Bench Press with Short Legs or Back Pain?

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/26/21)

If you have shorter legs you may find it difficult or simply uncomfortable to keep your feet planted firmly (and flat) on the ground. Let’s fix this.

Having your feet planted flat and firmly to the floor is important because your feet provide lateral stability, i.e., your stance provides side-to-side stability during the bench press because the bench itself is rather narrow. Additionally, having your feet planted firmly on the ground allows you to use your legs to drive up the bench during the movement as well (which provides rigidity in your upper body and also reinforces your arch).

With all this in mind, if you have shorter legs - specifically shorter lower legs (i.e., your shins or shanks) - and if you find that your heels are coming up off the ground, then simply stack a bumper plate or two underneath each foot.

You can use wooden blocks or rubber mats instead of bumper plates, but whatever you use, your new “foot platform” needs to provide a non-slip surface that is high enough that you can keep your feet flat and firmly on that surface. A reasonable benchmark (get it?) is to create a platform high enough that your thighs are roughly parallel to the ground.

The use of such a platform can also be a good tactic if you experience some low back discomfort or pain when you lie down on the bench. This can occur with people with shorter legs due to the excessive arch needed to reach their feet down to the floor, and it can also occur with older people or with people who carry some extra weight.

Jen demonstrates the use of bumper plates to provide an elevated platform for her feet.

If lying down on the bench causes you some discomfort, try raising your feet up a bit by using a platform. If your use of the platform is due to discomfort (and not due to having short legs), you may find that you can reduce the height of your platform over time (e.g., remove a bumper plate from your stack), and you might even get to the point where your feet are flat on the ground again.

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.

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3 Tactics to Triage Your Deadlift FAST (plus a bonus tactic) | Get a Bigger Deadlift NOW

Let’s briefly cover three tactics to help you fix your deadlift quickly and efficiently. It’s useful to remember that if you don’t have a coach, then – by default – you are your own coach, so let’s cover a few major technical points to look for when you watch your deadlift on video.

We’ll cover three positioning issues plus a bonus movement issue, and while these technique points are not the only things to look for, they certainly are large “bang-for-your-buck” items.

#1 Setup
When setting up to pull, you want the following three things – first, be sure that the barbell is over the middle of your foot. To do this, walk up to the bar and set up with your shins about 1” away from the bar when your shins are vertical.

Second, when you bend your knees, bend them just enough to bring your shins lightly into contact with the bar. The shins absolutely need to be touching the bar before you pull, but the shins should never move the bar.

Third, be sure that you are balanced over the middle of your foot. Not on the balls of your feet, not on your heels – on the middle of your foot.

Thus, when you’re setting up to pull, you can feel these three things - bar over midfoot, shins touching the bar, and midfoot balance. However, when you watch yourself on camera, the balance issue takes some practice to see and correctly identify, so in addition to looking at your feet, check to make sure that your shoulders are slightly in front of the bar.

#2 Flat and Rigid Back
Set your back in flat, rigid extension before you start the pull and make sure it stays that way throughout the lift.

You want your back to act like a steel beam, and with this in mind, the following cues can be useful to get your back flat before you pull:

• Squeeze your chest up.

• Push your belly down between your thighs.

• Arch your back. (an overcue, but sometimes useful)

• Wrinkles in your shirt

Be sure to brace hard with every muscle in your midsection (you will have taken a big breath right before setting your back) to then hold that back rigid throughout the lift.

If you’re not sure how to correctly breathe and brace when training, check out the very useful video below.

#3 Lockout
This is an easily and all-too-often missed component of a correctly executed deadlift. At the top of the pull, the deadlift lockout should have open hips (i.e., straight hips), straight knees, chest up, and shoulders slightly behind the bar.

solid lockout position

Soft knees at the top or hips that aren’t completely open? The lift doesn’t count. Be honest with yourself and remind yourself to “stand tall” when finishing your deadlifts.

this deadlift is not finished as the hips are not fully open - this deadlift does not count.

Bonus: Knee Extension
The deadlift has both knee extension and hip extension throughout the ascent, so when it’s performed correctly, you’ll see the knees and hips both straightening as you pull the bar off the floor.

With that said, it is dominated by knee extension at the start, and if it isn't (i.e., if you’re attempting to raise your chest too soon, instead), you’ll be accidentally attempting to pull the bar around your knees. This is a miserable experience and makes the pull far, far harder than it needs to be.

Cues that help you execute the proper knee extension include:

• Push the floor away (i.e., with your legs).

• Leg press the floor away from you.

• Stay over the bar.

• Pull your kneecaps backward.

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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8 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Squatting HEAVY (plus 2 BONUS tips)

Let’s cover 8 things that successful, intelligent, wily lifters do before squatting, and at the end, we’ll cover two bonus tips that you might not typically think about. Let’s dive in.

#1 Grip
First, make sure your grip is symmetrical – use either the score marks (i.e., the rings in the knurling) or, if your grip is narrow enough, use the point at which the knurling begins. Keep the grip consistent every time.

Second, take a grip that is as narrow as it can be but also as wide as it needs to be. Narrower is generally better as it helps you create a nice, tight upper back and bunches up your delts to create a solid shelf for the barbell to sit on. However, the grip also needs to be wide enough that you can slide far enough under the bar to position the bar in the proper location (i.e., a grip that is too narrow won’t permit this).

becky takes a grip that is as narrow as she can get it but also as wide as necessary to get the bar into the correct position.

Third, once your grip is set, don’t let it move as you get under the bar, and definitely don’t let it move once you’re in position under the bar. Your grip plays a pivotal role in your ability to center yourself relative to the bar, so make sure your grip is a constant.

Fourth, we typically teach a “thumbs on top” grip with relatively neutral wrists – this ensures that the bar is never supported by the hands and wrists. However, if you don’t have the shoulder flexibility to achieve this position, and this is not uncommon, you can bend your wrist backward into extension and wrap your thumbs under the bar and still utilize the low bar position. This is very common, it can work quite well, and if you use this grip, I would recommend wearing wrist wraps to provide the wrists with extra support.

#2 Bar Position
Slide under the bar far enough that the bar is sitting just below your traps and resting securely on your bunched up delts. If it’s higher than that, the bar will tend to roll up your back and you won’t be able to get into the leaned over position we want, and if it’s lower than that, the bar will have a tendency to slide down your back.

gage demonstrates the correct bar position.

If you can’t achieve this position due to a lack of shoulder flexibility, this is not the end of the world. Move the bar up a bit until it’s resting on the traps. This is referred to as a “high bar squat” and simply means that you won’t be able to lean over as much as you would in the regular squat (AKA the “low bar squat”).

#3 Unracking the Bar
Treat the unracking process as if it’s your first rep. Don’t be sloppy.

Get both feet symmetrically positioned directly under the bar, take a big breath and get tight, and then stand the bar up smoothly and under control. Everything that should be in place and tight when you squat should also be in place and tight before you stand the bar up from the rack – you shouldn’t need to make any adjustments after you unrack the bar.

#4 The Walk-Out
Be efficient with your walk-out.

Once you stand the bar up from the hooks, don’t walk back a mile to squat. Take one step back with each foot (or at least move back a distance equivalent to that) and then make any small adjustments needed to finalize your stance.

#5 Stance
Position your heels at roughly shoulder width and point your toes out about 30°. Your toes are now arrows that point in the direction you want your knees to travel.

#6 Focal Point
First, have one.

Second, it’s not the ceiling.

Instead, pick a spot about three to six feet in front of you on the floor and stare at it throughout the set – before your first rep, during each rep, and between each rep.

#7 Breathing and Bracing
Before each rep, take a big breath, hold the breath in the back of your throat (i.e., against a closed glottis, not against your lips) and clamp down tightly with every muscle in your trunk as if you expect to get punched.

Hold that breath and those tightly contracted muscles throughout the rep, and only release the breath after the bar is back in the same place it started.

If you’re not sure how to correctly breathe and brace when training, check out the very useful video below.

#8 Spotters or Safeties
Get spotters or use safeties.

Those are the only two sensible options for your work sets. Intelligent spotters – one on each side – are always ideal since you’ll squat better with two people next to you (yes, the social pressure of training buddies is real). Also, if you fail, you don’t take the bar all the way down to the pins; instead, at the moment of failure, your spotters assist, which means the bar only dips an inch or two before the three of you together stand the bar up and put it back in the hooks.

If spotters aren’t an option, then be sure to set the safeties at a height that is both low enough to not cause problems (i.e., you shouldn’t run into them when squatting) and – very importantly – high enough that you can set the bar on them and get out from under the bar in the event of a missed rep. Be sure to practice this, i.e., practice failing a rep with an empty bar and with the safeties set at the correct height.

Watch the short video below for a demonstration and explanation.

Bonus #1 Chalk
It’s not a deadlift, snatch, or clean, but the squat still benefits from chalk.

You don’t want your hands to slide even a fraction of an inch when squatting heavy, and this is doubly important for those with tight shoulders.

You won’t need to apply as much or as often as you would when deadlifting, snatching, or cleaning – simply apply some chalk at the start of your session, and you’re probably good to go for the squat.

Remember, if you train at a public gym, you’re not only dealing with the moisture and oil from your hands — you’re also potentially deadling with the moisture and oil from the hands of those who’ve used that barbell before you.

Chalk up, my friends.

Bonus #2 J-Hooks
Set your hooks at a reasonable height, and when in doubt, set them lower than you think you should.

Walking the bar back to the hooks after your set should be simple and easy, so you should never have to perform a calf-raise and stand up on your toes to rack the bar.

Remember, the height of your j-hooks is not a reflection of your worth or status as a man or woman (although some people seem to think it is judging by how many people set them too high).

Don’t be a doofus.

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?

Enter the TUBOW

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/20/18)

What on earth is a TUBOW?
So glad you asked! A TUBOW is a Terribly Useful Block Of Wood. Many of you have seen us use 2-foot lengths of 4 x 4 lumber when people squat from time to time - these are TUBOWs.

Why would one use a TUBOW?
We use TUBOWs in the squat, and there are a couple reasons we might use a TUBOW. The most common use is to fix the knee's forward position on the way down.

becky’s knees are so far forward that parker refuses to watch.

Two common errors that we see when people squat is either (a) the lifter's knees travel forward all the way down, or (b) the knees travel forward at the bottom of the squat.

We would like to see the knee establish its final forward position about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way into the descent of the squat, and touching the TUBOW with the knee at this point provides excellent tactile feedback as to whether or not the lifter is doing that correctly. If the lifter accidentally knocks the TUBOW over, it provides excellent negative feedback that the knee has traveled too far forward.

becky touches her knees lightly to the tubow during the descent.

Another use of the TUBOW is to fix the knee's lateral position in the squat, i.e., is the lifter shoving the knees out (to the side) far enough, or perhaps even too far? The TUBOW gives the lifter something concrete (well, lumber, actually) to aim for, and very often, this will help solve the issue.

One of the great side effects of fixing the knee position is that it will often fix the back angle in the squat as well. If the lifter's knees can only travel "so far" forward on the descent, then the hips will have to travel backward (since your hips and knees are connected by your femurs . . . you know . . . the leg bone). If the hips have to travel backward, the lifter will have to lean over during the descent to avoid falling over backward and stay balanced on the midfoot, and that leaned over position is precisely what we want in the low bar squat. Pretty awesome.

Are you one of those people who is deeply, intensely, spiritually, emotionally, and morally opposed to using the TUBOWs? If so, you're probably the type of person whose squat would benefit most from using them. And if your squat benefits, then you benefit, because you'll get stronger - faster.

Where do I get a TUBOW?
You can go to your nearest lumber supply store and get a 4 x 4 (and they'll often cut it to size for you), but if you'd rather just order a 2 foot section of 4 x 4 online and have it show up at your front door, then just click here.

We hope these tips help 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?

99% of Lifters Don't Know Which SNATCH to Perform: POWER vs SQUAT vs SPLIT

You have three options for performing the snatch – power snatch, squat snatch, and split snatch. Let’s cover the advantages of each so you can decide which one you should be performing, and as a bonus, we’ll also cover what adding the word “hang” (e.g., “hang power snatch”) means for these three lifts.

#1 Power Snatch
The power snatch starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out in a partial depth overhead squat position.

becky demonstrates a power snatch.

When you read or hear “power,” think “partial squat” – both begin with the letter P, so it's a rather handy way to remember the receiving position.

The advantage of a power snatch is that it's the simplest of the three receiving positions (i.e., landing positions) – you don't need to learn to do a full overhead squat as you do in a squat snatch, and your feet don't travel very far as they do in a split snatch. For these reasons, the power snatch is usually the first version of the snatch that we teach, and for general strength trainees or athletes who wish to incorporate snatches into their training, the power snatch is what we typically recommend.

Note: If you’d like to see these snatches demonstrated, watch the short video below.

#2 Split Snatch
The split snatch starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out with the feet in a split position – one foot positioned in front of the torso and one foot positioned behind the torso.

dave demonstrates a split snatch.

The advantages of a split snatch are twofold – first, depending on the length of the split, you can receive the bar at a lower position than that of a power snatch, which helps in terms of lifting heavier loads since you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it

Second, you don't have to execute a full depth overhead squat as you do in a squat snatch, and with this in mind, while the split snatch can be a solid option for lifters of all ages, it is an exceptionally great option for Master's lifters (i.e., older lifters).

#3 Squat Snatch
The squat snatch – also known as a “full snatch” and mostly commonly as simply a “snatch” – starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then receives the bar overhead, locking it out in a full depth overhead squat position.

chris demonstrates a squat snatch.

The advantage of a squat snatch is that it has the lowest receiving position of the three snatches, so you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it when compared to a power snatch or split snatch.

As a result, it is the version of the snatch that is capable of lifting the most weight, and because of this, if you attend a weightlifting meet (AKA Olympic weightlifting meet), the squat snatch is the most common type of snatch that you'll typically see.

Bonus Tip
Power, split, and squat are all receiving (i.e., landing) positions, but the word hang refers to a starting position. Specifically, it means that the lift starts with the bar hanging in the hands instead of with the bar resting on the floor.

As a result, a hang power snatch, hang split snatch, and hang squat snatch all look very similar to the versions covered earlier in this article, but the bar starts hanging in the lifter’s hands instead of resting on the floor.

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?

Deadlift Fix: 4 Cues for a Stronger, Smoother Pull

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/12/21)

Attempting to jerk or yank the bar off the floor when starting the deadlift is a common problem for new lifters.

Don’t do this.

You might be able to get away with it when the weight is light, but you won’t be able to get away with it when the weight gets heavy, and by that time, you’ll have accidentally ingrained a very counterproductive habit.

In the 5-step setup for the deadlift - stance, grip, shins, chest, pull/drag - this is typically a problem with step 4: squeezing your chest up to set your back in extension. When you lift your chest to set your back, you must start applying tension to the bar – you must start pulling on the bar even though you're not lifting it off the floor just yet. Treat the bar as an anchor against which you start to pull to help you set your back. 

Here are 4 cues that you can use to help with this process:

Cue #1: Bend the bar.
When you start applying tension to the bar - when you squeeze your chest up to set your back in extension - picture yourself bending the bar upward in the middle (i.e., make the bar look like a mountain, not a valley). Will it actually bend? That depends on how much weight is on the bar, but you visualize yourself bending it nonetheless.

Cue #2: Bend it before you break it.
Bend the bar before you break it off the floor. Very similar to the first cue, but it reminds you to put a lot of tension on the bar before you decide to break it off the floor.

Plus, it's catchy - this is the “try it before you buy it” cue of the deadlift world.

Figure 1A: Note the dark gap or “slop” between the top of the shaft and the collar.

Cue #3: Pull the slack out of the bar.
Barbells have some slop in them. Take a close look at your barbell and note that there’s a little gap between the shaft of the bar and the collar of the bar (Figure 1A). Set your back hard enough - pull hard enough with long, straight arms - that this slop nearly or completely disappears (Figure 1B).

Figure 1B: Note that the gap has almost disappeared.

Plates (even competition plates to a small degree) also have some slop between themselves and the bar - this is what allows you to slide them on and off. When you walk up to your deadlift, the bar is resting on the plates. When you squeeze your chest up and start to apply tension, pull up hard enough that the plates start to rest or hang on the bar instead.

Cue #4: Pull the click out of the bar.
Same idea as the previous cue, but this emphasizes that you should hear it when you apply tension and pull the slack out of the bar. 

Once you’ve applied a significant amount of tension to the bar using one of these cues - and you’ll find one that works best for you - then you squeeze the bar smoothly off the floor.

Remember, breaking the deadlift off the floor isn’t digital - it’s not a switch that you flip from off to on. It’s analog - it’s a dial that you keep turning up and turning up - pulling harder and harder - until the bar starts moving. This is a skill - not a particularly complicated one, but a skill nonetheless - and it’s one that you need to - and can - develop.

We hope these cues help 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?