Can One Simple Tool Really Prevent Weakness in Seniors?

Can one simple tool really help prevent weakness and frailty as we age? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains what that tool is and why it's so powerful.

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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• 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?

The Testify Tribune - February 16, 2026

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A post shared by Testify Strength & Cond. (@testifystrengthconditioning)

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video 8 Unavoidable Truths About Seniors and Lifting Weights… (click the title to watch):

Garth Wunsch
81 now. Just started barbell training. Hated gyms all my life, but have been convinced this is the right thing for me. I want to be able to continue gardening and looking after myself, my wife, and our home. Somebody gotta shovel the snow, and grow the carrots and potatoes. Still don’t require any meds, and I want to keep it that way. I’m watching lots of videos, and found this one very good.

Phil
Thanks, Garth, and way to start training – your motivation is spot on.

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TESTIFY ONLINE COACHING

Interested in getting stronger working one-on-one remotely with us? Click here to book your free strategy session.

Get Stronger. Live Better. Start Today.

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ARTICLES & VIDEOS

It Sounds Wrong, but This Cue Drastically Improves Deadlift Strength
One simple and counterintuitive cue can radically improve your deadlift. Phil covers how focusing on this single concept can boost your deadlift, and he also explains why it works. Click here to watch.

Want Your Press to Go Up? Make It Go Down First.
Struggling to drive your press up? Maybe you’re quite literally trying to take it in the wrong direction. We explain and give a cue that can help. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: What You Should NEVER Do When Deadlifting!
Are you making this mistake when deadlifting? Well . . . don't. Let's fix it. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: Struggling to Finish Deadlift Sets? The 2nd Rep Holds the Answer
In the deadlift, a unique phenomenon occurs on the 2nd rep. Phil explains what happens, why it happens, and how you can take advantage of it. Click here to read.

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TESTIFY TRUCKER CAPS ARE AVAILABLE!

Represent your favorite gym with this trucker cap in several color options - perfect for outdoors or a training session.

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

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WHAT'S COMING UP

Below are a few of our upcoming events, and you can find out what else is on the calendar by heading to our events page at www.testifysc.com/events.

Testify Strengthlifting Challenge

• April 11, 2026

• The annual Testify Strengthlifting Challenge is back, and we invite you to be a part of it! This is a strengthlifting meet, which means the contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift.

• Click here to register or for more information.

Testify Goes Fishing! (ahem, fish-frying)

• February 20, 2026

• Friday night fish fry at Saint Vincent de Paul (click here for map)

• Meet at 6:30 p.m. for fun, fish, beer, and to get your name put in the hat for drawings!

• Click here for more details and to sign up so we’ve got a headcount.

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THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONING

Option 1
“Prowler Base+1”
1. Load up a manageable weight.
2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.
3. Rest 30 sec.
4. Repeat 5-15 times.

Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” (on Starting Strength).

Compare to 2026.01.12.

Option 2
Bike/Row for 9 rounds:
1 min on
1 min off

Record distance for each round.

Compare to 2025.11.24.

Option 3
Outdoors:
10 rounds:
25 yd yoke carry
Rest 1 minute

Indoors:
10 rounds:
30 yd yoke carry (15 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Compare to 2025.10.27.

Option 4
10 x 50 ft farmer carry
Each carry is 25 ft down and 25 ft back and is for time. Rest 1 minute between carries.

Women: 97# per handle (80# of plates)
Men: 137# per handle (120# of plates)
(Note: Each handle weighs 17#.)

Compare to 2025.10.27.

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As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

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.

Want Your Press to Go Up? Make It Go Down First.

Struggling to drive your press up? Maybe you’re quite literally trying to take it in the wrong direction.

What on earth do I mean?

When you use the hips in the press, you perform a “reach-and-bounce” movement with your hips, i.e., you reach your hips forward, you get a stretch across your anterior musculature (because you’re flexing your abs and quads hard), and the hips bounce back as you stand up.

In turn, this helps your launch or “throw” the barbell upward . . . but only if you get the timing correct.

this fool has mistakenly reached his hips forward while simultaneously driving the bar upward.

Some lifters make the error of reaching with the hips and press the bar upward at the same time.

Don’t do this.

(to see this error in action, watch the short video below)

The correct sequence is “reach-then-press” or “reach-bounce-press.” Correctly executed, you will see the bar dip a couple of inches (as the hips reach forward) before it is launched upward - and therein lies a cue that can help you out if you struggle with the timing of the press.

“Make the bar dip.”

In other words, as you reach your hips forward, remind yourself that you’re going to make the bar go down slightly before it goes up. Think of it as compressing a spring (i.e., you) before it launches something upward (i.e., the bar).

Again, cue yourself to make the bar dip as you start the press. You can also try the rather catchy cue of “hip-and-dip,” i.e., when you reach with the hips, you should make the barbell dip at the same time.

This will help your timing, which will in turn help you get a bigger throw from the hip movement of your press, and that will help you drive your press upward - both physically and numerically.

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?

What You Should NEVER Do When Deadlifting!

Are you making this mistake when deadlifting? Well . . . don't. Let's fix it. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 04/15/23)

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?

Struggling to Finish Deadlift Sets? The 2nd Rep Holds the Answer

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 09/15/23)

The Phenomenon
You’re sweaty, nervous - heck, practically nauseous at this point - and you are entirely unsure whether your upcoming set of five on the deadlift is going to go or not. So what do you do?

“Feelings lie,” you remind yourself, so you walk up to the barbell, set up, and start the set.

The first rep is rough. Very rough. Rough like that single ply toilet paper you thought wouldn’t be so bad . . . but it was.

And then something interesting happens . . . the second rep is actually easier. Quite noticeably. You break it off the floor smoothly, and it certainly moves faster than the previous rep.

The third rep is about the same as the second rep, and the fourth and fifth reps are pretty tough, but by now, you know you can finish the set, and indeed you do.

What on earth? Why does the second rep go better than the first rep? And how can you take advantage of this phenomenon in the future.

Why This Happens
While there might be more than one reason, one probable factor is that - by the time you get to the second rep - your body “knows” how hard you have to pull to get that bar moving.

Among the Big Four - the squat, deadlift, press, and bench press - the deadlift is unique. It is the only lift of the four wherein you don’t support the weight of the bar before the lift starts. After all, it’s sitting on the floor. In the squat, press, and bench, you are supporting the bar before any movement starts, and as a result, you get to feel the weight of the bar compressing you before the real work begins. This gives your brain and body an opportunity to calibrate itself for the task ahead; it gives you a rough sense of how hard you have to drive the bar upward.

This isn’t true in the deadlift. That very first rep - the first time you struggle to break the weight off the floor - that is the actual opportunity for this so-called calibration. As a result, there are two activities going on in the first rep - you are getting a sense of the bar’s weight while at the same time completing a rep.

By the time you get to the second rep, you know - whether consciously or subconsciously - how hard you have to pull, and as it turns out, this helps quite a bit.

How Can You Use This Phenomenon to Your Advantage?
Get the first rep.

No, it’s not complicated or sexy, but it’s crucial. Don’t think about whether or not you’ll get all five reps. Don’t think about how tough the set is going to be. You know that - as long as you complete the first rep - the second rep will be easier, so . . .

Get the first rep. This is what you tell yourself. Get the first rep, and the rest of the set will take care of itself. It’s too easy to go down the rabbit hole of anxiety before starting a work set of deadlifts, so cut that process off at the pass. Remind yourself to complete the first rep, and then take it from there.

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?

It Sounds Wrong, but This Cue Drastically Improves Deadlift Strength

One simple and counterintuitive cue can radically improve your deadlift. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers how focusing on this single concept can boost your deadlift, and he also explains why it works.

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.

---

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?