Written by: Kevin Cann I used to say that Westside sucks too. Well, maybe not that Westside sucks, but that it wasn’t for raw powerlifters. I would use the argument that the strength curve of a raw lift was different than that in equipment. You know, because of course the squat is easier in the bottom of an equipped squat. It took the perma bruises on my thighs and my yearly tan from popped blood vessels in my face Read More
Written by: Kevin Cann I started to become aware of powerlifting in 2014 as I took a job at a gym with a strong powerlifting culture. I was not interested at the time in the sport as I was still doing my own things. I knew what Westside Barbell was and had read a lot of Louie’s stuff from my many years of working with high school and college athletes. This is how big his reach was Read More
Written by; Kevin Cann I want to discuss bar placement on the squat in this quick article because it is not as simple as it may seem in an Instagram post. The idea of putting the bar lower on our backs is to give the hips greater leverage and it also decreases the thoracic extensors moment arm making it easier on those back muscles. However, lifters seem to take this to the extreme. They will place the Read More
Written by: Kevin Cann I have been seeing a lot of posts on social media that highlight the idea that you do not need bands or chains to get strong. They will point to many people that do not use them that have elite totals in powerlifting as proof. They will also argue that bands and chains are not for raw lifters, but instead only appropriate for equipped lifters. When Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell began competing Read More
In this video, I go over whether meet day handling is worth it for powerlifting competitions. This topic is based on a discussion we’ve had on The King of the Lifts podcast but I wanted to expand on it in a video as it depends on the lifter and situation. The lower the level of the meet is, the less competition there is in your division, and the more of a beginner competitor you’re, then Read More
Written by: Kevin Cann About a month ago I decided to switch up my training a bit. I was getting burnt-out coaching. I do not think people realize how difficult this can be sometimes. You shoulder the burdens of an entire team. This can weigh heavily on you at times. My training had been going poorly for quite some time up to this point and I knew I needed to make some adjustments to get some momentum back and Read More
Where is powerlifting heading? With many high-level meets becoming more competitive and more prize money meets popping up, coaches and athletes are going to change their strategies for training and competing. In this video, I break down some of my thoughts of where I think the sport of powerlifting is heading as far as game day handling and the training leading into these high-level meets. What I discuss in this video includes things I’ve already Read More
In this video, I go over why someone may wear a belt for the bench press. In the gym or in a competition, you may see some people wear a belt while they bench press while some others don’t. A lifter could wear a belt for various reasons but I break down some of the most common reasons which are, 1. They’re an equipped lifter. 2. They want some active feedback for technical improvements. 3. Read More
Written by: Kevin Cann This was an important realization for me, to coach the person and not the lifts. At some point everyone will hit a period of stagnation. This is inevitable. The key to overcoming these periods of stagnation is in understanding the person. Of course, identifying weaknesses and all that is important, but in my experiences, it is only half of it. I will use a real-life example to explain my point. Mike D’Amico had been hitting very Read More
Recast of 2021 Guest Of The Year: Taylor Atwood Taylor and his Coach Jason Tremblay return to KOTL to discuss the greatest performance in Powerlifting. Taylor gives his thoughts on all other current lifters, why he keeps winning, why other teams are behind his, a potential showdown with Russel Orhii, and why he can’t be friendly when he is trying to beat you in competition. Jason Tremblay takes you for a peak behind the curtain Read More