How We Use The Prowler
A few weeks ago, we decided to put together a roundtable-style article about the use of the Prowler...
EliteFTS: A Thank You Letter
I am honored to say that I own one of your “build your own 3 X 3 professional racks.
Why Does the Butt Kick Reign Supreme?
If you watch runners before a race or if you watch baseball, football, or other athletes warming up before a game, you will see that most of them do the butt kick (quadriceps) stretch.
Are You Setting Yourself Up for Injury?
Lifting weights is easy, but preventing injuries when lifting weights is not always as simple. Because of this, it is not uncommon to find many injuries in weight training. To help prevent injuries and make your workouts more productive, here are seven key factors that you should take into account when weight training.
Is Technique Important for Better Playing?
Coaches believe that technique should not be touched. They firmly believe that technique is an individual thing that is innate to each individual. However, these ideas could not be further from the truth. One of the most effective ways to improve sports performance is to improve technique.
Does the Football Combine Predict Playing Ability?
Football coaches know that selecting a player based on combine results is a crap shoot at best. In this article, Dr. Yessis evaluates the tests used to offer a possible explanation of why the combine results are such poor predictors of game play success.
General Versus Special Exercises
One of the main distinguishing features of the Soviet system of training athletes is their distinction between general and specialized exercises.
To My Readers.. by The Thinker
One week ago I was offered and accepted an incredible opportunity to co-author a book outlining the physical preparation training of 6-time UFC Champion Randy Couture.
Are We Truly Improving Performance?
A noted sports columnist in the San Diego area lamented the fact that one of the state universities was unable to field a championship women’s volleyball team (they already dropped the men’s program even though it was the only program to bring in an NCAA championship).
The Stretch Reflex
Many people refer to the stretch reflex as the key to explosive training. How it is applied, however, is frequently misunderstood. This article takes an in-depth look at this action and how you can better utilize it in any or all aspects of your training.
Review of Explosive Running by Anatoly Bondarchuk
Short, middle, and long-distance runners all need explosiveness.
The Tendo and Its Use for Autoregulation
The Fitrodyne Powerlyzer by Tendo, or Tendo unit as it’s more commonly known, is a piece of equipment used to measure the speed of the bar. This allows the coach to know several things such as whether the athlete is training what he or she is supposed to be training and whether the bar speed has started to drop. Here,
The Thinker: An Update From Behind the Iron Curtain
The Thinker, over the past few years, has in all likelihood answered more Q&A inquiries on this site than anyone else on our staff.
Powerlifting: The Choice of the Two Pains
The great philosophers pontificate about man’s existence preceding his essence.
The Thinker Discusses Olympic Lifts
Question 1: I’d like to thank you for all of the helpful tips, but this is where we’re going to crash. As an athlete, I’ve been performing the Olympic lifts since middle school. I use them with the athletes I train from day one and haven’t had any problems.
The Power of the Team
It’s similar to when your favorite song comes blasting through the speakers at the gym and you get that little extra charge of power for the movement that you’re performing.
What Determines Proper Squat Technique?
The question of how deep you should go in the squat is constantly debated.
10 Reasons to Call your Mom
If you are like me, you probably forgot it was Mother’s Day this weekend. It’s not that I don’t love my mother; I love and admire her. But I had to clear the space in my head to make room for important things such as band tension, the history of Slayer and porn passwords.
Why I Hate Joe DeFranco
Joe DeFranco is full of shit. There I said it. If you have a problem with that statement, then you are wrong.
Teaching the Squat
I have been going to Force Training Seminars, either to help Dave or to do them on my own, for almost 3 years and one of the hardest things to do is get someone to squat correctly.
Spud Inc. Strongman Harness: Product Review
The first thing that you need for serious pulling is a good harness.
Tattoos, Training, and the Wisdom of Stu
About a week ago, I went into Lexington to get a new tattoo. I went there with about ten ideas and worked with the artist, Stu, to develop them. After some talking, we decided on one, and Stu drew something up. Now where to put it…
General Concerns in the S&C Field
Prior to a recent transformation which I recently underwent, I made the choice to negatively interpret a great deal of circumstances which infect our industry and society. I found myself in continual disappointment with respect to a host of factors.
Repetition Work (or How to Rip Off Joe DeFranco, Add a Twist, and Call I...
Last week, I wrote about dynamic bench work and how you shouldn’t just kick it to the curb. I listed several different dynamic cycles, and there are approximately 5,000 more that have been written about. The whole purpose of the article was to revive the dead and bloated dynamic bench press.
Strap It On
Lifting accessories have been around since lifting began. Accessories cover the gamut from bars to gloves to belts to hats to knee and wrist wraps.
Letter of Resignation
This letter is to inform you that I am resigning from my position as head strength and conditioning coach. I enjoyed my time while at the university and feel grateful for the knowledge and friendships that I have gained. I feel I owe it to you to offer an explanation as to why I have made this decision.
The Collegiate Power Rack
What makes the Collegiate Power Rack such a great piece of equipment? Just about everything!
A New Look at Three Days a Week
I received a call two weeks ago from a friend of mine, and he had some good news for me. About five months ago, he and I were discussing a three-day split that would accommodate his needs and time schedule. He’s an ex-football player, and competes in the 242 lbs class. Like many of you, he’s tried the standard four-day
Professional 45-Degree Back Raise
We’ve had the EFS Professional 45-degree back raise in the EFS weight room for about 2–3 years. It’s the best low back strengthener I’ve ever used.
The High School Odyssey
About 12 weeks ago, I started training with a local football player, Caleb Sexton.
The Arnold 2006 in Review
I think everyone was holding their breath at this years WPO meet at the Arnold Classic.
The Magic of the Pin Pull
Recently I have been flooded with e-mails and questions on the EFS Q/A, and rather than answering them one by one, I decided to put them into an article form so that everyone has access to them. There is a lot of great information in these answers.
A Beginners Guide to elitefts™
I’m going to do is make a list articles and other assorted products that will make things very, very easy for someone navigating this site and trying to learn.
Deadlifting with Chains
Almost a year ago, Matt Bash and I put our collective heads together and were thinking of different ways to approach our weak point in the deadlift; the lockout.
The Individualization of Team Training
In many instances team weight training consists of athletes of varying levels of strength preparedness- all performing the same training parameters.
The Significance of Specific Strength Development in MMA
As the sport of MMA progresses so must the specific means and methods of fighter training.
Strength and No Holds Barred Fighting
“Strength is an essential component of all human performance and its formal development can no longer be neglected in the preparation of any athlete"
Training High School Athletes
One of the most asked questions throughout the day was “What would you have done differently, if you knew what you know now?” And though I answered the question as best I could, I couldn’t help but rethink the question over and over.
General Training Journal For High School Field Athletes
When discussing training, there are many things to consider, such as speed work, building absolute strength, improving form, raising work capacity, recuperation, and selecting exercises and rotating them them in proper sequence to avoid adaptation.