Wraps and Belts and Shoes – Oh My! Stop Making These Mistakes With Your Lifting Gear | Part 2

We’re back with more mistakes lifters make with their lifting gear. In part 1 of this series, we covered errors #1-7, and we’ll cover another seven errors in today’s article.

Error #8: The Training Log
The most common error here is that of simply not having a training log.

A training log is one of the details that separates training from exercise. Training has a purpose, a plan, a program, and you keep track of your progress in the log. If you’re not keeping track, you’re simply exercising.

Exercise is better than nothing, but don’t kid yourself about what it is you’re actually doing. If you want to train and make solid progress, use a training log.

For exactly how to set up and use a training log, check out the detailed video below.

Error #9: Wrist Wraps
Don’t wear your wrist wraps too loosely.

Wraps have to be tight enough (i.e., snug enough) that they provide support for the wrist. Assuming you’ve positioned your wrist wraps correctly (see error #4 from part 1 of this series), if you can bend your wrist back-and-forth easily, then you’re wearing it too loosely.

Another check – are you comfortable with keeping your wrist wraps on “tight” between sets? If so, they’re probably too loose.

Not sure how to prevent this problem and wear your wrist wraps correctly? Check out the short video below.

Error #10: Lifting Shoes
This is the error of not having and using lifting shoes.

The most important feature is not the slightly elevated heel or the metatarsal strap(s) – although those are useful as well. The most important feature of a lifting shoe is the noncompressible sole, which provides for excellent and efficient force transfer between you and the floor.

Efficient force transfer means you’re more stable under a heavy load. Lifting in squishy shoes such as running shoes, Chucks, etc. feels like standing on a pillow by comparison.

Error #11: Belt
Don’t use a velcro belt. 

With one caveat.

In general, purchase a quality leather belt as leather belts provide something sturdier to brace against than a velcro belt. In addition, a velcro belt will eventually release at some point, which is a very disconcerting sensation when it occurs (those of you who’ve lifted with velcro belts for long enough know what I’m talking about here). A leather belt, whether a prong belt or a lever belt, will always maintain its secure and loving grip on your midsection.

Here are a couple of solid options for leather belts:

• Pioneer Cut Leather Powerlifting Prong Belt 10mm

• Pioneer 10mm Lever Powerlifting Belt PAL V2 (if you’re looking for a lever belt)

• Dominion Strength Training Leather Weight Lifting Belt - 3 inch wide x 10 mm thick

• Dominion Strength Training Leather Weight Lifting Belt - 4 inch wide x 10 mm thick

The caveat is weightlifting (also known as Olympic weightlifting). A leather belt has either a prong and belt loop or a lever which can impede the bar’s path past the belly on a clean or a snatch. A velcro belt is thinner in design and generally doesn’t pose this problem.

Another solution is to keep using your leather belt for weightlifting and simply rotate your belt sideways so the prong/loop combo or the lever are no longer in the bar’s path.

Error #12: Metal Spring Collar
These collars are amazing – they’re cheap, they’re durable, and they’re easy to use when operated correctly.

However, new lifters sometimes have trouble with them, and this is because they accidentally twist the collar sideways when putting the collar on the barbell. Once you do that, the collar binds up on the bar, and it gets stuck.

Simply make sure the collar stays oriented perpendicular to the sleeve of the bar, and it’s an easy and quick collar to use (and it only requires one hand). Check out one of the short videos above or below for a couple of tips to make this easy and straightforward.

Error #13: Chalk
Not using chalk is preposterous.

I have other words, but they’re rather aggressive, so let’s stick with “preposterous” for now.

Not using chalk is like purposely shaving off the treads on your tires and then driving on ice. It’s that silly.

You are human, and such, you have moisture on your hands. Sweat, natural oils, etc. – more on some days and less on others, but it’s always there. Chalk absorbs this moisture so that you have sufficient friction between you and the barbell, which makes for efficient force transfer on lifts such as the deadlift, row, clean, etc.

brianne appreciated the friction provided by chalk on this 320 lb deadlift.

Those of you who sweat easily (like myself) will also find chalk useful for other lifts such as the squat, bench, etc.

Lack of chalk will eventually contribute to missed lifts or a rounded back on the deadlift, so chalk early and, if needed, chalk often.

For more info, check out the video below.

Error #14: Training Log . . . Again
Of course, you’ll record the weight, reps, and sets of your various lifts in your training log, but if you’re not writing down cues to use for your next session, you’re missing out.

You’re trying to make improvements and get stronger from session to session, and technical cues are incredibly useful in this endeavor. With this in mind, whether you have a coach or you are you own coach (and thus watching your own lifts on video), be sure to write down cues that will prove handy for your next session.

We’ll see you in part 3 of this series, 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:

• 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 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.)

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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?

Wrist Wraps: What, Why, When, and How!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 07/09/21)

If you’re new to lifting, you might have seen these things called wrist wraps, but you might not be sure what purpose they actually serve, so let’s chat.

What are wrist wraps?

Your basic wrist wrap consists of a thumb loop at one end, the elastic body of the wrap, and a hook-and-loop closure system (i.e., Velcro). Countless manufacturers sell wrist wraps with this basic structure - some common ones include Harbinger, SBD, Rogue, Schiek, and the list goes on. A very popular length of wrap is 18”, but you can find plenty of wraps that are both shorter or longer than this (longer is fine, but for most lifters, I wouldn’t recommend anything shorter than 18”). Some manufacturers (e.g., SBD) also make variations of their wraps that are either more rigid or more flexible depending on the lifter’s preference.

Why might I use wrist wraps?

You use wrists wraps when your wrists are in compression, i.e., when you’re pushing on something - not when you’re pulling on something. A wrap gives support to your wrist by acting as an external skeleton for your wrist - you can think of it as a cast or a lifting belt for your wrist. Since the wrap is wrapped around your wrist, it lends support to your wrist and makes it very difficult for the wrist to be in positions of extreme extension (i.e., positions where you wrist is bent very far backward). Lifts that benefit from wrists wraps include all the pressing movements (press, bench press, close grip bench, etc.), snatches, jerks, cleans (this is a gray area as you need your wrists to be in extension to rack a clean), and the squat for those who wrap their thumbs around the bar and have their wrists in extension. Even if you don’t normally use a wrist wrap, it’s probably a good idea to use one if you are dealing with and training through a wrist injury.

When might I use wrist wraps?

A reasonable approach is to treat your wrist wraps the same way you treat your belt - put the wraps on for your last warm-up set, and then use them for all of your work sets as well. With some experience under your belt (under your wraps?), you may decide to put them on earlier than your last warm-up, and that’s fine as well.

How do I use wrist wraps?
(You can reference the steps below as well as the accompanying photos, and I would recommend also watching one of the included videos to see this in action.)

Step 1
Place your thumb through the thumb loop so that the wrap drapes over the back of your wrist.

Step 1: Place your thumb through the thumb loop so that the wrap drapes over the back of your wrist.

Step 2
Position the body of the wrap so that it lies half on your forearm and half on your hand.

Step 2: Position the body of the wrap so that it lies half on your forearm and half on your hand.

Step 3
Apply tension and wrap the length of the wrap around your wrist until you reach the end of the wrap.

Step 3: Apply tension and wrap the length of the wrap around your wrist until you reach the end of the wrap.

Step 4
Close off the wrap by attaching it to itself using the Velcro strap.

Step 4: Close off the wrap by attaching it to itself using the Velcro strap.

Step 5
Remove the thumb loop from your thumb (it is simply there to keep the wrap from spinning in place while you apply the wrap, so you no longer need it).

Step 5: Remove the thumb loop from your thumb (it is simply there to keep the wrap from spinning in place while you apply the wrap, so you no longer need it).

Remember: this is not a forearm wrap or a hand wrap - it’s a wrist wrap, so be sure to pay attention to Step 2. If you position the wrap too low, it’s simply a forearm warmer, and if it’s too high, it’s just a weird glove.

A wrist wrap worn too low on the arm . . . don’t do this.

In effect, the wrap should almost lock those two sections of your arm together (i.e., the forearm and the hand), and to do so, it has to straddle both sections of your arm. If you put the wrap on correctly, it will make it harder to extend your wrist (i.e., bend it backwards), which means the wrap is doing its job of support.

Quick re-wrap solution - pinch the thumb loop between your thumb and index finger and use that setup to anchor the beginning of the wrap in place while you re-tighten the wrap.

The wrap should be very snug - not so tight that you start losing circulation in your hand, but pretty darn tight. It needs to be tight so it can provide support. You will always loosen or perhaps even remove the wraps between sets. If you only loosen the wrap between sets, you don’t need to re-insert your thumb in the thumb loop - a quicker solution is to simply pinch the thumb loop between your thumb and index finger and use that setup to anchor the beginning of the wrap in place while you re-tighten the wrap.

That pretty much wraps it up, and 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?

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

Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers everything you'll ever want to know about wrist wraps, including how NOT to put them on. This is the 4th video in our "Lifting Gear" series.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 02/13/23)

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?

2 Wrist Wrap Mistakes EVERY Lifter Should Stop Making

Are you making these two common errors with your wrist wraps? Let's fix them. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/09/23)

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.

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• 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?

If Wrist Wraps Could Talk, They'd Be Screaming at You

WHAT A FOOL.

Good heavens. Do not do this. Do not make these mistakes with your wrist wraps.

Problem #1: Forearm warmers are cute, but not useful.
Wrist wraps are not forearm warmers, so don’t wear them as if they are. If you wear your wrist wraps this low (as seen in Figure 1), they don’t provide any stability to your wrist.

Here’s your check - if you can easily bend your wrist backward (i.e., extend your wrist), you’re wearing your wraps in the wrong place.

figure 1: Addi is wearing her wrist wrap too low on the arm, so the wrap provides no support.

Problem #2: Gloves are swell, but not for lifting.
Wrist wraps are not gloves, either, so don’t wear them high up on the hand as if they are. Wearing your wrist wraps this high on the hand (as seen in Figure 2) creates the same problem as wearing them too low - the wraps can’t provide any stability to the wrists.

The check is the same as in Problem #1 - if you can easily bend your wrist backward, you’re wearing your wraps in the wrong place.

figure 2: Addi is wearing her wrist wrap too high on the hand, so the wrap again provides no support.

The Solution
It’s a wrist wrap, so it needs to cover the wrist. Profound, I know, but be sure to realize that since the wrist connects the hand and the forearm, the wrap needs to cover both the hand and the forearm - not simply one or the other.

figure 3: Starting higher on the hand and wrapping lower to the forearm

The job of the wrap is to stabilize the wrist - to provide a belt or a cast for the wrist, in a manner of speaking. With this in mind, start with the wrap on the hand, and as you apply the wrap (Figure 3), start wrapping slightly lower so that the forearm is covered as well.

Then . . . check. Can you bend your wrist backward easily? The wrap shouldn’t completely immobilize the wrist, but it should make it harder to bend the wrist, and if it does, you’ve done your job.

Of course, you need to apply the wrap with enough tension so that it’s rather snug, but that’s a topic for another day, so be sure to check out one of the videos in this article to learn more about where and how to correctly wear your wrist wraps.

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:

• 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?