Slippery Lifting Platform?! Use THIS for Olympic Weightlifting & Strength Training

Do you have a slippery lifting surface? A slick platform can cause a lot of problems, whether you're snatching, clean-and-jerking, squatting, etc., so Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers lets you in on a very simple (and rarely discussed!) method to make sure you've got good grip between your shoes and the platform.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/12/22)

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.

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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?

Starting Out at the Gym? Don’t Miss These 4 Essentials

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 05/12/23)

Which gym accessories are a “must” when you’re training? Let’s quickly cover four of them.

Accessory #1: Timer
At home, Becky and I have a magnetic kitchen timer attached to the squat rack (if you train at a commercial gym, simply keep it with you in your bag). We bought two pink timers - because pink is stylish and manly - for less than $9 from Amazon (it was a two-pack), but you can get them almost anywhere - Walmart, home improvement stores, grocery stores, etc.

Most of my workouts are fairly time-sensitive - I need to get in, get done, and get out in a certain amount of time, and the timer helps me do just that. Our timer has a count-up mode (i.e., it counts up continuously like a stopwatch) as well as a count-down mode (e.g., you set the timer for 5 minutes, and it will beep or flash when the time is up), and these are common features that you’ll find on most kitchen timers. I typically use the count-up feature, but many people prefer to use the count-down mode instead to keep track of rest periods.

Need to make sure you rest long enough between your squat sets? Or not too long? get a timer.

The timer is cheap, it’s effective, and it sticks to your squat rack, so if you find that your workouts are taking longer than you can afford, give it a try.

Accessory #2: Coffee
This should need no explanation, but I’ll do my best anyway. When it’s cold, you drink coffee. When it’s early, you drink coffee. When it’s hot, you still drink hot coffee (iced is fine, too). And when it’s late, you drink coffee.

Coffee. The original - and still the best - pre-workout. Drink it during the workout, too.

Accessory #3: Training Log
Sure, we can call this an accessory, but it’s really your most important piece of training equipment. If you’re going to train - if you’re going to lift intelligently - have a training log. I recommend a basic paper notebook, but if you want to go digital, that will also work. The point here is to have a training log and use it religiously.

The log is what separates training from exercise. If you want to exercise, that’s fine. You’ve got Jazzercise, you’ve got spin, you’ve got Zumba, you’ve got a lot of options. But if you want to train, have a training log. Record your warm-up sets, record your work sets, record what you’re going to do next time (before you walk out the door), and keep tabs on useful cues that you’re focusing on when performing the lifts. Get a training log.

Accessory #4: Fractional Plates
Get yourself a pair of 1.25 lb plates, or better yet, buy a set of fractional plates that has a pair (each) of 0.25 lb, 0.5 lb, 0.75 lb, and 1 lb plates. The set of 1.25 lb plates will permit you to make a 2.5 lb jump, which is a must for presses, bench presses, and even the squat and deadlift for some folks. The more complete set will allow even smaller jumps (e.g., a 1 lb jump using the two 0.5 lb plates), which will be extremely useful for many people on the press and the bench press.

Commercial gyms don’t carry plates smaller than 2.5 lb - which means you have to make jumps that are 5 lb or larger - and eventually, smaller jumps will be necessary to yield progress on a number of your lifts, so get a set before you need it and keep it with you in your gym bag.

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?

Use THIS CUE to PR Your Lifts!

Try out this simple cue the next time you're going for a heavy single at the gym or in competition. It just might help you nail that PR you've been chasing. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/05/22)

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?

12 Outdated Lifting Trends to Ditch in 2025 (and What to Do Instead)

Still doing these outdated lifting trends? It's time to level up. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down 12 common lifting habits, techniques, and myths that need to be left behind - and what you should be doing instead to actually get stronger. No gimmicks. No fluff. Just real, effective strength training advice.

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?

Why THIS is the Most Important Supplement for Building Muscle

Everybody is all about the supplements. Whey protein, creatine, pre-workout - the list goes on, but do you know what the most important supplement is?

It’s not whey protein, and it’s not creatine. Both of those are useful (which is a profound rarity in the world of supplements), but neither one tops the list.

The most important supplement is magnesium carbonate. Use it immediately before training and during training, but there’s no point in using it after training.

What is magnesium carbonate and why use it?
Magnesium carbonate - also known as chalk - typically comes in block form and is specifically used for increased friction between your hands and the bar. It absorbs the natural oil and moisture (e.g., sweat) in your hands so that you have a more secure grip. As an added bonus, it helps in case the Neanderthal who used the barbell before you didn’t use chalk and thus left his sweat and oil on the bar. 

Figure 1: Look close and you’ll see that dave intelligently uses chalk to pull this 237 kg (522.5 lb) deadlift.

You use it for the same reason that rock climbers and gymnasts use it - to hang onto things. Your deadlift is (or will be in time) heavier than a rock climber or gymnast, so you have even more reason to use chalk than those folks do.

What lifts does it help?
It’s most useful for pulling movements such as cleans, snatches, deadlifts, and rows (even chins-ups), but it’s also useful for other lifts such as the squat and pressing movements. If you’ve ever had your hands start to slide a bit on a heavy squat or bench press, you know that it’s a very disconcerting experience and not one that you’d like to repeat.

When do you apply chalk?
Here’s a simple approach - apply chalk at the following times:

1. At the start of your training session (you probably won’t need much at this point)

2. When you start to warm-up your deadlifts (or cleans or snatches)

3. Before your last deadlift warm-up set

4. Before your deadlift work set (or before each work set if you have multiple work sets)

figure 2: correctly chalked hands

How do you apply chalk?
Again, let’s keep it simple:

1. Rub the block onto each hand.

2. Set the block down.

3. Rub your hands together. At this point, your hands should be white and chalky (Figure 2).

If you don’t use chalk, you’re making things more difficult than they need to be, and you’re not even aware of it. When your grip is compromised (and it is), other factors become compromised as well.

The weight feels heavier, your back starts to round, and you can’t completely lock out your deadlift at the top. It’s terrible, and it’s easily preventable by using chalk (in addition to using a modified grip such as the hook grip, mixed grip, or straps).

Don’t like the feel of chalk on your hands? Remind yourself that you’re not a baby and that you don’t care about your feelings. After all, you don’t like the feel of a heavy barbell on your back in the squat, and you still do that.

figure 3: geneva uses chalk to successfully complete her sets of pause deadlift.

You can Pinnochio up for a few minutes and use chalk like a real boy (or girl).

Don’t use chalk for the feel. Use it for the friction, and use it for the increased strength that comes with successfully completing your deadlift work sets.

(If you still won’t use regular chalk, at least use some version of liquid chalk.)

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?

The BEST Squat Accessory Ever: "This simple tool helps so much!"

How can one simple object fix your knees' forward position, your knees' lateral position, and even your hip position and back angle?! If you train on your own, the TUBOW can be a huge help to your squat. What's a TUBOW? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains as Becky demonstrates.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/03/22)

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?