JIM SMITH, CPPS

Welcome to Diesel Strength & Conditioning. My name is Jim Smith, but most people just call me Smitty. I truly appreciate you stopping by and checking out the site. For an ‘official’ bio, you can check it out at the bottom of this post.

You’ll see it’s been a long journey for me to get to where I am today.

To learn about the vision and ideals of DieselSC, you simply have to understand a little bit more about me.

I am a Father who is absolutely committed to my family and everything I do is to try to support them and give them love and security each and every day. I love my friends and I always try to be there to give them the support and the strength they need to achieve their own dreams.

My Mother was a kind soul and eternally optimistic. She always showed me how to be grateful and look for the beauty in life – and I try to do that every single day.

As far as my dreams, they are built on my purpose and passion – which is helping others become stronger in and out of the gym. When I help others grow stronger and get them to start to believing in themselves, I am fulfilled. My heart soars and I feel immense peace. This is why I was put on this earth and I have worked every single day since I was a kid to feel this peace.

MY BACKGROUND
I grew up on a farm and learned the importance of hard work early on. Feeding horses and cows before I got on the bus in the morning and putting up hay all summer, my work ethic developed early on. I developed a love of training at 14 when I started wrestling in school and loved how strength training gave me much more than just strength. Training has been my life ever since.

OFFICIAL BIO
Jim is the founder and owner of Diesel Strength and Conditioning. For the past 23 years, Jim has been helping Olympic and pro athletes from the NHL, NFL, and UFC, as well as, high school and collegiate athletes from various sports achieve their strength and performance goals.

Along with Joe DeFranco, Jim created the world-renowned CPPS certification, called by Muscle & Fitness magazine “the best curriculum for trainers we’ve ever seen.” Jim is also on the Fitness Advisory boards for LIVESTRONG.com, Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Fitness, and Schwarzenegger.com and is regularly featured in Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Health magazines.

CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Physical Preparation Specialist, CPPS-Level 1 (Co-Founder)
Advanced Physical Preparation Specialist, CPPS-Level 2
Certified Physical Preparation Specialist, CPPS-Football
Pro Athletic Strength & Performance System
National Strength & Conditioning Association – NSCA-CSCS
Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)
MobilityWOD – Levels 1, 2
Westside Certification (Class 1)
International Sports Sciences Association – ISSA-CFT
USA Weightlifting Level 1
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST)
Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC)
Art of Breath – Level 1
BioForce Conditioning Certification – Level 1

AS FEATURED IN | PUBLICATIONS
Men’s Fitness | 101 Best Workouts of All Time
Men’s Health | Getting Abs, Four Weeks to a Flat, Ripped Stomach!
Rodale | Cardio Strength Training, Torch Fat, Build Muscle, and Get Stronger Faster
Dragon Door | Easy Strength, How to get a Lot Stronger than Your Competition

AS FEATURED IN | MEN’S HEALTH ARTICLES
A Safer Way to Squat
Pull Your Own Weight
5 Ab-Exercise Upgrades
15-Minute Metabolism Revving Supersets
Two Workouts in One
4 Muscle Myths Debunked
How to Get Into Shape
Maximize Your Beach Muscle With This Workout
Why You Don’t Finish What You Start
Training in Your 30’s

AS FEATURED IN | MUSCLE & FITNESS ARTICLES
Smitty M&F Articles
Smitty Interview with Muscle & Fitness
The Lift Doctor | Mass Gain & Compound Exercises
The Lift Doctor | Burning Fat & Building Strength
The Lift Doctor | Making a Comeback & Chest Training
The Lift Doctor | Deadlifts and Same Muscle Training
The Lift Doctor | Bigger Arms & Barefoot Training
The Lift Doctor | Load Your Traps & Master Your RDL’s
The Lift Doctor | Split Routines & Deadlift Rep Ranges
The Lift Doctor | Better Posture for Heavy Lifting
The Lift Doctor | Best Starting Exercises
The Lift Doctor | Morning Training & Leg Workouts
The Lift Doctor | Negative Reps for Positive Muscle
The Lift Doctor | Pre-Bedtime Snacks & Breaking Plateaus
The Lift Doctor | Core Training & Efficient Home Workouts
The Lift Doctor | Isometric Training & Front Squat Technique
The Lift Doctor | Jump Higher & Maximize Your Gym Time
The Lift Doctor | Prescription for a Better Deadlift
The Lift Doctor | Leg Training Plateaus & Overtraining
The Lift Doctor | Overtraining & Staying Motivated
The Lift Doctor | Rotator Cuff Strength & Protection
The Lift Doctor | Wider Lats & Bigger Arms
The Lift Doctor | Strength Bands & Tempo Training for More Muscle
Top 5 Exercises for Building a Big Back
8 Best Exercises for Beginners
6 Rules for a Better Deadlift
Top 10-Minute Strength Workouts to Build Muscle Fast
Big Arms in 3 Moves
3 Ways Rest Can Positively Impact Your Workouts
Shoulder Rehab 101
The 100 Pull-up Challenge
How to Combine Strength and Conditioning into One Workout
Squat Heavy with No Back Pain
How to Tear a Phonebook in Half
New 21’s for Bigger Guns

AS FEATURED IN | MEN’S JOURNAL
Two Steps for Big Time Biceps
5 Critical Rules for Getting the Most Out of Your Workout
How to Squat

AS FEATURED IN | FLEX MAGAZINE
Maximize Your Mass
Deltstruction – 4-Week Plan for Broader Shoulders

AS FEATURED IN | SCHWARZENEGGER.COM ARTICLES
Awesome Workout Tips – Part 1
Awesome Workout Tips – Part 2
What’s Old is New Again: Redefining the Quality of Life
There is No Maybe
Old School Muscle
Top 6 Best Squat Tips
The Best Deadlift Coaching Cues That Work
Bench Press 101
Squat 101
Deadlift 101
What is Intensity?

AS FEATURED IN | ELITEFTS.COM ARTICLES
One of My Favorite Shoulder Exercises
Powerful Pre/Post Warm-up Routine
Simple Technique to Overload Lat Pull Downs
Slosh Sled Dragging: Advanced Chaotic Sled Dragging
Innovative Sled Dragging Technique
Three Really Cool Strength Movements
Gots to Get Your Deload On
Damn, My “Insert Anything Here” Hurts
How to Set Up on the Deadlift
Corporate Strength—Knowledge Management
The P-40 Warhawk and the Athlete
Chaos Theory – excerpted from the Chaos Manual

AS FEATURED IN | T-NATION.COM ARTICLES
8 Great Rowing Variations
Half Pulls Not Half Assed
6 Secrets for a Supreme Squat
Building a Death Grip
The Posture Fix & Deadlift Booster

AS FEATURED IN | LIVESTRONG.COM ARTICLES
Balancing Fitness With a Busy Life
A Closer Look at Barefoot Training
4 Ways to Spot Your Weaknesses
The New Secrets of Ab Training

AS FEATURED IN | ONNIT.COM ARTICLES
Smitty on Onnit’s Pro Team
Best Adductor Stretches to Break Your Squat PR
How to Properly Rack a Kettlebell
6 Steps to Flip a Tire for Strongman Training
How to Improve Your Hamstring Stretches
5 Posterior Chain Exercises For Stability And Strength
How Did You…Build Your Bench Press?
10 Ways To Optimize Post Workout Recovery

AS FEATURED IN | ERICCRESSEY.COM ARTICLES
More Stability for the Rotator Cuff – Chaos Carries
Smitty Interview with Eric
The Sturdy Shoulder Seminar Recap

AS FEATURED IN | YAHOO SPORTS ARTICLES
Want To Bench Press More? Stop Benching

AS FEATURED IN | STACK.COM ARTICLES
The Bar Hurts My Back When I Squat
6 Training Ideas Shaping the Future of Fitness
8 Training Innovations Shaping the Future of Fitness
31 Fitness Experts You Should Follow

AS FEATURED IN | REDDIT ARTICLES
AMA Jim Smith at Dieselsc.com

AS FEATURED IN | PODCASTS
Industrial Strength Show | #11 – Jim Smith Interview
Industrial Strength Show | #94 – The TRUTH About “Functional” Strength
Industrial Strength Show | #165 – How to Produce Badass, Well-Conditioned Athletes
Industrial Strength Show | #183 – The Most Misunderstood Aspect of Training Elite Athletes
Industrial Strength Show | #218 – Progressive Overload for Older Lifters
Industrial Strength Show | #231 – The Best Farmer’s Walk Variations, How To Tear a Deck of Cards
Industrial Strength Show | #280 – How To Train Pain-Free, Increase Strength, & Feel Amazing at ANY Age!
Industrial Strength Show | #291 – Why All Reps Were NOT Created Equal!
The Jay Ferruggia Show | #08 – Success Through Adversity, Stress Management, Love for Chris Cornell
The Jay Ferruggia Show | #104 – Gettin’ Diesel With Smitty
Total Human Optimization | #114 – Let’s Talk About Strength
Industrial Strength Show | #344 – Clearing Up The Confusion Surrounding WARM-UPS & MOBILITY!

BECOMING RONIN PODCAST
Becoming Ronin Podcast – All Episodes
Becoming Ronin Podcast – iTunes
Becoming Ronin Podcast – Spotify