Foundations of Intelligent Strength Training
Build More Strength. Move Better. Train With Confidence.
Learn the essential skills behind effective lifting so you can increase your strength and improve your physique.
What's inside
21 video lessons, 1 hour 24 minutes in total. Real demonstrations in the gym, the anatomy behind the movements, and techniques you can start using immediately. This isn't another random workout, it's a foundation you'll use for life.
Movement quality foundations
Why how you move matters, and the three qualities every lift depends on: mobility, stability, and control.
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- Course Preface1:40
- Why Movement Quality Matters1:17
- Mobility, Stability, and Control5:13
- Position, Pressure and Force Transfer2:03
The spine
Why lifters get beat up, how the spine moves, and how to control it under load.
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- Why Lifters Get Beat Up2:12
- Spinal Motion1:56
- Spinal Control Skill Building5:20
- Spinal Control Applied5:16
- Lat Tension for Low Back Safety5:05
Rib cage, pelvis, and bracing
How your rib cage and pelvis stack, and how to breathe and brace to create pressure.
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- Rib Cage and Pelvis7:30
- Breathing, Bracing and Pressure4:20
- Breathing and Bracing Skill Building9:21
The shoulder blades
What the scapula does, and how to control it in pressing, rowing, and overhead work.
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- Scapula Purpose and Motions Simplified4:15
- Scapular Control in Pressing and Rowing4:47
- Scapular Control Overhead Pressing and Pull Downs5:43
Force transfer and the big four lifts
Stance and foot pressure, then quick crash courses on the bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press, plus closing training wisdom.
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- Stance, Foot Pressure and Force Transfer5:35
- Barbell Bench Press Crash Course3:01
- Barbell Squat Crash Course2:39
- Barbell Deadlift Crash Course2:40
- Barbell Overhead Press Crash Course2:21
- Course Conclusion and Training Wisdom2:08
Is this course for you?
You want to run your own plan
- You're new to training and want to start with the right foundation
- You've been training for years but never learned the fundamentals
- You're a coach looking to sharpen your own technique and cueing
- You want to understand why you're doing an exercise, not just follow along
Or look at 1:1 coaching if
- You want someone else writing every session for you
- You're training for a specific competition or deadline
- You want direct, ongoing feedback and accountability
Ian DiGiacomo
Founder & Coach, Conquer Training & Nutrition
Ian has spent more than 20 years studying strength and coaching people in the gym. Early in his career he trained hard without understanding the principles behind it, until he learned how to move, breathe, brace, and position himself correctly. His strength took off, he went on to compete in strength sports at a national level, and he's trained hard for years since without a major injury. Foundations of Intelligent Strength Training teaches the same fundamentals he uses with his coaching clients.
What coaching clients say
Foundations is new, but the coaching and principles it's built on aren't.
"Ian's expert programming and constant support helped me earn a bronze medal in my weight class, despite coaching me remotely the entire time."
"Six months in, I'm down nearly 40 pounds and I feel stronger and more energized than I have in over a decade."
Before you enroll
Is this course self-paced?
Yes. There's no schedule to keep up with. Go through the modules at whatever pace fits your week, and revisit them whenever you need to.
Do I need gym experience to start?
No. Whether you're new to training, you've been training for years, or you're a coach sharpening your own fundamentals, the course meets you where you are.
Is this a subscription?
No. It's a single one-time payment of $38, and the course is yours to keep and revisit.
Does this replace 1:1 coaching?
No. Foundations teaches you the principles behind safe, effective training, how to move, breathe, brace, and apply that to the major lifts, not how to design a full program. Program design is being developed as a future course. 1:1 coaching means Ian builds and adjusts your program with you directly, starting now.
Stop guessing. Start understanding your training.
One payment, yours for good, and a foundation you'll keep coming back to.