The Hybrid Deadlift Stance
In deadlifting, the Goldilocks Zone might not be pulling conventional, nor sumo, nor even Old English Style. For those lifters, what I call the hybrid sumo stance could perhaps be best.
Why I Need to Make a Change — The Mental Challenge
The first month of this process has passed and I’ve made a lot of progress, but I’ve also discovered a few mental challenges I didn’t recognize at first.
10 Changes That Made Me Strong(er) This Year
Like anyone, I’m far from perfect and am constantly in the process of growing. But this year I’ve seen a lot of positive fruit come from changes I’ve made in my life.
How to Leave the Life of Delusion and Personal Hype
I was once told by a trusted friend that the most important thing in life is your perception and your own personal judgment. At the time this seemed to make sense, and then I realized just how dangerous that mindset is.
Training Advice Worth Repeating
If I could go back in time to when I first started in this industry, I’d force myself to follow these five rules of training. Those of you starting now should listen.
Priorities for the Powerlifter and Bodybuilder — Lower Body Mobility and...
What mobility or stability drills should I do? How much should I do of them? Which days do I do them on? Here’s what to do, when to do them, how to do them, and how long you should do them.
3 Keys to Building Lightning Fast Speed
Want to get faster? Spending time on the field or track is important, but at some point you’re going to hit a speed barrier. That’s when you need to focus on building these three areas.
Programming Economy — 5 Exercise Categories
Let’s start with a couple of definitions to standardize our understanding of this concept of training economy. We will look at GPE, SPE, SE, SDE, and SFE.
A Love Affair with the Smith Machine
You should integrate the Smith machine into your sessions with the intention of creating a new stimulus, taking advantage of its ability to let you push past a normal threshold of muscular failure. Here are my favorite ways to do so.
Information to Insight
Science, intelligence reports, and training programs all require a thesis whereby assumptions are made on the path to turning raw information into good insight.
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — Athlete Recruitment Process
You’ve probably heard it said that Westside became the strongest gym in the world by bringing in the best lifters from outside. This is a lie. What made Westside great wasn’t recruiting.
10x Lessons for Lifters
Often times, the truth hurts. In his book, The 10x Rule, Grant Cardone provides some points that we all need to hear.
WATCH: Dr. Ken Kinakin SPS Presentation — Subscapularis Strain and Testing
There are four common muscle injury patterns from the barbell bench press or “pushing forward.” The subscapularis strain is the most common, but there are ways to test for it and treat it.
WATCH: The Strength Coach Development Center — Overhead Press Progression
A lot of coaches shy away from the overhead press because it’s “dangerous.” But my question to the coaches that say that: “Aren’t most exercises potentially dangerous?”
X Marks the Spot: 3 Ways to Make It to Your Next Big Coaching Job
Everyone wants to be the head strength coach at a school that has a realistic opportunity to compete for a national championship, but I don’t think enough people put the right kind of plan in place to get there.
So You Want to Be an Online Trainer — Growing Your Business
There are so many pieces to a successful online training business, and I honestly feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. In part two I discuss what to do once you’ve started the business and are looking for growth.
The Need for Flexibility in Exercise Selection and Progression
It’s interesting — as strength coaches, we constantly talk about the need for good programming and consistency, but having flexibility is undoubtedly a key component.
Stop Training a Bundle of Muscles and Start Training an Athlete
I spent a year of my master’s in Michigan Technological University’s “Rhetoric Theory and Culture” program. The time spent in this field has made me a better coach with lessons all coaches can benefit from.
Rehab Done Right: 7 Mistakes of Injury Rehabilitation
If you anticipate an extended period of time off, there are lots of things you can do right to avoid common mistakes. Your goal should be to come back stronger and tremendously benefit from time away from heavy weight.
Step Aside, Gents: The 2017 SPF Women’s Pro/Am
Anyone who has attended this meet describes it as an amazing experience, and I have been fortunate to speak to a few incredible women (Maureen Barbetta, Tracey Patrick, and Janel Vegter) who competed.
3 Things I Would Tell A Younger Steve Goggins
If you could go back 10, 15, or 20 years in the past, what would you say? What advice for life would you share?
Body Mechanics 101: How To Bring Back 80s Lat Development
We have a current state of back development in the sport that erectors are thick and upper backs overpower lat development. There’s a reason for this — and a way to fix it.
Exodus
Training in commercial gyms has its pros and cons. This is a call to arms for those who need to hear it.
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — Program Design with Gear
From 1990 to 2000, there wasn’t a single person who came to Westside and stayed who didn’t get significantly stronger. Everyone got stronger, wearing gear or not.
All Together Now — The Psychologist
Today we will look into sports psychology. While the coach and the nutritionist are pushed into multi and interdisciplinarity even when there is not a proper structure for it, the same doesn’t happen with the sports psychologist.
Steps Toward Success: Your First Year as a Personal Trainer
The first year is tough, and that’s when most trainers fail. If they stick with it they start to break through their second year — but only if they put in the ground work their first year.
WATCH: Justus Galac SPS Presentation — Strength and Conditioning Program...
In this final video of the presentation, part four, Galac focuses on the importance of making modifications to training and staying focused while doing so.
Bench Pressing Secrets of the Pros
In this article, you will find multiple quotes from some of the best lifters past and present regarding what makes a good bench presser — Greg Panora, Jeremy Hoornstra, Ryan Kennelly, and Eric Spoto to name a few.
Why I Need to Make a Change — The Plan
Change is difficult but can hold great rewards. Here’s how I’m going to make it all happen.
The Agility Ladder — Useful Tool or Waste of Time?
I’ve heard more times than I can count that agility ladders are not all they are cracked up to be, that they don’t fit into an elite athlete’s program, that they don’t develop speed, and that they don’t develop change of direction skills.
Regular Testing for Physical Improvement in Rugby
Rugby is a high intensity intermittent collision sport, which requires a multi-factorial physical training approach to optimize performance.
My Strength Journey: Overcoming Adversity
I decided I was going to use this setback as a gift, to become better than I was yesterday. To become strong, pain-free, and resilient.
10 Tips to Make It as a Strength Coach
Want to make it in this field? Want to stand out? Here are ten tips for all you fresh college grads and those of you that are starting your internships.
WATCH: Table Talk Compilation Series — Mark Dugdale
Tailored for the powerlifter and bodybuilder, we revisit Dave Tate’s and Mark Dugdale’s conversation covering exercise execution, pre-workout food, recoverability, training evolution, and more.
Circa Max Phase for Throwers
Each time I use this method myself I feel like I could run through a wall come meet day. Now after six years of using this cycle, we have proof that it works for our athletes.
Hypertrophy and the Non-Hormonal Stimuli That Make Muscle Grow
The fundamental molecular basis underlying muscle growth is complicated, but that doesn’t mean building muscle has to be difficult.
Upper Back for the Bench
So why do you want to build a strong, thick upper back? Isn’t the bench all pecs, shoulders, and triceps?
WATCH: Westside Misconceptions — Max Effort Workouts in Circa Max Phase
A circa max phase isn't easy, and recovering from it isn't either. Should you remove max effort training or keep pushing forward with it?
Deadlift Fundamentals — The Difference Between Failure and Lockout
These elite lifters share some fundamental characteristics at the start of their deadlifts—hips high, arm length maximized, shins very close to the bar, and torsos not vertical.
WATCH: Justus Galac SPS Presentation — Strength and Conditioning Drills ...
Moving into the finer details of the training layout, in this video Galac outlines the pre-workout preparation he uses for his team and the techniques and drills he uses to coach such a large group.
WATCH: The Strength Coach Development Center — Bench Progression
This four-step progression is used to help young athletes develop the proper form, stability, and strength required to use a barbell.
Strongman Conditioning for Powerlifters
Let’s get into which strongman events will help improve the big three and how to program them.
2017 Zoo Run Run: Blaine Tate Runs a Faster 5K
At 3.1 miles, we cross the finish line in 52 minutes and 32 seconds — four minutes quicker than our 2016-competition time. A success! Beating our previous time was exactly what we came to do.
Create a Culture that Breeds Results
I don’t care if you have the best athletes and the best equipment in the world — a shitty gym atmosphere can DESTROY their results.
What Qualifies A Mentor?
There are a lot of people that hold positions of power, but that does not mean they are true mentors. What does?
The Power of the Parable: Thomas Edison
I don’t need my stash of parables any longer and will be releasing them one-by-one for anyone to take and use. This one is a story of 6,000 failures or 6,000 successes, depending on how you choose to look at it.
Finding Strength: Primal Strength
In Charlottesville, Virginia, behind two garage doors, is a down and dirty, no-bullshit training facility, and a group of athletes ready to come in and do work.
Fun Is for Children
I have some grown up advice for your training: start training like an adult and quit worrying about whether or not it’s fun. This program actually produces results, and in my book, results are a hell of a lot more fun than feel-good training.
Teams, Camaraderie, and a Lifetime of Being an Athlete
It was a team atmosphere that made me fall in love with sports, and it is a team atmosphere that has been restored to my athletic participation through powerlifting.
Fatigue and Exercise: A Review of Science and Implementation
Why would the body want to inhibit its contractile components and reduce its ability to protect itself? Fatigue is not random and it is not illogical.
Strength Chat Podcast: Pulling the Veil Off Blood Flow Restriction with ...
If you’ve wanted to understand more about this topic or just get a technical yet easy-to-understand introduction to BFR, this is the episode you need to listen to.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dave Tate — Balancing Your Life
Most people just suck at time management. Have you ever paid attention to how much time you spend every day doing stupid shit that doesn't matter?
Introducing the New Peak Mental Performance Podcast with Guest Dr. Steve...
The goal of the podcast is to spread practical, quality information that can help all listeners improve their mental health and athletic performance, and to help everyone understand the link between the two.
WATCH: Justus Galac SPS Presentation — Off-Season, Training Camp, and In...
In part two, Galac moves to discuss his off-season, training camp, and in-season programming. He speaks about what it means to have a great plan and shares the training considerations vital to the success of the athlete.
The Gift of Perspective: Things to Know as a New Powerlifter, Lessons 11...
We've covered the first ten perspectives for new lifters. Now it's time to get more specific about what it takes to break through the beginning stages of powerlifting.
Why I Need to Make a Change
Sometimes it takes a hard push for me to initiate change, and life has definitely been pushing me.
Expectations and Group Culture — A Conversation for Day One
Business leaders, coaches, and teachers agree, day one must be the day where expectations are communicated and group culture is explained. This conversation takes about 45 minutes and these topics are always covered.