Under The Bar: Boston Seminar Recap
If strength and powerlifting are the topics, then I want to hear from those who are in the trenches day in and day out
Beginnings
This is kind of a queer way to begin an article, but I still remember the first time I met him like it was yesterday. It was the fall of 2002, and we were sitting on opposite ends of the room in our public communication class as freshmen at Ithaca College.
Top Five Sandbag Drills
Sandbags are an amazingly versatile tool. They’re unique in their feel, and some very different types of drills can be performed with them. The number one question that people ask me is “what are the best drills to perform with sandbags?” While that depends on various factors (i.e. goals, training level, etc.), there are some foundational drills that make sandbags
Strength Czar: An EliteFTS Roundtable Discussion
With James Smith, Mark McLaughlin, Tom Deebel, Jim Wendler, Travis Mash, Julia Ladewski, C. J. Murphy, Matt Brand, Nick Zostautas, Kevin Deweese, and Tim Kontos
Get Rid of Stubborn Hamstring Injuries!
Hamstring injuries are common but mostly avoidable. Like many other injuries, they aren’t 100 percent preventable, but there are many ways to help reduce the occurrence in your athletes. If hamstring pulls do take place, I’ve added some treatment guidelines at the end. However, this doesn’t mean that your athletes shouldn’t seek medical assistance. A physician should always be consulted
Persevering
I’m always amazed and amused at how many guys are in and then suddenly out of competitive powerlifting and bodybuilding. Many of these guys have almost unlimited God-given potential to become national or even world champions.
20 Things Everyone Who Lifts Should Know
Aw shit…it’s another “top 20” or “20 things” list about training. Great.
Sandbag Arsenal
One of the biggest problems that we face in training today’s athletes is that they’re out of shape! Whether professional or amateur, many of these athletes come to their teams severely unconditioned. With physical education programs being cut from school curriculums and child obesity rising every year, we need to take a long hard look at the values that physical
Pop Goes the Weasel
Thoughts, mostly weird ones, tumble inside my head like sagebrush on the open prairie. So, it should come as no surprise that one day last spring, as I sat and pondered, I conjured up the bright idea to jump out of a 55-gallon barrel.
Rest Intervals and Reps
Everyone seemed pretty fired up about the modified Westside program. I received an overwhelming response to my recent article, “Westside for Skinny Bastards.”
The Ulterior Motive
It seems like yesterday when I first set up the Q&A section on EliteFTS.com. I still remember answering the first question back in the winter of 1998. It was about the dynamic bench press, and I knew this would turn out to be a great thing. What I didn’t know at the time was how great it would become.
Life Isn’t Just about Wins and Losses
Sports, physical training, and coaching have been my life for the last three decades. From the time I started playing soccer when I was five years old until today, many of the life lessons I’ve learned have either been found on the field, in the dojo, or in the gym.
No Pain, No Gain?
Over the last decade of training, I’ve had many people throw several different training “myths” out at me. Whether it was “lifting stunts your growth” or “eating too much protein shuts down your kidneys” or “too much strength will hurt your martial arts,” I’ve heard them all. Two myths I hear most often are regarding soreness and training.
Great Rules that Suck
I was born with a rebellious streak. It’s been with me just about every day of my 32-year existence. When I wake up every day, I know that I’ll probably do or say something that will probably be nothing more than an act of rebellion in some form or another against something that I see as wrong or unjust. I
Inside the Ring: Inside the Mind of a Fighter
I guess I can begin by saying how wrong I was and how I took our Q&A staff for granted. I know EliteFTS has the best training team on the planet. Yes, this is a very cocky statement, but do me one favor here.
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.
Texas BBQ: Talking Shop with Mark Rippetoe
The author of the book, Mark Rippetoe, owns and operates the Wichita Falls Athletic Club in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Marc Bartley’s Squat Routine
Squatting big in a meet is every powerlifter’s dream. For some, it can make or break the meet. The big squat sets the tone for the meet. This is truly the case for me. Therefore, my focus is always on the BIG SQUAT.
Breaking Glass
I was recently honored when Charles Glass mentioned me in his Q&A in Muscular Development magazine. For those of you who don’t know who Charles Glass is, first off, shame on you. But, here’s a short bio.
The Good Freshman Fifteen
You know exactly what I’m talking about when I mention the freshman fifteen. You see young men and women go off to college to advance their knowledge of certain subjects in hopes of making a profession out of it.
Must Have Movements (Part Two)
Training doesn’t have to be complicated and neither does life. Yet many people WANT to make it complicated.
The P-40 Warhawk and the Athlete
It seems that during WWII the U.S. was losing a large number of aircrafts during various missions. Obviously, the job of flying these planes was a treacherous one, and you could assume that the casualty rate was very high. But something else was wrong.
Interview with Eric Serrano
Eric, give us a little information about your background for the people who do not know you.
Goal Setting for Young Athletes
Back in high school, the most asked question for anyone who had access to iron was, “how much can you bench?”
Get Out of The Gym!
After you spend an appreciable number of years in the weight room and only the weight room, you start to really look for ways to spice up your training program and get some results.
Fun in the Weight Room
Keeping your athletes motivated is one of the hardest things to do as a strength coach.
The Odyssey of a Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coach
This article is designed to give future strength & conditioning coaches a better insight as to what it takes to get your “foot in the door”.
Skepticism in Training
I am a powerlifter. One of my great passions in life is spending time in the gym lifting heavy weights. To this day, I cannot think of anything more satisfying than setting a hard earned personal record. Well, let’s just say there are very few things that are more satisfying.
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.
Maximum Effort Training for Strongman
As covered in my last article, the dynamic effort (DE) session is dedicated to speed. Max effort (ME) is dedicated to huge weights and re-writing the record books every session you train. My approach is a bit different from the traditional Westside approach.
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.
Bringing the Pendulum Back to Center (Part 2)
It is often said by futurists that there is an over-reaction to most new concepts in the short term, yet an under-reaction in the long term. We can all come up with countless examples of it – the high carb trend of a few years ago – which has become the zero carb trend recently.
And You Thought You had it Tough
“Well, I stand up next to a mountain I chop it down with the edge of my hand.” –Jimi
Fun with Your (Med) Balls
If you’ve been training long enough, chances are that just about everything you do is routine. Possibly the worst part of having a routine is monotony and boredom, especially when it comes to warming-up; you know it’s important, but damn if it isn’t downright boring!
Deload to Reload
I’ve wanted to write this article for awhile and there have been several questions on the Q/A that touched on this subject. For those not familiar with the term “deload” by basic definition of it is this: to take a break from extreme training.
The Triumvirate
The number 3 is held in reverence by many people. Of course, the title of this article is in reference to the Roman Empire and where would we be without them?
Bench Training with Ed Rectenwald
Coming up with new articles each month can be a challenging task and coming up with quality information can be even harder. After a couple hundred articles I find myself repeating myself time and time again.
Push/Pull
This article was inspired by Alwyn Cosgrove and something that he mentioned to me in passing.
The Circa-Maximal Squat Phase
The circa max phase is a three week squat phase designed to peak you for your contest.
Torso Training – Part 3: Advanced Training Exercises
In the past two articles, we have given you ideas and progressions for strengthening your torso. As you know by now, strong abs isn’t all that is needed.
Difference Makers
Despite the busiest summer I ever had both professionally and socially, my training has been better than ever lately.
PR Rx: Todd Brock’s Bench Routine
I have been training with Todd Brock for over 12 years now. I first met Todd during my 2 hour road trips to Westside Barbell.
Causal Friday
How things have changed. Five years ago, all you ever read were articles on how to use your gear, how to use your bench shirt, squat suit, knee wraps, etc. Now people want articles on how to train without gear. Very strange.
Torso Training for Athletes, Part 1: The Basics
What is torso training? Torso training is strengthening your body from just above the hips to just below the chest. Training your torso involves many movements, but can be done effectively in just a few minutes, 3-4 times per week.
No Rules Training: Part II
I’ve got another story for you, and it always brings back some of my favorite times in the gym. Actually, I have countless “favorite times” in the gym but this one is special to me, but honestly, all these memories are special to me.
Cornucopia
Cornucopia. Hodge Podge. Horn-a-plenty. Whatever you want to a call a huge grab bag of stuff, I’m selling it here.
Keepers and Throwbacks, Part II
[Editor’s Note: A lot of things that Glenn mentions in this article are his opinion and will not sit well with purists. Please note that this article is his opinion. For example, Travis Mash and Joe Bayles have both had success with the Zercher Squat. Also, weight releasers are extremely useful. But Glenn also makes some valid points, too. So
Keepers and Throwbacks
I just have seen too many people I know become unhappy because their possessions own them, not vice versa
The Voyeur
Stealth like I maneuver to get into position. I always feel somewhat anxious and nervous because I know security cameras abound but I am agile and cunning like a human Rikki Tikki Tavi.
Just Do It
The time has finally arrived for me to summarize how I train high school athletes in my quaint, but aesthetically unappealing subterranean gym.
Accessory vs. Supplemental
We get asked all the time what the difference between an accessory lift and a supplemental lift. After doing some research, I came up with the following ideas. I got these from “A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting” by A.S. Medvedyev. To make things easier here are some basic definitions;
Tales From the Dark Side: 13 Stories of Woe
Here are some actual stories from actual strength coaches. All these stories have been substantiated by coaches that I know very well and trust.
Devil’s Advocate: The Seven Seals
When training your lower back, think about it two ways; to strengthen your lower back and injury prevention. These don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Many people who have very strong backs injure themselves.
Digit Ratios and a Predisposition to Strength
This past April as I was fulfilling my twice weekly obligation of GPP by actively surfing the infinite amount of useless cable channels, I happened across a topic that piqued my interest. The science program I viewed centered on hormones and the development of the sexes.