3 Conditioning Methods to Use With Conjugate
While there is a long list of methods that go far beyond what’s mentioned in this article, these three methods develop the aerobic system—which for many, is an area of weakness and thus low-hanging fruit.
5 Common Strongman Weaknesses and How to Fix Them
Consider the Press, Deadlift, Farmer’s Walk, Death Medley, and Atlas Stones. I’ll pinpoint the common weakness in each event and provide an exercise (a solution) for you to fix the weak point. No excuses!
The Best Bang for Your Buck: elitefts Plyobox and Tri Plyo Cube
Jump in — er, jump on the opportunity that comes along with using the elitefts Plyobox and Tri Plyo Cube to train plyometrics!
The Running Shoe Caste System
“Buy nice; don’t buy twice.” That saying might apply to elitefts equipment, but it might also apply to running shoes when it comes to doing cardio… Any suggestions for replacing a 27-year-old pair of sneakers?
The Best Conjugate Training Plan
If you understand the conjugate method, can devote 4 to 5 hours of training per week, not competing in sports but is trying to look and feel better, boy, have I got the perfect program for you!
Simple 8-Week Barbell and Bike Conditioning Program
Tired of the same old training program? Want a break from your normal training specificity? Why not mix things up with this program? All you’ll need is a barbell, plates, a bike, a box for squatting, and a bench.
GPP Training: You're Doing It Wrong
If your client cannot pull a sled or carry two heavy kettlebells without having to rest excessively between sets, you need to implement GPP to build your clients’ foundations. But you need to implement it the right way.
Top-3 Cardio Options for the Powerlifter, Strongman, Bodybuilder, and At...
Cardio can help you cut weight, get shredded for the stage, and increase athletes’ performance. But with so much cardio out there, where do you start? Start here with elitefts team members’ top-3 cardio items, based on their sports or areas of expertise.
Skip’s Top 3 Fitness Trackers
After a few months of really digging into different brands and models, checking reliability, accuracy, battery life, practicality, etc., I was able to narrow down my recommendations to three.
WATCH: Branch Warren's Desire to Win
Rooted at Metroflex, Warren’s early years building a thick and grainy physique grew to the height of the Olympia.
Shit Coaches Need to Stop Telling Their Clients
Honestly, there are so many that I could go on forever. Within my sarcastic tone, I hope the message that comes across is simple.
The SAID Principle — Training Optimally for Sport
We as strength coaches have a way of screwing training up even with this ancient, written-in-stone principle.
WATCH: How to Be a Healthier Competitor
If you think you can push your body to the extremes of its capabilities and not suffer consequences, you’re wrong.
Developing Strength and Conditioning in the Same Training Session
Our goal is to help our clients become better versions of themselves in terms of fitness, longevity, and body composition, so well-rounded concurrent fitness is often the best course of action.
Strong, Shredded, and the Ability to Perform Pain-Free
Want to be lean, muscular, strong, and conditioned, with the ability to move without pain? There are many variables, but these guidelines apply to everyone.
Ways to Sneak Cardio into Your Training
Following one, any, or all of these suggestions is a solid way to help prevent packing on some holiday pounds and to keep your strength gains strong.
Developing Your Own Strongman Program
Designing a program that builds agility, speed, strength, and conditioning, while also training the strongman movements, can seem a daunting task. Here’s how I approach it.
A Contrarian’s Approach to Building Muscle
As improvement season heats up, I’ve been doing the exact opposite of the traditional bodybuilder’s approach, and the results have been incredible.
High-Density Training for Fat Loss and Conditioning
These high-density training protocols are the holy grails of body composition training. Here are the best ones to get you started.
How I Dropped 17 Pounds Over 9 Days and Gained It Back in 12 Hours
I don’t recommend this big of a cut for anyone. It is detrimental to many bodily processes and overall health. To be clear, this is not a how-to guide; it is a documentation of my process.
WATCH: Rapid Fire Table Talk — Westside Before Bands, Programming By Gen...
Looking for an unconventional use for bands?
WATCH: UGSS John Meadows Presentation — Getting Ripped
Play your cards wisely. Once you use them, you can’t get them back.
The Wingate Test: Dorian Yates Version of Cardio
If one were to make a Dorian Yates type of analogy between weightlifting and cardio, what would the cardio look like? Enter the Wingate Test.
Contest Prep Aftermath: Reverse Diet and Training Gone Wrong
In this second part of the series I am going to discuss the top-three nutrition and training mistakes I see when competitors reverse out of a show, how they may affect long-term progress, and what to do if you make them.
Chalk Dust and Trail Runs: Cardio for Powerlifters
How do we glean all the benefits of cardio without compromising our strength and size? It really comes down to two things.
The Fallacy of the Fat Burning Zone
To better understand how exercise intensity dictates fuel use, and what this means in respect to the fat burning zone, we need to review the energy systems your body can rely on during exercise.
Contest Prep Aftermath: Reverse Dieting and Training
In this first installment of the three-part series, let’s dig into the rationale behind reverse dieting and why it is so important for not only your growth as a competitor but your long-term health.
5 Key Lessons From Contest Prep
Stepping on stage is reserved for a special breed of lifter, but the lessons you learn from competing apply to all training goals. Here are the things my rookie bodybuilding season taught me.
WATCH: Weightlifting, Baby Formula, and Wild Cats
In some way all these things come together before, during, or after a House of Biceps training session.
How Powerlifting Saved My Life
Years of self-destructive life and eating habits led me to 430 pounds and a combined diagnosis of pre-diabetes and hypertension. I had two options: make a change or die.
Beyond the Barbell
For most powerlifters, exercise begins and ends with the barbell. What if I told you there were ways to get better without it?
Fat Loss Sabotage: Are You Hindering Your Fat Loss?
If you blindly follow and/or abuse any of these four dieting rules, you may be derailing your progress without knowing it.
My Hateful Eight
In honor of Tarantino’s most recent big-screen release, I’ve decided to release my own Hateful Eight: the eight exercises and training modalities that make me shudder with anxiety, angst, and downright hatred.
Mythbusters 204-206: Increased Cortisol, The Big 3 Powerlifts, and Fat A...
Let’s knock down a few more falsehoods the fitness industry has been pumping into your brain.
MythBusters 201-203: Gluten, Clean Eating, and The Fat-Burning Zone
Are you falling for these foolish fitness fallacies? Here’s the research behind these popular claims.
Cardio in the Off-Season: Make Up Your Mind
Here’s how to know whether cardio is your friend or foe between shows.
Cardio in the Off-Season: Blasphemy, Beneficial or Badass
Can off-season cardio make for a leaner, healthier growing bodybuilder or will it nip your gains in the bud? Stevenson solves the cardio conundrum.
Body Weight Tabata Box Squats
Perform aerobic workouts in very little time and not much space with Tabata training. Body weight Tabata box squats are what Scott Yard chose to end his squat and pull workout with.
Stomach Fat is Way too Stubborn
If your belly fat seems to be extra stubborn, it may be because of these 3 over looked situations.
EPOC—The Secret to Fat Destruction
After years of competing as an IFBB pro, Dugdale has learned what will keep you thick while you shed fat.
Unrecognized Benefits of a Commercial Gym
We all love a chalk-filled garage gym or a basement torture chamber with Olympic plates leaning against cracked cinder block walls, but the commercial gym presents some perks that your powerlifting gym lacks.
Cycling Cardio for Fat Loss
Use a rotating schedule to manipulate metabolic pathways for shredded grainification.
Beer, Boobs, Guns and...Other Things Bros Like
The journey of a thousand pounds begins with the first ounce.
Mythbusting Fasted Cardio
Does performing cardio with low blood sugar levels increase fat burning? Muscle gain? Performance?
Metabolic Damage or Adrenal Fatigue?
Lately, everywhere I turn someone is blowing off about metabolic damage.
#I'mBulking #NoYouAreNot #YouAreAFatAss
The chances of you getting ripped without cardio are pretty slim.
WATCH: Skip Hill Seminar (Part 3)
In this third installment, Skip Hill covers his training, supplementation ideas, nutrition, Skiploading, and other aspects of life as a bodybuilder.
WATCH: Skip Hill Seminar (Part 2)
In the second installment of this seminar series, Skip answers questions about muscle imbalances, training styles, and the difficulties of training clients.
Crossing the Line Into the CrossFit Box
Seriously?! The first thing that an IFBB physique pro talks about is CrossFit?
Science of Lifting: Quick Thoughts (Part 5)
In this QT, we will look at the latest research on heavy lifting and heart health.
I'm Too Young to Be This Damn Old: Cardio Anyone?
As powerlifters, we need to avoid that dreaded first symptom of heart disease, sudden death.
Iron Sport: Big, Yummy, and Useless
Not fitting through the doorways and staircases coupled with the fact that I have been training to look huge and yummy but really haven’t done any cardio rendered me just about useless after about three trips up and down those steps.
