Disclaimer - I wrote this paper during my graduate career at the University of Texas at San Antonio back in 2012-2014. Although references in this article pertain to powerlifting and weightlifting, it can apply to other strength sports or traditional sports as well. Mental preparation is key!

Introduction - The term “powerlifting” can be broken down into two components: strength and speed. In order to conquer any feat in the world of competitive weightlifting, it requires the manifestation of strength and speed to defy the odds.

I think one of the more cringe worthy things I have noticed is that when someone tries to steal the squat rack only to do bicep curls. ARE YOU SERIOUS! Taking up a fine piece of equipment to engorge your biceps to only satisfy your peers for a short window of time? The pump doesn't last forever! But besides this crisis, the next thing that is frustrating to listen to is the loosely defined concept of having a fatigued CNS....central nervous system.

It’s very common for people to identify arm training with the elbow joint. The elbow joint is a hinge joint, and if you aren’t too familiar with biomechanics, this type of joint has the most limiting range of motion of all. It primarily allows us to perform motion in one plane of movement. To simplify, think of another hinging motion you witness on a daily basis - opening a door. The door is built on hinges, and when you open the door, it moves either forwards or backwards, just like the elbow does. In this case, it means arm training only goes forwards,backwards, up and down… right? If that’s the case, what in the hell are we doing sitting here and discussing arm training in depth!?

Looking to hit another squat PR? Looking to increase your vertical jump for walking on at your local university? The dead squat is a GREAT lift for increasing performance in any regard! Whether its improving strength performance, explosive performance, or training to be HARDER TO KILL…the dead squat will elevate your game to being a deadly competitor in any arena!

WARNING - I am not a bodybuilder, but I know how to train for size. So, shall we dance?

About six months ago I had a client ask me “hey, is there anyway we can speed up the workouts? I feel I am in the gym for 2-3 hours at a time”. Now for some of us, that doesn’t seem to be the worst case scenario, but once you are married and have kids to be responsible for, it seems almost every minute of every day is accounted for. He was concerned his workouts were taking too long, so I took his workout, broke it down and simply asked him one question…

Dear Future Self,

THANK YOU so much for what you have done! After successfully implementing the protocol provided by that one newsletter in “Harvesting Strength”, my bench press has gone up TREMENDOUSLY and now I feel I can finally win the heart of my college crush. This day couldn’t get any better!

First of all, I totally understand this fictitious approach is far from the truth, but there is no hurt in having a little fun! But regardless of the narrative and the witty approach to recruit your attention, we all know that the bench press is a huge lift for not just a man…not just a woman…but for a lifter PERIOD.

If you had to choose squat, bench or deadlift as the king of lifts, which would you choose? Now, let me sway your answer by proclaiming that the deadlift is a movement that requires you to move a motionless bar such as stated by Newton’s First Law:

An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by a force.

And because of that, I want to say that of all the major traditional lifts, deadlift is king of all. Now with that being said, if the deadlift is the king of lifts, it might be pivotal for any lifter to master it as it is physiologically relevant in not just strength sports but also traditional sports as well. Whether you’re a sprinter pushing of the blocks or a strongman competing in the deadlift ladder, knowing how to master the deadlift translates into so many things. Even if your wife decides to dump you on the side of the road because of a lustful affair, you need to know how to deadlift in order to pick up and carry every box of clothes out of the house for the big move…

During spring semester of my senior year, I interned at the University of North Texas and worked with the track and field team through the strength and conditioning department. I was not allowed to lead workouts, I was not allowed to do much else except clean machines, wipe down platforms and correct the form of athletes. Now, when you read my previous statement, it sounds nice they would allow me to correct form and work with athletes to that capacity, but even when I felt I was giving good feedback, I was then corrected for giving the athlete “corrected” feedback. I was not instructed on how to identify any mistakes made by the athlete

What would you rank the king of all lifts?

I’ve heard many...but I am sure we can all agree that one of the most dominant lifts amongst society would be the bench press. What better way to exert your alpha dominance amongst your frat brothers than to load 45’s on the bar and press those bodacious pecs towards glory. I mean, you go to the gym and the busiest location is the bench press, am I right? I am sure there are many that would argue this point, but like I said…it’s hard to ignore the impact the bench press has had on the world of strength. But besides the admiration we have towards this movement, we also admire those who have had an impact on the history of bench press by conquering this lift with tremendous gains. We see many 300lbs bench pressers…

During my last semester at UT Arlington, I had to fulfill an internship of my choosing. I went on a few interviews and found my way to interning at the University of North Texas as a volunteer Strength Coach. During this semester, I would wake up three times a week at 330am, pull up to the parking lot at 430am and set up the weight room in order start lifting our cross country athletes at 5am. I would repeat this process with the staff until noon working all the track and distance athletes.