The 2020s.

Why Multi Sport Athletes WIN!

Rather than having coaches argue about which single sport is better than another for improving an athlete's primary sport, athletes should participate in a variety of sports as each has something to offer. And while it's great to win a state championship in a single sport, BFS believes that a multi-disciplined approach improves the success of several sports.

Overcome plateaus with variation

The Importance of Safety Posters in Weight Rooms

Weight rooms are dynamic environments where individuals and teams engage in strength training and physical conditioning exercises. While these spaces offer numerous benefits for health and fitness, they also come with inherent risks if proper precautions are not taken. This is where safety posters play a crucial role in promoting a safe and injury-free environment. Education and Awareness: Safety posters in weight rooms serve as visual reminders of essential safety practices. They educate gym-goers about proper lifting techniques, equipment us....READ MORE

The Benefits of Multi Sport Athletes

5 Reasons to Dot Drill every training day!

The BFS Dot Drill, also known as the “Bigger Faster Stronger Dot Drill," is a training exercise designed to improve agility, coordination, and footwork. Here are five reasons to incorporate the BFS Dot Drill into your training regimen: Agility Enhancement: The Dot Drill is highly effective in improving agility, as it requires rapid changes in direction and foot placement. Regular practice can help athletes become more nimble and respons

Signage for safety and performance

The King of Execises

The parallel squat is regarded highly in the fitness community for several reasons: Muscle Engagement: Functional Strength: Increased Hormonal Response: Joint Health: and MORE...

Organization is Key to Weight Room Excellence

An organized weight room provides several benefits for individuals engaging in weight training. Here are some reasons why organization is crucial for an effective weight training environment: Efficient Workouts: An organized weight room allows individuals to move seamlessly between exercises and equipment. With a designated place for each piece of equipment,...

Unify Your Programs for Success!

This is a time of year many educators and coaches assess their athletic programs and explore ideas on what could make a difference in the future. Few teams make the playoffs, even fewer are division champions and only one is state champion. Is your team in this elite group? How can your school crack the code to improving from year to year - season to season?

The Straight Leg Dead Lift for Athletic Success

In addition to advising athletes to use the BFS 1-2-3-4 stretching program, we recommend all athletes perform the straight-leg deadlift as an auxiliary exercise. Unlike the Hex bar deadlift, which develops strength and requires the use of heavy weights, we think of the straightleg deadlift as a stretching exercise, and therefore only very light weights are used. And we can’t emphasize this point enough.

Consult With BFS

Getting Young Athletes Ready to Win!

Weight training is a key aspect of the BFS Readiness program, but it is performed with light weights as its purpose is to teach athletes perfect technique. That way, when they are physically mature enough to lift heavy weights, they can do so safely. The BFS Readiness program is a quick, easy-to-administer workout. With nearly four decades of enthusiastic results, BFS is convinced that this is the optimal workout program to give young people a head start on a lifetime of safe physical and athletic performance.

Keep Students Invested in Their Own Success

Teaching proper attitude is a simple task and takes very little time. Before students ever touch a weight they should listen to what BFS calls, a pride and safety talk. First students need to know that your strength program is "special" and that it is a privilege, not a right, to work-out in the weight room. The students need to feel that the strength program is a place for them to improve themselves and in effect is "theirs," not the coaches.

SIGNS OF A SAFE WEIGHTROOM

Sign Subject Matter Colors and shapes are important, but even more important is the information that these signs convey. Use only simple words, phrases or graphics that are easy to understand. Use only internationally accepted graphics. Remember that simple words are better than complex graphics. However, symbol signs may be more helpful to multi-cultured users than words...

Exiting the Bench Press Properly

Prepare for a Championship Season

Start Now for Second Semester Success! Sometime this coming month your football playoffs will be firing up. Are you still in the mix? If so - Go Get Em! If not - NOW is the time to think about what your programs can do to find success in the spring! Booking early give you and your coaches the time to implement a total program that leads ATHLETIC development. A BFS Total Program clinic will be exceptionally valuable for high school athletes looking to excel in spring sports for several important reasons...

Towel Bench for Variations

Towel Benches are a BFS Core Lift for three reasons. • First, an athlete gets used to a heavier weight. Normally, ten to twenty more pounds can be used on the Towel Bench. This builds more confidence for new levels on the regular bench.

Don’t sleep on the Effort Box

But what about the Effort Box on your set rep recordings? This is one of the few measurements in the BFS Total Program that is subjective. The student needs to honestly judge for themselves how much effort they are putting into lift and record that on a scale of 1-11.

Accountability for Flexibility? YOU BET!

The BFS approach of striving to break personal records every workout keeps athletes’ motivation high. This strategy also applies to stretching programs that regularly measure progress – the athlete can see immediate and objective evidence of improvement. To measure progress with the BFS 1-2-3-4 flexibility program, we recommend that athletes perform the sit-and-reach test at least once a month.

Hex Bar Advantages

The question of whether the hex bar deadlift is better than the straight bar deadlift depends on individual goals, biomechanics. Both variations of the deadlift have their advantages and can be effective in different ways. Here are some reasons why BFS prefers the hex bar deadlift over the straight bar deadlift...

The Posterior Chain and BFS: Unleashing Power and Performance

One of the most significant aspects of any strength and conditioning regimen is training the posterior chain. This term refers to the muscle groups spanning from the lower back down to the heels, encompassing the glutes, hamstrings, and the erector spinae.

The Dot Drill - Dynamic for Optimal Performance

While traditional warm-up exercises like jogging and stretching have their merits, the "BFS Dot Drill" stands out as a particularly effective warm-up routine. Because the drill is timed and judged for accuracy it falls into the BFS mandate that exercises must be measurable ( you can't break records of you don't keep records!).

Flexibility For Speed

The Power of Strength Training Programs: More than Individual Workouts

When it comes to achieving athletic goals, strength training is a tried and tested. However, the approach one takes can make a significant difference in your success. While individual workouts may seem appealing for their flexibility, opting for a well-structured strength training program brings long term benefits. Here's why...

Custom equipment for team unity

Unify your PE and Athletics to bring physical, mental, and even academic success to your school

Training Smart With the BFS Six Absolutes

Winning Traditions

The BFS Total Program is nationally known for turning programs around and producing winning teams and players through building strength, agility, and conditioning. What may be less well known is that simply being stronger isn't really the secret to success...

Lifelong Lessons

Beginning a Dynasty

... Just moments earlier, the Spartans had been stopped 14 yards short of the end zone. Knowing the situation was fourth and goal, trailing 25-22 early in the fourth quarter, Germain began the call, “Pittsburg 78! Pittsburg 78! Set hut!” Backyard football? Hardly. It was Somerset vs. Auburndale. It was the Wisconsin Division 5 State Football Semi-final game. Auburndale had been ranked number one all season and was heavily favored to win. It was the moment Somerset had been dreaming about all their childhood. It was exactly what Head Coach Bruce Larson had told the boys a year ago would happen if they developed and followed a plan for succes ...

Remembering Coach Bruce Larson

The entire BFS Family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the great football coaches in the USA. Coach Larson was a truly a quiet giant in the game - his coaching and teaching was model for any coach at any level of the game. HIs students, athletes, fellow coaches across the country are better for having had Coach Larson impacting their lives. The Twitter hashtag #LightUpForLars is a moving tribute to this man...

Somerset High School: A BFS Success Story

... Quickly, Somerset became the place where perfect technique in the weight room was transferred to perfect technique on the field. If a weight training or athletic development problem came up, Coach Larson called me or another coach at the BFS home office that same day. If we decided it was necessary to fly me up to Wisconsin, we did it. If he needed a piece of equipment to help solve a problem, he found a way to fund it. If the athletes needed a “gentle reminder” of how success was achieved in their hometown, I was there to help the coach who was now a good friend. Coach Larson found a way to buy the equipment recommended. He bought our specifically designed weight room plan for his modest space. He worked with his school and community to build a compact, but totally functional championship weight room that suited the specific needs of the problems we discovered on our mutual planning. ...

BFS Is Back In School!

We are excited to be back working with schools "face to face". As more and more areas areas of the country are coming out of the latest surge of Covid we are ready to get back to work training our youth for their future.

Variations of the Bench Press

Join BFS President and CEO John Rowbotham as he appears on the BCPS health & physical education podcast. 

Justin O'Brien, BCPS Supervisor Physical Education, hosts this wide-ranging interview which covers many aspects of the BFS Total Program. From safety first and respect for budget constraints, to commitment to physical development as a lifelong tool and skill for all growing bodies and NOT just for athletes.

Bob Bozied

Rediscover Static Stretching

Lifting weights will enable athletes to become stronger and thus perform better and be less susceptible to injury. Performing plyometrics will enable athletes to jump higher run faster. Pushing and pulling sleds enables athletes to perform longer with less fatigue. These statements come with little opposition among coaches and athletes alike. Convincing athletes to stretch, however, is a hard sell.

Green Forest: Ready to Work

Congratulations to Green Forest on installing their new weight room! BFS clinician Jim Brown worked closely with the Green Forest administration/School Board and specifically Coach Gregg Tibbitt who jump started this entire project.

Dead Lift Tips

Dead Lift Tips There is absolutely no question about the dead lift It is a misunderstood lift. The dead lift can be a coach's most valuable motivational tool. However, many coaches fear lower back pain. Many mistakes can be made which cause this problem. Starting with The Six Absolutes of Perfect Technique we have written several articles about spotting and our book, posters, and magazine describe how to spot to keep the weight back on the lifter's heels to prevent lower back pain. Here are three more tips which should prove valuable.

Equal Access to Strength Training - The Hunter High School Experiment

Strength and Conditioning for Women's Sports at Hunter High School “Heather Sonne is a masterful teacher and attends to any task given to her with great determination and vigor,” says Maile Loo, the principal at Hunter. “She is an excellent instructor, coach and athletic director and works tirelessly to accomplish all tasks requested of her! Her skills and integrity lend to the success of our physical education program and Hunter High School.”

Speed and Agility Training for Success

NFL Strength Coach Justus Galac

The impact of BFS reaches across all levels of physical development. In this far ranging and insightful interview BFS president John Rowbotham and NFL strength coach Justus Galac discuss best practices for training for athletes form high school to professionals.

Isaiah Lamb - BFS 11

Isaiah Lamb is and exceptional young man who has worked hard - step by step - to carve out a life setting, reaching and crushing his goals! A committed BFS Athlete since his high school career Lamb credits his success to discipline learned in early morning BFS workouts. Bringing his best every day to strength and conditioning led to outstanding achievement on the court at Dulaney High School. So much so Lamb went on to play D1 and Professional basketball.

Preparing Now for the Future

Learn from Coach Justin Berenson's 23 years of coaching experience. HIs book is a wealth of knowledge no matter what stage your program is at. "Building An Exceptional Football Program" By Coach Berenson

Preparing Today, Taking the Initiative

Learn how this 23 year football coach took initiative to deal with this challenging school year! "When the pandemic hit, we were at a loss, trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully, BFS put out the free Home Workout From BFS series. I immediately did the workouts to determine the pace I wanted to use with my athletes." Coach Berenson

BFS Impact! B.B. Hudspeth

I can’t say enough about the positive impact Bigger Faster Stronger had on my college athletic career and the respect I have for this company. I first became familiar with BFS as a college sophomore. Having just transferred to Maryville College in Tennessee as a member of the Fighting Scots football team, we were blessed to have a new head coach and coaching staff who understood and embraced the importance of a sound strength and conditioning program. BFS WRSC Certification Online. Improve your coaching career and improve your team's prospects by becoming a BFS Certified coach and teacher this holiday weekend! Sign up for at home, online certification this week and SAVE $50.

Baseball Strong!

Learn how Jake took his baseball to the max with strength training from a BFS Certified coach! In the past, baseball coaches were reluctant to have their athletes lift weights, unless it was light dumbbells to rehabilitate a shoulder or elbow injury. Now the sport has embraced the weight room, and one athlete who has benefitted from this paradigm shift in coaching is Jake Guggenheimer.

A Closer Look at the Hex Bar Deadlift

The Hex bar deadlift is a deadlift performed with a hexagonal barbell that allows the lifter to perform exercises from inside the encompassing bar. Handgrips strategically placed on the two ends of the bar enable the weight on the bar to be in perfect alignment with the power line at all times.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE POWER CLEAN

Why BFS considers this lift a must for serious athletes By Kim Goss For many years this BFS core exercise has been attacked by those who thought it had little value for an athlete, by those who thought it was dangerous and by those who thought it was too difficult to teach. They were wrong, and the survival of the exercise has benefited those who want to run faster, jump higher and be overall more powerful.

Fundamental Strength Training - The Bar

After 45 years in the business, we know what to look for. We’ll start by helping you identify your specific needs. Then we’ll show you how to decide on a bar that has the proper combination of price, strength and function. Beware of False Advertising Tom Lincir, president of Ivanko Barbell Company, warns, “Some manufacturers throw around impressive-sounding measurements of a bar’s strength that are either irrelevant or misleading. Ratings like “1,000-pound test” or “2,000-pound test” may sound impressive because the numbers are big. However, there is no such thing as “1,000-pound test”-it is all a fantasy created in an attempt to satisfy buyers.

Bringing together the best equipment for schools

Recently the Kit Carson school district built an all new K-12 school and wanted to maximize their budget for the PE and athletics programs. Working closely with BFS they were able to install exactly the equipment they needed on budget. Squat Racks and Olympic Benches were the first order of business and then selector machines and cardio equipment rounded out a complete weight room that can double as a community fitness center.

Being your best.

BFS and the Total Program is based around the the concept of the "11" athlete. We have identified 11 components to being a successful student athlete - on the field of play and in the school and social environment too. To get an overview at the teachers and coaches level of how these factors weave together when building a program follow our free mini course for coaches 11 Steps to a Championship Program

Training Tools You Need: The True Squat App

With the True Squat, the spotters can focus on their jobs of spotting and offering encouragement without having to assess the depth of each repetition. If the athlete is squatting alone, preferably inside a power rack, they will know whether or not they are performing the lift correctly. Also, this ensures that records made in the squat are accurate – there will not be any questionable “high” lifts passed.

Get Nutrition Safely!

One of the greatest marketing ideas in the fitness industry was the invention of the term “energy drink.” The word “energy” sounds much more positive than “sugary sweet,” the primary characteristic of those liquid formulas, which often cost several dollars and often have exactly the same content as soft drinks (with perhaps a bit more caffeine). Let’s take a closer look at the problematic ingredients of most energy drinks, and some healthy alternatives.

Crofton, MD to Kit Carson, CO

Among the many benefits that BFS receives for our work to bring safe, effective, strength training to young students and athletes across the country is the opportunity to visit so many caring and committed communities. In all regions and states we experience dedicated professionals and involved citizens that are doing all they can to help the young generation grow with self esteem and character through physical development and athletics.

Power Guides for a powerful program!

We do believe that strength training done correctly and in a manner that emphasizes TECHNIQUE over added WEIGHT is critical for athletic development and quality of life. Power Guides are a great starting point for your strength training program.

The Importance of Certified Nutrition

At BFS the safe and effective development of young students is our primary goal. As these young people mature and gain in strength and confidence through the BFS Total Program we recognize the importance off rest and nutrition to young minds and bodies. BFS is extremely proud to be announce we are working with BuiltByStrength. Built ByStrength is a protein company that has committed to NSF Certified for Sport certification. BuiltByStrength grass-fed whey protein is NSF Certified for Sport and contains only simple, scientifically backed ingredients. READ THE FULL STORY

The BFS Transformation with Online Certification

BFS is the training that transforms your Athletics and Physical Education programs. 45 years of working with schools means BFS brings unequalled experience to your staff and students. Coaches know the legendary BFS Total Program has brought championship seasons to thousands of schools and inspired many more. Now physical education departments across the country utilize the BFS Program to improve fitness, strength, and to build confidence in their students. LEARN MORE

Jersey Shore: From 0-10 to District Champions

Jersey Shore High is a Class AAA school in North Central Pennsylvania. In 2012 the team was 0-10, and the season could not have been considered a rebuilding year, as the Bulldogs had only won a total of five games in the past five years and had not won a district title since 1997. However, Gravish believed his team had a shot at the district title because his team had many athletes returning from the previous team, possessed a good worth ethic, and were motivated by the fact that no one. except for the Bulldog coaching staff. Coach Gravish, says that one aspect of the BFS program that he particularly likes is that it instills accountability among the players and helps them set performance goals every time they step foot in the weightroom. Jackson especially likes the BFS focus on striving to set personal records with every workout, as well as the fact that BFS is not a “football specific” workout but one that works for all types of athletes.

The Bench Press Variation for Success

BFS highly recommends Towel Benches for three reasons. First, an athlete gets used to a heavier weight. Normally, ten to twenty more pounds can be used on the Towel Bench. This builds more confidence for new levels on the regular bench. Second, it brings variety into the routine. Variety is important as this helps an athlete overcome plateaus. We guarantee that every athlete will break at least 8 personal records per week, if our BFS Set-Rep System is used. Variety is the main reason we can make that guarantee. Third, and most important, Towel Benches will go a long way in preventing what is call “Bench Press Shoulder”, a mild to severe pain in the shoulder joints.

Why We Test

A key part of the BFS program is PERFORMANCE TESTING. Performance testing is the link between your training and your athletic performance in competition. Watch the video to learn "Why We Test"

Why Plant-Based Diets are Not Game Changers

For endurance, offered for your consideration ultra-marathon runner Scott Jurek and eight-time national cycling champion Dotsie Bausch; for strength, world-recording breaking strongman Patrik Baboumian and weightlifter Kendrick Farris, a 3x Olympian; for the fighting sports, heavyweight boxer Bryant Jennings and MMA champ Nate Diaz; and for more mainstream sports fans, Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan. Impressive!

How do I train all these athletes in a single period?

The BFS Solution Rather than circuit training, athletes should perform all the sets of a core exercise before moving onto another exercise. This is technically referred to as “station training.” The key to getting athletes through all their exercises efficiently and safely is to develop a rotation system. Let’s go through two examples of athletes performing the squat, one station involving four athletes and another station involving five...

Whats For Lunch?

Practical guidelines on what to eat for peak performance During the weekday, parents have considerable control over what their kids eat for breakfast and dinner. For lunch, there are three options: eat at school, brown bag it, or – and this is the worst decision – hold out for dinner. Let’s talk about it. Although tightening school budgets make it a challenge, most schools take considerable effort, and expense, to serve hot meals for lunch. Some schools, however, simply do not have the resources, and compromises must be made.

CJ Cummings: Making America Strong Again!

The United States has not had an Olympic champion in men’s weightlifting since 1960, when Charles Vinci won gold in the 123-pound bodyweight class. In Toyoko, our medal drought may end when Clarence “CJ” Cummings steps on the platform. Going into the Olympics, CJ Cummings is currently ranked fifth in the world, only 8 pounds off of the #2 ranking. On July 29th, CJ will be showing America’s best at the Tokyo International Forum – be sure to tune in!

BFS Athletes Need Leg Curls

The BFS program emphasizes free weights over machines, but there are some exercises performed with machines that are especially valuable for athletic and physical fitness programs. One such exercise that BFS has been promoting for nearly four decades is the leg curl.

From Ohio to Arizona: A BFS Success Story

As the Centennial Coyotes football team celebrated its 5th state championship in November 2015, many people could not remember a time that Centennial was not a football powerhouse. Centennial, led by Coach Richard Taylor, had just competed in its 8th state championship game since 2005. However, this run of success seemed like a dream in the early years of the program.

The BFS Championship Difference: Clinics, Seminars and Certifications

Many coaches and athletes know BFS because of our highest quality strength and conditioning equipment, and having the right tools to prepare athletes for competition is an essential aspect of athletic fitness. However, the heart of BFS is our clinics, seminars, and certifications, because having the right tools for a job is worthless if you don’t know how to use them. Since our company was founded in 1976, BFS has been teaching BFS clinics to help athletes learn how to train effectively and efficiently.

Bench Press Breakthrough!

The bench press is a BFS core lift that is unparalleled for developing strength in the triceps, chest, and shoulders. It has become such an important part of any athlete’s training that the most common question asked to those who lift weights is, “How much can you bench?” The right tools can accelerate your gains on this valuable lift! Lifting Bands provide the most resistance at the end range of the lift, such that the athlete can apply more force during this portion of the lift.

Don’t Skip Lunges!

We begin junior high and high school athletes with lunges without any weight. We want to get the correct movement down. As in all lifts, the technique is vitally important with lunges. Start with a narrow stance and step out – the challenge is to see if the athlete can come back to the starting position smoothly without any false steps. Power balance is important in football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, wrestling, and the following events in track: hurdles, high jump, long jump, pole vault, discus, shot put, javelin, and the hammer throw. Whenever an athlete needs to change direction explosively and transfer quickly from one leg to the other, power balance is required. Lunges are fantastic for that purpose.

What’s for Breakfast?

It’s been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why? Dinner is usually the largest and most complete meal of the day, so certainly a case can be made for it being #1. Let’s see what the research says, and along the way, take a closer look at what athletes should eat, and not eat, on the first meal of the day.

5 Fallacies of Functional Training

One of the earliest references we could find about functional training was from the early 90s by Mel Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky in their classic exercise science textbook, Supertraining. These respected sports scientist said there are two types of strength training, “structural resistance training” and “functional resistance training.” They said the primary goal of structural resistance training is to increase muscle mass – so, bodybuilding. Functional resistance training, in contrast, refers to activities that will enhance your ability to perform daily tasks or sports. More specifically, Siff and Verkhoshansky said functional resistance training improves the following physical qualities: