8 Weeks to a Stronger Overhead Press
An overhead press is going to take work and every five-pound PR is going to be earned the hard way.
3 (Surprising) Reasons You Aren't Getting Stronger
These are things that I didn’t appreciate enough when I was in my 20s but have risen to the top of my priority list in recent years.
8-Week Reset Program for the Stressed Lifter
Use this 8-week reset program to give yourself an “active break” while reaping the physical and mental benefits of regular training.
The Immunity Fix for Strength Athletes
Take control of your health and improve your immune response, performance, general health, and well-being by fixing these things today.
12-Week Conjugate Program for Raw Powerlifting
Get stronger, bigger, and quicker following this 12-week conjugate program for raw powerlifters.
What To Do When You Don't Enjoy Training Anymore
Remember, you’re human. It’s OK to feel this way about training and one day you inevitably will. With these six suggestions, plan and prepare for this ugly feeling and destroy ASAP to enjoy training again.
3 Plateau-Busting Accessory Exercises
Sometimes it’s just not enough to deadlift to make the deadlift stronger. More than likely, we have to add supplemental movements to build our deadlift, the bench press, and standing overhead press.
An Underrated Training Tool: Timed Deadlift Sets
You can only set 60-second rep records in the deadlift for so long before you experience burnout and injury. Here’s how to increase your reps without the burnout and injury.
The Need for a Calm Leader in 2020
There are a lot of different leadership qualities that lend themselves to different times and situations. Every leader is different, and there isn’t one perfect personality or leadership type. At this time, however, I think there is one leadership quality that is needed most.
After 8 Weeks of Training Every Day During Lockdown
As the lockdown has lifted, at least in Ohio, I’m slowly transitioning back into the gym. Interestingly, a lot of what I did during lockdown remains.
Attitude Reflects Leadership
Anyone who has overseen a staff (especially a large one) has probably run into situations where you’ve faced the frustration of attitudes not being what you want them to be. Our attitudes as leaders play an incredibly important role in the attitudes of our staff.
How to Safely Train Every Day During Quarantine
For those who currently aren’t working and also have limited gym equipment, I wanted to provide a potential gameplan that you can use to bring some routine and mental/physical stability to your day-to-day.
A Message for Those Struggling with Mental Illness
It WILL Pay Off: A Message for Those Struggling with Mental Illness, was a log post I wrote four years ago as I was battling depression, anxiety, insomnia, and OCD. Rather than edit my original post to reflect my current state of mind, I’m using this article as an update as I continue to evolve — a lot of things
Equipment Purchasing Considerations for Fitness Centers
Purchasing equipment is a big investment for rec centers and fitness establishments alike. Making sure you’re getting what that you’re clientele needs is equally as important.
Max Effort Modifications for Lifters with Anxiety and/or Depression
Many lifters with anxiety and/or depression find that during or following max effort, their mental health symptoms worsen, and/or their sleep quality and recovery suffer dramatically. These three modifications to max effort work may prevent or lessen some of these issues.
3 Ways I Stopped Straining My Adductors
I tried a few different things to combat the soreness and tightness I had in my adductors. Foam rolling them before and after training, stretches, adductor machine… the list went on. No matter what I did, the pain was still there. So I did more recovery, compression, and Copenhagen warm-ups.
The elitefts Internship Guide
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about internships, all in one place.
3 Quick Fixes for a Stronger Deadlift
Quick fixes: They’re usually bandages on a leaky pipe. But in some cases, a quick fix might be more like the duct tape that fixed the Apollo 13 module. These 3 technique fixes are like duct tape for your deadlift, so wrap up and strengthen that lift.
A Career Development Plan for GAs and Interns
Although this article is directed at those supervising GAs and interns, if you’re a student reading this article, you can use these strategies to help to plan your own professional development as well.
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.
How to Progress in Your Strength Program
Ask yourself: “Is my training program based on me being strongest at every session?” If your answer is an honest yes, you might need to reconsider your program. Here’s how you can improve it.
How to Coach Based on Personality Type
Knowing your clients’ personalities and using that knowledge for communication and programming can make you a better, more effective coach. Here’s how you can do that using the DISC personality model.
Discipline in Training and Life
As someone who often trains alone, I tend to have time to reflect on things between sets. It’s in those moments that I see connections between training and everyday life. Here are a few ways that training and life are closely woven together, particularly in the area of discipline.
The Leadership Parallels Between the Successful Coach and the Successful...
After eight years of competing in strength sports and seven years of supervising employees, I’ve found that these parts of my life share several similarities when it comes to success. I’ve learned what makes the best coaches and bosses stand out from the rest. These three keys will help you do just that.
Your First Meet Cycle — How to Lay the Program's Foundation
Don’t be the newbie lifter who falls into the tiger pit traps during your training cycle. That’ll only hurt you in the long run — or at least in those first competitions. Don’t be afraid to start training too light and save your attempts for the platform. Not enough advice? I’ve got six other tips, so read on…
Takeaways From My First Strongman Competition
Powerlifting gave me a great foundation for strongman, but I still had to do a lot of training for it. Even though I technically qualified for USS Nationals, I want to make sure I can handle heavier events before I even think about competing.
How to Train While Working a Physical Job — Create Your Program
Once you go through these seven steps, you should have a nice simple program that will allow you to reach your goals while staying true to your priorities and meshing with your daily work demands.
How to Train While Working a Physical Job
You may have several points in your life where you’ll see the contrast of differing lifestyles on training and programming. While the principles of your training philosophy may remain the same no matter what job you have, how those principles are applied differs based on the situation.
3 Ways to Add a Secondary Squat Day
From what I’ve seen, most lifters benefit from performing some form of squat twice per week. The key is finding a way to program that second squat that builds your strengths and addresses your weaknesses while still working within your ability to recover.
Who Defines You?
In this interview with Mark Dugdale, we discuss the mental side of training and competing, along with the various challenges that we meet when life, training, family, work, and all of the other areas of our lives intersect.
The Three Disciplines of Getting Stronger
How do you continue to progress as a lifter when life gets tougher, progress is slower, and motivation is lacking?
Using Values and Strengths to Help You Determine Your Career Path
Through my work at my university, I spend a great deal of time developing students and helping mentor them for career direction, particularly in the exercise science related areas. This is the approach I use to help them find the right path.
How Student-Athletes Can Support Teammate Mental Health
More student-athletes are beginning to recognize mental health as simply another part of the training and self-care process, and not a sign of weakness or lack of mental toughness. Here are three ways to help.
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.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Measuring Athlete Stress and Improving...
Joel Jamieson, one of the world’s foremost authorities on strength and conditioning for combat sports, joins the Peak Mental Performance Podcast for a discussion of stress, HRV, and improving athletic performance.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Auto-Regulation and How Personality Ty...
Mike Tuchscherer has been known for years as a large proponent of individualized training. Our conversation covers some great topics and advice for both lifters and coaches. No matter what type of training method you use, there are some good principles that you can apply to your training.
8-Week Base Building Program for Busy Lifters
This program requires minimal setup and equipment, includes three training days per week, and is designed for each session to be completed in roughly one hour.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Kava: The Stress-Reducing Drink That M...
After five years in the NFL, Matt Masifilo created a new method of kava production and founded his own company to help support its growth and use. His reasons for believing in the drink are many.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Brain Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
In this episode, Dr. D’Agostino and I dig into one of the most popular dieting methods and its lesser-known benefits, as well as covering ketone supplements and athlete considerations.
Hack Your Internal Clock for Improved Sleep Quality and Sport Performance
Getting stuck in the routine of a disrupted sleep-wake cycle can turn a top-tier athlete into a complete mess. Understanding circadian rhythms is the first step to avoiding this.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast featuring Jim Wendler — Discipline over ...
These discipline-related principles frame the discussion that Jim and I have in this episode. We also discuss various training principles that all circle back to the idea of prioritizing discipline.
10 Changes That Made Me Strong(er) This Year
Like anyone, I’m far from perfect and am constantly in the process of growing. But this year I’ve seen a lot of positive fruit come from changes I’ve made in my life.
Introducing the New Peak Mental Performance Podcast with Guest Dr. Steve...
The goal of the podcast is to spread practical, quality information that can help all listeners improve their mental health and athletic performance, and to help everyone understand the link between the two.
Meet Report: New Challenges and New Lifters — USAPL Spring Meet at CBUS ...
With this meet, I wanted to prove to myself that I could go from competing equipped to qualifying for USAPL Raw Nationals.
5 Cues That Can Screw Up Your Lifting
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing”, and over-applying a cue when it’s not needed can really jack up a lifter’s technique.
John Carroll University ROTC Seminar — Powerlifting as Military Training
After 20 years of service, I have come to realize that a powerlifting style of training is best for members of the military.
WATCH: Mario D'Amico — A Return to Raw
When the long-term goal is a 1000-pound squat at 220, and the ultimate goal is a 2400-pound total, you need two things: patience and a lot of hard work.
WATCH: Exercise and Mental Health — Understanding Comprehensive Stress R...
The presentation is an introductory overview covering items ranging from the importance of mental health to the stress response and how to design exercise programs to accommodate it.
3 Ways to Know You're Getting Stronger Without Taking a Max
The key is to find ways to consistently track strength increases throughout the training cycle, so that the ebb and flow of peak strength doesn’t negatively affect the overall picture of your training.
WATCH: Simple and Effective Training for the Recreational Athlete
This presentation is directed towards the recreational athlete with the goal being to provide simple and effective tools to improve performance, reduce injury, and improve general levels of fitness.
How to Get Stronger in a Crowded Gym (With 8-Week Program)
You don’t need a unique piece of equipment for each muscle group or a 25-item list of accessory exercises. This program uses nothing but gym essentials to get you stronger without ever having to leave the squat rack.
To Redemption: UPA Old School Iron Gym Summer Showdown
I hated that I fell short of my goal at the XPCs…90 pounds short to be exact. Each and every pound I left on the platform back in March is what fueled my training for my off-season and meet preparation.
Mental Health and the Strength Athlete: Building A Better Training Program
When building an effective training program, you must consider each variable that influences your performance — including the stressors that affect your mental health.
My Return to Raw: UPA Old School Iron Gym Summer Showdown
Since competing at the XPC Finals in March, I took the last few months to regain control over my physical and mental health. In the process, I transitioned back to raw.
Mental Health and the Strength Athlete: Why Powerlifters Get Ulcers
I’m going to focus on three variables and interactions that affect stress response in the athlete: life events, mental illness, and training.
Squat Q&A: Zercher Squats, SS Yoke Bar Breathing, and Tight Hips
You have questions, team elitefts has answers. Today’s topic: the squat.
Mental Health and the Strength Athlete: Strength Beyond the Barbell
Mental illness isn’t something you hear often in the strength world — but that’s not because it doesn’t exist.
3 Reasons You Can't Lock Out Your Deadlift
I’ve heard many times that there’s no technique to deadlifting, you just grab the bar and pull. I have to disagree.
Post-Meet Training — What to Do the First 9 Weeks After Competition
This 9-week program is designed to allow recovery, build muscle, improve conditioning, and prepare you mentally and physically for another heavy training cycle.