LIFTING BELTS: The Complete Guide and What NOT to Get! (Lifting Gear Series)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers everything related to lifting belts - why, how, what, where, when, and what NOT to buy as well. This is the second video in our "Lifting Gear" series.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/30/23)

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99% of Lifters Don't Know These Training Tricks

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Most lifters are leaving progress on the table without realizing it. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers 12 overlooked training tactics, techniques, and tricks that can change the way you approach the bar. Watch this before your next session — your future PRs will thank you.

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

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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?

EASY Way to Open Your Barbell Packaging!! | How to Unbox Your New Barbell

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Stop prying staples open or twisting your barbell packaging. We've opened a lot of barbells, and this method is - by far - the quickest and easiest way to open your new barbell packaging. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and demonstrates.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/28/23)

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.

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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?

DIY Lifting Straps in 3 Minutes - Stop Wasting Money

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Don't want to waste your hard-earned cash on lifting straps? In this quick DIY guide, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers shows you how to make your own heavy-duty lifting straps in less than 3 minutes using cheap, simple materials. Strong, durable, and budget-friendly — perfect for deadlifts, rack pulls, rows, and any heavy pull where your grip needs backup. Save money, and lift more.

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.

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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?

Lifting Gear | What to Wear and What NOT to Wear!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

In our first video in the "Lifting Gear" series, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers quickly dives into what to wear as well as what not to wear when it comes to training clothes.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/16/23)

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.

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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?

Types of Barbells: Weightlifting vs Powerlifting vs Hybrid

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 06/16/23)

Weightlifting bars, powerlifting bars, and dual purpose bars (i.e., hybrid bars) - what is the difference between these types of barbells, and specifically, what’s the deal with the rings (i.e., score marks or knurl marks) on each bar?

That Poor Soul
Some bars have one set of rings, and some bars have two sets of rings. Every time we go to (or host) a powerlifting meet, weightlifting meet, or strengthlifting meet, there is always some poor soul who shows up having trained on one type of bar - for example, a bar that has two sets of rings - and then he steps onto the competition platform and discovers he’s about to use a bar that only has one set of rings.

Now, he’s not sure which set of rings he was using in training, and as a result, he doesn’t know where to take his grip on the competition bar. This situation can also happen in training - either you’re forced to use a different bar than you usually do, or perhaps you’re traveling and are training at an unfamiliar gym.

Let’s prevent this problem.

The Solution
The solution is straightforward - familiarize yourself with the two types of rings, and you’ll be good to go. We use a hybrid bar as you see in Figure 1 for this purpose.

Figure 1: dual rings (hybrid bar)

The inner set of rings are 81 cm apart (approximately 32 in) and are commonly referred to as the “powerlifting rings” or simply the “power rings”. On a dedicated powerlifting barbell or “power bar,” this is the only set of rings you see (Figure 2), so if you go to a powerlifting meet, this is most likely what you’ll be using.

figure 2: power rings (power bar)

The outer set of rings are 91 cm apart (approximately 36 in) and are commonly referred to as the “weightlifting rings” or the “Olympic lifting rings.” If you go to a weightlifting meet, you’ll probably be lifting on a dedicated weightlifting bar (Figure 3), and that bar will only have the outer set of rings.

figure 3: Weightlifting rings (weightlifting bar)

But Why?
The rings are simply there as reference points for your grip so that your lifts can be more consistent and hopefully more successful as well. In the case of a power bar, the rings also serve as the markers for the maximum legal grip width for the bench press (i.e., in competition).

What To Do?
Know what bar you’re using. If you’re using a bar that has only one set of rings, get out a tape measure and measure the distance between the rings or - at the very least - measure it relative to some part of your body (arm length, etc.). This way, you know what bar you’re using, and if you have to use a different bar - whether training somewhere else or competing - your grip (and therefore your lifts) will still be consistent, which means you are more likely to hit your lifts successfully.

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.

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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?