DISASTROUS Weight Lifting Accident | Don't Let This Happen!

It's easy to make mistakes in the weight room, but some are more disastrous than others. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and discusses how to avoid one particularly nasty error.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/13/23)

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• 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?

The Most Underrated Approach to Training and Consistency of All Time?

You missed Monday’s workout. It happens.

I get it – it’s not ideal, and you’re slightly disappointed in yourself.

Again, it happens.

But then you miss Wednesday’s workout. Perhaps you usually train in the mornings, but you slept through your alarm. Or maybe you train after work, but meetings went late into the evening.

Now the whole week is a bust. You’ve missed two out of your three workouts, and at this point, you might as well just skip the rest of the week and start fresh on Monday.

Right?

Have you ever forgotten to brush your teeth before going to bed? Heck, maybe you even forgot to brush them the next morning, too.

At this point, you probably just decided to skip brushing your teeth for the rest of the week. Might as well start brushing them again next week.

You get it.

It’s true – consistency is the foundation of progress. After all, the greatest programming and technique don’t mean a thing if you’re not . . . you know . . . using them.

But you’re not going to let a missed session or two be a bigger situation than it actually is.

You forgot to brush your teeth last night? Do it tomorrow morning and move on with life.

You missed your last workout? Get in the gym today and move on with life.

Be a person. Brush your teeth. Train.

Only molehills here. No mountains allowed.

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 TRUTH About Breathing, Bracing, and Lifting Heavy

Are you breathing like a buffoon when lifting? Don't. It's simple, so let's fix it fast. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers the key points.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/06/23)

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?

Do ONE Thing to Get Stronger and Improve All Your Lifts!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/06/23)

Let’s cover a cue that will help you with every single one of your lifts. To be precise, this is actually a type of cue, and more specifically, we’re discussing the concept of the overcue.

The overcue (i.e., an over-correction cue) communicates an exaggeration of what we want to happen in a specific lift, and it can be an extremely effective tool to achieve improved technique in any lift. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Example 1: Squat
From watching video of yourself lifting, you notice you’re consistently squatting about an inch high. The first approach to solving this problem is to simply tell yourself to “squat one inch deeper” - in other words, tell yourself the truth. However, if that doesn’t do the trick, you may have to lie to yourself a bit, and that’s the idea behind the overcue: it’s a productive lie.

With this in mind, you cue yourself to “squat three inches deeper.” You don’t actually want or need to squat three inches deeper, but telling yourself to squat one inch deeper wasn’t doing the trick, so you exaggerate the concept of what you need to do in order to accomplish your goal.

Example 2: Deadlift
You’re raising your chest prematurely on the deadlift, and as a result, you’re pulling around your knees and making things much more difficult than they should be. You know the deadlift begins with knee extension, so you try a few cues such as “push the floor’ or “straighten the knees” to help with the movement.

However, if this doesn’t work, you move on to an overcue such as “hips go up first” or “hips first.” Of course, this is an exaggeration - you don’t want your hips to lead the way in the deadlift, but this exaggeration of the correct technique might just do the trick for you.

Example 3: Jerk
Got soft elbows when receiving the barbell overhead in the jerk? If you are pressing out your jerks and telling yourself to “lock it out” isn’t working, try cueing yourself to “lock it before you land it.” In other words, tell yourself to completely straighten your elbows before your feet hit the deck. This isn’t what actually happens in a correctly executed jerk, but that doesn’t matter - you are simply exaggerating an aspect of the correct movement to help improve your technique.

Example 4: Squat
You’re breaking at the hips before breaking at the knees; in other words, as you start your squat, you are bending at the hips first instead of correctly bending at the hips and knees simultaneously. First, you tell yourself the truth by using the cue “hips and knees together,” but if that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to try something else.

In this case, an overcue such as “knees first” can be very useful. You don’t actually want your knees to bend before your hips do, but telling yourself the truth wasn’t working, so you introduce the overcue, and this tends to solve the problem quite nicely.

Use overcues judiciously. Remember that you are lying to yourself just a bit when you use one, so be conservative in your approach. First, cue yourself to do precisely what it is that you want to do - tell yourself the truth - but if that doesn’t work, it may be time to move on to an overcue.

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:

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

• 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.

(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?

Get Stronger . . . Faster?

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 09/29/23)

Want to get strong but need to spend less time at the gym? This article is for you.

Let it be said - there’s nothing wrong with spending a lot of time at the gym. If you don’t need to save time, then this article probably isn’t for you, but a lot of people need to get through their workouts in a reasonable amount of time - they need to get in, get done, and get out - so if this describes your situation, let’s improve things with two quick tips.

Tip #1: Go Through Your Warm-ups Quickly
Warm-ups are where you save time. Don’t rest between your warm-up sets. For example, in the squat, do your empty bar squats, then immediately grab your next warm-up weight, put it on the bar, and perform that set. Again, immediately grab the next warm-up weight and then do that set, and so forth and so on.

Sure, after your last set, wait several minutes before your first work set - you want to be rested for your work sets, after all - and definitely rest between your work sets, but again, your warm-ups are where you save time. If you keep moving, you can get to your first work set of squats within 10 minutes of squatting the empty bar.

If you need an additional reminder to keep moving, set a timer (I use one regularly when training) or even tell yourself to get a little out of breath during your warm-ups. It’s okay if this happens during the warm-up process - the warm-up weights are light, so it’s not going to be a problem, and remember, you’re going to rest appropriately before your first work set anyway, so you won’t be out of breath anymore at that point.

Tip #2: Warm Up Your Next Lift Between Your Work Sets
Using the squat and press as examples, after you’ve done your first work set of squats, start warming up your press (you’ll need a second barbell to utilize this tip). Do a couple empty bar sets, then have a seat for several minutes, and then perform your second work set of squats.

As always, make sure you’re well rested before starting a work set, but you can certainly perform most, if not all, of the next lift’s warm-ups by the time you finish the current lift’s work sets. Not surprisingly, this works best if the two lifts are relatively unrelated, like the squat and press example used here (e.g., warming up the deadlift between squat work sets isn’t a great idea).

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:

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

• 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.

(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?

LIFT MORE WEIGHT: 10 Simple & Quick Training Tips (Starting Strength Coach Explains)

Coming at you rapidfire – 10 things you need to know, do, or have before lifting heavy. Here we go.

1. Valsalva Maneuver
Before you start your rep, take a breath, hold that breath against a closed glottis (i.e., not against your lips), tighten every muscle in your trunk like you expect to get punched, and stay that rigid until the rep is over.

None of this “breathe in on the way down and breathe out on the way up” garbage.

If the bar is moving, you’re not breathing.

If you’re not sure how to correctly hold your breath against a closed glottis, check out the video below.

2. Focal Point
Have one.

Your focal point will vary by lift, but it should not vary during the lift. Stare at that point before the rep, during the rep, and between each rep.

Check out the video below for the correct focal point for several of the major lifts.

3. Midfoot Balance
For each of the lifts except the bench press, you want to be balanced on the middle of your foot. Put another way, your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your entire foot.

It’s easy to accidentally have more of your weight on the balls of your feet (i.e., your balance is forward) or on your heels (i.e., your balance is backward) than you should without realizing it, so pay attention to where you feel your weight in your feet.

4. Plan of Attack
Don’t think about how heavy the weight is. Don’t hope you’re going to get that lift.

Instead, have one cue in your head before the lift starts and focus only on that cue. Execute that cue.

5. Chalk
You have to have it, and you have to use it.

You will probably need to bring your own chalk (regular or liquid if you’re really sneaky) if you train at a commercial gym, but this is normal for people who care about their training, and my guess is that includes you.

If you don’t use chalk, it will be the cause of missed lifts, missed strength progress, and you might not ever even realize why.

Be a person. Use chalk.

6. Personal Gear - Belt and Lifting Shoes
Buy yourself a pair of lifting shoes. Next, get yourself a quality leather lifting belt and learn to use it (check out the video below).

There are people out there who will argue, “I wasn’t born with a belt, and I wasn’t born with lifting shoes, so I don’t think I should use them. It’s not natural.”

True, but we weren’t born with a barbell, either (or clothes, for that matter). A barbell is not natural, but it’s a very useful tool to get stronger, and the same logic applies to lifting shoes and lifting belts.

Don’t buy Chuck Taylors. They are not lifting shoes. They are squishy hipster shoes for people who started to think about lifting shoes but never completed the thought. They have enough cushioning to be perfectly comfortable for walking and everyday wear, and that cushioning tells us that they are a silly choice for lifting.

7. Collars
On every lift except the bench press, use collars (the olympic lifts are a separate topic for another day). I’d recommend not using collars on the bench press since - on the chance that you don’t have spotters and forgot to set the safeties at the correct height, you might be able to save yourself from disaster by dumping the plates off the bar (i.e., side-to-side) during a failed lift.

Especially for the squat and press, collars are critically important. Disasters can, have, and do happen with lifters who don’t use collars.

Don’t want to use collars for your warm-ups? I understand . . . it takes a phenomenal amount of energy and willpower to put on some collars. With this in mind, here’s a good rule of thumb: if the weight is heavy enough to use a belt, it’s heavy to use collars, too.

If you use a belt for all of your sets or, conversely, you never use a belt, then a good rule of thumb is: use collars for your last warm-up and all of your work sets.

You might think I recommend collars because I care about you.

No.

I care about the people around you, and they are the people who get hurt when a plate (or plates) slides off the bar, the bar cartwheels in the opposite direction, and plates are flung across the room (I also care about the equipment that gets damaged in the process).

Yes, I’ve seen it happen. Multiple times. It’s nasty and scary.

Be a person. Use collars.

8. Training Log
Get a notebook and keep a training log religiously. This is your most important piece of training gear.

You can find another bar, you switch squat racks, and you can buy another pair of lifting shoes, but your training log is personal to you.

It has your history, which means it helps guide you forward and make intelligent decisions. The training log separates training from exercise.

9. Keep It Simple
Like many endeavors, lifting weights is not about doing a bunch of complicated movements.

It’s about doing a few simple movements rather well and with consistency.

You probably don’t need a cue designed specifically for you. You simply need to execute the one you’re already thinking about.

10. Check Your Bar
If you lift long enough (and it doesn’t take long), you’ve made the mistake of a misloaded barbell. You’ll make this mistake multiple times in your training career, but you can minimize the number of mistakes by remembering three things . . .

First, check your bar vs your book. Does what you have on the bar match what’s planned for today in your book?

Second, check your bar math. You meant to load 165 lb, so do a last second check to make sure it’s 165 lb and not 155 lb (you might have forgotten to put on that 5 lb plate on each side).

Third, check your bar symmetry. Do the plates on the left side of the barbell match those on the right side? It’s easy to load one side correctly, then get briefly distracted and forget to finish loading the other side.

As always, I 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.)

---

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?