3 Pieces of Gym Gear That Separate Beginners from Serious Lifters

If your gym bag only has shoes and earbuds, you’re probably just exercising. Exercise is certainly better than nothing - but if you actually train, then you show up with a few specific tools that quietly separate progress from plateaus.

#1: Training Log
The training log separates training from exercise, and you are showing up to train.

Training means there’s a goal, which means there’s a plan - a program - designed to help you achieve that goal. That plan needs data, and your training log is that data. It’s the history of where you’ve been, and thus, it allows you to make decisions to help you move forward.

I recommend a paper notebook, but if you want to go the digital route, that will work, too. Record your warm-ups, record your work sets, record the cues you should be using, and before you walk out the door, record what you plan to do next time. 

The training log is your most important piece of training equipment - more important than your shoes, belt, barbell, etc. All those items are replaceable, but your training log is specific to you, so be an intelligent lifter and start using a training log today.

#2: Chalk
Any decent, dedicated barbell gym should provide chalk for you, but most commercial gyms (i.e., globo-style gyms and chain-gyms) won’t. If your gym doesn’t provide it, there are two solutions - either buy your own chalk or find another gym.

Correctly chalked hands

Seriously, it’s that important. Sneak it in if you need to or use liquid chalk, but if you care about your training, this is nonnegotiable. You use chalk for the same reason climbers and gymnasts use it - friction. It absorbs the natural moisture and oils in your hands so that you have better - much better - grip on the bar.

#3: Fractional plates
Early in your training career - within the first month or two - you’ll need to start using fractional plates on your press, bench press, and possibly your olympic lifts. Females and older folks will find them useful for the squat and deadlift as well. Sadly, commercial gyms won’t have these, so at the very least, go out and get yourself a pair of 1.25 lb plates. Even better, purchase a full set of fractional plates, which includes a pair each of 0.25 lb, 0.5 lb, 0.75 lb, and 1 lb plates.

The ability to make a 2.5 lb jump (i.e, using a 1.25 lb plate on each side of the barbell)  is hugely useful to making continued progress on a number of the lifts, and the ability to make even smaller jumps (e.g., a 1 lb jump using two 0.5 lb plates) is beneficial for many people as well.

If you take your training seriously, have these pieces of equipment when you train. Your results - and therefore your strength - will thank you.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

NEVER Make This Belt Mistake Again! | FAST FIX

If you use a belt when lifting - and you should - you're going to make this mistake eventually. Learn to prevent it in a few short minutes. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 04/08/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Stop Fighting Your Knee Sleeves. There's a Better Way. (shhh…it’s a secret)

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 08/13/21)

Oooh . . . secrets! We love us some secrets!

Not everyone knows this - and this is especially true if you’re a new lifter or at least new to using knee sleeves - but when it comes to putting on your knee sleeves, there is one method to rule them all. Anything else is a waste of your time and energy, so let’s take a look at how you should put on a sleeve (watch the included video for a quick demonstration):

Step 1: Turn the sleeve inside-out.

Step 2: Grab the sleeve with both hands so that it’s upside down and backward (i.e., the front of the sleeve - the part that will cover your kneecap - is facing backward).

Steps 1 & 2: The sleeve is inside-out, upside down, and backward . . . and this is a good thing.

Step 3: Before you put on your shoe, pull the sleeve over your foot until it comes up just past your ankle.

Step 3

Step 4: Spin the sleeve around so that it’s facing forward again (i.e., the front of the sleeve is facing forward).

Step 4

Step 5: Pull on the uppermost part of the sleeve - sliding the sleeve upward until it reaches a point a few inches below your knee. (If you like, you can perform step 5 before step 4.)

Step 5

Step 6: Grab the lowermost part of the sleeve (it’s actually the “top” of the sleeve, but it’s still upside down right now, remember?) and pull upward so that that portion of the sleeve starts sliding over the rest of the sleeve. As you continue doing this, the sleeve will be turning right-side-out again.

Step 6

Step 7: Feel free to make some minor adjustments, but really, at this point, you’re done.

Step 7 - done!

Now, go out and tell your friends because - after all - this is a secret that everyone kneeds to know.

If you’re looking for some knee sleeves, below are links to a few knee sleeve options that are popular with a number of our members at Testify:

• Rehband knee sleeves (my personal knee sleeves)

• Stoic knee sleeves

• Iron Bull knee sleeves

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

What Most Lifters Never Learn About Weight Lifting Plates (15 facts)

Confused about weight lifting plates, kilgrams vs pounds, metal plates vs bumpers, numbers in vs numbers out, etc.? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers it all and clears up the confusion.

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Knee Sleeves: What, Why, Where, and When!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 07/16/21)

What on earth are knee sleeves, and why might you want to wear them? Let’s chat.

What is a knee sleeve?
A knee sleeve is a sleeve . . . that goes on your knee. They are generally made of neoprene, and they should fit quite snugly. A reasonable approach is to make sure that they are snug, but not so snug that you need someone else to help you put them on. If they’re so tight that you need to take them off between sets, I’d recommend something a little less snug.

Why might you want knee sleeves?
The main reason is if you have the highly specific medical condition known as “cranky knees.” Now, if you have achy knees when you squat (and we’re generally talking about the squat here), there may be some technical considerations to examine as well as some programming considerations, and your coach can help you with that.

Nonetheless, to put it simply, knee sleeves simply help your knees feel better. They provide some warmth and some compression, and without getting into the weeds here, both of those factors generally make your knees more comfortable. It’s a nice, warm hug for your knees. One of our coaches, Mike, once accused me years ago of holding out on him because I evidently hadn’t suggested knee sleeves until a year or so into his training. Once he put them on, it was love at first squat.

Where can you get knee sleeves?
You can find some at your local sporting goods store, but your best bet is this thing they’ve developed called the internet, which they have on computers now. The usual suspects - Amazon, Rogue, etc. - will have a host of options, which brings us to . . .

What should you get?
5 mm and 7 mm are both common thicknesses, and having used both, I’d recommend the 7 mm option. There are a ton of companies that make them - some of the more popular ones are brands like Rehband, SBD, STrong (Mark Bell), Stoic, and Rogue. 

There’s a big price range from about $35-$45 for a pair of sleeves to $35-$45 for a single sleeve (which reflects the prices of the brands listed above). The biggest difference seems to be simple longevity - the cheap ones tend to wear out and tear within a couple of years, whereas the pricier ones typically last quite a bit longer - to the point that I’d probably say you’ll spend less money in the long run by going with the more expensive pairs. Of course, your mileage may vary. 

Below are links to a few knee sleeve options that are popular with a number of our members at Testify:

• Rehband knee sleeves (my personal knee sleeves)

• Stoic knee sleeves

• Iron Bull knee sleeves

When do you use knee sleeves?
The short answer is - squats and Olympic lifting. You’ll appreciate them for squatting, and you’ll appreciate them for the Olympic lifts because of the squatting involved in both snatching and cleaning (there is probably some benefit for the impact of landing as well). 

What about using them on the press and bench press? Go ahead if you’d like - they won’t help, but they won’t hurt either. 

The deadlift gets a little more discussion. In the deadlift, the knee doesn’t go through a large range of motion (as opposed to the knee’s longer ROM in the squat), so if your knees ache while squatting, but they feel fine while deadlifting, I’d recommend not wearing sleeves. The thickness of the sleeve - while not huge - is still one more thing you have to deal with when trying to keep the barbell close on the pull, so if you don’t need them, don’t use them. But if your knees also ache on the deadlift, and you find that the sleeves help, then go right ahead.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

No Deadlift Jack? THREE Tips for Loading Your Deadlift SUPER Easy

Your deadlift is going well - you’re getting stronger. You’ve gotten to the point where you’ve got one, maybe two, perhaps even three 45-lb plates on each side.

What’s your reward?

You now have to deal with loading more full size plates (i.e., 45-lb metal plates) on the barbell each time you train, and this, of course, is a pain as you have to pick up the end of the bar enough to get the plate on and then slide it into place (the problem is even worse if you deadlift with bumper plates as most of your plates are full size plates).

Adding a 10-lb plate? A 25-lb plate? Piece of cake - they slide easily on as they are much smaller than a 45-lb plate. But those 45-lb plates? They can be a pain without knowing a few tricks of the trade, so let’s cover those right now to help you out.

Side note: If you have a deadlift jack, then loading 45-lb plates on the bar is smooth sailing. You can buy one, of course, or you can make The Fishhook deadlift jack as shown in the video above. It’s easy, and it makes loading your deadlifts easy as well.

If you don’t make or purchase a deadlift jack, then there are three specific problems to solve when loading your bar, and not surprisingly, there are three specific (but simple) solutions to use. We’ll cover them below, and if you’d like to see them demonstrated, check out the short video below (photos are great, but video is better).

Step #1: How to Get the First Plate on the Bar
In short, you don’t.

That is, you don’t put the plate (i.e., the 45-lb plate on the bar. Instead, you put the plate flat on the floor, put the end of the barbell sleeve into the center of the plate (Figure 1), tip the barbell back down to the floor, and then slide the bar through the plate (Figure 2).

figure 1: put the end of the barbell sleeve into the center of the plate.:

figure 2: slide the bar through the plate.

In other words, you don’t put the plate on the bar. You put the bar through the plate.

Step #2: How to Get the Second Plate on the Bar
This is the only step that requires a little bit of lifting, but you’re going to keep the effort involved as minimal as possible - after all, the deadlift itself is supposed to be your lifting for the day, not the loading of the bar.

First of all, keep the plate as close to the floor as possible - you can even roll it over to the bar if you don’t have much ground to cover. Situate the plate so it’s right next to the end of the bar.

Second, pick up the end of the bar and get the plate on the bar - but just barely. That’s all the lifting you’ll need to do.

figure 3: pull the plate toward the collar of the bar.

Next, straddle the bar (facing away from the middle of the bar), grab the plate (with both hands) just below the halfway mark, and then lean back as you pull the plate toward the collar of the bar (Figure 3). You’re essentially using your bodyweight as leverage to slide the plate toward you.

Step #3: How to Get the Rest of the Plates on the Bar
This is now the easiest part.

Grab a 2.5-lb plate (or another small, flat item), and roll one plate up onto the 2.5-lb plate. You’ve now elevated your barbell just enough that sliding subsequent plates onto the bar (Figure 4) will be no trouble at all since they won’t be sliding across the floor.

figure 4: Note that the inside plate is sitting on a 2.5-lb plate. this makes it easy to slide on subsequent plates.

This also works very well for unloading your bar when you’re done lifting.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?