Functional Power Training for Wrestlers
Over the past eight years, I’ve had the opportunity to train with many different athletes from all over the country. The most common mistake? Everyone wants to train like a bodybuilder.
The SOS Way
On day one in November of 2005, I completely committed myself to making sure that everything, every day was going to be as productive as possible to enhance my strength.
An Interview with AJ Roberts
MB: Mr. Roberts, give me some background. Take us from the time that you were a little mate until now.
Ten Questions With Matt Rhodes
I won't change much. I plan on running a 12-week cycle of higher volume once I'm cleared to go full speed. I want to gain about 40lbs for November. I'll need the extra volume to gain some muscle and size.
Spud Speaks: News From Marc Bartley
I just wanted to devote a few paragraphs of my log to the sweet hell I’ve been enduring since my decision – or the forced hand because of my injury – to get lean.
My First Year
On February 10th, 2007, I competed in my first Strongman contest, the Motor City Strongman at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It’s been exactly one year since my introduction to the sport so I feel like it's a good time to reflect on what I've learned.
Cutting Edge Nutrition Q&A
Scott, I feel great so far following the Power Fat Loss plan from your article earlier this year. I have lost about 12 lbs of fat, which is a record for me in such a short period of time.
Stronger Bodies Yield Brilliant Minds: How to Ignite Your Creativity Thr...
Aristotle has been recognized as perhaps the greatest thinker in western civilized history. I once heard that all philosophy is just footnotes to Aristotle. When it comes to maximizing our mental capacities and potential, it would be safe to say that any program or advice that a man like Aristotle could deliver would be greatly welcomed.
Powerlifting as Evolution
“Carryover” is a word often used to describe how equipment improves lifts. What kind of carryover has powerlifting had in other aspects of your life?
An Interview with Jim Hoskinson
Big Jim Hoskinson is a top level 308-lb lifter. He has a huge 1100-lb squat and 2500-pound total.
Deadlift Considerations For Taller Athletes
Your height might be making a difference on your deadlift.
Popular Diets: Hale’s Review
With so many diet plans and books on the market, how do you choose which one to follow? Which diets will work for you?
Shot Put “Westside” Style
I have employed the conjugate system of training with my throwers’ lifting program for four years with tremendous success. One highlight in the weight room was taking a male thrower with a 385-lb squat freshman year to a 615-lb squat/500-lb front squat as a junior. We also had a thrower make a 60-lb PR in the hang clean after not
Post-Workout Insulin Spikes
Many authorities speak of high glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates post-workout to spike insulin levels. One of the most common is 80–100 grams in the form of dextrose/maltodextrin.
Manipulating a Training Program
I know I’m not the only one guilty of this, but far too often, individuals like myself go online and search for workout routines, help, or guidance
A Powerlifter’s Guide to Making Weight
The reality of competing in powerlifting is that at some point in time we all have to make weight. Making weight can make or break your lifting performance.
Spud Inc. Jump Rings for Explosive Results in Athletic Performance
A slow athlete needs to develop speed-strength. Here is how.
Zach Even-Esh: Tales from The Underground
I am busy as all heck, as always, and I am in the process of getting away from working so much and doing all of this full time.
Performance Training Center Five Questions for Mark McLaughlin
Mark McLaughlin has spent several years reading and learning Eastern Bloc training methods as well as other alternative types of training, leaving no stone unturned in the preparation of his athletes.
Under the Bar: Dave Tate's Diet and Training Update
I’ve found a nice way to trick the body. You end up eating a higher volume of food, all while dropping calories twice.
Passing the Test, Part 2
For those of you who haven’t read part 1, I’m 51-years-old and recently tested very low in almost every indicator for testosterone levels. This series is about my journey to and through supplementation.
Corrective Power Lifting: Getting Jacked Without Getting Jacked Up
Size and strength doesn’t have to mean injury.
Old School Weightlifting for In-Season Hockey Training
The new wave in ice hockey strength and conditioning seems to be dominated by “functional” training, which often becomes dysfunctional. Let’s look at our goals for in-season lifting and the factors to consider in professional hockey. I’ll also present my program template for in-season hockey training, which has been used successfully in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Strength Sports, Gear, and Where It’s Going
I consider a strength sport to be any sport where strength plays a major role. This includes sports like powerlifting, weightlifting, highland games, Strongman, shot put, discus, hammer, javelin, and stone lifting. All of the athletes in these sports are very strong, but how much of a role does strength actually play in becoming the best?
30 Days Without Weights for Ultimate Strength, Conditioning, and Fat Loss
Weight training over long periods of time can burn out athletes from all different sports. Whether he or she is a world class MMA fighter or your average Joe who wants to stay in shape, athletes can get bored with not only their current regimen but with lifting weights period. Most will just take some time off from the gym
The Power Fat Loss Plan: Your Guide to Slashing Fat and Boosting Strength
Diet does not have to mean death.
The Marc Bartley Undertaking: Helping Spud Drop Weight
It was mid-October of 2007. Fear set in as I read my email…
The Tendo and Its Use for Autoregulation
The Fitrodyne Powerlyzer by Tendo, or Tendo unit as it’s more commonly known, is a piece of equipment used to measure the speed of the bar. This allows the coach to know several things such as whether the athlete is training what he or she is supposed to be training and whether the bar speed has started to drop. Here,
Jamie Hale Separates Knowledge from Nonsense
This interview is based on objective information and is meant to provide readers with straightforward facts.
Under the Bar: Law of Attraction
First off, if you’re going to bother with this, at least listen or read the Wayne Dyer stuff. I feel the “other” stuff is a jacked up crock of shit.
Spud Speaks by Marc Bartley
This has been one year I wish I could totally wipe off the resume. I guess it could’ve gone otherwise, but what lessons would I have learned? I
Hardcore Extreme Jan 08
The Kaz press is performed in the Smith machine. It’s similar to a JM press, except there is no rocking back or to a skull crusher – and it’s over the clavicle. Start in the Smith machine lying on a flat bench. Have the arms straight up at shoulder width or a little wider.
The Beginner's Guide to Strength Training: Modified Max Effort Trai...
Maximal effort training is a superior method of increasing strength in a core barbell lift. Make sure you aren’t misusing it.
Powerlifters have Values?
There aren’t many among us out there who make a living from their three lift totals.
Texas BBQ, Part 2: More Shop Talk with Mark Rippetoe
I haven’t made it back to Texas yet, but I have come up with some more questions for Mark Rippetoe after reading some new material and reviewing some of his previous writings.
The Overlooked Trait of a Champion
When talking about champions, everyone has an opinion just like the BCS College Football Standings. Are champions built or are they born? Are they a product of their environment or are they loners hungry for a piece of the pie?
The Machines Aren’t Alright
Technology is a beautiful thing. I used to work part-time as a DJ, and I remember hauling around hundreds of records and thousands of CDs. Transporting all the equipment and the music felt like powerlifting.
Importance of Fast Twitch Capacity in Football Training
With the beginning of football season, the long anticipated excitement for the early powerhouse match ups has finally arrived.
Hardcore: Part 2
I guess that I should explain why the subject of hardcore means so much to me. This is a very strong word in the world of powerlifting. Most lifters want to be considered hardcore to the point that they will train like maniacs so that people think they are hardcore.
What is Hardcore?
I’ve been training with weights for 25 years and have spent the last 25 competing in both bodybuilding shows and powerlifting meets. Although I’ve done fairly well in the sport, it seems my Internet persona has overtaken anything I’ve done lifting.
Creating a Game Plan with the Right Mental Attitude
I believe that goal setting and mental attitude or sport psychology are often the most overlooked elements of any athlete’s preparation. Without a proper plan, what can really be accomplished? Without the right attitude, what can get done? The answer to both questions is not much.
An Interview with Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk
Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk is renowned as an athlete (1972 Olympic champion and European champion in the hammer throw as well as a former world record holder), and his coaching credentials are virtually unprecedented in the world of athletics.
Does Drinking Water Aid Fat Loss?
Recently, I’ve seen the merits of drinking large amounts of water and it’s effects on fat loss mentioned in many places. In one day, I saw it mentioned in Craig Ballantyne’s blog, Lyle McDonald’s bodyrecomposition.com forum, and in two newspaper articles.
A Day in the Life of a Strongman Contestant: The 10 Things I Learned
Rites of passage that involve impressive feats of strength have been around for thousands of years. They exist in many different forms and many of them originated in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Tests like the Husafell stone carry, which originated in Iceland, have now become objects of desire for many would-be Strongmen throughout the world.
Oils to Promote Health
One of the latest health crazes is oil. Many people take krill oil and coconut oil to promote healthy joints and fish oil to promote a healthy heart. But how effective are these oils and do they really promote healthy joints and a healthy heart?
Under The Bar: Boston Seminar Recap
If strength and powerlifting are the topics, then I want to hear from those who are in the trenches day in and day out
Scott “Hoss” Cartwright: Get Injured and Get Stronger Interview
He has elite totals at a body weight of 275 lbs and 308 lbs and totaled 2204 lbs in single ply gear. After that, Hoss tried to make a jump to double ply gear but only added 18 pounds to his total.
Defending the Deadlift: An Interview with Coach and Powerlifter, Eric Cr...
If you needed an expert on Russian writer, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, you might contact Daniel Mahoney, a professor at Assumption College. For an expert on squatting, there’s Fred “Dr. Squat” Hatfield of the International Sports Sciences Association.
The Power of the Team
It’s similar to when your favorite song comes blasting through the speakers at the gym and you get that little extra charge of power for the movement that you’re performing.
Myths, Lies, and Cholesterol
Disclaimer: If you’re under the age of 10 and are reading this for some reason, I suggest you either stop now or skip the introductory paragraph. For all others, you should continue reading.
What I Learned from Bodybuilding and How It Can Help Your Powerlifting
In May of this year, I competed in two bodybuilding shows: The NPC New York Metropolitan Championships and the NPC New England Championships. I
Testing Protein Quality
A variety of methods are used to test protein quality. Different methods yield different ratings for the tested source. In other words, a particular food or supplement may score very high with one test but score lower on other tests.
Maintaining Strength While Dieting
Trying to decrease body fat while maintaining and/or increasing your strength? Confused about supplements, food intake, and nutrient timing? Read on…
Top 10 Speed Training Myths Revealed
Every day someone asks me a question about training speed. So here are those questions heard most frequently as well as the answers to them.
Bench and Nothing but the Bench
Russians believe that if you wish to excel at a lift, you can’t beat frequent practice of this lift with a moderately heavy weight and never to failure. Vladimir Volkov, the European bench press champion and master’s world champion in the 220 lb weight class, has proved that point with a 639 lb bench in an IPF competition.
Persevering
I’m always amazed and amused at how many guys are in and then suddenly out of competitive powerlifting and bodybuilding. Many of these guys have almost unlimited God-given potential to become national or even world champions.