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Raise the Floor, Not the Ceiling

Raise the Floor, Not the Ceiling

If you've been on the forum for a few minutes, you've heard the term "Raise the floor, not the ceiling". This is a folksy way of reminding you to build a base of training before you worry about your 1RM or anything similar. Too many of us don't spend enough time training consistently and yet we believe we are "owed" strength. Your current effort level affords you exactly what you've earned.  Here's a couple ideas/examples that will support the idea 
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Jim Wendler Bench Press

Bench Press and Weak Point Training (Video and Script)

At this point, I realized that Weak Point training is for for people who were strong.  A “weak point” meant that I had a “strong point.” And because I had no strong points, I had ZERO weak points.  EVERYTHING was weak.   I made the ultimate mistake – I thought I was too good for basic training.
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Which Template is Right For Me?

Which Template is Right For Me?


A more blatant and obvious example is someone who is very overweight and out of shape - his program can't be what Sammy SixPack has been doing for the past 5 years.
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Training for Inconsistent and Busy Men

Training for Inconsistent and Busy Men

Listen, you have a screwed up schedule and you have a lot of things going on in your life. It's not perfect. Nothing is. But....you still have the chance to be awesome if you accept what you have access to and totally believe in what you are doing. Train hard and be consistent and stop searching for something you can't do. Be awesome at what you CAN do.
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Build Muscle

Build Muscle

As always, there is a balance between strength and building size. But if you aren't eating/training to build muscle - and your bench/press is in the dumper and has been for awhile - maybe it's time to build some muscle on the body and see if that gets you over the hump.
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Weight Training for a Marathon

Weight Training for a Marathon

The question is about weight training for a marathon; the athlete has not run a marathon before but does have lifting experience.  Even if you don't want to run a marathon but would like to get back into running, this programming concept can get you there.

I've been sitting on this one awhile. I sat down and mapped out a very general program for myself (if it were me training a marathon). Also, this fit into some of the recommendations I had with some sprinters at London and how they should train.

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SWIS Conference and London Football Playoffs

SWIS Conference and London Football Playoffs

Super proud of how aggressive we played (it was 21-0 in the first quarter) and how we never lifted our boot from their throat.  Most important was our unrelenting effort and desire to punish the opponent. We threw 2 passes.
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5/3/1 Youth Training

The Summer of Growth

Keep in mind that I'm NOT training him to become a scholarship or anything like that. I'm training him like this because this should be the standard in anyone's life.
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Struggling with the Bench Press

Struggling with the Bench Press

The popularity of the bench press needs no introduction – it’s the Prom King, captain of the football team and is banging the hottest cheerleader. Besides questions on accessory work, the bench press and how to increase it is the top question I get asked. But anytime I give advice to someone they respond with a host of reasons why it won’t work for them. So let’s present some of the best ways to increase your bench press, the excuses and then responses to the excuses.
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Berserker and Beefcake

Berserker and Beefcake

So really dial in on the barbell sets and then pump up like a stud on the assistance. With my youngest son - we call the main lift of the day the "Berserker Lift". That means we want to be strong, awesome and powerful.
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EliteFTS Table Talk

EliteFTS Table Talk

I met Dave in 2000 and he was the first person to really give me a chance.  I was working as a G.A. at the University of Kentucky's weight room; working with football and a few other sports. However, when you are a G.A., you aren't really on the food chain.  And for Dave to give me a chance and believe in me was a huge boost.
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