In the last few months, we had a mixture of coaches, columnists, advisors, and athletes join Dave in the S4 Compound for Table Talk. Interestingly, questions from Instagram and Facebook have allowed you, the reader, dictate the topics covered (most of the time). Beginning with our columnist Maliek Derstine, we're publishing each Table Talk guest series as a collection since many of these discussions were split into multiple parts based on topic — many of which you may have missed. Check out the entire playlist on Youtube, too.

In this special edition Table Talk, Dave and Maliek go into detail about two important training topics: sticking points and longevity. Dave discusses raw training during the years he was at Westside and explains that they were the basis of everything they did in gear — the raw work came first, and the geared work was then added. Maliek also discusses the importance of building a raw base to increase your longevity and health in the sport of competitive powerlifting.

In this video, Dave Tate and Maliek Derstine discuss the details of transitioning in and out of equipped powerlifting. They break down the specific skills and training methods that influence the success of a powerlifter in either category, and explain why "putting on a bench shirt" requires a lot more skill than simply putting on a bench shirt.

Dave and Maliek also discuss the qualities of a great powerlifting coach. Most importantly, Dave points out that sometimes a coach can try to help too much or help in the wrong ways, resulting in a client's lack of growth or progress.

Last in this series, Dave and Maliek discuss alternative solutions for challenges anyone trying to follow a percentage-based training program must face. Maliek goes into detail about base values and how to adjust your training numbers in relation to frequency and volume to ensure that you are putting yourself in the best position to increase what he refers to as strength measurables.