Things I’ve Learned
As I sat here reading the new articles on EliteFTS.com, I wondered why many of the authors weren’t female
Five Huge Training Business Mistakes
Running a personal training facility isn’t easy, but it’s not rocket science either. Since starting Synergy Athletics, I’ve learned a lot through trial and error (emphasis on a lot of error).
My Experience at the 2004 WPO Bench Bash for Cash by Ed Rectenwald (as t...
Let me first tell you briefly about myself for those who do not know me.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Juliet Deane
I’ve been reading the site for a while, but we have our own training studio business, and in the past couple of years, it’s been about a hundred-twenty-five miles an hour, every single day.
Powerlifting Sport Psychology Training
Have you ever been to a powerlifting meet and heard someone boast about colossal training lifts?
Muscular Development Training Bytes by Thomas Fahey and Steve Blechman
Static but not dynamic stretching decreases strength
Cardio for the Strong
No matter who or what your goal is, I feel some form of cardio will help you reach that goal faster.
Under The Bar: The S-4 Weekender Program
I'm still not quit sure how it happened, but over the course of the past twelve months, we have attracted a group of competitive powerlifters into our gym. It was not that long ago that I retired from the sport and spent my weekends training with one or two other guys, and that was it.
Performance Training to Look Better
Performance training for improved looks is a concept that seems to get lost behind the dozens of magazines that promote your favorite bodybuilder and the supplements they’re trying to sell us.
Reach a 1000-lb Squat Easily
When I went to local meets and saw 600-lb squats, I thought about how cool it would be to achieve that strength. Boy, times they do change.
Going Raw
I’m a lifter just like you. I’m not a trainer nor do I have any connection to the strength and conditioning field outside of elitefts™.
Training Individuality
In powerlifting, there are many different paths to achieve our lifting goals.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Al Caslow
This week's EliteFTS Spotlight focuses on powerlifter Al Caslow, the newest EliteFTS sponsored athlete and member of the Q&A staff. Al is currently ranked #1 in the world in the 165 pound class.
Block Periodization in the Sport of Powerlifting
This program is based on the concepts outlined in Dr. Vladimir Issurin’s, Block Periodization: A Breakthrough in Sports Training.
Memoirs of a Strong(er) Beta Tester: Part 2
As with my last article, my goal is to give you a glimpse into what I did and how I felt while beta testing Dave Tate’s Strong(er) Program.
Six Strategies for Surviving Tough Economic Times as a Personal Trainer
Some personal training businesses are struggling mightily right now, but others are thriving. Why? What’s the difference between the two?
Separate from the Pack
After serving four years in the Marine Corps and one tour in Iraq, I was finally done. I had served my country valiantly and fought for my freedom. I said to myself, “It’s time to let loose.” So I did exactly that. Five months and thirty pounds of fat later, I was a mess.
Hip Strength for Speed Development: Part II
In my last article, I outlined the four qualities that must be trained to improve speed—relative body strength, hip stability, elasticity/reactivity, and rate of force development. I quickly touched on the subject of developing strength in a hip hyperextended position. In my opinion, this can unlock the speed potential of any athlete.
Proof of Life
One of my favorite moments in the history of powerlifting is Doc Rhodes’ third deadlift at the 1977 IPF Worlds in Australia. Rhodes was in the 165-lb weight class and had squatted 512 lbs and benched 374 lbs.
Spotlight on Nutritionist Dr. Chris Fox
My name is Dr. Chris Fox. I'm a chiropractor who specializes in spinal rehabilitation. I'm 35 years old, I've been lifting since I was 13, and I've been seriously bodybuilding since I was 20.
Six Things Your Training Should Have (if It Doesn’t Already)
Everyone has a different training program.
The Perfect Program: For Lifters and Coaches Alike
Here’s the deal. All sound programs work and they work well. The best one is your preference. However, there’s a catch to everything and this has more than one.
Product of Your Desires
You hear people talk all the time about how someone is a product of his or her environment. This is almost always the case when someone has done something wrong, and the argument is used as an excuse for the person as if they had no choice in the matter other than to become what their environment leads them to
Tighten That Belt
How strong is your core really? Do you give it as much attention as you do your other muscles when you squat or deadlift or even when you’re doing bicep curls in the squat rack (just kidding about that last point)?
A Better Way to Achieve Fat Loss
Forget what you think you know about losing fat and pay attention. The best way to lose fat is to train for performance.
Monitoring Training Status: The Finger Tap Test
Monitoring training status is something very vital when training athletes.
Under The Bar: WTF
Have you ever been asked a question or heard a statement that made you think or say, “WTF?!?”
Making the Most Out of Your Internship
An aspiring strength and conditioning coach’s first taste of training athletes usually begins with an internship. While interning, there are many things you can do right and a million things you can do wrong.
GPP Considerations for a Six-Week Collegiate Post-Competitive Block
At Northwestern State, we inform our teams that their off-season begins once their season completes but not as a means of max effort or dynamic effort. This block solely works to reestablish their initial general physical preparedness (GPP).
How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?
When it comes to weight training, there are generally two schools of thought when it comes to exercise form. First, you have the typical personal trainer “fitness experts” who say that you should perform all lifts with light to moderate weight and use very slow and controlled movements.
The Origin of 5/3/1
In the summer of 2005, I was burned out from competitive powerlifting. I was tired of bench shirts, box squats, bands and being fat.
Matt Holmes’ Journey of a Warehouse Gym
ZE: Matty, tell the readers of EliteFTS about yourself, how you started in the fitness industry, and what you have going on right now.
Advice to the Beginner and Elite
When we begin to train, usually the goal of most lifters is to get big and strong. On this path, our goals stay in that realm, but how we reach them becomes ever changing and more difficult as we push our genetic and mental limits.
How Henry Ford Wrecked Your Gym
When Henry Ford invented the automobile, it nearly bankrupted him—more than once. It’s a popular story, a testament to perseverance and belief in oneself. It’s quoted by business gurus and fans of Americana. It’s retold to aspiring entrepreneurs and turned into near poetry by the self-help industry.
Interview with Jeremy Frey
I first started lifting when I was about 11-years-old. I started doing little things before this time, but I entered a weight room when I was about 11-years-old.
Sometimes More Is Better
One of the first things we learn in the fitness industry—whether you’re a trainer, a gym rat, or that “newbie” who is still wet behind the ears—is that more isn’t always better.
What I Wish I Knew as a Female Athlete
As an athlete, you’re taught many things—work hard, compete until the end, work together with your teammates, push yourself to the limit, and have fun.
Sporting Parents from a Coach’s Perspective
I know that the EliteFTS.com website and article listings that I look forward to each and every Friday are usually reserved for strength and lifting as well as articles of an informative nature. However, I’m writing one myself from a different perspective.
How to Open Your Own Warehouse Gym
When I was four-years-old living in Long Island with my parents, my uncle ran into some hard times. He had just gone through a tough divorce at the age of only 23
An Introduction to the Sport of Kettlebell Lifting
By now, you should know what a kettlebell is, or at the very least, you should have heard of kettlebells. They are popping up everywhere, and you can even purchase them from your local sporting goods retailer. There are kettlebell fitness trainers, kettlebell boot camps, kettlebell gyms, and even kettlebell infomercials. Kettlebells certainly have broken into the mainstream. Some might
Recession Strategies for Fitness Trainers
Two shoe salesmen from competing companies were assigned by their firms to sell shoes in the middle of the jungle in Africa.
Gain One Inch on Your Arms in Thirty Days
Just recently, a man who was very well acquainted with Vince Gironda contacted me. He told me some stories about the old “Iron Guru” that I hadn’t heard before. It got me thinking about Vince.
The Biggest Gimmick in Strength and Conditioning
I’ve been to a ton of seminars in the past year, and every single time I came away confused on the most effective way to design a strength and conditioning program for high school athletes. One of the most conflicting methods used when talking about speed training is overspeed.
Westside for Fat Bastards!
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the monsters at the Westside Barbell Club in Ohio.
5/3/1 In A Commercial Gym: Observations
Because of a major career change, I’ve recently relocated to a new city. With this move, and all the bullshit that goes along with moving, I’ve been forced to endure the misfortune of trying to find a new gym
The Five “Cs” of Successful Fitness Entrepreneurs
After being around some of the most financially successful fitness professionals in North America a few weeks ago, the difference between them and the typical trainer struggling to stay afloat became very evident.
Echocardiography Evidence of Cardiac Output Training
About 7 years ago, I managed to free myself from the commercial gym mess and train at home, but I used this as an excuse to neglect my cardio training since I didn’t have any pieces of cardio equipment. Working in the medical field, you would think I’d know better.
Pull-up Progression (Part 2: SHWt Edition)
You’ve probably read the first part of “Pull-ups” according to “H” and say to yourself, “Sure, that’s fine, but I can’t even do a single rep.” That’s ok. In this part, we’ll address your need(s) in being able to perform that repetition.
Release Your Inner Masochist
It was not until the early to mid-1900’s that we even NEEDED a “gym” to exercise in. Before then, people were active enough just working in a factory in New York or a corn field in Nebraska.
Warm Up Essentials
The cookie cutter approach to exercise doesn’t make sense to me, especially when people are stuck behind desks (sustained lumbar flexion, shortened hip flexors) all day or opt to train with movement impairments. Corrective strategies are necessary, and everyone needs to have a static and dynamic evaluation. It’s common to confuse being strong with being healthy.
Under The Bar: The 2009 Underground Strength Session
Before I get to the Underground Strength Session (UGSS) I need to take care of a little business first and bring everyone up to speed with what’s been going on around here. Don’t worry – I’ll be quick and even use bullet points.
Seven Secrets to Better Workouts
As your old high school gym teacher might have led you to believe, stretching before weight training isn’t the best way to warm up. Recent reports show that static stretching before exercise can reduce muscle strength. Stretching relaxes your muscles, so why would you want to relax your muscles when you need to lift explosively during weight training?
Basic Tips to Lose Weight
Everyone at one point or another wants to lose weight or get “ripped.” Some of these people succeed in their goals and strive to keep improving. However, many fail miserably and make excuses as to why they didn’t succeed.
Developing an Effective Strength Training Program
The key for athletic success begins in the weight room. Studies have shown that athletes who participate in a strength training program are faster, quicker, and more explosive, and they have fewer injuries.
Five Pounds Is Gold
With astounding strength, brilliant technique, and a champion’s will, Andy Bolton returned to the platform and showed us who he always was. And looking at the speed of the 1008-lb deadlift, he’s not finished.
EliteFTS Spotlight: Joel Jamieson
My career as a strength and conditioning coach essentially began at the University of Washington when I interned under a great coach named Bill Gillespie back in the late 1990s.
Pull-up 101, Part I
When Elite asked me to write an article about pull-ups, I thought, no problem. This will take about one line—grab a bar and give it a tug. That’s it. Finished. Done! Then I thought, well, no…