A High School Strength and Conditioning Program
Here’s insight into our high school strength and conditioning program. Consider the principles we follow.
6 Ways to Increase Performance
Increase your athlete’s performance so they become stronger, faster and more efficient. Here are 6 program designing concepts to implement.
Training Thoughts and Ideas From a Lifetime in the Trenches
Ashley Jones started training in 1979 and has coached athletes and general population alike. Forty-four years later, he shares some of his most poignant takeaways.
Training the Youth Athlete
Youth athletes need more attention and individualization than typical athletes. Use these tips to help them thrive during their development so they can crush it in their prime.
Why Conjugate Didn't Work For You
The conjugate method is tried and true, but many will inevitably butcher execution. Learn how to course correct to get the most out of your conjugate program.
#58 - The Boys are Back with Jim Wendler, Matt Rhodes, Vincent Dizenzo, ...
On this episode of Dave Tate’s Table Talk, the boys are back in town! Dave is joined by Jim Wendler, Matt Rhodes, & Vincent Dizenzo!
Why an Experienced Lifter Should Use a Coach
The best way I can explain this concept is to tell you a story about a pilot and his air traffic controller.
The Best Lift for Collegiate Athletes
Although collegiate athletes are not powerlifters, powerlifting is the ultimate inspiration for their training. Hands down, the barbell Romanian deadlift should be a part of their exercise selection.
It's as Easy as 1, 2, 3…4, 5, 6, 7
The path to becoming a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level is unique to everyone. However, there are some similarities and tips that this strength and conditioning coach wants you to know.
ConjugateU for College Baseball — A Powerful Combination
Jim Seratt doesn’t understand how anyone wouldn’t want baseball players to bench press. Here is his method for implementing conjugate training in his baseball program.
The Rise of Live Stream Conferences
A key part of being a strength and conditioning coach is something many people may not expect: networking. Be sure you’re not missing out on making important connections that online productions can’t imitate.
Highland High School Teaches Student Athletes About Accountability and G...
Highland High School is dedicated to the strength and conditioning of both students and athletes. More than just their physical education, the team at Highland High School is dedicated to teaching the kids leadership and accountability.
5 Must Do’s for an Intern
There is much to learn from being an intern. Take it from a former intern himself, there are a few things you should keep in mind during your interning process. Do this and your dreams of being a coach get closer.
How to Avoid Pitfalls with Exercise Selection and Progression
You found a new fancy-looking exercise on the ‘gram, so you do it. Then, you have your athletes do it. But you don’t know the exercise’s common technique flaws or how to fix them — all you know is how the person looked and how you felt doing it.
5 Things I Learned in the Transition From Intern to Strength Coach
Becoming a strength and conditioning coach is not the path for everyone. However, for those ready for the challenges, here is some advice from a young coach.
Conjugate for Throwers—Putting Your Athletes on the Right Trajectory
Conjugate training can make a huge difference in track and field athletes’ overall performance. For throwers in particular, give this conjugate workout a try and see the improvement for yourself.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #43 with Julia Anto, Yessica Martinez, and Al...
This episode will have a little less testosterone than usual, but don’t let that stop you from listening! Tune in to find out what makes these three women strong(er) than you…
Know When to Hold 'Em and Know When to Fold 'Em
Reading enriches our lives and teaches us invaluable lessons. One of these lessons is taking control of our own lives and doing what’s necessary for our happiness and our career.
3 Things I Learned From Training My @ss Off with Dave Tate
The Train Your @ss Off with Dave Tate event was not only a life-changing experience; it was also truly something I will remember forever. It has made me a better coach, a better training partner, and a better overall human because it helped me figure out what is truly important in my life.
Finding Your Way into the Strength and Conditioning Industry
My hope is that this article will help new coaches or aspiring coaches with their transition into strength and conditioning by highlighting some barriers and providing a personal example of how those barriers can be overcome.
Your Haters are Pushing You to the Top — Embrace It
Maybe instead of flipping off the haters, you should be thanking them instead. If anything, the haters are just bringing more people your way!
Don’t Forget Who You're Dealing With
It’s easy to assume a young athlete is slacking off due to laziness. However, it’s always important to remember that there may be more than meets the eye.
The Waverly Project: Phase I and II
In phase I of Nate Harvey’s Waverly Project, it’s all about movements; getting them down properly before moving on. Phase II is where the work really comes in for student athletes.
5 No-Bullshit Tips to Help You Reach Your Resolution Goals
Have you considered that you may be the reason you’re not reaching your goals? It’s time to reevaluate what is really holding you back.
The First Eight Months
The journey of being a strength and conditioning coach is different for everyone. However, there’s something to be gained from sharing what you’ve learned along the way.
Mount Baker High School Looks at What Really Matters
Chris Bartl is an experienced powerlifter dedicated to teaching high school kids the proper way to lift weights. More than that, he’s teaching them life lessons they’ll take with them well past graduation.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Are Hex Bars, High Squats, and Box Squ...
What do Dave Tate, Nick Showman, Louie Simmons, and high school athletes have in common? A love-hate relationship with the trap bar… and a few other movements.
The 7 Pillars of Leadership
It took time and a whole lot of failures for me to learn these core principles of leading others. But they are what helped me grow my business to over 160 members and a team of four others working alongside me… which brings me to these 7 lessons of leadership.
Win Games by Waving Volume
Most college programs that I’ve seen basically run three sets on all accessories. I didn’t want to be most college programs. I had to find a way to do a ton of work and build work capacity but also not run the kids into the ground. That’s where waving volume came into play.
The Good Trainer
You don’t need to hire the Stephen Hawking of all trainers, but you’ll still want a knowledgeable, safe, efficient, and successful trainer.
Why Are We Doing This?
Here, in this article, you will find the answer to why accomplished coaches and athletes I’ve been fortunate enough to know gravitate toward the iron and have made it a core element of their life.
The Mind-Body Link: Posture Yourself Into a Winning Position
Posture makes a huge difference in every aspect of your life. It can be one of the reasons you were (or weren’t) mugged. It also can turn the tide mid-game from a loss to a victory. Try practicing your posture and see the difference for yourself.
WATCH: Farmer's Walk Tutorial with Brian Alsruhe
Fun fact: the farmer’s walk is one of Brian Alsruhe’s favorite exercises of all time. It works your grip, back, traps, biceps, core, and calves… what’s not to love?
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #37 with JM Blakley
Since you guys couldn’t get enough of him the first time, we’ve asked JM Blakley to come back to record another Table Talk Podcast episode. So sit back, relax, and listen to JM’s soothing voice instruct you on how to become a better lifter!
Common Strength Pitfalls to Avoid
Here’s an idea: If your team is losing a game, how about instead of celebrating one good play, try focusing on how you and your team can muster a win.
Caught in the Middle
It’s a double-whammy when you’re the last person standing from the most recent rounds of strength staff layoffs. You’ll have to deal with new head coaches and new staff members. What do you do in that situation? Follow these tips, and you’ll have a good grip on the handle if this happens to you.
RPE Method for the Max Effort Lane
Believe it or not, sometimes max effort work is not the best option. Here are a few scenarios where that may be the case as well as what you can do to fill in the gaps where the max effort method would be.
Touch as a Feedback Mechanism for Athletes
Not every athlete can feel their spine twist into a pretzel, so how do you teach them not to do that? This article will give you a model for how to manipulate the sense of touch to create an altered feedback environment for your athlete. Work your way up from simple movements, such as the prone stick hold, to something
The Education Disconnect
A third-year sports coaching strength and conditioning major told me he had learned more about exercise technique in two 10-minute sessions under my instruction than he had over the entirety of his degree to that point. How can we ensure these students are getting the best education?
How Athletes Come to College
I never cease to be amazed at how messed up new collegiate athletes are when they start lifting in the weight room. Year in and year out, this keeps happening without any sign of improvement. Why does this keep happening?
Interview: Brewers' Aaron Hoback's Individualized Template
If you’re looking for sets and reps, you’re in the wrong place. But if you wanted some insight on players’ knowledge bases, individualized programs, and how new technologies are becoming more reliable, from Aaron Hoback, athletic trainer for the Milwaukee Brewers, you’re right where you should be.
We Pick Things Up and We Put Them Down
A coach once asked me, “Why do you lift?” My reply: “If aliens landed here and saw a basketball game going on, they wouldn’t have any clue what was happening. But if they saw lifting, they could at least wrap their heads around what they were seeing.”
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #34 with Ross Kolodziej
Before the Buckeyes face off against the Badgers, University of Wisconsin’s head strength and conditioning coach Ross Kolodziej joins Dave for a late-night Table Talk Podcast episode.
Is This the Right Fit?
Not every job is going to be the right fit for you, no matter how hard you try to make it work. Know who you are, what you believe in, what you are willing to sacrifice, and what you will and will not do.
Why I Bought From elitefts
My first experience with elitefts equipment was from the days I was a Division I strength coach at the University of New York at Buffalo. Let’s just say the price was not the only factor in why I decided we should go with elitefts equipment.
WATCH: I am Clint Darden
“I don’t need a psychiatrist. Give me a squat rack and a deadlift platform and a bench and a couple of Atlas stones, and that’s my psychiatric chair right there.” Everyone needs a safe haven, and elitefts coach Clint Darden has found his at the House of Biceps in Cyprus.
Progressions in Exercise Selection Based on Technical Proficiency
I firmly believe you have to start at the simplest movement that someone can master correctly, and then, over time, progress from that simple movement to the more complex movements. The process is one of progressive skill acquisition.
The elitefts Internship Guide
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about internships, all in one place.
Practical Prilepin Plans
It is this article’s intention to impart an easily identifiable progression in accordance with Prilepin’s stipulations and practical examples of it, all of which I’ve used at the Division I level.
How to Build Careers for Other Coaches
I thought the problem was just economics: that coaches could only make an hourly wage, but owners make profits. But that wasn’t the real problem. The real problem was that I could have made more, but I didn’t know how. And my boss didn’t know how, either.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #30 — How Dave Tate Trained His Clients
If you train gen pop, how do you get into your clients’ heads? What exercises do you choose? Dave Tate answers these questions based on his experiences from training gen pop.
What To Do When You Are Stuck
If your lifts are stagnating, it’s time to think and look outside of the box.
The Dogg Shitt Method™ 12-Week Powerlifting Program
This 12-week cycle is very effective when followed to a T. If picked apart, it won’t work as well, so listen closely.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — A Message to High School Coaches
Ideally, the kids should be learning from the coaches’ example. So what does that say about coaches who are calling kids lazy?
How My Programming's Improved Over the Years
I love and hate programming. When I’m doing research and reading stuff, my brain goes a million miles per hour. Of course, everything I read seems like the greatest idea ever, so I have to dial it down, but I’ve gotten better at it over the years, and it shows.
Don’t Let The Things You Love Destroy You
The things that gym owners and coaches love to do are destroying them. Find what you love to do without it taking too much of a toll on your health, both mental and physical. #BeThe1ToAsk others if they need help.
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
I think that sometimes-spontaneous people, those that fly by the seat of their pants, are better off than those who plan everything. It is my considered opinion that those who can alter or adopt a new one in the face of adversity or changed circumstances are the ones who succeed in anything.
Specialized: The Baseball Training Manual
I’m no wizard when it comes to baseball, but I’m about to blow your mind: My team lifts heavy, keeps volume down on max effort work, does a lot of speed work, and I don’t condition the strength out of them.