesome movement suggestions, so hopefully one of these will work for you.
If You Snooze, You'll Lose Fat and Boost Your Productivity
“If you snooze, you lose,” as the old adage goes — though it never tells us what we lose from that snooze. But it turns out if we don’t snooze, we lose a lot of health benefits. Seven to eight hours of sleep is best for the average person, but the quality counts, too.
The Most Exciting Thing I've Ever Seen at a Bodybuilding Show
Before the Men’s Bodybuilding Finals could begin on stage, strongman had to finish the Stone Over Shoulder event. My first reaction was a giant eye roll. As if anything else couldn’t be any more boring than watching guys pose, I instead get to watch 400-pound men lift stones. Yay me.
C.J. Murphy's Specialty Bar Car Show #3
In my first two Specialty Bar Car Shows, I showed you a plethora of specialty bars: the elitefts Power Bar, trap bars, deadlift bars, the elitefts Rackable Cambered Squat Bar, and the Tsunami and Bandbell Bars. Now, in the grand finale, I’ve saved the best, most badass bar for last…
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Jim Wendler's 5 Core Values for T...
Core values are something that Jim… well, values. He’s got core values for every aspect of his life, whether it’s the core values he and his wife share, the core values at work, or core values for training. His fifth core value on the list took him eight years to figure out.
The '90s Called and It Wants Its Diet Back
When I tried out the fast-food dirty diet in the 1990s, I fit in my Frantz canvas suit like 15 pounds of sausage in a five-pound casing, and worse yet, my deadlift went down. Don’t make the mistake ’90s lifters (myself included) made — learn from it. Eat cleaner to lift better.
Gain Weight in Your Off-Season with This Meal Plan
After reading Mark Dugdale’s recent off-season diet article, I thought I would write about what my current diet in the off-season is like as well. Not only will I share my current off-season diet, but I’m also going to write about my process for gaining weight — not fat, but muscle.
Omaha Barbell Is More Than Just a Gym
“When we opened this gym, I just didn’t want it to be a gym; I wanted it to build a legacy that would always be remembered in Omaha.” Bret Carter, owner of Omaha Barbell Gym, talks about the growth of his gym and how he keeps his diverse gym membership thriving.
The Leadership Parallels Between the Successful Coach and the Successful...
After eight years of competing in strength sports and seven years of supervising employees, I’ve found that these parts of my life share several similarities when it comes to success. I’ve learned what makes the best coaches and bosses stand out from the rest. These three keys will help you do just that.
Back Workout of the Day with Rows, Pulldowns, and Pullovers
Another day, another back and bis workout. This one includes one of my favorite pulldown variations: Alternating Hammer Strength Pulldowns. You can do it from a stretched position or from a fully contracted position. Click to find out which one I chose and watch me do it in action.
The Two Variables That Change It All: Load and Speed
Your athletes’ load and acceleration will vary greatly depending on the skillset and experience of your athletes. Your athletes’ levels of experience will impact the ability of what they can and cannot do, as well as how you can assess and train these athletes at each level.
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.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #3 with Jim Wendler
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and Jim Wendler talk about a couple of documentaries, majoring in exercise science, the best way to break down the conjugate method, and more.
Equipment Feature — elitefts Power Bar
In this video, Equipment Sales Director Matt Goodwin shows off the elitefts Power Bar and its specs, focusing on the bar’s gnarly knurling. It’s amazing how it easily fits into just about any gym — garage, private, or commercial. It’s no wonder it’s a favorite!
How I Trained for a 600-Pound Bench
I’d been using the same blueprint that goes to 500 to get me to 585, and that’s where I went wrong. I had to analyze everything in order to customize a new plan to break that 600-pound barrier. This is how I did that.
Troubleshooting Strength Injuries: How to Autoregulate
Autoregulation is about being able to gather as much information as possible to assess the current situation and knowledge. Once you know that, you can apply this knowledge to autoregulate your training… but you’ll need to learn a couple of skills first.
WATCH: SSTSS Presenter Dr. Kinakin on Weightlifting Injuries in Athletes
With all of his credentials, it’s no wonder Dr. Ken Kinakin has been a speaker at elitefts seminars — and he’ll be taking up the role again for the upcoming 2019 Strong(er) Sports Training and Success Summit. Here are the topics he’ll be presenting on.
The Influence of Supernormal Stimuli on the Evolution of Bodybuilding
A conversation took me down the rabbit hole of supernormal stimuli — exaggerated stimuli that attract animals. It explains why people are attracted to over-the-top curves and beefy muscles… which you’ll find at bodybuilding competitions.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Why Do You Focus on Compound Lifts Ove...
In this clip from the first Table Talk Podcast, host Dave Tate and special guest Dan Green get to the bottom of this question… as well as what Dan means when he says the word “volume.” Is it muscle thickness? The amount of space an object occupies? Listen to find out!
Ask Questions, Read, and Ask More Questions
A beautiful transformation occurs when you begin to accept that difficulties are as inherent to our lives as breathing. For strength coaches, there is nothing more substantive to our daily lives than questions and books. Do you diverge from the routine?
The Quadruped Row Exercise for Lat Isolation Issues
Have a lat activation issue? So does elitefts athlete Joe Sullivan. After getting the green light from his physical therapist (and thinking like an athlete even though he’s a self-proclaimed “dumb weightlifter”), he’s working on some isolation exercises, like the quadruped row.
The Beginner's Guide to Conjugate and Concurrent Training Systems
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.
Training Our Thought Process
Just the other day, I was listening to a motivational speech that got me going. That speech made it clear to me that an evolution of the thought process and perception of what training should be is how lifters and strength athletes progress to the higher levels.
Leg Workout of the Day with 8x8x8 Banded Leg Extensions
No, you’re not seeing deja vu. This workout features: 1. Lying Leg Curls 2. Leg Extensions 3. Cambered Bar Squats 4. Banded Leg Extensions 5. Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deads. Per the usual, click to see the sets, reps, equipment used for this leg workout, and find out what’s super-setted.
How to Program for a Large Group of Athletes with Limited Resources
The DOMINATE method is a way of working out a team with the bare minimum while still being able to maximize results. It consists of eight principles that all successful strength and conditioning programs must have and must be able to do.
10 Tips for Managing Fat Loss Goals on the Road
Going on vacation is a blast, but not when you’re trying to blast body fat. Nothing is more frustrating than working on a show-prepped and/or beach-ready bod only to lose progress while you’re actually at the beach… so here are 10 tips to help you avoid that. Von boyage!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #2 with JL Holdsworth
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and JL Holdsworth reminisce about their time at Westside Barbell, perspective and the meaning of “going all in,” figuring out band and chain percentages, and more.
The Meet That Was Like a Family Reunion
This was the first meet that I attended neither as participant, lifter, nor spectator; instead, I was a coach, cheerleader, and go-fer. At this meet, Flex Gym proved it is as much a family as any group I have ever seen. Everyone is there for everyone else.
Bodybuilding for the Powerlifter: The Hamstrings (with Sample Deadlift R...
In this “powerbuilding” article, we’re looking at hamstrings — a muscle group bodybuilders and strength athletes alike struggle to develop. If you’re naturally lower-body dominant, you don’t need to spend tons of time on ’em. But if you’ve got piglets instead of hammies, I don’t need to convince you to read on.
Top 5 for February
Here are the articles, blogs, and logs that were clicked, read, liked, and shared the most for February: Add 100 Pounds to Your Deadlift, Technically, You’re Weak, Talon Grip for Squats, The Anti Shrug and Why It’s Important, and more! Find out too, a couple of things we’re compiling for March.
Bring the Juice
In order to fully help your athletes maximize their performance while bringing the juice as a coach, you have to be able to communicate to them how to do the lifts properly — through effective and efficient cues. Here, take a sample sip of some of my juicier cues.
Don’t Let the Wheels On The Bus Run Your Ass Over
If you were on a serious and strict diet in 1985, you really had very few, if any, options to go out to eat and you were relegated to eating only at home. In 2019, there really is no excuse not to eat relatively well while out at a restaurant unless you simply DO NOT WANT TO.
WATCH: What I'm Seeing and Why It’s Wrong: Fixing the Sumo Deadlift
elitefts coach and 2019 Stronger Sports Training Success Summit speaker Julia Anto has seen far too many social media lifts with poor form — enough to start up a video series to correct lifters’ form. In the first video of the series, she fixes the sumo deadlift.
The End Game: Flow and Performance
At the core of extreme well-being is a state of consciousness and physical experience that has been called flow. In this final chapter of the “motivation” series, we’ll define flow and have a better understanding of how it happens.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — How Do I Get Stronger at 41 Years Old?
In this clip from the first-ever Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and guests Dan Green and Andrew Herbert answer an Instagram DM question. They talk about aging tipping points, wear and tear, and walking a tightrope when it comes to becoming stronger.
Matt Mills Finishes in 18th Place of 40 at the 2019 Arnold Amateur Stron...
I might not have made it as a top-10 heavyweight finalist in the 2019 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships, but I sure learned a lot while I was there. Plus, I’ll be sure to apply everything I learned this time around at my next competition.
The Practice Squad
I recently reconnected with an old client: Don Cherry, whom I first met as a 16-year-old football player. Over the last several years, I’ve been lucky to watch that kid I trained in the belly of the Beast become a college and NFL football player and most recently, one of the voices behind a great podcast.
The Art of Programming for Injury Prevention/Risk Management
I believe the most important role of a strength and conditioning coach is to create programs that minimize the risk of injury. Armed with knowledge from a study on rugby injuries, I wrote a program that focuses on strengthening injury-prone areas. Here's what I came up with.
JP Carroll Takes Second Place at the 2019 XPCs
Before I get into my recap of the 2019 XPC World meet, I want to say, I took second place — even with my fifth 2,200-pound total and seventh 900-pound squat — for no other reason than I wasn't strong enough that day.
Workout of the Day: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps with Mark Dugdale
1. Incline Bench Press 2. Banded Dumbbell Flat Bench 3. Dips with Chains and Machine Flyes 4. Shoulder Press and High Lateral Plate Raises 5. Machine Laterals 6. Rear Delt Swings and Close Grip Bench — click to see the sets, reps, and equipment I used for this chest, shoulders, and triceps workout.
6-Step Method to Develop Pure Strength
Before you enter pure strength development, there are a few steps that must be considered. And I know this may sound like rocket science for some, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. I’ve used this method to develop three world champions in powerlifting in only 18 months.
Your Strength and Conditioning Blueprint for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
While training myself and others, I’ve started to notice areas where most BJJ guys and gals are lacking when it comes to their strength training: fundamental movement patterns, mobility, stability, core and upper back work, and recovery. Here's how to improve.
Bryan Doberdruk Returns to Full Power Pro at 2019 XPCs
I moved back to northeastern Ohio and started training with a new group to prepare for the 2019 XPCs. For the last couple of years, I've only done the 21-Deadlift Salute. This year, though, I decided to come back and do the full meet, and here are the final results.
Jo Jordan Cuts Squat Suit to Lift 965 Pounds at 2019 XPCs
"It got to a point where I couldn't feel my legs... I got the up call, and nothing happened." Join Team elitefts athlete Jo Jordan as he receives his medal on-stage for the 2019 XPC Worlds competition. He recounts his lucky comeback in the squat event and shares a sneak peek at what happens behind the curtain...
Your Checklist for a Perfect Personal Training Session
Through my 22 years of coaching, I've found that all great personal trainers have things in common. While there's no one single script we follow, it helps me to have a checklist. So I'm sharing a checklist I give to my staff when they start one-on-one training at my gym.
Learn to Train X — Dave Tate Teaches the Max Effort Method
"How do you get better at lifting heavier weights? Well, you do it by lifting heavier fucking weights!" In this video from Learn to Train X, Dave focuses on instructing the max effort method, which is working up to a “heavy fucking weight that’s generally going to be 90 percent or above," including technical breakdown.
A Snapshot of My Off-Season Diet — Health, Recovery, and Efficiency
Despite my absence from the stage, I often get emails asking about my diet. Yes, it’s different and much looser than my approach when I'm highly focused on professional bodybuilding. In fact, that makes this article more applicable to the majority of people.
WATCH: How to Properly Do a Bench Press Lift-Off
Ideally, a good lifter should also be a good spotter. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Dave Tate will walk you through how to do a bench press lift-off — the proper way. This means you're not putting your nuts in the lifter's face and aren't taking the majority of the lift.
The Future of Box Programming
I've seen an influx of boxes close over this last year—more than prior years. This tells me that we need to change to survive. My suggestion? Pull away from the hardcore box audience and focus more on programming for the general population.
Always Have a Plan
It’s never been about making these “New Year, new me” resolutions; it’s about dedicating yourself to the daily process, having a vision, and having a plan in every aspect of your life. Want to be a head strength coach? Have a plan and dedicate yourself daily to the process.
