7 Signs You're Using Your Lifting Equipment WRONG - Stop Making These Mistakes With Your Lifting Gear | Part 3

You might be making some mistakes with your equipment, and if so, you probably don’t know it.

Welcome back to the third and final installment of this series. We covered 7 common mistakes in Part 1, another 7 mistakes in Part 2, and not surprisingly, we’re covering 7 more errors today.

Error #15: Straps in Front
A common mistake for lifters who are new to using straps is that of placing the strap in front of the barbell when setting up (Figure 1).

figure 1: this fool mistakenly put his strap in front of the bar.

Used correctly, the combination of your hand and the strap acts much like an alternate grip on the deadlift. In the alternate grip, the pronated hand and supinated hand work with each other to keep the bar from rolling and slipping out of your grip. Each hand can only permit the bar to roll in the direction opposite of that allowed by the other hand, so no rolling occurs.

Your hand and the strap perform the same function, but only if you remember that your hand goes in front of the bar while the strap goes on the other side of the bar, i.e., behind the bar. Check out the short video above to learn how to use straps correctly.

Error #16: Knee Sleeve Thickness
Both 5 mm thick and 7 mm thick knee sleeves provide warmth and compression for your knees, and your knees will thank you for it.

However, once you’ve used 7 mm sleeves, you won’t ever go back to 5 mm sleeves, so do yourself a favor and simply buy 7 mm sleeves to start with.

Here are a few solid options, and you can learn more about knee sleeves by watching the included video below:

• Rehband knee sleeves: https://amzn.to/3QsBub3

• Stoic knee sleeves: https://amzn.to/40ec0RX

• Iron Bull knee sleeves: https://amzn.to/3RnUPs6

Error #17: Safeties Too High
Safeties, pins, crash bars, spotter arms (if you’re using a squat stand) – whatever you want to call them, don’t set them too high.

For squat and bench press, your safeties need to be set low enough that they don’t disrupt the execution of your lift. For the squat, this means you probably want to set the safeties a couple of inches below the bottom position of your squat (i.e., below the bar’s position at the bottom of your squat). If you set them just barely below your bottom position – say, a quarter-inch lower than your bottom position – then the moment you go a touch too deep on your squat, you hit the safeties, and this is very disruptive to your lift. Setting them a couple of inches lower than your bottom position makes this much less likely to happen.

For the bench, when you’re correctly driving with your legs and supporting your arch, this means your safeties are low enough that they allow you to consistently touch the barbell to your chest. It also means they are low enough that if you lower the bar in a slightly uneven fashion (e.g., the right side of the bar is a bit lower than the left side), you don’t instantly hit the safeties.

Error #18: Not Knowing Your Rings
There are two sets of rings (AKA score marks or knurl marks) for barbells - powerlifting rings and weightlifting rings. They are extraordinarily useful for determining grip width, but if you don’t know which set you’ve been using, you can create a grip problem for yourself if you ever train (or compete) on a different bar.

Powerlifting rings are 81 cm (roughly 32 in) apart from one another, while weightlifting rings are 91 cm (roughly 36 in) apart from one another. Some bars have both sets of rings (so it’s easy to figure out which set is which) while many bars have only one set.

Figure out which set you’ve been using (use a tape measure if necessary), and then if you ever train on a different bar, you’ll know whether or not you need to adjust your grip relative to the rings.

Error #19: Straps . . . Again
Don’t wrap your straps multiple times around the bar.

Wrapping the strap around the bar once provides everything you need for a secure grip. Wrapping it multiple times is a waste of time and energy, which is why the DIY straps we make at the gym for our members (see the video below) are made to a length that only goes around the bar once with a little length left over.

If you have extra strap length hanging down after wrapping around the bar once, it’s not a problem – just let it hang there.

Error #20: Safeties Too Low
As discussed in Error #17, setting the safeties too high is a mistake. However, setting the safeties too low is an even bigger mistake – they absolutely have to be set high enough to save you from trouble in the event of a failed rep.

If you set them too low in the squat, you might not be able to set the bar down onto the pins at the bottom of a failed rep. Worse, in the event of a failed rep on the bench press, you could find your throat or face trapped (and potentially crushed) if you’ve set the safeties too low.

The solution is simple – set your safeties and then test them out (with an empty bar or light weight) by performing a “failed rep,” i.e., practice by failing with the empty bar, set the bar on the pins, and make sure you can get out from under the bar while it rests on the pins.

Error #21: Slick Bench
Don’t bench on a slippery surface.

The bench itself might be slick, you might be sweaty, or you might be wearing a “tech shirt” (i.e., moisture-wicking) that is made from a slippery material. Regardless, you want to drive with your legs and keep your shoulders pinned back without any part of you moving out of position on the bench.

There are a couple of ways to solve this problem, and you can check out the short video below for a few options. Our most common recommendation is a small section of rug pad material – it’s cheap, it provides a very secure grip, and it easily fits in your gym bag as well.

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.)

---

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 Making These MISTAKES With Your Lifting Gear | Part 1: Straps, Wraps, Plates, and more…

There are all sorts of errors people make with their lifting gear, so let’s get some things straightened out in this multi-part series. In today’s article, we’re covering errors 1 - 7.

Error #1: Lifting Straps
Don’t wear your lifting straps up on your wrists. Whether you use the style of strap we make or if you use the strap-and-loop style, lifting straps are designed to be worn down on the hand.

correct position for straps - whether strap-and-loop-style (left) or quick-release (right)

Error #2: Lifting Belt
Don’t wear your lifting belt loosely.

A lifting belt should be snug – it should feel tight. If you’re new to using a lifting belt, and if you’re wearing it correctly, it probably needs to feel uncomfortably tight at first.

A properly worn belt helps you brace harder – a loosely worn belt is just a fashion accessory.

Error #3: Straps . . . Again
Don’t use cloth straps.

Cloth straps wear poorly over time and will eventually tear at an inopportune moment.

We use climbing webbing to make ours, and as a result, they’re nearly indestructible. IronMind makes some excellent, durable straps out of a similar type of webbing (as do some other manufacturers), and seat belt straps are a great choice of material as well.

Error #4: Wrist Wraps
Don’t wear your wrist wraps too low on the arm.

If your wrap is low enough that you can easily flex and extend your wrist (I.e., bend it forward and backward), you’ve defeated the entire purpose of the wrist wrap.

A wrist wrap should help stabilize your wrist – its job is to prevent movement. With this in mind, make sure it actually covers the wrist. This means it will cover some of the hand and some of the arm. 

When in doubt, wrap it a bit higher than you think you should and see if that helps stabilize the wrist. It should be difficult to bend the wrist forward and backward.

Watch the short video below to see this error (and others) as well as the solution.

Error #5: Loading Metal Plates
Don’t load your metal plates onto the barbell with the numbers facing outward.

The numbers face inward - always. This allows you to have a solid purchase on the lip of the plate, which makes it easier to lift and handle the plates. This also makes it less likely that you will suffer lifting’s most common injury – a broken toe (i.e., from dropping a plate on your foot).

nate loades the plates incorrectly (left photo with numbers facing outward) and correctly (right photo with numbers facing inward)

There are a few reasons plates might be loaded with the numbers facing outward. First, it is usually a requirement at powerlifting meets – specifically, the first plate is loaded “numbers in” and all subsequent plates are loaded “numbers out.” This rule was probably created by equipment manufacturers who also sponsored meets and wanted to make sure their company name was as visible as possible.

Second, fitness influencers love to do this. Perhaps it looks better for the viewing public – I’m not sure, but it’s still silly.

Third, it’s possible that a lifter is sponsored by a plate manufacturer, and in this case, he might endeavor to have the company name visible whenever possible.

Last, a lifter simply might not know any better. He might not know how easy it is to grab the lip of every plate with your fingers. This is the only sensible reason, and after reading this article, you know better.

“Numbers in” is far superior to “numbers out,” and it’s common sense once you’ve done it.

Error #6: Lifting Straps . . . Seriously?
Don’t wear your strap-and-loop-style straps with the tail pointing the wrong way.

With this style of straps, you feed the tail through the loop so that the straps are mirror images of each other, and thus they are right- and left-hand specific. Wear them so that the tail of the strap points toward your thumb (i.e., toward the middle of the bar) and not toward your pinky.

Incorrect: tail pointing toward pinky (left photo) vs correct: tail pointing toward thumb (right photo)

Error #7: Lifting Straps . . . Last Time
Don’t wrap your straps toward the outside of the bar.

This should be a difficult mistake to make if you’ve taken care of error #6. Nonetheless, it’s worth remembering that you wrap the strap toward the center of the bar – not toward the collar of the bar.

Watch the short video below to see this error (and others) as well as the solution.

Straps wrap inward – never outward.

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.)

---

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?

Quick & Easy DIY Lifting Straps!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/29/21)

You can buy lifting straps, or you can make this practically indestructible pair for about two bucks. Here we go:

Step 1
Purchase some 1-inch climbing tubular webbing (it will be flat even though it’s actually a tube). You can simply type in “climbing tubular webbing” into the search engine of your choice, and you’ll see a host of options, or you can just click here.

You can get something a bit wider than an inch if you like, but the 1-inch material will do just fine. Climbing webbing is extremely durable - remember, climbers trust this stuff with their lives. We’re just trusting it with our deadlifts, rows, etc.

Step 2: Cut a length of webbing about 2 ft long.

Step 2
Cut a length of webbing that is about two feet long. The exact length will vary by person, but you’ll want to err on the longer side. If the straps are too big for your liking, you can easily make them shorter later on. If you have large hands, you might want to go a bit longer than two feet.

steps 3 and 4 (left and right, respectively)

Step 3
Burn the cut ends so the straps don’t fray. A few seconds of burning is all that is necessary.

Be sure to let the burnt ends cool before touching them. This may seem obvious, but trust me - it’s worth mentioning.

Step 4
Place one end of a strap on top of the opposite end of the same strap so that they overlap by an inch or so.

steps 5 and 6 (left and right, respectively)

Step 5
Wrap 6-8 inches of athletic tape around the overlapped ends.

Step 6
Repeat steps 2-5 to create the other strap, and you’re done!

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:

• 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.)

---

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?

Why do I Keep FAILING?!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/03/23)

Are you missing reps on your linear progression? Let’s address one potential problem, and it’s one that’s easy to fix.

Specifically, let’s talk about rest periods (i.e., how long you’re resting between sets). I know - not very exciting. However, rest periods are important because they can either support your training, or - if chosen poorly - they can derail your training.

When someone starts training with us here at Testify, we have a conversation on day one wherein we discuss rest periods, and during this conversation, we address two things:

1. Resting Between Warm-up Sets
The short version? You don’t need to do it. That’s right. Don’t rest between warm-up sets. The act of changing your weights will provide enough rest while you're warming up. These are warm-up weights and don’t require much of a break between sets. You are welcome to rest several minutes, but most people don’t have all day to train, and this is the place to save time in the workout.

One caveat - you’ll probably want to rest a few minutes after your last warm-up set, i.e., before your first work set, which brings us to . . .

2. Resting Between Work Sets
You definitely want to rest between work sets. When you’re getting started with the Starting Strength linear progression, somewhere between three and five minutes will probably suffice. Treat that range as a minimum.

Want to squat 225 lb like Sarah? be sure to rest long enough between your work sets.

Remember that the purpose of strength training is - not surprisingly - to get stronger. To get stronger, you need to do the prescribed training for the day - you need to lift what you said you were going to lift - and to lift that weight, you need to rest enough to complete all the reps of your work sets.

The Main Point
That last part is the main point - rest long enough to ensure that you complete the next set successfully. When you read “three to five minutes,” remind yourself that this is appropriate for when you’re starting out, and also remind yourself that this is a minimum. When things get heavier and more challenging, there will come a time when you need to rest longer - you’ll rest six minutes, seven minutes, etc.

Establish the Habit
One of the most enjoyable parts of lifting weights is . . . not lifting weights, so force yourself to get used to resting - even at the beginning of your strength training journey.

If it’s your second workout, take the three, four, or five minute break even if you know you could get back under the bar and complete the next set with a shorter rest break. Start establishing the habit of getting adequate rest right away in your training. If you tend to rush things, a timer can be a handy tool to ensure that you’re waiting long enough before starting your next set.

Practical Limitations
There are, of course, some practical limitations to how long you’ll actually rest, and you’ll notice that I’m not suggesting that you rest 15 minutes between sets. Even if a 10-15 minute rest period might be useful, it simply may not be practical in terms of your schedule for the day.

Wrapping Up
In general, though, rest long enough to ensure that you can complete the next set. Completing your work sets will allow you to get stronger, and in this way, you will still be making progress on your linear progression four months, five months, or even six months into it instead of missing reps in the first or second month.

It may help to remember that this isn’t conditioning; of course, there will still be a conditioning benefit, but that’s not why you’re strength training. You’re doing it to get stronger, so take the appropriate rest, and 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:

• 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.)

---

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?

Lifting Straps | What You're Doing WRONG (common mistakes)

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/27/23)

If you’re new to using lifting straps (or even if you’re not so new), there are a few common mistakes that you might be making. At best, these mistakes make the use of straps cumbersome, and at worst, these mistakes make straps a liability instead of an asset.

With that said, these mistakes are relatively easy to fix, and once we’ve solved them, you’ll never make them again, so let’s get to it.

As a quick side note, all of these mistakes and their solutions are far more easily seen and understood on video than in print, so be sure to watch the included video.

Figure 1: The correct position for straps (on the hand)

Mistake #1: Wearing straps in the wrong spot
Lifting straps are worn down on the hand (Figure 1) - not up on the wrist or arm. Although lifting straps are sometimes referred to as “wrist straps,” that can be a bit misleading - if you wear them on the wrist, you are wearing them too high. Whether it’s the type of DIY straps that we recommend (the black strap you see in these photos) or the “strap-and-loop” style of straps, be sure to wear them down on the hands.

See the included video for how to easily, cheaply, and quickly make yourself a pair of virtually indestructible lifting straps.

Mistake #2: Wrapping the straps in the wrong direction
When setting up and wrapping the strap around the barbell, always wrap toward the thumb, i.e., toward the middle of the bar (Figure 2). Do not wrap the strap so that it heads toward the plates. This brings us to . . .

Figure 2: Correctly wrapping (the black strap) toward the middle of the bar

Mistake #3: Setting up the straps incorrectly
If you are using the “strap-and-loop” style of strap, make sure you have it positioned so that the strap points toward your thumb (Figure 3). If you have it set up so that it points toward your pinky, you won’t be able to wrap the strap in the correct direction (i.e., toward the middle of the bar). The straps for your right and left hands will need to be set up so that they mirror each other.

Figure 3: Positioning the strap so that it points toward the thumb

Mistake #4: Wrapping the strap multiple times
Wrap the strap around the bar once (Figure 4). That’s it - just once. Some straps do not have much excess length (like the black straps in these photos), so wrapping the strap around the bar won’t be a temptation anyway, but for straps that do have a lot of extra material, you still just wrap the strap once. Wrapping it around the bar multiple times is a waste of time and effort, and it doesn’t improve the grip of the strap. One time around.

Figure 4: wrap the strap only once as shown here. the extra material just hangs there.

Mistake #5: Wrapping in front of the bar
This will be obvious if you’ve used straps correctly, but it’s not very obvious for those who are new to straps - when you initially grab the bar, your palm goes in front of the bar, but the strap goes BEHIND the bar (Figure 5).

figure 5: correctly positioning the strap behind the bar when initially taking your grip

If you mess this up and put the strap in front of the bar (i.e., on the same side as your palm), the strap will not help your grip at all, and in fact, it will make the situation worse and make the bar harder to grip. The bar will simply want to roll right out of your hand, so be sure to put the strap behind the bar when you reach down to grab the bar.

As always, 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.)

---

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?

This 1 Minute Routine Makes Your Deadlift Instantly Stronger

One minute. One habit. A huge difference in how your deadlift feels and performs. Try this before your next pull—you’ll feel it immediately. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

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?