Newcomer Conjugate Method Lessons
From the early stages of my time with the conjugate method, here are the biggest benefits I’ve found.
WATCH: Welcome to the Pit — Dave Tate Coaches the Squat
During a recent visit to Akron, Ohio Dave spent some time teaching proper squat technique to the owners and members of Welcome to the PIt.
Assisting Assistance Work
I’ve heard before that a program rarely fails due to assistance work, but I disagree. This is the work that carries over to our main and supplemental movements, builds muscle, creates balance, and promotes integrity throughout the entire body.
WATCH: Road Trip Rants — Explosive vs. Strong, Trendy Hashtags, and Dave...
At some point Dave will make it to his destination, but until then, he’s got a few more questions to answer.
My Simple and Effective Approach to Conjugate Training
There are definitely a few programs I have used with success in my lifting career and some that I will still recommend to lifters today, but conjugate is my favorite. It is the one I try to progress all my lifters to.
The 14-Day Program: An Interview with John Bott
What did your training look like before you began this training? Give us a sample week/template that would be fairly typical of what you did.
WATCH: Road Trip Rants — Intra-Workout Reese's, Pushing Training Pa...
Not all training junk foods are created equal. This topic, and more, are explained in this week’s episode.
5 Things You Must Know as a Novice Powerlifter
Your future in this sport deserves to be worked on not only at the gym and with your physical strength and power, but outside of the weight room as well, with your mental focus and contemplation.
A Day in the Life of Swede Burns
When Kendall Alston and his crew approached me with the idea of filming a documentary about what a normal day in my life looks like—and not simply my lifting or my coaching—it hit my like a breath of fresh air. This video is the result.
Training to Do Your First Pull-Up
No matter your strength, bodyweight, or training history, pull-ups may be a challenge for you. If this is the case, follow this simple progression and you’ll have your first unassisted pull-up in no time.
WATCH: Road Trip Rants — Rounded Upper Back Deadlift, The Best Part of P...
Still on the road and still answering your questions, this episode focuses on deadlift cues and exercise selection with limited equipment.
Is Your Competition Outworking You?
I love the ideals of hard work, being hardcore, and oozing intensity, but over the years I have learned there are many ways to perceive these things.
MEET REPORT: IPA North Carolina State Powerlifting Championships
Two meets in less than a month? I know I’m 76—not 26— but when Joey Smith told me to get in the meet, I got in the meet.
WATCH: How to Set Up Bands Correctly for the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift
Your setup will vary depending on the equipment you’re using and the lift you’re performing. This article includes a step-by-step video guide to ensure you’re getting the most out of your bands.
Stay the Course
Think about all the things you sucked at the first time you tried them: walking, talking, reading, writing. What if you’d given up on them after a failure or two?
Rethinking Discipline: How I Stay 'Motivated'
It seems to me that if a lifter has questions about motivation or discipline, maybe they need to consider another pursuit or reevaluate how they look at training.
WATCH: Why the elitefts SS Yoke Bar Stands Out Among Other Squat Bars
The SS Yoke Bar is the only bar that Dave can use week after week and be able to continue squatting. Here’s why.
RANT: Stick with the Program
You paid a coach for a program and don’t like what they gave you? There’s a right way to handle this situation — and it’s not by deviating from the plan just because you want to.
WATCH: Road Trip Rants — Elaborate Setups, Being Too Bloated, and Minimu...
No table, no problem. This first on-the-road video Q&A covers five questions from five different elitefts readers.
Dusting Off the Past to Answer Questions for the Present
There is often hope that the future is the timeframe where many problems and questions of humanity will be solved. But sometimes the questions have already been asked, pondered, explored, researched and answered.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Why Dan Started Boss of Bosses
There are certain things all meets need, such as consistent judging, quality equipment, and safe spotting. But if you want your meet to stand out, you need to offer more than that.
Five People You Need in Your Training Life
I have looked at my personal success and observed who in my life has helped me move toward my goals. These are the types of people who can bend my ear, grab my attention, and then push or pull me toward the place I need to be.
Meet Report: Winning the 198s But Falling Short on Best Overall at the K...
This is the first meet I’ve done in three years that I didn’t win best overall lifter, and it was a huge—and much needed—kick in the ass.
10-Week Rest Pause Method Progression for Strength
Small jumps each week alter the focus of this progression from hypertrophy to strength, first building the muscle, tendon, and ligament strength needed to handle heavier weights, and then hitting PRs.
The 5thSet Black Meet and Women's Pro Am Weekend: Back-to-Back Wins
After the inaugural 5th Set Black Meet on Saturday, I drove all night to Cincinnati for the Women’s Pro Am. My motivation for a weekend short on rest and long on PRs can be summed up in a single sentence: I love powerlifting.
Have You Heard the Secret to Strength Yet?
I’m here to spread the true secret of strength, if you think you can handle it.
Dave Tate's Free Squat Manual
You can build a powerful looking body without ever entering a power rack. But you’ll never really be strong. Stronger than the average guy, sure, but not the type of strong you dreamed of when you first set foot in a gym. For that kind of strength, you need a heavy bar on your back.
Why Powerlifters Shouldn't Train Alone
If you aren’t training with a group of serious lifters, you’re missing a lot of what you need to get stronger.
Death of a Number
I’ve seen men shoot bottle rockets out of their ass for views and women with “shorts” on using thirst trap camera angles from the rear all in an attempt to be accepted as a “powerlifter.” Sadly, it works.
WATCH: Developing Powerlifters Through the Role and Responsibilities of ...
Maggie Kuhn, owner of CBUS Lifting Co., walks through the importance of meet directors and shares the impact she wants to have on the future generation of powerlifters.
What I Learned from Benching with Dave Tate
Based on Dave’s bench cues and progress made, I’m revising my bench goal for Reebok Record Breakers in November, from 200 kilos up to 210 — a huge jump, especially considering it’s by far my worst lift.
Where Is Your Focus?
To get your strongest in the fastest way possible, you need to focus on training as a whole. Every aspect needs attention and focus.
The Silent Partner
The weights weigh what they weigh and I can either lift them or I can’t. They never try to convince me of anything. They are what they are and that is what they will always be.
3 Time-Efficient Assistance Work Circuits to Get You Stronger and in Bet...
These assistance work circuits are designed to be done after main strength work (primary and supplemental movements) and provide a time-efficient way to work for hypertrophy, muscular endurance, and basic conditioning.
Bodybuilding for the Powerlifter — Programming Arm Training (with Sample...
No, hammer curls and pushdowns probably aren’t going to add 50 pounds to your bench, but they very well might keep your elbows healthy enough so that you can train consistently. And getting arms big enough to bust through shirtsleeves is fun.
WATCH: Equipment Feature — Spud Inc. Tricep, Lat, Low Pulley System
This system really comes in handy for performing movements that would otherwise require large, expensive pieces of equipment. With a little creativity, you can even add a few new unique exercises.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Training Frequency of the Powerliftin...
How many times per week should you train the main lifts?
Training Terminology
Trying to understand programming without knowing the terminology is similar to navigating a country without knowing the language: you can do it, but it won’t be easy.
Balance and the Big Picture
I hear all the time that balance is impossible and that to be amazing at something you have to give it up. I also hear that every person needs perfect and equal balance in life. Which is it?
My SPS Weekend and Visit to the S5 Compound
My recent trip to Ohio included attending the 2018 elitefts Sports Performance Summit and visiting the brand new elitefts office, warehouse, and gym. Along the way, I learned a lot about training.
WATCH: The First Time I Trained with Ronnie Coleman
The plan for the training session was to squat but the bodybuilding group had a lot more in mind.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Deloads and Fatigue Management
Using a planned deload is one effective way to manage fatigue during a training cycle, but strategic exercise selection can help reduce the need for “off” weeks.
Bands and Underloading: The Often Ignored 'Secrets' of The Con...
There’s a piece to the accommodating resistance puzzle that I don’t think anyone ever really discusses: using bands too often can ruin you for straight weight. There’s also an equally overlooked method of fatigue management.
Take the Emotion out of the Bar
Motivation doesn’t mean a thing if you haven’t done the work. Relying on the psych up didn’t work for me and this is why.
My Powerlifting Influences
I would not be the person or the lifter I am today without the influence of these seven people and the lessons they taught me.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — Block Pulls and Hip Position in the S...
Getting into the right position for the sumo deadlift can be a challenge. Is focusing on “sitting back” the right approach?
Quality, Safety, and Doing It for the Gram
Purchase some quality equipment and find some good spotters or your next rep could be your last.
WATCH: BandBell Equipment Demonstration with Founder Jim Seitzer
By explaining the concept of Oscillating Kinetic Energy and demonstrating the setup, Jim gives you everything you need to know to get the most out of the Bamboo, Earthquake, and E-Maxx bars.
Embrace Being the Individual You Are
There is so much information that you could spend days, weeks, and months learning, without ever actually lifting a damn thing. Don’t become paralyzed trying to weed through all of the varying perspectives.
What Is the Common Denominator?
If you want to be relevant in the sport for years to come, you need to know how to tell the difference between the coaches and the players.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — How Dan Structures His Training
Through years of mistakes and experimentation, Dan has refined his approach and found a setup that works for him.
Back on the Wagon: Returning to Training After a Long Layoff
For three months I dealt with my life while putting training in the backseat. Now with more time, energy, and motivation, these are the keys I’m using to getting back to where I was.
Has the Max Effort Method Been Forgotten?
Is there any value left to this method or has the lifting world moved on?
A Calloused Hands Guide to Conjugate Training for the Beginning and Inte...
My main goal for this article is to make the vast bodies of work on conjugate more digestible and more easily applicable to what is popular now: raw powerlifting.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dan Green — The SS Yoke Bar for Squats and Good M...
There are a lot of ways to use the SS Yoke Bar and good mornings. Here’s what Dan is doing with both in his current program.
Rooting: The Lifter's Connection Between Foot and Floor
Most lifters don’t think about the connection of their feet to the floor, but proper rooting provides a more solid foundation, enables maximum transfer of power through the body, and starts activation of the correct muscles used in the lift.
Dancing with the Deadlift Devil: Old and Raw
Content is king for big media. BIGHORN was a fun trip down memory lane, but now I have another foray into fictional content in mind.
