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?

8 Unavoidable Truths About Seniors and Lifting Weights…

Bad advice wastes time and holds people back. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers eight unavoidable truths about seniors and lifting weights so you don’t fall for the same myths twice.

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.

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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 These FOUR Things When Starting Strength Gets Hard... (plus 3 bonus tips)

What do you do when Starting Strength gets hard?

Specifically, we’re discussing the Starting Strength Novice Linear Progression, but this advice applies generally to people at all stages of their lifting careers.

The Situation
You’re a couple of months into the linear progression, and lifting has gotten challenging indeed. You finish your first work set of squats, and you’re flabbergasted, “Son of a gun, that set was significantly harder than I expected it to be!”

In this situation, what do you do?

3 Bonus Tips First
First, make sure you’ve taken care of “The First Three Questions.” You can go more in depth and read Mark Rippetoe’s article on this topic by clicking here, but in brief, you need to make sure you’re doing the following:

1. Resting an intelligent amount of time

   • Are you resting 2-3 minutes between work sets? Don’t do that. You need to rest a sufficient amount of time between work sets, and for a hard-working lifter like yourself, 2-3 minutes is ridiculously too short of a rest period.

2. Making intelligently-sized jumps regarding the load on the bar

   • If you’re a few months into your linear progression and you’re still trying to add 10 lb to your squat and deadlift each session, and you’re still trying to add 5 lb to your press and bench each session, you’re going to have problems. Make smaller jumps, e.g., 5 lb on the squat and deadlift and 2.5 lb on the press and bench.

3. Taking care of your recovery

   • In short, make sure you’re sleeping and eating enough.

Assuming you’ve taken care of these issues, there are four things to do when the novice linear progression gets hard.

#1: Check your book.
Take a second look at your training log - you may have read it incorrectly. Perhaps you were supposed to squat 205 lb today and you mistakenly thought you were supposed to squat 215 lb (and thus you loaded the barbell 10 lb too heavy). Perhaps you were supposed to press 75 lb, but you accidentally loaded up your bench press weight and tried to press that (it happens frequently).

Check your book and make sure that what you intended to lift today is actually what’s on the bar.

#2: Check your bar math.
Maybe you meant to load 145 lb, but you accidentally put a 10 lb plate on each side instead of a 5 lb plate, thus ending up with 155 lb. If 145 lb was already going to be tough, then 155 lb will be a problem indeed.

If you tend to make loading errors and are doubting your math, ask your training partner (or someone else in the gym) to tell you what’s on the bar once it’s loaded. If their answer matches your plan, then you’re probably good to go.

#3: Check your bar symmetry.
In other words, make sure the left side of the bar is loaded the same as the right side of the bar. If you meant to load 155 lb, and you put a 45 lb plate and a 10 lb plate on one side, but you accidentally only put a 45 lb plate on the other side (i.e., you forgot the 10 lb plate), this makes the load asymmetrical, which makes for a tougher set.

Ideally, you’d check these three items before starting your work sets, but at the very least, be sure to check them when things are harder than expected. You might be surprised how often one of these three errors is the culprit.

#4: What if #1, 2, and 3 aren’t the problem?
In this case, check the calendar. If the day of the week ends in the letter “y,” then you simply move on and do the next set.

It’s challenging and it’s hard, but then again, it’s supposed to be hard. This is how you make progress.

In Mark Rippetoe’s words, “Easy doesn’t work.”

It will still be hard two months from now - your 205 lb squat in a month or two will be about as hard as your 135 lb squat was today, but because you can now squat 205 lb, your old 135 lb squat is now just an easy warm-up because You. Got. Stronger.

When I find myself in a situation like this, it also helps me to remember that this is a first world problem. I have food in my belly, I have a place to sleep at night, and training is a privilege. Keeping that in mind certainly helps provide perspective.

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?

Everything You Need to Know About Lifting Belts . . . QUICK!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 07/14/23)

Today’s topic is a quick dive into lifting belts - specifically, the four Ws of belts: width, when, where, and what. We covered how to efficiently and quickly put on your belt in another article about a month back, so feel free to click here to read that article or watch the associated videos.

Width
If you can get your back set in rigid and flat extension on the deadlift using a 4” belt (i.e., the belt is 4” wide), then go ahead and get a 4” belt. If you can’t, then you probably need to go with a 3” belt. It’s possible that you need a 2.5” belt, but 3” and 4” are the most common widths.

When
When should you put your belt on? A good rule of thumb is to put your belt on for your last warm-up set and then wear it for all of your work sets as well. Time and experience will help you decide if you want to eventually take a different approach, but this is a good guide to start with. I recommend taking your belt off (or at least loosening it) between sets.

Where
Where should you place your belt? You can start by centering it on your belly button as a rough guideline, but the most important landmarks are your hips and your ribs. The belt should sit between your hips and your ribs, and it’s the space between these two regions that will largely determine your choice of a 3” or a 4” belt. It’s worth noting that you especially do not want your belt running into your ribs. It makes for a memorable - and uncomfortable - experience.

What
What do you do once your belt is on? Take a big breath, hold that breath with tightly contracted abs (i.e., Valsalva maneuver), and then perform the lift (watch the video on breathing and bracing). Release your breath only after the rep is completed - remember that if the bar is moving, you’re not breathing.

Don’t complicate the breathing, and don’t try to push your belly out against the belt. Simply take a breath, hold it, tighten your abs as if you’re about to take a punch or as if you’re constipated, and then continue holding that breath throughout the entire rep. You can do this with either a closed mouth or an open mouth - you shouldn’t be holding your breath against your lips with puffed out cheeks. Instead, you hold your breath against a closed glottis, which is located in your throat. Say the word “hick” out loud and hold the “ck” sound at the end - that’s how you do it.

Need to Buy a Belt? Watch This First.
If you’re getting ready to buy a lifting belt, I’d recommend watching the included video here to get a good sense of what to look for when purchasing one. You’ll also find some links below to a few belts we recommend to our members.

Belts
My belt is from Best Belts and I’d love to recommend them to you, but they’ve closed up shop, so with that in mind, here are the belt options we typically recommend:

• Pioneer Cut Leather Powerlifting Prong Belt 10mm

• Pioneer 10mm Lever Powerlifting Belt PAL V2 (if you’re looking for a lever belt)

• Dominion Strength Training Leather Weight Lifting Belt - 3 inch wide x 10 mm thick

• Dominion Strength Training Leather Weight Lifting Belt - 4 inch wide x 10 mm thick

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 Warm-up for Barbell Training (Plus an EASY Math Trick to Help!)

Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers how to efficiently and simply structure your warm-ups for barbell training AND gives you an easy math trick to help.

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

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?

How To Make Strength Training 5x Times Easier

Strength training doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers 5 simple tips that make lifting more approachable, more accessible, and more effective for anyone—no matter your age, experience, or fitness level.

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?