Extra Workouts for the Off-Season Football Player
Here’s an excellent example of how to place extra workouts in a weekly off-season football training schedule along with what an extra workout accomplishes (or should).
Integration of Strength and Power Programming for the Lower Body in Spor...
Running sports are tangential in nature, so in order to optimize transfer from the weight room to the field, both vertical and horizontal movements need to be considered. To this end, the program I am going to outline will look at elements of training to ensure all bases are covered.
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.
Use the Air Bike to Train All 3 Energy Systems
Believe it or not, the Air Bike can provide more benefits than just smoking your clients.
What To Do When You Are Stuck
If your lifts are stagnating, it’s time to think and look outside of the box.
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.
Build a Professional Rugby Team Through This Academy Program
I am currently working as a consultant for a pro rugby team, and I was asked about the type of player I would require moving into a pro team. Fair warning: What I wrote here may be considered heretical in the strength and conditioning world…
WATCH: The Definitive Guide to Hill Sprints
Before you go find yourself a hill to sprint up via Google maps (steep hills, such as those in landfills, are ideal), don’t forget to warm up and stay hydrated. It’s a sprint, so go all out!
OSU Football Practice Starts August 2
The upcoming 130th season of Buckeye football is an exciting and nerve-wracking one, as former OSU Head Coach Urban Meyer retired last January, leaving the program in the hands of Ryan Day. We'll get a preview of the upcoming season with the team's 1st fall practice.
Off-Season Conditioning Lanes
These off-season lane options are meant to keep them in the ballpark of being in game shape without beating the crap out of them. They don’t have to be ready all the time; just ready to get ready. If you think they are not sport-specific enough or intense enough, that’s why.
Key Components of a Youth Athlete’s Initial Training Program
A bad program can tarnish more than reputation; it could end a young athlete’s future. These kids are in the most important developmental years of their lives, so it’s up to us to give them the tools to be the best they can be, and these key components are a good place to start.
5 Things Beginner and Intermediate Lifters Should Understand
Newer lifters seem to think that they can squat 1,200 pounds in less than a year of training. I hate to burst your bubbles, but that’s not going to happen. It’s a long game, and you need to understand that if you’re going to survive in this sport.
So You Want to Be A Collegiate Strength Coach: The Pros
I’ve covered the negatives about being a collegiate strength coach. If that didn’t scare you off, good — because there are some really awesome things about the job, too. For me, the pros outweigh the cons. If they didn’t, why would I still be doing this?
Conjugate in College: My First Experience with the Conjugate System in D...
For the first time in our head coach’s time at Indiana State, the entire roster passed their fitness test before the start of the spring season — and did zero conditioning outside of morning practice sessions. Thank you, conjugate method!
Skip the Arch in Your Bench Press to Build More Absolute Strength
In order to show real strength, arching isn’t the way to go. In order to build more strength for different sports, arching is pretty much a waste of time. But I’m not criticize arching. On the contrary, there are advantages to it if you are a competitive powerlifter.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — What High School Strength Coaches are ...
If “what you’re saying you’re doing and what you’re doing to the athlete doesn’t match up… I’m calling BS on your integrity.” Phil Matusz, OSU’s associate director of strength and conditioning, shares a powerful message for high school strength coaches.
Safe Sport Act Update: Keep Your Gym Up to Code
Gym owners: Here's a quick reminder that the Safe Sport Act will extend to your businesses starting December 1st, 2020. Not sure about the requirements? Listen to this Two-Brain Business podcast episode for a refresher course.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #18 with Vincent Dizenzo, Matt Rhodes, and Ji...
Watch out, Dave — there’s a new host in town. Actually, there are 3 hosts in town, and they’re taking over Table Talk Podcast while Dave is on vacation. Expect some wild stories with Vincent Dizenzo, Matt Rhodes, and Jim Wendler as they answer your questions.
Game Day Lifting (with Sample Training Session)
During Richland High School’s last football season, I combined the conjugate method and the tier system for programming game day lifts. Seeing the results thus far, I intend to continue the program with a few adjustments — but not before sharing it.
The Ghost in the Machine
Your body is like a race car. Even the best race cars break and wear parts down. When one of those things breaks, it, in turn, puts added pressure on other parts, which are then at risk of breaking. Take your foot off the gas pedal every now again and recover.
2024 Olympics to Add 4 New Sports to Event Lineup
The IOC announced 4 new sports for the 2024 Olympics in Paris: surfing, breakdancing, skateboarding, and sport climbing. If you can't wait that long, there's good news: Everything except breakdancing will debut at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo!
Strength and Conditioning is Failing: Our Relationship with Sports Coaches
In this four-part series of articles, I’ll explain why strength and conditioning is a failing field and how we can improve our line of work. This first article covers the problems that we often face with sports coaches.
Chris Tutela Records Podcast Episode with Joe DeFranco
In the seventh episode of "The Iron Life Podcast," Chris Tutela and Joe DeFranco will talk about exercise variations, group training programming, and more. The episode will drop Friday, June 21st.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #15 with Phil Matusz
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate talks shop with Phil Matusz, the associate director of strength and conditioning for the Ohio State University football team.
10 Things You Can Start Doing to Extend Your Lifting Career
To this day, I still have new members of my gym argue with me on nutrition and training, only to regret not listening later on. Follow these tips and you will not only continue to get stronger for years to come, but you will also stay injury-free.
The Grand Unified Theory of Everything
A few years ago, I attempted to bring 4 strength sports together into a training plan for rugby. This time, I want to delve deeper into the framework that makes up the programming of these sports and how we can program them into a usable athletic development plan.
8-Weeks-Til-Camp Summer Program for High School Football
You won’t ever find my old programs on a typed-out card. Why? Because I don’t run the same program each year. I meet my kids where they’re at, which is why this program isn’t a program. It’s an outline.
Implementing Self-Determination Theory in Coaching
Self-determination theory is an approach to shift motivation from extrinsic to intrinsic. As coaches, we can make small changes to the way we already do things to cause great changes to the athlete’s performance and motivation source.
Why Sports Coaches Don't Trust Strength Coaches
The suggested strategy to build trust from the sports coach involves a particular approach to the strength and conditioning process. A natural consequence of this approach defines the scope of practice of strength and conditioning.
Fan Attacks Arnold Schwarzenegger with Drop-Kick
The 71-year-old former California governor, former bodybuilder, and actor confirms via Twitter he was not harmed and asks fans to watch the feats of young athletes at The Arnold Sports Festival Africa event.
Strength Training: Your Secret Weapon for Sport
Strength is a cheat code when it comes to winning. Here’s my basic outline of how you can best implement that cheat code and improve your gym sessions for sport performance.
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.
Under the Baa-r: Lessons Learned in Herding, From Me to Ewe
In a week, my girlfriend and I went from the APF Women’s Pro-Am in Cincinnati to taking our dog an Intro to Herding Class in Nova, Ohio. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but I learned a lot about dogs, sports, and life in general.
Reminder: Stay Focused and In Your Own Lane
Every team has areas that need attention, and if we are not careful, we can step on the toes of others by doing their jobs, and then we have no time to develop what OUR job calls us to do.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #9 with Dr. Ken Kinakin
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate and Dr. Ken Kinakin talk about a variety of lifting-related injuries, working around and preventing said injuries, the Society of Weight-Training Injury Specialists, and more.
Your Do and Don't Guide to the CSSCa Conference
For those new to the game and for seasoned vets alike who’ll be attending the CSSCa National Conference, here are some do’s and don’t’s that will make your annual trip a success — both in terms of enjoyment and employment.
Start Building Aerobic Capacity for Your Sport
Science has proven time and time again that having a football player running endless 100-yard sprints isn’t the best option. In fact, it shouldn’t even be thought of as an option. Instead, use current information about energy systems to improve training.
The Specific Demands and Application of Conditioning for Sports
With all the knowledge we have available to us, you would think that we have gotten past the idea that distance running will get an athlete in shape for any sport. So how should we program for athletes? Sport-specific? Sort of. In order to approach something that is actually sport-specific, we must take into account the actual demands of the
Colleges and Universities on the Prowl for Knowledge
True to elitefts’ mission to live, learn, and pass on, the knowledge and education we provide don’t stop in our London, Ohio, office. Here's how Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Miami in Florida are taking their training to the next level by pushing the Prowler.
Peaking for Sport
If speed is what we’re going after, then why do the weights on both our heavy and light days continue to climb, and bar speed continues to fall? As we get deeper into the competitive season and continue to put more tonnage on the athletes, we are burning the candle at both ends.
16 Methods to Optimize Your Glute Ham Raise
We have known for years that the Glute Ham Raise (GHR) was regarded as one the best movements for the posterior chain (lower back, glutes, hamstrings and calves).
Programming for Rugby Inside Backs
These strength and performance methods for positions 9, 10, and 12 maximize individual player abilities on the field and produce more capable athletes.
Why Context Matters
If you don’t know your audience, you can’t communicate your message. If your audience doesn’t have your knowledge, you can’t assume they’ll understand.
Assessment Methods to Determine Ideal Speed Development Protocols
These three velocity-based sessions build the trainable aspects of athletic speed development.
Investigating University of Maryland's Strength and Conditioning Bl...
Coach Hamer interviews strength and conditioning coach Drew Wilson from the University of Maryland to find out how he gets the Terrapins strong and ready for football season.
Four-Year Model for High School Athletes
Guide your student athletes through the proper phases of preparation, acclamation, realization, and proficiency to bring home a championship.
The Repercussions of Psychological Abuse in Sports
Helping boys become young men does not require verbal brutality.
Basic Principles of In-season Training
You have two options during the competitive months: progress or regress…I digress.
Overlooked Factors in Athlete Programming
Realize that basketball isn't just basketball, soccer isn't just soccer, and football isn't just football.
Programming for Young Baseball Athletes
Baseball players tend to be a part of those particular athletes that do not see the connection of increased strength and power with increased performance on the field.
The MBA Meathead: Results Don’t Matter and Why Your Percents are Stupid
In life, it’s the inputs and the process that matters.
Dave Tate and Julia Ladewski on Sport Training (part 1)
Dave Tate and Julia Ladewski talk athletic training.
Facts Needed to Prevent Hamstring Strains
Once you’ve experienced a hamstring strain, you wish nothing more than for it to never have happened or at least for it to never happen again.
Training Concepts, Recovery and Knee Rehab with Buddy Morris
These videos made me realize what I needed to do in order to preserve longevitiy in doing what I love…lifting!!
Do the Pros Look to Little League for Advice on Pitching?
In the studies conducted on youth and adult pitchers, it was established that most injuries occur from overuse.
EFS Classic: GPP for High School Freshmen
We tested all of the athletes on the four core exercises. No one reached any of the goals.
