EASY Way to Open Your Barbell Packaging!! | How to Unbox Your New Barbell

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Stop prying staples open or twisting your barbell packaging. We've opened a lot of barbells, and this method is - by far - the quickest and easiest way to open your new barbell packaging. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and demonstrates.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/28/23)

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DIY Lifting Straps in 3 Minutes - Stop Wasting Money

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Don't want to waste your hard-earned cash on lifting straps? In this quick DIY guide, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers shows you how to make your own heavy-duty lifting straps in less than 3 minutes using cheap, simple materials. Strong, durable, and budget-friendly — perfect for deadlifts, rack pulls, rows, and any heavy pull where your grip needs backup. Save money, and lift more.

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Lifting Gear | What to Wear and What NOT to Wear!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

In our first video in the "Lifting Gear" series, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers quickly dives into what to wear as well as what not to wear when it comes to training clothes.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/16/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

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Types of Barbells: Weightlifting vs Powerlifting vs Hybrid

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 06/16/23)

Weightlifting bars, powerlifting bars, and dual purpose bars (i.e., hybrid bars) - what is the difference between these types of barbells, and specifically, what’s the deal with the rings (i.e., score marks or knurl marks) on each bar?

That Poor Soul
Some bars have one set of rings, and some bars have two sets of rings. Every time we go to (or host) a powerlifting meet, weightlifting meet, or strengthlifting meet, there is always some poor soul who shows up having trained on one type of bar - for example, a bar that has two sets of rings - and then he steps onto the competition platform and discovers he’s about to use a bar that only has one set of rings.

Now, he’s not sure which set of rings he was using in training, and as a result, he doesn’t know where to take his grip on the competition bar. This situation can also happen in training - either you’re forced to use a different bar than you usually do, or perhaps you’re traveling and are training at an unfamiliar gym.

Let’s prevent this problem.

The Solution
The solution is straightforward - familiarize yourself with the two types of rings, and you’ll be good to go. We use a hybrid bar as you see in Figure 1 for this purpose.

Figure 1: dual rings (hybrid bar)

The inner set of rings are 81 cm apart (approximately 32 in) and are commonly referred to as the “powerlifting rings” or simply the “power rings”. On a dedicated powerlifting barbell or “power bar,” this is the only set of rings you see (Figure 2), so if you go to a powerlifting meet, this is most likely what you’ll be using.

figure 2: power rings (power bar)

The outer set of rings are 91 cm apart (approximately 36 in) and are commonly referred to as the “weightlifting rings” or the “Olympic lifting rings.” If you go to a weightlifting meet, you’ll probably be lifting on a dedicated weightlifting bar (Figure 3), and that bar will only have the outer set of rings.

figure 3: Weightlifting rings (weightlifting bar)

But Why?
The rings are simply there as reference points for your grip so that your lifts can be more consistent and hopefully more successful as well. In the case of a power bar, the rings also serve as the markers for the maximum legal grip width for the bench press (i.e., in competition).

What To Do?
Know what bar you’re using. If you’re using a bar that has only one set of rings, get out a tape measure and measure the distance between the rings or - at the very least - measure it relative to some part of your body (arm length, etc.). This way, you know what bar you’re using, and if you have to use a different bar - whether training somewhere else or competing - your grip (and therefore your lifts) will still be consistent, which means you are more likely to hit your lifts successfully.

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.

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(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?

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2 Wrist Wrap Mistakes EVERY Lifter Should Stop Making

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

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:

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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?

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DIY Lifting Platform - Easy and Fast!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 06/02/23)

Let’s build a lifting platform . . . fast. We’ve got the steps below, and be sure to watch the included videos to see the process in action.

Why You Should Have a Lifting Platform
You want a lifting platform for several reasons - first, it protects your equipment. Specifically, it protects your plates and the floor from chipping, cracking, and/or breaking due to deadlifting, cleaning, snatching, rowing, etc. Second, it’s great for noise and vibration dampening, which is important when you’re lifting while your 2-year-old is sleeping, and it’s also important so that you don’t annoy your neighbors. Finally, a platform is useful for safety - it clearly delineates your lifting space. When you’re on the platform, it says, “Hey, this is someone’s lifting space - stay off the platform.”

How to Build It
“Build” is an aggressive term. Putting together a platform is pretty simple - so much so that “assemble” is probably more appropriate. Here we go:

Step 1: Base Layer
Take two ¾” x 4’ x 8’ sheets of OSB and set them down on the floor side-by-side. These sheets run lengthwise, i.e., “front-to-back” in terms of your platform’s orientation (Figure 1).

Note: These sheets are commonly referred to as ¾” thick, but the actual thickness is 23/32” and will be listed that way at the lumber store.

IMPORTANT: Most sheets have a slight bow or “crown” to them. When setting them down, be sure that the crown is up. In other words, you want the sheet to make a hill, not a valley. If you do this, the weight of the entire platform itself helps remove any bowing from the final product.

Step 2: Middle Layer
Take two more ¾” x 4’ x 8’ sheets of OSB and set them on top of the base layer so that they run perpendicular to the base layer’s sheets, i.e., “side-to-side” in terms of your platform’s orientation (Figure 2). Attach the middle layer to the base layer using 1 ¼” screws - we use 3 screws along the short edge of each sheet and 4 screws along the long edge of each sheet.

Step 3: Top Layer - MDF
Take a ¾” thick sheet of MDF and cut it so that it’s 96” x 42” (i.e., 8’ x 3.5’). MDF comes in 97” x 49” sheets, and you can either have your lumber supplier do it for you (Lowe’s typically does this for free), or you can do it yourself. We like MDF as it’s relatively heavy, sits nice and flat, and because of this, it helps remove any bowing from your platform. With that said, you can also use something nicer like oak for the top layer.

Using 1 ⅝” screws, attach the MDF to the middle layer so that it’s perpendicular to that layer (i.e., the MDF will run “front-to-back”) and centered. The MDF should sit so that it’s 27” in from either side of the platform. We use 3 screws down each long edge for a total of 6 screws. Be sure that the screws are slightly countersunk so that you don’t damage your plates if you accidentally set the bar down a bit off-center.

Step 4: Top Layer - Horse Stall Mats
Get three ¾” x 4’ x 6’ rubber horse stall mats. Ideally, you want mats without any type of pattern or texture on them, but if they are dimpled on the bottom, it’s not the end of the world. Using a jig saw (watch the video), cut two 72” x 27” pieces (i.e., 6’ x 2’3”) and two 24” x 27” pieces (i.e., 2’ x 2’3”). Thus, you now have two long pieces and two short pieces of horse stall mat.

Set one long piece and one short piece on the left side of the MDF and repeat the process on the right side of the MDF (Figure 3). Make sure the rubber mats fit tight and snug up against the MDF as well as each other, then attach the mats to the middle layer using 1 ⅝” screws (Figure 4), and again, be sure to countersink them slightly. We put screws around the outside, front, and back edges of the mats. However, don’t put screws on the edge near the MDF - this will help ensure that you don’t accidentally set your plates down on a screw that’s a bit proud.

There you have it - your very own lifting platform. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s incredibly durable.

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?

book a free intro