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Great job from Callie as she shows us how it’s done! She unracks the weight, hinges her hips before the lift, and drives the weight with good mechanics! Almost lost her balance, but nothing her STRENGTH couldn’t handle! Great job! Joshua Stepp
BIG SAVINGS 💵USE THE LINK IN THIS VIDEO OR USE MY PROMO CODE “JOSEPHL” for 25% OFF
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Want to build a stronger deadlift without beating up your knees or hamstrings?
Check out the sumo-positioned seated deadlift.
In this variation, the athlete sits on a bench with their feet planted firmly on the floor and performs a deadlift from a seated position. By reducing leg involvement, the exercise places greater emphasis on the lower back and spinal erectors, helping build strength and stability where many lifters are weakest.
This exercise can be a valuable option for:
✅ Lifters working around hamstring injuries
✅ Athletes dealing with knee pain
✅ Anyone looking to strengthen their lower back and improve deadlift performance
At Harvesting Strength, we use targeted exercises like this to help athletes train around limitations while continuing to get stronger.
Want to learn more about our coaching methods? Visit:
🌐 www.harvestingstrength.com
Comment “DEADLIFT” below and I’ll send you my free deadlift e-course packed with tips to help you lift more weight safely and effectively.
StrengthCoach InjuryPrevention HarvestingStrength
A huge congratulations to my client Erika 🇵🇷 on an incredible return to the powerlifting platform!
After stepping away from the sport, she came back, trusted the process, and put together an outstanding meet. The highlight of the day? An all-time deadlift PR of 330 lbs! 💥
Coming back to competition isn’t always easy. It takes patience to rebuild strength, confidence to step back onto the platform, and discipline to stay consistent through the ups and downs of training. Erika did exactly that, and it paid off.
Congratulations on an awesome meet and that huge 330 lb deadlift PR! Here’s to building even bigger totals in the future. 💪
If you’re looking to get stronger, compete in powerlifting, or simply have a coach help you reach your goals, I’d love to help. Learn more at www.harvestingstrength.com.
Huge shoutout to my client, Michelle, for an incredible performance on the platform this weekend!
She walked away with 3 State Records and put together an outstanding 1,018 lb total:
🏆 Squat: 385 lbs
🏆 Bench: 203 lbs
🏆 Deadlift: 418 lbs
What makes this even more impressive isn’t just the numbers…it’s the consistency, discipline, and work she’s put in behind the scenes. Big lifts don’t happen by accident. They come from months of showing up, trusting the process, and putting in the work even when nobody is watching.
07/17/2026
Powerlifters: Stop talking about your DOTS score… just train.
DOTS is a great tool. It helps compare lifters across different bodyweights and can be useful for tracking competitive performance. But somewhere along the way, too many lifters started treating their DOTS score like it was a personality trait instead of just another statistic.
Here’s the reality: nobody gets stronger because they have a higher DOTS score. You get stronger because you consistently show up, follow a smart program, recover well, eat enough, and put years into mastering the squat, bench, and deadlift.
I’ve seen lifters with incredible DOTS scores who were humble, helpful, and always willing to learn. I’ve also seen people use their DOTS score as an excuse to dismiss others or act like they’re the authority on every training topic. Strength should make you more confident—not more arrogant.
The strongest people I know usually spend very little time talking about how strong they are. They’re too busy chasing the next PR.
Whether your DOTS is 300, 400, 500, or beyond, there’s always someone stronger, someone more experienced, and someone you can learn from. Your score should motivate you to improve, not validate your ego.
Instead of asking, “What’s your DOTS?” maybe ask:
* What are you working on?
* What did you learn this training block?
* How can I improve my technique?
* What helped you break your plateau?
Those conversations build better lifters and a stronger community.
At the end of the day, your total on the platform is earned under the bar—not in the comments section.
So stop chasing validation. Chase progress.
Train hard. Stay humble. Let your lifting do the talking.
If you’re tired of spinning your wheels and want programming that actually moves your numbers up, check out www.harvestingstrength.com or send me a message. I’d be happy to help.
Deadlift feeling inconsistent? Start by mastering the setup before you ever think about adding more weight.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is lifters rushing the first inch of the pull. If your setup isn’t solid, you’re already giving away strength before the bar even leaves the floor.
Here’s the process I teach my athletes:
✅ First, take a deep breath into your stomach and expand 360° into your belt. Don’t just breathe into your chest. Fill your abdomen with air and create as much pressure as possible to build a stable torso.
✅ Next, hold that brace while you pull the slack out of the bar. Instead of yanking the weight off the floor, gradually build tension through your arms, lats, and hips until the bar is tight in your hands. By the time the plates leave the ground, your entire body should already be producing force.
✅ Finally, pay attention to your head position. Rather than looking straight ahead or up from the start, keep your head slightly down during the initial pull. This encourages a stronger spinal position and helps you maintain better leverage off the floor. As you approach your sticking point, begin bringing your head up. This cue helps your spine become taller as you finish the lift, putting you in a stronger position to lock out the deadlift.
The deadlift isn’t won with brute force—it’s won with great positioning and efficient technique. Small adjustments like these can make an immediate difference in how heavy the bar feels.
If you’d like me to review your deadlift, send me a video or visit www.harvestingstrength.com to learn more about my coaching and educational resources.
The Circus Dumbbell is one of the most technical events in strongman, and small adjustments can make a huge difference in how stable and efficient the lift feels. Here are three tips that can instantly improve your CDB performance.
First, tuck your armpit and engage your chest and lats. A lot of athletes let the dumbbell drift around during the lift, which wastes energy and makes the press unstable. By squeezing the armpit tight and creating tension through the upper body, you can keep the circus dumbbell motionless and connected to your body throughout the lift. Stability creates strength.
Second, kick the circus dumbbell away during the clean so the head of the dumbbell rests on your shoulder. Too many athletes try to hold all the weight in their hand and arm, which burns out the grip and makes the press harder than it needs to be. Letting the dumbbell sit on the shoulder transfers more load into the body and gives you a much stronger initial press.
Finally, lean into the dumbbell. Shift toward the hip that is supporting the weight so your joints stack properly underneath the implement. This creates better balance, improves force transfer, and helps you stay upright during the press. If you stay too centered, the dumbbell will often pull you out of position and make the lockout much harder.
Mastering the circus dumbbell is all about efficiency, positioning, and staying tight from start to finish.
www.harvestingstrength.com
Don’t just be strong, be HARDER TO KILL!
Squatting 2.5 times your bodyweight ain’t easy! My client crushed it tho! Katie Kates worked very hard for this competition. Sometimes you don’t hit the numbers you aim for, but even on days like these, she’s still a monster. Very fortunate to work with her, and jobs not done!