Q&A Staff

Dave Tate

Dave Tate is the founder and CEO of Elite Fitness Systems, staffed by experienced professionals dedicated to providing strength coaches, athletes and trainers with the highest-quality equipment, personalized service and extensive knowledge needed to advance their training programs.

Dave has been involved with powerlifting for more than two and a half decades as a world-class participant, coach and consultant. He has logged more than 10,000 hours of personal training and strength consulting sessions with professional, elite and novice athletes, as well as with professional and university strength coaches. He holds Elite status in powerlifting (in three weight classes) with best lifts of a 935 squat, 740 deadlift, 610 bench press and 2,205 total.

In addition to remaining active as a participant who still pushes himself to excel, Dave contributes insights and inspiration to the sport that has shaped him. Through Elite Fitness Systems, he has conducted hundreds of influential seminars and clinics nationwide for gyms, training centers, schools and universities. He has written more than 100 articles on strength training for magazines and web sites, including Powerlifting USA, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health and T-Nation.com. This athlete-entrepreneur earned a Lifetime Achievement award in 2005 from the Society for Weight Training Specialists.

Dave Tate’s impact also extends beyond training techniques and beyond his sport. As a business adviser, motivational speaker and author, he shows how athletic disciplines teach valuable lessons for overall achievement. “We each have all we need to achieve success in anything we choose to do,” says Tate, describing the theme of his 2005 book, Under the Bar / Twelve Lessons of Life from the World of Powerlifting. He lives with his family in London, Ohio.

View Dave's Training Log here

Dave's interviews:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Jim Wendler

Senior Editor, Q/A Staff, Sales Manager, Powerlifting
Senior Editor and Sales Manager of Elite Fitness Systems. He worked as a Strength and Conditioning coach at the University of Kentucky where he worked with several different teams including football and baseball. He played football and graduated from the University of Arizona where he earned three letters. Jim’s best lifts include a 1000lbs squat, a 675 bench press, 700lbs deadlift and a 2375 total in the 275lbs class.

View Jim's Training Log here

Jim's interviews:  1 2 3

Thomas Deebel, D.C.

Q/A Staff, Rehabilitation
Thomas graduated from Penn State University in 1985 with a B.S. in biology with a physiology concentration. In 1988, he graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic with a D.C. degree. In 1998, Thomas achieved his first ART certification in upper extremity work. Since then he’s achieved certification in all course work through level three (biomechanics).Thomas worked on the Ironman Triathlon treatment staff 6 times in 1998-2001, and has also been part of the Arnold Classic medical staff.

The Thinker

Q/A Staff, Sport Specific
The Thinker is a student of Soviet and Eastern Bloc training methodologies and is engaged in the constant pursuit to further his own physical conditioning and coaching abilities. The Thinker’s aggregate of professional experiences include training sportsmen in the disciplines of American Football, Athletics, Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Military Special Operations, and many other Olympic sports. The Thinker is a Strength Coach (football) at a major D-1 University and will no longer operate at EFS under his real identity. The thinker is the founder of Power Development Inc..

Click here for the Thinker's Products

Alwyn Cosgrove

Q/A Staff, Sport Specific, Personal Training, Fight Corner
Alwyn is a Tae kwon-do international champion and has utilized his personal experience as an athlete and combined it with the advanced theories of European Sports Science and the principles of modern strength and conditioning systems. He has worked with a wide variety of clientele, including several Olympic and national level athletes, five World Champions and professionals in a multitude of sports including boxing, martial arts, soccer, ice skating, football, fencing, triathlon, rugby, bodybuilding, dance and fitness competition.
http://www.alwyncosgrove.com

Alwyn's interviews: 1

Click here for Alwyn's Products

Joe Defranco

Q/A Staff, Sport Specific, Personal Training
Joe is one of this countries most highly sought after performance enhancement specialists. Joe has trained over 500 high school and college athletes from various sports. This includes All-State and All-American performers in football, baseball, wrestling, basketball, track & field, lacrosse and hockey. 31 of Joe’s athletes have been drafted by the NFL. Joe has developed a reputation for achieving previously unheard of results with his athletes. He is considered one of the most highly respected trainers in the world. DeFrancosTraining.com

View DeFranco's Training Log here

Joe's Interviews: 1

Click here for Joe's Products

Ano Turtiainen

Q/A Staff, Powerlifting
Ano competed in the IPF ( 242 weight class) between the years of 1989 - 1996. In 1993 he won the European Championships and in the same year got silver in the Worlds. Since 1997 he has competed in the WPC, weight class 275 lbs. He has won the European Championships on three occasions and also has four World Championships under his belt.

Since 2001 he has been competing mainly in the WPO winning the 2002 Final, heavyweight class. Ano's best lifts are, squat 1080, Bench 678, Deadlift 894, Total 2491.

Ano also owns Metal Gym and the Metal Sport and Wear company that supplies gym equipment and powerlifting gear. In his little, but lively, family belongs Minna, and his daughters Mimmi and Doris. Ano is also interested in motor-sport and spends his spare time with his family in the country side.
www.GoMetal.com

View Ano's Training Log here

Harry Selkow

A long-time athlete and experienced trainer, Harry brings a wealth of knowledge to the EliteFTS site. Since graduating from Ithaca College in Physical Education, Harry has become a nationally recognized, highly sought-after performance enhancement specialist. He is currently in his second term as the strength & conditioning coach of the Arizona Sundogs (NHL/Central Hockey League) as well as for the Bradshaw Mountain High School football program. Harry has worked with hundreds of athletes in more than 20 different sports over the course of the last 31 years.

View Selkow's Training Log here

Shelby Starnes

Shelby Starnes is one of Justin Harris / Troponin Nutrition’s premier nutritionists. Since joining Troponin in 2005 he has helped hundreds of athletes dial in their training, nutrition, and supplementation. Shelby has been involved in powerlifting and bodybuilding for over ten years, competing and placing very respectably in both. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University and has written numerous articles on sports nutrition.

In his first bodybuilding competition he won the overall in the Novice division, and took 2nd place in the open middleweight class, thereby qualifying himself for national level competition. Since then he’s competed twice at the NPC Jr. Nationals, placing 5th in 2006 and 6th in 2007.

The Angry Coach

The Angry Coach is the strength coach, and also a positional coach, for a successful high school football program. Since 2001, an impressive number of his players have gone on to play college football, including several at the Division I and I-AA levels and two who have played professionally in the NFL. The Angry Coach has also worked with athletes at the college and professional levels in a variety of disciplines, including football, track and field, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, rowing and mixed martial arts (MMA). For professional reasons, the Angry Coach will not be using his real identity.

Elitefts Troll

The Elitefts Troll come to us via his keyboard. Keeping with the code of the trolls we have no idea who this guy is, where he is from. what his numbers are, or if he even competes. All we know is he likes meatloaf and have about 9 different personalities. We asked him for his bio and this is what he sent.

"Let me start and end by saying I know more than most and less than some".

After some probing we got this additional information.

Work: Parallel Authoritarian
Interests: Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Strongman, Football and training hard.
Music: AC/DC, Abruptum, Mortiis
Books: The Art of War, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Loving Our Cats
TV/Movies: The Shield, Willow
Training Style: Westside! (Is there any other?)

Landon Evans

Landon received his Masters in Exercise Physiology and Bachelors in Health and Human Performance. His coaching career includes both collegiate and private settings. Landon's coaching philosophy is governed by the sciences of human performance, biological individuality, and interactions with countless sport and physical preparation coaches. He has coached hundreds of athletes ranging from the high school to the professional ranks. Additionally, he is active in online consulting for training and nutrition. His lifting resume includes a 688 squat, 463 bench press, and 572 deadlift in the 198lb class.

Juliet Deane

Powerlifting, Figure, Personal Training

Juliet, a graduate in Phys Ed & Health Teacher’s Education is now a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Co Owner of The Training Studio in Morganville, NJ. Also certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor and Olympic Lifting Coach, Juliet works with a wide range of clients both men and women, from young teens, to figure competitors. She has competed in figure successfully on a National and World level in the INBF as well as competed in raw powerlifting in both AAU and WNPF in 123 & 132 weight class’ with best lifts: 205 Squat, 175 Bench and 300 Deadlift.

Josh Bryant

To learn more about Josh Bryant or to contact him visit www.joshstrength.com .

Matt McGorry

Matt is a personal trainer and powerlifter born, raised, and currently residing in Manhattan, New York City. He began working with a trainer as a 14-year-old who couldn't do a single pushup, and has since been deeply involved in the fitness and performance industry for the last 9 years. Matt is a contributor for T-Nation.com and has been featured in various print magazines such as Men's Fitness and Life & Style. He trains primarily by himself in commercial gyms. Having competed for two years, Matt's best total is 1,220 pounds (400/275/545) in the USAPL Raw 181 pound class. His deadlift currently ranks him #30 in the Raw 181 pound class. MattMcGTraining.com

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