By the Strength Coach for the Strength Coach
These articles will focus on collegiate strength and conditioning and issues associated with the profession.
Paying the Bills – My First Year in Powerlifting
So how exactly does one get mixed up in the sport of powerlifting?
Starting a Powerlifting Club
My father once told me that a good teammate is someone who can carry his own weight and some of yours too when you need him to.
3 Things You'd Better Know if You Want Strong(er) Triceps
Kicking back some thoughts on tricep training...
Saving Face: Effective Spotting of The Bench Press
At this point, I began asking myself WTF!? and wondering if this is a regular thing.
Then I woke up and realized that I come from a sport where knee wraps appear under bench shirts, then disappear, then reappear only to have never been there in the first place. The point here is that unless you were there, you have no
The Effects of Specialized Exercise Variables for the Purpose of Maximiz...
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between muscular overcoming, yielding, and holding during training for absolute strength on the bench press.
Shirt Training...Rough Start but a Strong(ish) Finish
This was only my second time in this shirt and I was already trying to touch. Had I just worked down from high to low boards, I would have saved time and energy.
Does Your Lockout Suck? Read This.
If you believe you always miss at the top, then you’ll always miss at the top!
Bench Press and Dieting for Bodybuilding
It all started two years ago—I was training in double ply meets mainly for the bench press
Bring your Bench Press Alive with the Dead Bench
A one second pause at the bottom of the bench press movement causes a 55 percent disruption of the benefits derived from stretch-shortening during the bench press.
A New Bench PR
I have 8 weeks till the Pro-Am, so I hope to get my 800-plus press there. I still have plenty of time.
12 Steps to a Bigger Bench
Simple (but not without effort) guidelines to jacking up your bench press.
A Program That Failed: My Quest for a 500-lb Push Press
Several years ago during one of the more Olympic lifting intensive periods of my lifting career, I hit a long awaited personal record—a 420-lb push press.
Foam Pressing
I always remember the famous quote from Dave Tate, "I'll press off of anything. Give me a hoagie and I'll press off that thing!" I swear I'm not making that up.
Floor Press w/ Chains
I am huge fan of the floor press and think this variation is about as good as the original.
Fat Bar Chain Press
The chain press is a max effort movement to help develop the lockout power of the bench press.
Close Grip Chain Lockouts
This is a great exercise to increase your lockout strength and is a good variation on the standard rack lockout.
Cambered Bar Bench Press
The cambered bar bench press is one of the best ways to increase the strength off of your chest.
Board Presses Without Partner
Many times it is hard to find someone to train with and this can be especially difficult when you need a spot or someone to hold the boards when performing a board press.
Board Press with Bench Shirt
I do understanding most readers don’t bench press with a shirt and more than likely never will.
5 Board Press
The 5 Board Press, along with the 4 Board Press, is one of of the best ways to increase lockout strength for your bench press.
3 Board Press
The 3 Board Press is also a great way to control the range of motion if you are dealing with shoulder and pec injuries.
1 Board Press
The 1 Board Press has become a favorite of lifters, from raw to equipped lifters. To perform this exercise, all you need is a one board (a 2×6 works perfectly) and a regular bench.
Reverse Band 5 Board Press
This lift is usually only done by lifters that have a very long wingspan and have a very large ROM.
Reverse Band 3 Board Press
This lift isn’t very popular but I have seen it done by lifters wishing to do something very different and for those that do have shoulder problems.
Fat Bar - Reverse Band Press
This movement is performed by attaching a band around the top of your power rack.
Brockensteins (Band Pull-Outs)
Grab the bar with your bench grip and pull the bar out like you were going to bench.
Bench Pressing w/ Bands Around Wrists
If you have no idea what we mean when we tell you to pull the bar apart when you bench then this is the movement for you.
The Mindset Behind a Great Bench Press
What does everyone want? A bigger bench press of course. Let’s face it—people don’t walk up to you and ask, “So what do you curl?” Everyone wants to know how much you can bench. Well, I can bench press a lot, and I’m going to share some tips with you.
Board Press Boards
During the past decade, the board press has become one of the most popular bench training movements.
Get a Grip: Know What’s False
Dave stormed into the office, slammed down his energy drink and crashed onto his chair, still scrolling through his e-mails on his iPhone.
EFS Pro Short Band Strength
Bands were first introduced to Dave Tate close to 10 years ago. After experimenting with accommodating resistance and the use of chains, Dave took his squat from 760 to 855 in 12 months.
Problem—Raw Bench Press; Solution—Plyometrics
Speed training in the bench press has become increasingly popular. Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell Club popularized this concept by advocating a speed day in the bench press. Some call it a “dynamic” day, and some call it a “light” day.
Bench Press More Weight Instantly!
How many people do you see in the gym trying to make an exercise more difficult, believing the more difficult it is, the more effective the exercise will be?
Bench Training for Gear and Raw
Here at Lexen, we train raw for much of our upper body development, but by using both environments (the shirt and raw training), you can actually make personal records in each.
My Experience at the 2004 WPO Bench Bash for Cash by Ed Rectenwald (as t...
Let me first tell you briefly about myself for those who do not know me.
Going Raw
I’m a lifter just like you. I’m not a trainer nor do I have any connection to the strength and conditioning field outside of elitefts™.
Training Individuality
In powerlifting, there are many different paths to achieve our lifting goals.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Vincent Dizenzo
This week’s EliteFTS Spotlight interview introduces the readership to powerlifting legend Vincent Dizenzo. If you’ve been reading this site for any length of time, Vincent’s name – as well as his exploits under the bar – should be very familiar to you
Proof of Life
One of my favorite moments in the history of powerlifting is Doc Rhodes’ third deadlift at the 1977 IPF Worlds in Australia. Rhodes was in the 165-lb weight class and had squatted 512 lbs and benched 374 lbs.
Advice to the Beginner and Elite
When we begin to train, usually the goal of most lifters is to get big and strong. On this path, our goals stay in that realm, but how we reach them becomes ever changing and more difficult as we push our genetic and mental limits.
The “Devil” Bench Workout
Why is it that whenever I’m in a gym I see people benching the same weight at each workout? It usually goes like this—a person performs a few reps at 185 lbs, then at 205 lbs, and maybe at 225 lbs.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Matt Wenning
The subject of this week’s EliteFTS Spotlight is Q&A staff member Matt Wenning. Matt is one of only a handful of people to total over 2600 pounds in professional competition.
Benching with the Big Boys When You’re Not
The last five years of my life have seen significant changes, the least of which has been my body weight.
