What the New ACSM Strength Guidelines Actually Mean for Competitive Powerlifters
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) issued its first major resistance‑training update in over 15 years, aimed at apparently healthy adults rather than elite powerlifters. The position stand recommends training at 70 % of 1RM or higher for strength and higher‑volume, moderate‑rep work for hypertrophy, emphasizing progressive overload, periodization and recovery. Mainstream media mis‑interpreted the hypertrophy volume tables as universal prescriptions, creating confusion among competitive lifters. While the guidelines validate core training principles, they lack the sport‑specific detail required for powerlifting programming.
The Weight of the Sword: 5 Counter-Intuitive Lessons From the World's Strongest Teacher
Bob Merkh, dubbed "The World's Strongest Teacher," has logged rare 1,100‑lb bench and squat lifts while spending two decades teaching middle‑school students. His story reveals five counter‑intuitive lessons that prioritize character over raw numbers, from treating strength as a tool...
Understanding the Foundation of Spinal Health: Movement, Stress, and the Tipping Point
The article frames spinal health as a balance of movement dosage, biomechanics, and recovery. It explains how bone adapts to mechanical load, how athlete anatomy creates distinct stress patterns, and why neural coordination is as crucial as muscle size. Practical...
Pain Generators and Tissue Load in Chronic Recovery
Clinical sports rehabilitation is moving from treating vague "pain" to managing concrete "load" by pinpointing the tissue that acts as the pain generator. Once the offending structure is identified, clinicians first reduce the immediate mechanical stress and then work to...
The Recomposition Trap: Why Your Pursuit of the "Holy Grail" Is Keeping You Average
The article argues that pursuing simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain—often marketed as the "holy grail" of physique change—is a trap for most lifters. While body recomposition is possible in labs, real‑world results are slow unless you’re a beginner, an...
Mastering the Essentials: A Learner’s Guide to Dips and Chin-Ups
The guide explains how dips and chin‑ups provide a high‑return strength stimulus while keeping systemic fatigue low. It highlights that these bodyweight moves avoid axial spine loading, making them joint‑friendly and useful for shoulder health. Detailed cues—such as a long...
RESUMES: SINS OF OMISSION & COMMISSION by Ashley Jones
Ashley Jones warns that in the tight‑knit world of strength and conditioning, resume exaggerations or omissions quickly surface and can ruin a candidate’s reputation. He illustrates this with real cases where inflated titles and vague organization listings led to disqualification....
Stop Squeezing Your Shoulder Blades: Why Your Bench Press Setup Is Holding You Back
EliteFTS explains that bench press stalls stem from poor setup, not a weak chest. The article advocates a full‑body wedge with a wide upper‑back base, depressed shoulders (“long neck”), and controlled leg drive rather than maximal scapular retraction or extreme...
The Commercial Gym Strongman: A Training Philosophy for Posterior Chain Dominance
Former strongman champion Russ Hamilton outlines a commercial‑gym training system that builds elite strongman strength without specialty equipment. The method hinges on three pillars: posterior‑chain development through heavy squats, movement‑simulation exercises like the Zercher squat, and finishing with upper‑back exhaustion...
The 4:00 AM Standard: How The Spot Athletics Is Killing the 'Gig Economy' Gym Model
The Spot Athletics has expanded from a 2,000‑square‑foot starter gym to two 20,000‑square‑foot private training facilities by embedding a 4 am founder mindset, radical hospitality, and a "Our House" culture. The Midwest‑based operation treats every client as an athlete, delivering pro‑level...
What You Have Is More Than You Think: A Lesson From Marcus Aurelius and a $1,000 Loan
Dave Tate, co‑founder of elitefts, reflects on a Marcus Aurelius lesson that shaped his business. Starting in 1998 with a $1,000 loan and a simple Q&A forum, elitefts grew into a 27‑year‑old power‑lifting brand. Tate emphasizes that gratitude for existing resources—knowledge,...
How Nathan Payton Feeds the Strongest Men on Earth
At the Arnold Classic, nutrition architect Nathan Payton guided four strongmen who finished second, third, fourth and seventh, showcasing his impact on elite performance. He relies on dry‑starch snacks like Rice Krispie treats combined with sodium to lock fluid and...
Stop Debating the Percentage. Here's How to Actually Find Your Speed Bench Weight.
The article debunks static percentage tables for dynamic‑effort bench work, arguing that bar speed—not a preset % of one‑rep max—should dictate load. It introduces a simple chalk‑mark protocol that lets lifters identify their personal speed‑bench window in a single session...
Two Different Worlds, One Answer for Your Knees
A growing body of strength coaches, from Louie Simmons at Westside to Olympic trainer Charles Poliquin, has converged on backward sled dragging as a low‑eccentric, high‑concentric tool for knee health. The movement avoids the damaging eccentric phase of squats, delivering...
Building a Powerlifting Empire: 5 Counter-Intuitive Lessons From the Origins of EliteFTS
EliteFTS grew from a backyard shed with a single sled and a donated 100‑lb plate into a global strength‑training brand. Founder Dave Tate prioritized logistics, moving to a house with an "invisible door" to streamline shipping and avoid theft. He...
Your Grip Is the First Link in the Chain. Here's How to Stop Letting It Break
Most lifters treat grip as an afterthought, leaving it as the weakest link in heavy pulls. Grip failures—whether due to insufficient raw strength, a single finger giving out, or lack of focus—can abort a deadlift regardless of overall power. The...
The Belden Bar Trains What Your Bench Press Has Been Skipping for Years
The article highlights a common weakness in traditional bench‑press training: a lack of rotational shoulder work that leads to rotator‑cuff strain and long‑term imbalance. It introduces the Belden Bar, a 35‑pound rotational training system that slots into standard bumper plates,...
The Choreography of Power: Why a Decade of Ballroom Dancing Is the Ultimate Strongman Secret
Polish athlete Adam Roszkowski turned a decade of elite ballroom dancing into a competitive edge for strongman events. The dance training gave him deep‑muscle connectivity, superior footwork, and injury resilience, allowing a 260‑lb body to sprint 40 yards in 4.7...
The Puke Paradigm: The Truth About Training 'Till You Crawl Out
Veteran lifter Dave Tate argues that the long‑standing “train till you puke” mantra is counterproductive. Decades of experience show that pushing to the point of vomiting creates CNS fatigue and hampers recovery, turning a perceived badge of honor into a...
The CARE Programming System: Versatility in Performance
Strength and conditioning coach Ashley Jones outlines the CARE programming system—Core, Accessory, Rehab Exercise—as a versatile framework for rugby athletes. The model can serve as an entrée, main course, or standalone recovery block, adaptable to full‑body or split sessions with...
The Cambered Squat Bar Is One of the Hardest Bars You'll Ever Put on Your Back
The EliteFTS cambered squat bar adds a 14‑inch drop, forcing the load to hang below the sleeves and creating intentional instability. This design compels lifters to engage the upper back, lats, and core throughout the entire squat, exposing hidden weaknesses...
The Architect’s Blueprint: Building a Professional Grade Home Gym Compound
The article outlines a six‑year, phased strategy for building a professional‑grade home gym, emphasizing disciplined budgeting and incremental equipment acquisition. It identifies a core “survival kit” – a power rack, elite barbell, 500 lb of plates, and a sturdy bench –...
“I’ll Worry About Health Later”… Until Later Shows Up
The article warns that a singular focus on maximal lifts often leads to pain, injury, or burnout, forcing lifters to confront health issues later. It argues that true strength is the ability to keep lifting over a lifetime, not just...
Beyond the Barbell Row: 5 Game-Changing Lessons From the Pendlay Row
The article positions the Pendlay Row as a primary strength movement rather than a mere accessory, arguing it bridges the gap between back size and deadlift performance. It outlines biomechanical tweaks such as elevated bar setups for long‑torso lifters and...
Mastering the Bench Press: A Breakdown of Four Essential Cues
The article outlines four biomechanically‑driven cues to improve bench press performance: squeezing the pinkies, driving elbows out, pushing the floor away, and pulling the chest up. Each cue targets a specific phase of the lift, from grip stability to leg...
Mastering the 'Tall and Wide' Posture: A Beginner’s Guide to Loaded Carries
Loaded carries are presented as a postural resistance tool rather than a simple transport exercise, emphasizing total‑body rigidity under load. The "Tall and Wide" cue system—head up, shoulders spread, pelvis neutral—creates a stacked, pillar‑like structure that maximizes spinal alignment. Variations...
The Beginner Strongman Program by Matt Mills
Matt Mills, a veteran strongman coach, released a 16‑week Beginner Strongman Program aimed at newcomers and first‑time competitors. The plan features basic barbell lifts, event‑specific drills, and accessory work, with a mid‑program deload and optional post‑program deload for recovery. Progression...
The Iron Mindset: Navigating the Mental Battlefield of Major Injury Recovery
The article explores the psychological battlefield elite lifters face after major injuries, emphasizing that physical healing alone is insufficient without a structured mental strategy. It outlines an identity shift from performance‑based self‑worth to broader personal value and introduces the “Spiral...
The Elitefts Indoor Sled: How to Get Real Sled Work Done Without Wrecking Your Floor
Elitefts introduced the Indoor Sled with Strap, a compact, plate‑loaded sled designed for indoor surfaces such as carpet, rubber, and turf. Priced at $89.97, the sled offers a floor‑friendly alternative to traditional metal sleds, eliminating abrasion and storage hassles. The...
A Beginner's Guide to Building Bulletproof Knees
The article introduces a step‑by‑step system for building "bulletproof" knees by embracing the knees‑over‑toes position rather than avoiding it. It blends Louie Simmons’ concentric sled‑drag techniques with Charles Poliquin’s eccentric reverse step‑up methodology, culminating in chain‑loaded squats that match the athlete’s...
Train Your Ass Off 2026
Train Your Ass Off (TYAO) is launching 2‑3 intensive coaching events in 2026, targeting serious lifters who want rapid technical breakthroughs. The two‑day, small‑group format delivers hands‑on feedback on fundamentals like bracing, programming, and intensity, with attendees claiming more progress...