Returning From Injury After a Layoff
Coming back after a layoff can be a chance to address imbalances, but it also presents the opportunity for new imbalances to develop. Common sense suggests that testing strength after a layoff isn’t the best idea. But if you are going to do it, keep these things in mind.
12 Rules for Becoming a Better Strength Coach
These 12 rules are a culmination of experience and mistakes and were written for younger strength coaches, who I hope understand the long journey they have in front of them. While your principles are and should still be forming, it’s always a good thing to have some rules to keep you on track.
Men of Strength Sports Performance Podcast #4: Jeff Ward
This episode’s guest is Georgia Southern University’s director of Olympic strength and conditioning: Jeff Ward. Coach Ward was a part-time assistant when I started working there, and he made a huge jump to the director position. He’s got a good story of how he got there, so listen up!
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #1 with Dan Green and Andrew Herbert
In the first Table Talk Podcast episode, Dave Tate, along with guests Dan Green and Andrew Herbert, answers listeners’ questions about getting stronger at 42 years old, compound movements, key indicators for bench press, and more.
Femoro-Acetabular Impingement and the Rehab Process: The Diagnosis
Femoro-Acetabular Impingement (FAI) can often be asymptomatic and will not affect some people’s daily lives — even who test positive to the diagnostic procedures. However, that does not mean that the management of FAI should be ignored, as it may be a factor in hip osteoarthritis in later life.
Buddy Morris on Stress and Recovery for the Athlete
“Play the game; don’t let the game play you.” Coach Buddy Morris (one of the speakers for the 2019 Strong(er) Sports Training and Success Seminar) talks about stress adaptation and recovery with Dave Tate, Tom Myslinski, and Jim Wendler in the sixth video of a nine-part conversation.
Workout of the Day: Back and Bis with Mark Dugdale
1. MAG Scapula Retraction Pulldowns 2. Max Tension Hammer Strength Rows 3. Decline Banded Pullover 4. Away Facing Pulldowns 5. Isolation Curls 6. Incline Dumbbell Curls — click to see the sets, reps, and equipment I used for this back and biceps workout.
Viva La Flama Blanca: An Interview with Anthony Fuhrman
Between three jobs, strongman competitions, and his appearance on The Titan Games, 105-kilogram World’s Strongest Man Anthony Fuhrman shares his thoughts on pro middleweight strongman issues, meeting one of his childhood idols, and Taylor Swift.
A Bodybuilding Rewind with Lee Haney and Dr. Fred Hatfield
Every once in a while, you find a rare gem hidden deep within your computer’s files. This particular jewel was an interview I did with bodybuilder Lee Haney and the late Dr. Fred Hatfield — Dr. Squat himself! — in 2014.
12-Week Strong(wo)man Program for the Off-Season
This month’s featured program is great for those who’ve recently finished training for a contest and are getting into the nitty-gritty of off-season training. It’ll keep your gains coming in at a steady pace, improve your base strength, and help you peak while training for your next contest.
Where Have You Been, Joe Clark?
As most writers in the bodybuilding industry are aware, the majority of people who troll are crybaby meatheads who think they deserve your writing gig because they are so much more knowledgeable. This was not so with Joe Clark…
The Staggered Leg Deadlift with Dr. Eric Serrano
This is a great exercise to use before the leg training session begins to activate the posterior chain and wake up dormant muscles. Feedback from numerous clients, including NFL athletes, tells us that squatting and running feel much better following this specialized movement.
WATCH: Table Talk — The Most Common Mistakes Novice Powerlifters Make
Sage words Joe Sullivan recently read online: “Powerlifting is basically just keeping your abs and back tight and squeezing a bar and trying not to lose position.” Joe notices his clients, both old and new, tend to struggle with at least one of these things. (And breathing. Definitely breathing.)
C.J. Murphy's Specialty Bar Car Show #2
In my second Specialty Bar Car Show, I’m going to teach you everything I know about the Tsunami Bar, Bandbell Bar, and — one of my all-time favorites — Safety Squat Bars. If I haven’t sold you on any of these bars, remember this…
The Best Speed Drill for High School Athletes
Sprinting with a weighted sled has become my go-to exercise for improving an athlete’s ability to accelerate because it teaches and trains those mechanics. My athletes have consistently improved thanks to to sled sprints!
The Time In-Between Sets Matters
You see lost lifters jumping from one diet to another or from one program to the next, thinking they bought a long-lost ingredient to the stew that is strength and power. But the actual missing ingredients are right in front of them: consistency and an understanding of the basics.
Your First Meet Cycle — How to Lay the Program's Foundation
Don’t be the newbie lifter who falls into the tiger pit traps during your training cycle. That’ll only hurt you in the long run — or at least in those first competitions. Don’t be afraid to start training too light and save your attempts for the platform. Not enough advice? I’ve got six other tips, so read on…
I'm Sick — Should I Train or Stay Home?
Listen: I’m no doctor or rocket scientist, but even I have enough common sense to know that if you’re feeling under the weather, you shouldn’t be lifting. You should be resting at home. Yeah, you heard me: Go home and stay home. And stay out of your fancy little garage gym, too!
How to Tame the Meet Prep Beast
The meet prep beast is going to rear its ugly heads at you sometimes, and its mugs come in many forms: injuries, stress, or a lousy no-show training partner. When one of them tries to bite, it’s best to have a flexible plan of action that helps you nimbly dodge from the monster’s jaws.
Positivity, Desire, and Magic
I had the pleasure of hearing Earvin “Magic” Johnson speak at a leadership conference I attended. Magic discussed his experiences in business and basketball and his pervasive passion for winning, regardless of the endeavor, much like elitefts’ approach.
Workout of the Day: Legs with Mark Dugdale
1. Unilateral Leg Curls 2. Cambered Bar Squats with Chains 3. Blood-flow Restriction Leg Extensions and Goblet Squats 4. Cable Pull-Through — click to see the sets, reps, and equipment I used for this leg workout so you can enjoy the same pump.
Add 100 Pounds to Your Deadlift
These are the deadlifting tips that have helped my deadlift the most. If they helped me and my athletes, they’ll help you too.
Troubleshooting Strength Injuries: What is Autoregulation?
There’s a sweet spot where stressors are present as motivating and growth factors but not too much to where athletes become chronically sympathetic, causing a cascade of performance-altering events. This spot is called autoregulation.
General Criteria to Consider When Writing a Program
It’s important to note that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all training protocol, and these are just some general suggestions based on a few successes and countless failures over my career that I consider when writing a program.
The Good and The Bad About Insulin
I don’t think most bodybuilders who use insulin as a performance enhancer truly understand WHY they are using it and what it can actually do to their bodies — both good and bad. So let’s dive into the nitty-gritty on the subject of insulin…
LISTEN: Reactive Training Systems Podcast #80 with Dave Tate
In the 80th episode of the Reactive Training Systems podcast, host Mike Tuchscherer and Dave Tate talk about how to build and strengthen relationships in order to lay down the foundation for a strong business and a legacy in competitive powerlifting.
The Truth About Late-Night Snacking
A calorie at 7:59 p.m. is the same as a calorie at 8:01 p.m. Whether you’re eating at 7:59 p.m., 8:01 p.m., or in the middle of the night, it really doesn’t matter. Instead, consider each of the 24 hours in a day to be equal in terms of importance… or simply the number of calories you eat in a
WATCH: Table Talk — How Much of Your Workout Should Be Accessory Work?
There are quite a few things to take into account when it comes to accessory training. If you ask Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan, a few of these things include program design and competition distance (measured in time, not miles or kilometers), and more.
3 Things You'll Find in My Mental Health Toolbox
Like any other coach, I love talking about training and programming and being in the weight room while coaching. But like many of you, I’ve neglected the thing between my ears, and I want you to know that it’s all right to feel. If your mental health is a weakness, don’t avoid it.
Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019
My life went through a lot of changes and adjustments during 2018, which meant I had to learn and re-learn things. Lesson 1: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but sometimes it is, so watch your lawn and don’t forget that some grass is better than yours.
Equipment Feature — PRIME Fitness Squat Wedges
There is a lot of information about the science behind heel elevation during a squat. For the sake of keeping this article at a digestible length and in a language that’s easy for just about every reader to understand, let’s highlight a few of the key benefits of incorporating squat wedges into your training.
A Thank You to My Valentine
Head’s up: If you’re looking for reps, sets, or percentages, you might want to look elsewhere on this website. Or take the time to make a sweet gesture for your significant other today, just like I’m about to do for my wonderful wife in this article.
How to Get In and Stay In
If you think you have what it takes to become a strength coach, you’ve got to start with an internship. This one’s for the future interns who want to get on the field and on the strength and conditioning path. Just know there’s little to no money or prestige in the gig.
Macronutrient Tracking for Fat Loss
Now that I’ve explained the basics of macronutrient tracking, I want to delve further into using macronutrient tracking for a more specific purpose: fat loss. Admittedly, it’s not as simple as you might think; however, there are a couple good options out there. Here the ones I tend to use with my clients.
Bodybuilding for the Powerlifter: Why and How to Use the Maximal Effort ...
You’re not a competitive powerlifter or bodybuilder. You want to move big weights in the gym, look good naked, and still have fun training and eating. You need the maximal effort method.
WATCH: I am Ashley Jones
elitefts columnist Ashley Jones is Australian by birth, a New Zealander by choice and marriage, but first and foremost, he’s a strength and conditioning coach with 40 years of experience under his belt with plenty of passion and advice to spare to future coaches.
Peaking for Sport
If speed is what we’re going after, then why do the weights on both our heavy and light days continue to climb, and bar speed continues to fall? As we get deeper into the competitive season and continue to put more tonnage on the athletes, we are burning the candle at both ends.
Can We Build Muscle After 50?
I asked my elitefts colleagues to do a study or if a study exists on whether or not we can build muscle and get stronger as seniors. Rather than wait for their responses, I decided to take matters into my own hands to address the topic myself, based on the individuals I’ve trained and observed.
Skip’s Guide to the Best Burgers in Columbus, Ohio
You’re heading to Columbus, Ohio for the Arnold in a couple of weeks. We know. If you care more about eating really good food and not as much about the crowd and being seen, here are my top-3 burger recommendations based on my foodie research.
Stay Focused and Watch Your Back
If you think you’re getting a solid upper back that’ll improve your bench press, deadlifts, and squats by using hard, forceful rowing exercises and lat pulldowns, think again. When you realize that, you’ve figured out that you need to change the way you train. Not sure what you should do? Let me explain.
Goals and Performance: Concepts and Application
The housewife, the architect, and the fighter all live according to a long-term goal-oriented life-project. What is the difference? Who will choose to be the master of their fate and the captain of their soul?
WATCH: Table Talk — Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan on Working Full-Time and ...
It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on coaching part-time or full-time; coaching is a job that requires time, passion, and a deep love of the sport — no matter the paygrade. If you’re only in it for the glory or money, you’re not going to last long.
C.J. Murphy's Specialty Bar Car Show #1
I get a lot of questions about bars from people. As someone who loves car shows and learning more about cars, I decided to teach people about specialty bars in a similar type of format. I call it: the bar show. (Get it? Bar show? Car show? OK, fine, I’ll see myself out for that pun.)
Technically, You're Weak
Enough of the excuses. I’m sick of hearing them. You have the energy to roll on the floor for 45 minutes before you train, take 34 selfies, and tag the gang before you leave the gym, but you can’t spend an extra 30 minutes on your back?
5 Tips That Will Increase Any Lift
It’s inevitable that a lifter will hit a plateau at some point or another. It’s frustrating, I know. Trust me, I’ve been there. But after 10 years of powerlifting and 14 years of strength training before that, I think I’ve unlocked some of the secrets to making gains. Here are five things that helped me increase my lifts.
The ABCs of My Life in Strength, Conditioning, and Fitness
I started my career as a strength and conditioning coach nearly 40 years ago. Throughout those 40 or so years, I picked up and learned a lot from other people. I tried to name as many of these people and their ideas as possible, so here it is, in an easy-to-read ABCs format.
Laying Out the Groundwork to Prevent Injuries
Why are we not focusing on the mechanics? Why is this not important to more coaches and personal trainers? Why are we not laying the groundwork for these athletes to be successful? Staying healthy is a huge part of being successful and in the world of college athletics, if you are injured, you’re not playing.
Two Crucial Components Your Training is Missing
Most intermediates that have come to me without ever working with a qualified coach before are lacking a few qualities in their technique, especially on big lifts. Lacking these qualities can potentially lead to injury at one point or another. These two qualities are tension and torque.
Championship Nature Series: The Inverted U and Wooden on Criticism
You can’t control what people say about you. Sometimes what they say will be good; sometimes what they say will be bad. What you can control is the way you respond to it. You can let the media get you on the highs and lows of the season, or you can simply choose to not respond to it. It’s your
Make It Sticky
What should you say on video, in your blog posts, or in your emails to clients? What if you're helping them through a change? The most important thing is to say SOMETHING. So consider this list an example of “Good, better, best.”
Top 5 for January
Here are the articles, blogs, and logs that were clicked, read, liked, and shared the most for January: Operation Be Less Fat, GHR Methods You Should Be Using, Extra Bodybuilding Workouts for the Powerlifter, a Six-Week Wave Bench Progression, and more! Find out too, a couple of things we're compiling for February.
Circuits and Supersets for BAMF Wrestlers
Steve “Kono” Konopka and I cover our daily pre-practice warm-ups, bulletproof shoulder circuits, what we call the “f@#k the bottom, you belong at the top” conditioning circuit, and answer a couple of questions in the third part of our #BAMF Wrestler series.
Super Bowl Fat Loading Feast Options
Here are two versions of a Super Bowl feast that can easily be prepared just in time for the game. There are many versions of macronutrient cycling protocols that we use to maximize client success. These two examples are a great way to get you started.
Feet Mindfulness
I pose the following questions: How mindful are you of your feet? Do you think about where you want to go versus where you are heading? Are your feet on the right path, and if not, why? These questions and the wisdom you can obtain from them extend far beyond chalk and iron.
Running Cycles at Boxes: Stop Wasting Your Clients' Time
I'm not going to waste your time today, so I'll get right to the point. Here is my list of reasons why you should avoid linear programming for group box classes at your facility like the plague. Your clients will thank you — maybe not directly, but at least by continuing to show up for class.
WATCH: Table Talk — The Future of Powerlifting with Dave Tate and Joe Su...
Sure, you could just pull out some tarot cards or dust off your great-grandmother's crystal ball to predict what powerlifting's going to be like in 10 years. Better yet, you could listen to Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan's powerlifting predictions.
Powerlifting Meet Manual (with Formula for Selecting Attempts)
For those of you who’ve never done a meet, save this, and read it again before your first. And for those of you who just can't finesse attempt selection, here's a formula I developed to make attempt selection as close to fool-proof as it'll get.
Performance Drive Response
Reading Al Miller's "The System" made me think about my most successful program. I’ve dubbed this hodgepodge of six years in strength and conditioning “Performance Drive Response,” which is a culmination of a bunch of different systems I’ve used, seen, and been in or part of.
WATCH: 2018 in Review
Rather than get into a debate over the best videos of 2018, we just decided to pull together a video montage of some of our favorite moments in 2018. If you missed anything in this montage, it's all good. We have timestamps with links to the video in question.