“It will change your life” were the words spoken to me by Justin Kavanaugh. He was talking about SWIS (Society of Weight Training Injury Specialists), a yearly event held by Dr. Ken Kinakin and elitefts. I knew Coach Kav wouldn’t bullshit me, but even after looking it up and seeing all the big names associated with the event, I still wasn’t convinced.

Nonetheless, I bought a ticket soon after the event was announced. I’m passionate about helping people and always striving to improve, so this seemed like a no-brainer. Still, I had doubts.

Over the next few months, the list of speakers was filled with easily recognizable names. I was excited to learn directly from all the people whose content I had read and followed for years.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I devoured even more strength training knowledge to familiarize myself with all the topics. And yet, despite my ever-growing fervor around strength and conditioning, I still could not let go of my doubts. Of course, the symposium evolved daily into a greater opportunity to learn and grow. However, still, I was unable to see how it could be “life-changing.” 

After a 2 AM alarm and an 8-hour drive, I arrived at SWIS around 11 AM on Friday, October 28th, with all my gym gear, intellectual curiosity, and skepticism. 

Little did I know that over the next few days, Kav would be right: my life wouldn’t be the same.

Arriving In Columbus, Ohio

When I entered the hotel, I was taken aback. Not only by the beautiful and exquisite nature of the Hilton Columbus at Easton but also by the swarm of ripped and jacked individuals adorned with red elitefts lanyards. Immediately my stomach began to twist. I knew it was going to happen. It was one of my biggest anxieties going into the event, and I had come face-to-face with it. 

I, of course, knew that the speakers at the symposium were living legends—the top 1% of the 1% in their fields. But I also knew this event would be attended by the best of the best. The strongest powerlifters, leanest bodybuilders, smartest rehabilitation specialists, and biggest, baddest, most elite individuals in their field. A group of people whose passion for strength training has made them willing to live, breathe, and die under the bar. And I felt that I did not belong there.

The truth is, I have never gone to a powerlifting meet or been on stage at a bodybuilding show. I didn’t spend years in graduate school studying kinesiology or exercise science. Sure, I know what periodization is, but don’t ask me to explain it. 

I don’t have “Dr.” before my first name, and I don’t have a bunch of letters that follow my last name. No one calls me “coach,” and I do not have any clients. Lifting weights isn’t my forte, and I do not have years of weight training under my belt. 

I am not naturally athletic, and most would say I am not “built for” anything.

My lifting technique is embarrassing, I struggle with my diet, and I have never been below 15% body fat. I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs or put on a bench shirt or a squat suit. 

And I have never been described as any of the following; massive, huge, diesel, yolked, beefy, jacked, juicy, lean, ripped, shredded, symmetrical, vascular, natty, an absolute unit, a specimen, a freak, built like a brick shithouse, and the list goes on.

Despite all of this, I love strength and conditioning. I want to learn, improve, and help others do the same. So, I check in at the front desk and set off to find the red EliteFTS lanyard with my name.

The Symposium

Navigating my way through the symposium was easy. There was a big conference hall lined with booths from different vendors in the strength training industry. And then individual conference rooms, each dedicated to a different topic: training, nutrition, treatment, rehab, and business. 

I picked up my lanyard from the registration table in the main hall, took a picture of the symposium schedule, and mapped out my plan of when and where I needed to be over the next 48 hours.

With the first set of talks beginning, I headed to the nutrition room to hear Jason Dhir discuss “Nootropic Cognitive Optimization.” And as I am making my way through the crowds, I begin to notice the people with whom I am standing shoulder to shoulder: Ed Coan, Stan Efferding, Dr. Ken Kinakin, Matt Wenning, Brian Carroll, and Mike Israetel. 

Everywhere I looked, I was stunned to see someone who I previously had only ever seen on screen, heard on a podcast, or read their name on the cover of a book! And they were right there, just feet away from me. 

I Felt Like A Kid At Disney World

Imagine walking around Disney, getting shuffled around in the mobs of people; suddenly, Goofy appears, and you take a picture with him. And the next thing you know, Pluto is hopping in and giving you a high five. All these characters, whom you felt like you’d known for years, are right in front of you, in the flesh. That's what SWIS was like, and it was a wild experience.

And it's not like I wasn’t expecting that. I listened to the SWIS episode of TableTalk with Dr. Ken Kinakin and Dr. Eric Serrano. So I knew who would be there and that the “hallways” were really what the symposium was all about. But still, it wasn’t until I experienced it in person that I realized just how surreal it would feel.

Unsurprisingly, I was more intimidated by these legendary coaches than their Disney counterparts. So I decided to forgo the pictures and high fives and headed straight to my first talk.

I found my way into the nutrition room. It was a big conference room with a stage and screen set up at the front for the presenter. There was ample seating for the audience and a camera and some other AV stuff in the back for the live stream. I sat down, grabbed my pen and notebook, and waited for the presentation to begin.

In Jason Dhir’s introduction, the staff mentioned that the slideshows and recordings of the presentations were going to be available online after the symposium. A huge wave of relief washed over me. 

I am a big nerd when it comes to this stuff. I love to absorb as much information as I can. And there was not a single thing I wanted to miss out on. But I am not the fastest reader or writer. So I was concerned that I would be unable to keep up with the presenters, both in speed and intellect. But knowing I could go back and study all this stuff at my own pace allowed me to relax, absorb, and enjoy the presentations in the moment.

Information Overload…In A Good Way

Over the next 36 hours, I experienced a deluge of information and ideas that would flood every recess of my mind. Jason Dhir’s presentation was spectacular, as was every other presentation after that. It can only be described as a mix of captivation and fascination you must experience in person.

The discussed information wasn’t the kind of thing you can watch a video on or read in a book. To hear it directly from its proprietor–the person who had an original idea, tried it out, had it work, and is now presenting their findings–is an irreplicable experience. It was like being present at the combination of the Nobel Prize Convention, World’s Fair, and TED Talks, all centered around the world of weight training and human performance. 

In between presentations, the initial intimidation of the “hallway experience” melted away as I began to listen to the top minds go back and forth with each other, debating opposing viewpoints or providing supplementary arguments to the information presented in a conference room just moments before. 

It felt like I was a fly on the wall, watching Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and a bunch of other historical figures discuss the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Just swap out the buckled shoes and powdered wigs for bald heads and beards.

The way I viewed the world changed after every presentation and hallways discussion.

People demonstrated techniques and technologies that could not be explained but whose efficaciousness could not be denied. Just imagine the top 1% of people in the world of strength training presenting solutions to problems that can only occur within the 1% of the strength training population. 

The world’s foremost experts on human performance tell you what works, what's bullshit, and what is still up for debate. I saw rehab and recovery modalities being used that pushed the human body's capabilities beyond what was previously believed to be possible. With every novel idea being presented to me, a spark of curiosity would begin to spread in my mind like wildfire. I started to feel my own new ideas take form as I made connections between the content of the presentations. It was riveting stuff! 

What if Justin Harris’ post-competition hypertrophy techniques were applied to combat sports athletes? 

What if Dr. Mario Novo’s blood flow restriction training was used to prevent muscular dystrophy in astronauts? 

How does blood flow restriction training work in zero gravity settings? 

What if Travis Mash’s ideas on Individualization in strength training programs were applied to nutritional programs like the ones discussed in Stan Efferding's talks on hormone testing and optimization? 

And then what if Stan Efferding’s hormone testing and optimization were combined with Jason Dhir’s Nootropic supplementation services for complete individualized nutritional and supplemental programming based on blood test results such as those discussed by Dr. Eric Serrano?!?!

I was curious to know if these were good ideas (unlikely). I didn’t know if these were terrible ideas (very likely). I didn’t even know if I was asking questions that had already been asked before. All I knew was that I would have never asked these questions, had these ideas, or made these connections if I had never come to SWIS. If I had never taken the chance, spent the money I didn’t have, driven the long and early hours, pushed through the fatigue, and worked through all my awkwardness. I spent two days surrounded by the right people and had my perspective changed forever in more ways than one.

Checking Out, But Not Done Yet

Late Sunday morning, most of us checked out of the hotel. My fellow attendees removed their red elitefts lanyards, and the presenters said their goodbyes to decades-old friends and colleagues. Me? I waited nervously in the lobby.

You see, I initially decided to purchase the SWIS VIP Package, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with Dave Tate, Dr.Ken Kinakin, and a bunch of the presenters at the world-renowned elitefts compound. Additionally, you get an all-access Q&A, exclusive swag, access to all the conference assets, and a catered BBQ dinner. 

At this point, you may think, “Wait, you get to train at the elitefts compound? With the Dave Tate? And use any equipment and ask any question you want? And you get food and merch? Who wouldn’t do that?!”

These were the same things I said when I convinced myself to buy the package. However, I was about an hour away from having to lift at elitefts in front of Dave Tate while being surrounded by people who are astronomically better than me in pretty much every single aspect of human performance. Suffice it to say, I had to make a lot of bathroom stops on the way there.

I arrived at the facility, and my hands were shaking. I grabbed my gym bag out of the trunk and went inside. I was greeted by the wonderful Mrs.Traci. She had me fill out the waiver, gave me my swag bag, and sent me off to train. I went to the locker room, changed, and made my way onto the gym floor.

I was taken aback when I first entered the hotel, but when I walked out of that locker room, I stopped dead in my tracks. I could not believe I was actually standing inside elitefts. 

I have watched countless hours of their content. I recognized every part of the gym; the bars lining the walls, the giant yellow lat pulldown machine, the giant collage of pictures, and even the chalk bowl. It was literally as if I was on the set of my favorite TV sitcom. And the set was filled with familiar characters: Matt Wenning, Sam Brown, Dr. Dani LaMartina, Tom Sheppard, Dr. Ken Kinakin, Jujimufu, and of course, Dave Tate. All just hanging out, getting workouts in, just like any of the other high-level strength athletes patronizing the gym. It felt absolutely unreal and was genuinely a dream come true.

Overwhelmed But Committed

Eventually, I found a corner for my gym bag and embarked on my workout. I’m sure anyone else would be frothing at the mouth to get this workout in. But, like a kid let loose in a candy store, the endless possibilities left me paralyzed.

Picture every piece of gear and equipment you could possibly imagine, and none of it was off-limits. It’s a true meathead’s dream. So, it was time to rip a line of ammonia, headbutt all the bars, brace my core, and crush every PR possible in front of the world’s best.

Nope. Not me.

I was petrified. Overwhelmed by the number of options, activities, and overall experience inside the facility, I was frozen. So I did the only thing one can do when frozen: try to warm up. 

In my little corner of the gym, I went through my stretching routine, did some core work, and then decided to make my way over to the dumbbell rack. I was doing some Front Squat warm-ups when I heard a friendly and somewhat familiar voice ask me a question, “Hey! What are you working on today?”

I turn and look to find that this familiar friendly voice belonged to none other than Sam Brown! 

“Just some dumbbell front squats,” I said. Out loud. With my mouth. 

But on the inside, in my head, I meant, “Holy shit, you’re Sam Brown from elitefts!! I have watched so many of your videos! I can’t believe you are talking to me right now! Why are you talking to me right now!? This is fucking bananas! I always thought you were cool.”

"Mind If I Help You Out?"

When Sam Brown offers to help, you oblige. No questions asked. I eagerly accepted, grateful that he could sense my need for assistance. He watched me do a set, identified some areas I was struggling with, had me do a particular combination of warm-up exercises, and then had me do another set. Like some kind of Weightlifting Warlock trained in the Mystical Arts of Meathead Magic, he completely changed how my body operated in just five minutes. 

With no exaggeration, I went from barely being able to hit parallel straight to ass-to-grass. My mind was blown. This is something that I had struggled with for months, if not years. And with what seemed like the snap of his fingers, he made my body able to do the exercise correctly and pain-free.

I was elated; I couldn’t believe what had just happened. My mind was on fire, not only from physical achievement but also from intellectual curiosity. Beaming excitedly, I mentioned that I had never even done an actual barbell front squat before. “Oh yeah? Follow me.” he replied.

Over the next hour, I had the most amazing experience I’ve ever had in a gym. Sam took me around the gym and showed me different machines and exercises tailored to my weak points. He answered all of my questions. He went in-depth about why we were doing specific exercises and how they worked. 

And he even passed on some meathead gym hacks and secrets, the kind you can’t find written in any book out there. Any anxiety or nerves had dissipated entirely. I was just in my favorite place in the world, a gym; surrounded by people who were just as big nerds about this stuff as I was. During that time, there was nowhere else on the planet I would rather be. I felt more than comfortable; I felt at peace.

We were about to start some deadlifts when they announced that the food was ready. So we called it there and decided to keep lifting after lunch. 

Conversations Over BBQ

After making a plate, I grabbed a seat at the picnic table along with the other VIP members. There was a small conversation about books going on that I listened to as I fueled up for the rest of my day. As more gym patrons made their way over after finishing their last couple of sets, I felt someone slide into the open seat next to me. It’s none other than Dr.Ken Kinakin.

Of course, that familiar knot in my stomach returns. I'm a huge fan of his. I’ve read Optimal Muscle Training and listened to all the Table Talks he’s been on. I saw him speak less than twenty-four hours ago. And I had watched him run around all weekend, solving problems, being a good host, making time to chat and take pictures with everyone no matter who they were, and overall just ensuring everyone was having a good time. Of all the people I met at SWIS, he has become my favorite. 

He really is like The Meathead’s Mad Scientist, testing out different hypotheses based on scientific principles and theories to see what breakthrough he may find in the world of strength training. And he does it all for the sake of curiosity in his Iron Laboratory.

He sits down next to me. And, of course, being the very well-read person he is, he politely and happily joins in the conversation.

I was now fully locked into this conversation, trying to take notes on my phone to do more research later. However, Dr. Ken is dropping the names of scientists and book titles so fast that I can barely keep up. Occupied and fascinated by conversation and the frantic note-taking, I almost didn’t realize that the previously open seat in front of me had now been taken. By Dave Tate. That’s right. You heard me.

Dave Tate.

You know? That guy from all the articles, videos, podcasts, and rants? That guy from that company that makes all that awesome gym equipment. Under The Bar. Raising The Bar. That guy who trained at Westside Barbell. Max Effort. Dynamic Effort. Bands. Chains. Conjugate Training.

1955 Total in Single-Ply. 2205 Total in Multi-Ply. 

Everyone’s Favorite Washed-Up Meathead.

THAT Dave Tate.

I had seen him at the symposium. He seemed just as busy as Dr.Ken, running around, making sure everything was running smoothly. I can’t imagine how stressful putting on an event like that must be. And with that being said, I sure as hell wasn’t going to stop him in the middle of all that just to try and tell him thank you for putting on this event and everything else he has done for the weight training community. Of course, knowing me, I would have been tripping over my words and fucking it up big time. And then all I would have accomplished was embarrassing myself in front of arguably the biggest name in the strength world and wasting his time.

But now he was sitting right in front of me and eating his lunch just like everyone else. And being the well-read person he is, he politely and happily joins in on the conversation.

We’re All Human

The knot in my stomach is tighter than ever. I am sitting with two of the most esteemed individuals in the weight training world. Titans. Living legends. Hall of Famers. Their passion, curiosity, character, and goodwill go unmatched in the world of strength training and have inspired countless numbers of athletes across the globe to be better both inside and outside the gym. Their work under the bar may have been how they became known, but who they are as people will be remembered forever. And my mind is absolutely racing. 

What should I say? Probably nothing; I can’t risk looking like a moron. Should I ask them a question? Not a bad idea! But make it a good one, or you’ll look like a moron. Do I have any good questions right now? Nope, still in shock; my brain is not working. Ok, well then best to shut up, be polite, and just enjoy one of the coolest moments of your life.

So I sat there. Listening to them and everyone else goes back and forth about their latest literary findings, desperately trying to drown out the overwhelming amount of anxiety-ridden thoughts attempting to terrorize my mind. And as the discussion continued, and the used napkins slowly began to pile onto people's plates, my mind, finally in a moment of reprieve, presented me with an observation about my current circumstances that I am embarrassed to admit had taken me so long to realize:

They really are just two dudes.

Two dudes who like to train hard, lift heavy shit, learn stuff, get better, and help people. They put their wrist straps on one at a time, just like everyone else. Not really any other secret sauce to it.

And yeah, I get it now. To some people, that's obvious. It’s not really an award-winning discovery. It’s not going to be making any headlines. But I’m not one of those people. After countless hours absorbing their content and trying to learn as much as possible, I drove to Ohio and met them in person to figure out that they were just two very cool, regular-ass people. Everybody has their way of learning things, I guess. 

Anyway, along with this newfound perspective this realization had brought me, it also managed to loosen the knot in my stomach just in time for the All-Access Q&A.

The Q&A Was The Icing On The Cake

After lunch, we all went back inside. We gathered around in a circle, getting comfortable on random benches or plyo boxes until the floor was opened for the Q&A. There we sat, some of the most intelligent and well-known individuals in the world of strength training, with the opportunity to discuss anything we wanted.

Now, of course, there is an inherent circle of trust when it comes to the Q&A. An unspoken, very Fight Club-esque, “What happens inside the all-access Q&A, stays inside the all-access Q&A” type of situation. So, I will skip over most of what was discussed and paraphrase the rest for privacy:

Hours go by in the Q&A. It was a surreal experience to have the best weight-training minds in the world be your own think tank. People are asking all their questions, and the amount of thought and care that went into each answer was impressive and touching. I, however, had yet to ask a question.

I had one. I had thought about it for weeks leading up to SWIS. I wanted it to be a good question, one that I had trouble answering because I knew I wouldn’t get an opportunity like this again. So I politely waited until everyone else had all their questions answered.

“Any other questions?” Dave asked as everyone looked around the room. 

I Shot My Hand Up

Dave points at me, and the people in front of me turn around, clearing out of the way so the entire gym can get a good look at me.

Summoning all the confidence I had to stop my voice from shaking, I asked, “How do you know when you know enough to be able to help someone else?”

“What do you mean?” Dave replied.

“Well,” I said, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. “I love strength training. And I’m a huge nerd about all this stuff. I always try to watch, listen and read all the content that you guys and everyone else here at SWIS put out, not only because I want to get better for myself, but because I want to be better for the people around me. I want to be able to help as many people as I can. I know how intimidating, confusing, hard, frustrating, and sometimes even terrifying it can be. And I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way.

And I want to show people how weight training can help them the same way it helped me.

But I don’t have the experience or credentials you guys have. Most of the time, if someone asks me a training question, I'll just show them the elitefts video that answers their question. I always feel that there’s someone better than me who can answer their question because ‘What do I know? I’m just a big nerd who likes to train.’ So how do you know when you know enough to be able to help someone else? “

After a moment of thought, Dave and the rest of the presenters who were there gave their answers. I was incredibly touched by the care and passion they put into their words, which I carry with me daily.

Collectively, it went a little something like this.

Anyone Can Help Anyone

If you want to help someone, you can. You don’t need to be a world-record powerlifter or a bodybuilder with more trophies than Arnold.

You don’t need to spend years in graduate school studying kinesiology or exercise science, and you don't need to know what periodization is or know how to explain it.

Having a Ph.D. is cool, but it's not what matters, and neither do all the acronyms after your last name.

Your friends, students, clients, or family members don't have to refer you to as "Coach" for you to be helpful. You do not need to have any clients, lift weights 5-6 days a week, or have years of weight training under your belt.

Your athleticism is irrelevant, and you don’t need to be “built for” anything.

Your technique doesn't have to be perfect.

Your nutrition doesn’t need to be flawless.

You don’t need to take drugs, wear powerlifting gear, or be described as any of the following; massive, huge, diesel, yolked, beefy, jacked, juicy, lean, ripped, shredded, symmetrical, vascular, natty, an absolute unit, a specimen, a freak, built like a brick shithouse, etc.

No matter how big or small, there is always something you can do to help someone else.

It took a weekend at SWIS to learn something so small yet so significant, and it was worth every penny. Hopefully, I'll see you at SWIS next year.

write for elitefts

Nik Echenique is currently the general manager at Champion Boxing & Fitness, a professional boxing gym in Rockville, Maryland. He has a passion for nutrition and strength & conditioning, which he discovered when he began his combat sports journey by losing over 100 pounds. He hopes to one day be able to help people experience life-changing results, while avoiding the same mistakes he made along the way. Aside from mixed martial arts, he also enjoys powerlifting, bodybuilding, and surfing.