Beware of False Prophets
There is a huge list of things the sport of powerlifting has produced over these seven decades. Within this sizable list, the sport has consistently produced two specific items over and again, each and every single decade.
The Art of Being an Emotionally Detached Strength Athlete
Can you take a deep breath and remember that each set and rep in training is part of the greater year and not just that individual session?
Use Weight Releasers for a Better Bench
I believe that the confidence weight releasers can build is almost as important as any other factor I talk about in this article. If you want to improve your dynamic effort work, give these sample cycles a try.
A Lil about Lily
I have been reading EliteFTS logs and articles since I started powerlifting in 2012. For the entirety of that time, I thought it would be amazing to have a log and be on the team. I have actually written out fake logs in my head a number of times. But I never thought it would […]
WATCH: The Truth Behind Training with Chuck Vogelpohl
One such legend is Chuck Vogelpohl, widely known for his extreme intensity and longevity with regard to powerlifting competitions. In this clip, Tate and Coan address the question of what it was like to train with Chuck.
WATCH: Breaking John Rusin — The Bench Press
From muscle isolation, to max effort work, to spotting technique, and sticking points, Tate customizes his coaching specifically for Rusin, thereby taking his bench press to the next level.
WATCH: Check Your Ego When Choosing Attempts
A lot of powerlifters have trouble with this. They can’t get out of the way of their own ego in order to call proper attempts.
CBD for Lifters
Committed to doing a few full-power meets before I retire in 2020, I’m searching for some alternative means to deal with the pain related to inflammation. Enter Cannabidiol (CBD).
WATCH: Ed Coan and Dave Tate Coach the Squat
As Tate and Coan provide hands-on instruction and demonstrate proper squatting technique, the difference that their expertise makes in the athletes’ performance is clear and immediate.
Learn to Train X — 20 Years in the Making
With this year marking the 20th anniversary of elitefts, Tate acknowledges the significance of the timing of the LTTX seminar for his team, reflecting back on the success of the company in a market where this is not necessarily the norm.
The Downfall of Driven
When I first glance at the word, I think of some clown with a “Lift Angry” shirt on and bright red Beats headphones rapping out loud to some gangster rap song portraying a life that he’s never had or in which he’ll never partake.
Don’t Call It a Comeback
I was beyond grateful that Dan Green still welcomed me to compete at Boss of Bosses V (a fantastic event) this year. Strap in and pay attention if you like a good drama.
WATCH: Road Trip Rants — Max Effort Work, Bands and Chains, Jump Trainin...
Dave Tate and Nate Harvey compare exercises for strength sport and team sport athletes, discuss training with bands and chains, examine the value of jump training, and debate the importance of personal records vs. podium finishes in the sport of powerlifting.
It Has Something to Do with the Struggle
What do I ask a man who built a physique back in 1965 and if he walked into any contemporary gym today in his Mr. America condition, every lifter in the place would stop to behold a build somehow created with nothing fancier than barbells, dumbbells, steak, eggs, and elbow grease?
WATCH: Eliminating the Numbers Game
Since applying bands and chains in his training, Johnson has not only remained competitive in the sport of powerlifting, he has also seen the gains that he was aiming to achieve.
3 Ways to Add a Secondary Squat Day
From what I’ve seen, most lifters benefit from performing some form of squat twice per week. The key is finding a way to program that second squat that builds your strengths and addresses your weaknesses while still working within your ability to recover.
Learn to Train X — What We Taught and What We Learned
From the presentations and coaching, I derived more knowledge than I shared. Everyone who has a serious interest in powerlifting should see the S5 Compound, and one of the best ways to do that is at a learn-to-train seminar.
WATCH: Learn to Train X — Practice Pelvis Correction for a Stronger Squat
Driving to the grocery store? Practice this in your car every time you hit a red light.
WATCH: Ed Coan and Dave Tate on Their Powerlifting Inspiration
Whether it was aspiring to be the next legend of the sport, reading industry magazines, or simply setting personal strength goals, once Coan and Tate got their first taste of powerlifting, they were hooked.
The Bench Press Comeback
Tear after tear, I was seriously never benching again—it’s just not for me, blah blah blah, excuses, excuses. I had injured myself so many times, but I couldn’t let that stop me.
The Sumo Deadlift — You're Doing It the Wrong Way
The sumo deadlift is a misunderstood type of pull with so many advantages. Let’s start with technique so you can smash a PR!
Meet Report: Earning My Regrets at the USPA Tribute
Four weeks out is when I suffered a quad tear—I should have dropped out at that point. In fact, I talked to Dave Tate, and that’s exactly what he told me to do.
WATCH: Learn to Train X — The Power of Bench Press Cues with Vincent Diz...
An impressive self-coached athlete himself, Dizenzo has benched 600 or more raw in three different weight classes and has a 900-pound equipped bench to his credit. With the precision and detail required to properly execute a press, it is no wonder that thoughtful cues from a seasoned elitefts coach can make all the difference.
WATCH: Andrey Malanichev — Training Program and Top-Secret Russian Insights
It’s in discussions like these that I am reminded of what a nice guy Andrey is, and how willing he is to share his expertise to support the development of other powerlifters and young athletes.
How Much Volume Can You Take?
Consider two powerlifters who are identical in strength and technique, but one is 20 centimeters taller than the other. This height difference changes everything about the lifter’s levers, and thus volume needs.
WATCH: Table Talk — Best Ways to Improve Technique Without a Coach
There are times when new lifters have the determination to improve, but they don’t have a coach in their corner to help them stay focused and make the necessary adjustments to their technique.
How Not to Suck as a Training Partner
Having the right crew or partner to rely on, and to train with, can make or break a lifter. It’s one of the most sought-after and difficult-to-find things for competitors and hobby lifters alike.
Try This On for Size
It all started about two weeks post-Arnold, when I secured my second win back-to-back. I did what I’d always done—push the limits, take drugs, and eat food.
WATCH: Andrey Malanichev — RPR, Powerlifting Culture, Injury Prevention
This interview gives you the chance to learn more about Andrey, his training techniques/philosophies that led him to great success, including his views on sport history/culture found in the US and Russia.
WATCH: Learn to Train X — The Squat Checklist with Swede Burns
Don’t wish for the best as you get under the bar and attempt to squat. Instead, get under the bar with a plan.
Resurgence After the Rust
When the dust settles and I turn the lights off in that weight room for that final time, what legacy will I leave, how many lives did I touch?
Why the Smartphone is Your Greatest Advantage in Meet Training
For you, as a serious powerlifter who has aspirations of achieving greatness in this amazing sport, the advent of a single technological implement just might be the one thing that delivers on all of the aforementioned promises.
Good Training Gone Bad
In training, many choices must be made. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Best Caliber Athletes
‘’Westside only gets the best caliber athletes to work with,” is something we’ve heard over the years. What does this mean?
WATCH: Table Talk with Dave Tate — How To Find Your Perfect Weight Class
You may be between weight classes or on the far end of the spectrum. Find out if your future should include Big Macs and candy bars or chicken and rice.
How to Cut Maximum Weight for Competitions with a 24-Hour Weigh-In
The key to stepping on the platform at maximum strength after cutting weight is to spend as little time as possible with your body weight at less than you intend to weigh when you lift — this process is difficult and requires a great deal of desire, discipline, and pain tolerance.
Becoming Elite and Beyond: A Journey from the Tiger to the Dragon
I think every sport benefits from incorporating the tiger and the dragon into their training or coaching in some way. For lifters and strength athletes on the path to progression (in strength and level of competition), this hits the nail on the head.
I Read a Book: Re-Implementing Conjugate Training with More Knowledge
When I practiced law, it was a standing joke at our bar that an expert was some son of a bitch from Charlotte who had read a book. Well, I read a book.
I Know Squat — Five Keys to Squatting Big Weight
I’ve squatted with some of the strongest squatters in the world at Westside Barbell. I’ve squatted with three-time World’s Strongest Man Bill Kazmaier and I was coached to a 700-pound raw squat by Josh Bryant when I was 22 years old. Here’s what I know.
Boris Sheiko's Thoughts on Westside Barbell
Two giants in the world of strength. Two very different training styles. How can both be so successful?
WATCH: Table Talk — What Have You Learned Post-Powerlifting?
With the muscle-building knowledge he has gained since retiring from the sport of powerlifting, what would Dave change about his years training for the platform? We rewind to Dave’s first Table Talk from 2015.
5 Powerlifting Lessons I Flunked Day One
With my old ways of thinking, I kicked ass and got better. But I’ve figured out along the way that it’s like nitrous: it’s great for a quick burst, but powerlifting isn’t a quarter mile.
Improve Your Bench Immediately Using These Training Cues
I’ve always said it only takes a single well-thought-out cue to change the way someone approaches a lift. I’m certain that one of these bench cues below are going to be that single cue that you’ve been waiting for.
A Manual for Implementing Technical Cues
Everyone can benefit from technical cues, with the contingency that they are employed properly, consistently, and under the correct circumstances — which is more rare than you might expect.
WATCH: Training After Westside
What type of training comes after years of lifting in the world’s strongest gym, with the sole goal of moving as much weight as possible?
The Biggest Mistakes First-Time Competitors Make in Training and at the ...
These seven mistakes are by far the most prevalent I see for powerlifters in their first meet. They’re also very easy to avoid if you know how.
Intent Is Everything: Does Your Training Have a Purpose?
Working hard without intent is wasted energy, and what’s the use in that?
The Nebobarbell Knee Wrap Method
Our way of wrapping knees has evolved over time and it is now required that every lifter in Nebobarbell know how to wrap knees the proper way.
WATCH: Dedication to Powerlifting Federations
Should you spend your powerlifting career competing only with one organization, or go wherever you feel like for each meet?
How to Heal Any Injury Overnight: Safely and Effectively Training the In...
Day by day, week by week, here is how you can deal with the quickly-changing and very challenging aspects of getting over an injury.
3 Critical Deadlift Lessons Most Lifters Never Learn
The game of powerlifting is and always will be a choice of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. These lessons challenge us in many ways, not least of which is the challenge to our ego. Will you follow them?
The Three Disciplines of Getting Stronger
How do you continue to progress as a lifter when life gets tougher, progress is slower, and motivation is lacking?
WATCH: Welcome to the Pit — Dave Tate Coaches the RDL
One of the most common squat issues is weakness in the hamstrings. This exercise is one of many that can help solve the problem.
Getting the Most Out of Your Extra Workouts: Rules to Follow and Types o...
If you are looking to move up the ranks then extra workouts are the way to add extra volume, bring up weak muscle groups, and improve your general physical preparedness, mobility, flexibility, and body composition.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Injuries and Trying to Stay at the To...
Has Dan Green’s peak in powerlifting come and gone?
Steve Scialpi's Sumo Deadlift Program
I ran this in ’94 and got about 100 pounds in three cycles, but I caution any of you who try this to put the squat and bench on maintenance, because the volume is brutal.
My Simple and Effective Approach to Conjugate Training: Bending It to Yo...
The ability to read yourself and what you need can take years to master, but you will never master it if you don’t start experimenting.
A New Team
Here I am at my age, in a new town, in a new gym, with new people, starting all over from scratch.