How to (EASILY) Put on Tight & Stiff Knee Sleeves (TWO METHODS)

Knee sleeves are wonderful, but if you find yourself struggling to put them on in the first place, today’s two tips are for you.

I would highly recommend watching the video below to see these two methods in action (all the photos in this article come from this video) as it’s easier to learn from a demonstration.

Method 1 – Basic 7 mm Knee Sleeve (or thinner)
This first approach works very well with the typical 7 mm thick knee sleeve such as a Rehband or IronBull sleeve, and it works equally well with thinner sleeves such as 5 mm thick sleeves. With that said, don’t get a 5 mm sleeve - once you try out a 7 mm sleeve, you’ll never go back.

Step 1
Orient the knee sleeve so that it is right-side out with the correct side up and facing forward.

step 1

Step 2
Turn the knee sleeve inside out, and in the process, you will also turn the sleeve upside down.

step 2

Step 3
Rotate the sleeve so that the front faces backward. This part is optional, but it makes it slightly easier to get the sleeve around the ankle due to the bend in most sleeves.

step 3

Step 4
Slide the knee sleeve over your foot.

step 4

Step 5
Rotate the knee sleeve so the front side faces forward again.

step 5

Step 6
Drag the knee sleeve up your leg until it reaches where you want the bottom of the sleeve to sit (i.e., in the upper shin region).

step 6

Step 7
Grab the top of the sleeve (which is currently located low on the leg) and peel it all the way upward. At this point - potentially with a few minor adjustments to get the placement just right - you’re done.

step 7

finished!

Method 2 - Stiff 7 mm Knee Sleeve
If you have a very robust, stiffer, and longer 7 mm thick knee sleeve such as a Stoic, Pioneer, or SBD sleeve, you’ll find the following method extraordinarily useful:

Step 1
As with Method 1, orient the knee sleeve so that it is right-side out with the correct side up and facing forward.

step 1

Step 2
Grab the top and fold it down until the upper half of the sleeve covers the lower half.

step 2

Step 3
Slide the knee sleeve over your foot.

step 3

Step 4
Grab two straps or something similar. I’m using cloth lifting straps in the accompanying video (and thus these photos), and that is the only time we ever recommend using cloth lifting straps as they will eventually tear when used for actual training (e.g., when deadlifting). However, leather lifting straps or some other piece of webbing (we use climbing webbing to make our DIY lifting straps), fabric, or even rope will work.

step 4 - insert straps

Slide a strap down between one side of the sleeve and your leg. Repeat the process on the opposite side with the other strap. You now have two handles to grab.

step 4 - handles

Step 5
Double check to make sure the front of the sleeve is still facing forward, and then pull on the handles, sliding the sleeve up your leg until it reaches your knee.

step 5

Step 6
Pull the straps out.

Step 7
Grab the top of the sleeve (which is currently located below the fold of the double-over sleeve) and peel it all the way upward. At this point - potentially with a few minor adjustments to get the placement just right - you’re done.

step 7

finished!

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 Lifters with Bad Knees Get Wrong About Squatting

Here are nine squat tips that apply to everyone, but they especially apply to those of you with grumpy knees. We’ve also provided a number of short videos to help with some of these tips.

1. Bar Position
Get the bar below your traps – sitting on the nice shelf provided by your bunched up delts. This is because . . . 

2. Lean Over
. . . you’re going to consciously lean over and point your chest at the floor as you start your descent. To facilitate this . . . 

3. Hips Back
. . . you’re going to simultaneously reach backward with your hips. You squat with your knees and hips, of course, and we want to squat in such a way that we ask each joint to do its respective share of the work. The hips are larger and surrounded by more muscle mass than your knees, so reach back with your hips. In doing so, you take some of the load off the knees and shift it to the larger and stronger hips.

4. Stance and Knee Direction
Take a stance with your heels at roughly shoulder width and point your toes out about 30 degrees. You’ve now set up your toes as arrows for your knees, and with this in mind, make your knees travel in the direction of your toes (i.e., forward and out). Getting the knees out makes depth easier to achieve and also avoids any twisting of the knee.

5. Forward Knee Position
Your knees will travel forward (and out) in the direction of your toes, and about one half to one third of the way into your descent, you’re going to stop the knees roughly above your toes (possibly a half inch or so farther forward for those of you with longer femurs).

Your knees keep bending, of course, but you block the forward travel at this point.

Tip #8 will help with this, as will the video below.

6. Give Your Knees a Hug
Get yourself a pair of knee sleeves.

Knee sleeves provide a nice, warm hug for your knees, and the warmth and compression provided by a 7 mm pair of knee sleeves makes for a wonderful sensation.

Below are links to a few knee sleeve options that are popular with a number of our members at Testify:

• Rehband knee sleeves (my personal knee sleeves)

• Stoic knee sleeves

• Iron Bull knee sleeves

7. Shoes
Get yourself a decent pair of lifting shoes and stop lifting in your squishy Chucks or running shoes.

The most important feature of a lifting shoe is the noncompressible sole and thus the very stable base it provides. This permits efficient force transfer between you and the floor and allows you to better execute the technical aspects that you’re working on, e.g., knee position, hips back, etc.

Below are some of the shoe recommendations and links we usually send to new members as a starting point for shopping:

• Nike Romaleos 4

• Inov-8 Fastlift 360

• VS Athletics Weightlifting Shoe

• Adidas Adipower

• Do-Win Lifting Shoes

8. TUBOW
A TUBOW provides excellent cueing for knee position – both lateral and in terms of setting the knees’ forward position. Because it fixes the knee position, it forces the correct hip position and back angle as well.

A video is highly useful here, so check out the one below:

9. Get a Coach
You can work on all of these things on your own, but you will fix them far faster working with a good coach. Many things that often take weeks or months to address on your own can be fixed in a single coaching session, and we see this all the time.

We’d love to work with you – whether locally or remotely – but if that’s not in the cards, I’d recommend seeking out a Starting Strength Coach (SSC) to help you improve your squat. Click here if you’re interested in working with us or click here for the link to the SSC directory.

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?

Stop Fighting Your Knee Sleeves. There's a Better Way. (shhh…it’s a secret)

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 08/13/21)

Oooh . . . secrets! We love us some secrets!

Not everyone knows this - and this is especially true if you’re a new lifter or at least new to using knee sleeves - but when it comes to putting on your knee sleeves, there is one method to rule them all. Anything else is a waste of your time and energy, so let’s take a look at how you should put on a sleeve (watch the included video for a quick demonstration):

Step 1: Turn the sleeve inside-out.

Step 2: Grab the sleeve with both hands so that it’s upside down and backward (i.e., the front of the sleeve - the part that will cover your kneecap - is facing backward).

Steps 1 & 2: The sleeve is inside-out, upside down, and backward . . . and this is a good thing.

Step 3: Before you put on your shoe, pull the sleeve over your foot until it comes up just past your ankle.

Step 3

Step 4: Spin the sleeve around so that it’s facing forward again (i.e., the front of the sleeve is facing forward).

Step 4

Step 5: Pull on the uppermost part of the sleeve - sliding the sleeve upward until it reaches a point a few inches below your knee. (If you like, you can perform step 5 before step 4.)

Step 5

Step 6: Grab the lowermost part of the sleeve (it’s actually the “top” of the sleeve, but it’s still upside down right now, remember?) and pull upward so that that portion of the sleeve starts sliding over the rest of the sleeve. As you continue doing this, the sleeve will be turning right-side-out again.

Step 6

Step 7: Feel free to make some minor adjustments, but really, at this point, you’re done.

Step 7 - done!

Now, go out and tell your friends because - after all - this is a secret that everyone kneeds to know.

If you’re looking for some knee sleeves, below are links to a few knee sleeve options that are popular with a number of our members at Testify:

• Rehband knee sleeves (my personal knee sleeves)

• Stoic knee sleeves

• Iron Bull knee sleeves

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?

Knee Sleeves: What, Why, Where, and When!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 07/16/21)

What on earth are knee sleeves, and why might you want to wear them? Let’s chat.

What is a knee sleeve?
A knee sleeve is a sleeve . . . that goes on your knee. They are generally made of neoprene, and they should fit quite snugly. A reasonable approach is to make sure that they are snug, but not so snug that you need someone else to help you put them on. If they’re so tight that you need to take them off between sets, I’d recommend something a little less snug.

Why might you want knee sleeves?
The main reason is if you have the highly specific medical condition known as “cranky knees.” Now, if you have achy knees when you squat (and we’re generally talking about the squat here), there may be some technical considerations to examine as well as some programming considerations, and your coach can help you with that.

Nonetheless, to put it simply, knee sleeves simply help your knees feel better. They provide some warmth and some compression, and without getting into the weeds here, both of those factors generally make your knees more comfortable. It’s a nice, warm hug for your knees. One of our coaches, Mike, once accused me years ago of holding out on him because I evidently hadn’t suggested knee sleeves until a year or so into his training. Once he put them on, it was love at first squat.

Where can you get knee sleeves?
You can find some at your local sporting goods store, but your best bet is this thing they’ve developed called the internet, which they have on computers now. The usual suspects - Amazon, Rogue, etc. - will have a host of options, which brings us to . . .

What should you get?
5 mm and 7 mm are both common thicknesses, and having used both, I’d recommend the 7 mm option. There are a ton of companies that make them - some of the more popular ones are brands like Rehband, SBD, STrong (Mark Bell), Stoic, and Rogue. 

There’s a big price range from about $35-$45 for a pair of sleeves to $35-$45 for a single sleeve (which reflects the prices of the brands listed above). The biggest difference seems to be simple longevity - the cheap ones tend to wear out and tear within a couple of years, whereas the pricier ones typically last quite a bit longer - to the point that I’d probably say you’ll spend less money in the long run by going with the more expensive pairs. Of course, your mileage may vary. 

Below are links to a few knee sleeve options that are popular with a number of our members at Testify:

• Rehband knee sleeves (my personal knee sleeves)

• Stoic knee sleeves

• Iron Bull knee sleeves

When do you use knee sleeves?
The short answer is - squats and Olympic lifting. You’ll appreciate them for squatting, and you’ll appreciate them for the Olympic lifts because of the squatting involved in both snatching and cleaning (there is probably some benefit for the impact of landing as well). 

What about using them on the press and bench press? Go ahead if you’d like - they won’t help, but they won’t hurt either. 

The deadlift gets a little more discussion. In the deadlift, the knee doesn’t go through a large range of motion (as opposed to the knee’s longer ROM in the squat), so if your knees ache while squatting, but they feel fine while deadlifting, I’d recommend not wearing sleeves. The thickness of the sleeve - while not huge - is still one more thing you have to deal with when trying to keep the barbell close on the pull, so if you don’t need them, don’t use them. But if your knees also ache on the deadlift, and you find that the sleeves help, then go right ahead.

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?

KNEE SLEEVES: The Complete Guide and the BEST Way to Put Them On (Lifting Gear Series)

In the third video in our "Lifting Gear" series, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers quickly covers everything you'll ever want to know about knee sleeves, including the super secret way to EASILY put them on.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 02/06/23)

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?

What’s in Your Gym Bag? A Quick & Dirty Guide to Personal Lifting Gear

What gear should you have in your gym bag (or at home) when it’s time to train? Let’s dive in, and we’ll provide plenty of additional resources for each item along the way.

Heads up - the last item in this article is the most important, so keep reading.

Lifting Shoes
Lifting shoes have a rigid, non-compressible sole, a slightly elevated heel, and one or two metatarsal straps. They provide an extremely solid base of support and therefore permit efficient force transfer between you and the floor.

Big deal. Big. Huge.

For a more in-depth treatment of lifting shoes and the rationale for using them, click on the article below or watch the included video.

LIFTING SHOES: The Complete Guide to the Best and WORST Shoes! (Lifting Gear Series)

A number of manufacturers make quality lifting shoes - Nike, Do-Win, Inov-8, and Adidas are just a few of the more well-known brands. Below are some of the shoe recommendations and links we usually send to new members as a starting point for shopping:

• Nike Romaleos 4

• Inov-8 Fastlift 360

• VS Athletics Weightlifting Shoe

• Adidas Adipower 3

Note: I would not recommend the Adidas Powerlift or any other lifting shoe with a compressed foam sole. The Powerlift is fairly popular due to its price point and is certainly still better than non-lifting shoe options, but the sole is not as rigid as we’d like, and quite simply, there are better options (such as its sibling, the Adidas Adipower 3).

A final note - Chuck Taylors are not lifting shoes. They are squishy and therefore provide lousy force transfer between you and the floor. Walk in Chucks. Don’t lift in Chucks.

Lifting Belt
A quality lifting belt helps you provide rigidity and stability when lifting. As a result, it allows you to have efficient force transfer from the things generating force in a given lift all the way to the barbell - e.g., transferring force from the hips and the legs in the squat through your rigid midsection (i.e., trunk) up to the barbell sitting on your back.

Some people can use a belt with a 4” width, and some people need a 3” belt (or even a 2.5” belt). For more information on belt widths as well as everything else belt-related, check out the article below or watch the included video.

LIFTING BELTS: The Complete Guide and What NOT to Get! (Lifting Gear Series)

A quality belt will last years - possibly your entire training career - so invest in a good one. With this in mind, here are a few belt options we typically recommend:

• Pioneer Cut - single prong with 1/2” adjustments, 4” wide x 10mm thick

• Pioneer - PAL V2, 4” wide x 10mm thick (if you’re looking for a lever belt)

• Dominion Strength - single prong, 3” wide x 10 mm thick

• Dominion Strength - single prong, 4” wide x 10 mm thick

Knee Sleeves
Most people will come to appreciate and benefit from knee sleeves at some point in their lifting careers. They provide warmth and compression to the knees (specifically for squatting), and your knees will probably appreciate this greatly.

Sleeves are typically made of neoprene and most often come in 5 mm or 7 mm thicknesses. Skip the 5 mm option and go with the 7 mm sleeves.

For a more in-depth treatment on knee sleeves, check out the article below or watch the included video.

KNEE SLEEVES: The Complete Guide and the BEST Way to Put Them On (Lifting Gear Series)

Below are a few solid options for sleeves that we commonly recommend to our members:

• Rehband

• Stoic

• Pioneer

• Iron Bull

Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps (or simply “wraps”) provide support for your wrists, come in pairs, and each wrap typically includes a thumb loop at one end, the elastic body of the wrap, and then a velcro closure system at the other end of the wrap.

Since wraps provide stability to the wrist joint, they are very useful for pressing movements (e.g., press and bench press) and are also sometimes used when snatching, cleaning, or jerking.

For more information on wrist wraps, check out the article below or watch the included video.

WRIST WRAPS: The Complete Guide and How NOT to Put Them On! (Lifting Gear Series)

18” and 24” are the most common lengths, and here are some solid options:

• Harbinger - 18” (these are what I have)

• Rogue - 18”

• Stoic - 24” (also available in 36”)

• Pioneer - 24” and 36”

Lifting Straps
Straps (not to be confused with wraps) are very useful for pulling movements such as deadlifts, rows, and possibly even snatches (don’t ever use them for cleans - it’s a good way to break a wrist).

When you start training, perform all of your deadlift work sets with either a hook grip or a mixed grip (and chalk, of course). Over time, however, you’ll find that straps can be a useful tool when training the pulls.

You can easily make your own straps in about 2 minutes, and we cover that in the video below (these are the straps that I use and that we make for our members).

If you prefer to buy your straps instead of making them yourself, IronMind provides some good options:

• IronMind Sew-Easy Lifting Straps

• IronMind Strong-Enough Lifting Straps

Here’s a quick video that covers how to use straps:

A final note on straps - don’t purchase or use cloth straps. They will eventually tear, and it will inevitably happen at a very unfortunate moment.

Fractional Plates
You’ll want to make smaller jumps on the press and the bench press over time, i.e., smaller than the typical 5 lb jump permitted by two 2.5 lb plates. Females and older lifters will also want to make smaller jumps on the squat and deadlift, and such increments are also useful for the Olympic lifts. 

With this in mind, get yourself a set of fractional plates. We cover this more in the video below:

We have several sets of the 44Sport fractional plates (click here) at Testify, and they are used daily. They are a solid option, but there are many other choices out there as well.

Chalk
If you train, use chalk. Chalk absorbs the natural moisture and oils of your hands (and that of whatever doofus used the bar before you at the commercial gym) so that you have better friction - much better friction - between you and the barbell.

If you deadlift without chalk, stop kidding yourself. You’re not training - you’re just wasting time in the gym.

If your gym doesn’t provide chalk, bring your own. If your gym doesn’t allow chalk, sneak it in anyway or find another gym. It’s that important. The difference between chalk and no-chalk on your deadlift may well be over 100 lb.

We use Spider Chalk (click here) at Testify as the blocks are very dense and remain intact longer than other brands. If you need to be sneaky about your chalk use, I’d recommend liquid chalk (click here).

Training Log
Your training log is your most important piece of equipment.

Everything else - shoes, belt, wraps, barbell, etc. - can be replaced, but your training log contains your personal training history. It’s the one thing that can’t be replaced.

Because your log contains your history and thus where you’ve been (in the training sense), it’s also the guide to where you want to go.

A simple composition notebook will serve you very well (click here), and below are two articles and a video to get you started on properly keeping a training log.

• Your Most Important Piece of Training Gear - Part 1 (Lifting Gear Series)

• Your Most Important Piece of Training Gear - Part 2 (Lifting Gear Series)

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?