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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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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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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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Krypteia - 2 Days/Week

Krypteia - 2 Days/Week

You can be as creative or as boring as you want/need to be. The key is awesome bar speed on the main lift and total control/build muscle on the assistance lift.
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My Conditioning by Era

My Conditioning by Era

Not training for a specific sport allows a lot of freedom and is insanely easy to do. But like training for a sport, consistency and discipline are key to getting the job done.  Like I tell my athletes, "Strong legs, strong lungs!"
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Effort vs Knowledge

Effort vs Knowledge

Because no matter how much I learn, if I can't get people to do it, to believe in it, to embrace it...it is absolutely pointless.
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4 Ways to Physically Dominate

4 Ways to Physically Dominate

If you don't work with athletes there is still plenty to take away here.  If you do work with athletes and you're realizing that your entire strength training approach is a disaster, start with just one of the above and don't give up on the journey.

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Advice for Coaches - 9 Simple Tips

Advice for Coaches - 9 Simple Tips

Athletes do not care about training as much as you do. If they did, you wouldn’t have a job.  Your job is less important than you think but more important than many coaches/admins/parents believe it is. Understand that there are a lot of moving parts to any successful season; just because you are a good strength coach doesn’t mean you will win. And just because you win, doesn’t make you a good strength coach. You can point to any dozen of things for reasons for success and failure.
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5/3/1 and Muay Thai

5/3/1 and Muay Thai

Let's start with whether or not the Krypteia program is suitable for someone who is also doing Muay Thai 3x's a week. 
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