Timing and Bounce on the Jerk

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/18/22)

Let’s briefly address the “bounce and drive” aspect of the jerk. This applies to the split jerk, the power jerk, and the squat jerk. Note that we’re not referring to this motion as a “dip and drive” because we want the bounce of the jerk - i.e., the turnaround at the bottom of the movement - to be sharp and quick.

(Today’s topic is far more easily understood when watching it in action, so I’d strongly recommend watching the included video.)

By aiming for a short, quick, sharp bounce out of the bottom of the movement, we’re not only trying to impart as much upward momentum to the barbell as possible - we’re also endeavoring to take advantage of the flex (or whip) of the bar, and a sharp bounce does exactly this.

To achieve the proper “bounce and drive” that we’re aiming for, cue yourself “hard bounce” the next time you’re practicing your jerks. After the clean, immediately before starting the downward motion of the jerk, mentally remind yourself “hard bounce” and then try to get exactly that motion out of the bottom of the jerk.

As mentioned earlier, watching this motion in action is very helpful, so I’d recommend watching the video included earlier in this article. In the meantime, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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The Mistake that is RUINING Your Deadlift (FAST FIX)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

This deadlift mistake is easy to make and it makes the deadlift harder than it should be, but it's also a quick fix. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

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?

Testify Newsday - November 18, 2024

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video Cleans vs Power Cleans vs Hang Cleans - What's the Difference?! (click the title to watch):

Marcus Raynal
Not just the best video covering this topic bar none but one of the best educational videos on YouTube.

Phil
That is high praise – thank you very much!

TESTIFY ONLINE COACHING

Want to get stronger working remotely with one of our Starting Strength Coaches? Click here to contact us and learn more.

Get Stronger. Live Better. Start today.

ARTICLES & VIDEOS

The Perfect Squat in 1 Minute | How to Squat Correctly
Learn the correct technique for squatting in 60 seconds. We quickly cover how to squat safely, effectively, and efficiently. Click here to watch.

 

Never Make This Squat Mistake Again (fast fix)
”Today’s topic is a mistake that is all too common - even in a few experienced lifters. It’s an error that is awfully silly, borderline dangerous, and fantastically simple to correct…” Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY for the Squat | EASY Stretch to Fix Your Shoulders
Do you have a tough time achieving the low bar position when you squat due to your tight, inflexible shoulders? Phil discusses and demonstrates the bar stretch - a simple way to improve your situation without adding time to your training. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: Are You Finishing Your Deadlift Wrong?
A common problem in the deadlift is a misunderstanding of what finishing the lift should look and feel like. Let’s fix this fast. Click here to read.

TESTIFY BALL CAPS ARE AVAILABLE!

Represent your favorite gym and keep the sun out of your eyes in style with this cap.

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

WHAT'S COMING UP

Reminder: Below are the hours for Thanksgiving week (you can also find these on our Location & Hours page). Any days not listed retain their normal hours.

Wednesday, 11/27/24: Regular hours
Thursday, 11/28/24: Closed
Friday, 11/29/24: 5:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (no afternoon/evening hours)
Saturday, 11/30/24: Regular hours

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

Benching Bonanza! The Annual Testify Bench Press Jubilee

  • November 22, 2024

  • Benching Bonanza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the bench press. There will be one bar, and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It'll be a ton of fun, so come on out!

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Barbell Blizzard! A Winter Wonderland of Weights

  • December 14, 2024

  • Barbell Blizzard is a team strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2-4 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will receive 3 attempts for each lift.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONING

Option 1
Sled
Outdoors:
10-20 x 25 yds EMOM at a weight of your choice

Every minute, push the sled 25 yards, i.e., if pushing the sled takes 20 seconds, then you have 40 seconds to rest. Perform 10-20 rounds.

Indoors:
10-20 x 100 ft EMOM at a weight of your choice

Every minute, push the sled 100 feet, i.e., if pushing the sled takes 20 seconds, then you have 40 seconds to rest. Perform 10-20 rounds.

Compare to 2024.09.16.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = lowest distance.

Compare to 2024.08.26.

Option 3
Outdoors:
5-10 rounds:
10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)
50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Indoors:
5-10 rounds:
10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)
100 ft farmer carry (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Compare to 2024.07.29.

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

Compare to 2024.07.29.

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

Never Make This Squat Mistake Again (fast fix)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Today’s topic is a mistake that is all too common - even in a few experienced lifters. It’s an error that is awfully silly, borderline dangerous, and fantastically simple to correct.

The mistake is that of setting your j-hooks - or simply “hooks” - too high.

Why This Happens
There are a number of reasons this occurs; first, a lifter simply might not have a good idea of where to set the hooks. Second, the lifter is ignorant of the downsides of setting the hooks too high. Third, the lifter is lazy and doesn’t like to stand the barbell up any more than necessary when unracking it from the hooks. There are perhaps other reasons, but this list suffices for now.

If you’d rather watch a video on this topic as well as see this mistake in action, be sure to check out the included video.

figure 1: there’s dumb . . . and then there’s this guy. don’t be this guy.

Why This is a Silly Mistake
You don’t ever want to finish a heavy set of squats (or bench press, but let’s focus on the squat) and then have to tiptoe the bar back into the rack because the hooks are too high.

You’re tired at the end of the set, and you should never have to do a calf raise to rack the bar (see Figure 1). Additionally, putting yourself in this position means you run the risk of failing to rack the bar and thus creating a rather catastrophic, YouTube-fail worthy disaster.

Where Should You Set the Hooks?
Set the hooks so that the bar sits roughly at the height of your mid-sternum.

When in doubt, err on the side of setting the hooks slightly too low rather than too high - if it’s a little low, you can always dip down a bit more to unrack the bar. Those few inches represent the top few inches of the squat, which is the easiest part of the lift anyway, so it’s not difficult to get a little bit lower, get under the bar, and then stand it up.

By setting the hooks at this height, you never need to look at the hooks when you rack the bar at the end of the set (a habit which is problematic all by itself - check out the included video). Simply keep looking at the same focal point you used while squatting and walk the bar straight ahead until the bar makes contact with both uprights. At this point - if you’ve set your hooks at a reasonable height - you can then merely dip down slightly, allowing the bar to slide down the uprights, and the bar ends up back in the hooks.

This makes for an effective, efficient, and safe way to rack the bar, and you reap the additional benefit of looking like you know what you’re doing (because you do!). 

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

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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?

SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY for the Squat | EASY Stretch to Fix Your Shoulders

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Do you have a tough time achieving the low bar position when you squat due to your tight, inflexible shoulders? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers discusses and demonstrates the bar stretch - a simple way to improve your situation without adding time to your training.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 08/29/22)

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?

Are You Finishing Your Deadlift Wrong?

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/11/22)

A common problem in the deadlift is a misunderstanding of what finishing the lift should look and feel like. This typically results in one of two situations - a lifter who doesn’t completely open the hips and therefore doesn’t actually complete the rep or a lifter who overdoes it and ends up finishing the lift with the back in overextension.

One of these results is insufficient, and the other is unnecessary. Both of them look ridiculous, so we’re going to try and fix this.

To see these errors demonstrated as well as how to correct them, watch the video below.

A finished deadlift (Figure 1) will have the knees fully extended, the hips fully extended, the chest up, and the shoulders back. In other words, the knees will be straight, the hips will be straight, and the shoulders will be behind the barbell. In even simpler terms, the lifter simply stands all the way up.

Figure 1: A correctly finished deadlift

If you find that you’re not finishing your deadlift, i.e., if your hips don’t open all the way and you look like you’re leaning over the bar like the fool in Figure 2, simply cue yourself to “Stand up” or “Stand up tall.”

Figure 2: An unfinished deadlift - don’t be like this fool.

If, on the other hand, you find that you’re overdoing the top of the deadlift, i.e., if you’re finishing the lift with your lumber spine in overextension (Figure 3), you can still use the cue “Stand up” (or “stand tall”) or you can also simply tell yourself, “Don’t lean back.”

Figure 3: An “overdone” deadlift - don’t be like this fool, either.

Fixing either of these problems is not complicated, but you’ve got to be aware that you have the problem in order to fix it, so we recommend that you either have a coach, or if that’s not possible, make sure that you record your lifts so that you can watch them.

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

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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?