The Testify News - May 8, 2023
/THIS WEEK’S QUESTION
From our video Do This for a BIGGER Squat! | How to Pause Squat (and Why!) (click the title to watch):
spunk j
Why do you recommend to point your chest to the floor? I’ve always been told to keep your chest open and look up to help keep your posture/not to lose your form.
Phil
You do indeed want to keep your back straight, so the idea of keeping the chest "open" as you mentioned is useful. But the key is that the back should be straight and rigid - not vertical. It will be vertical at the beginning and the end of the squat of course, but it will take on a variety of angles during the movement. Pointing the chest at the floor allows us to use our muscle mass more effectively (forces the hips to reach back) and also makes it easier to achieve depth. Below are a few videos and an article that cover and explain this further (as well as the problem of looking up when one squats):
The ONE Thing Fitness Magazines WON'T Tell You About the Squat
https://youtu.be/qWb-onZhxvw
Squat: Fix Your AWFUL BACK!
https://youtu.be/4IBGb0-ONZY
Squat: Fix Your FOCAL POINT!
https://youtu.be/hRJUDHAja-s
The Trifecta of Squat Cues
https://startingstrength.com/training/the-trifecta-of-squat-cues
I hope this helps!
ARTICLES & VIDEOS
Do This for a BIGGER Squat! | How to Pause Squat (and Why!)
Want to improve your squat? The pause squat can help. We explain what a pause squat is, how to do it, and why you might want to utilize the pause squat in your training. Click here to watch.
The TRUTH About Breathing, Bracing, and Lifting Heavy
Are you breathing like a buffoon when lifting? Well . . . don't. It's simple, so let's fix it fast. We cover what breathing stupidly looks like as well as how to do it correctly. Click here to watch.
The Deadlift: Use Your Lats . . . But DON'T Think About Them
Use your lats when you deadlift . . . but don't think about them. We describe a mental picture as well as a few cues to help you do just that. Click here to read.
Blast from the Past: The Press: Get a Grip!
Add pounds (or kilos) to your press by getting the correct grip and wrist position when you set up! Click here to watch.
Blast from the Past: Save Time During Your Workouts!
For those whose workouts are taking longer than they would like (or can afford), we cover two tactics to save time at the gym (with an included video). Click here to read.
NEW TESTIFY GEAR!
Sun's out, guns out, and we've got men's and women’s tank tops in multiple colors. Get yours today and represent your favorite gym!
Click here to head to the Testify Store.
WHAT'S COMING UP
Heads up! Concrete work on the parking lot will be performed starting May 8th, and as a result, some areas of the parking lot will be restricted for the next 3 weeks.
The annual Testify Barbell MAYhem was a great success this weekend, and we are immensely thankful to everyone who helped out! Loaders, referees, table officials, those who helped setup and tear down - we could not have hosted this meet without you all!
Below are a few of our upcoming events, and you can find out what else is on the calendar by heading to our events page at www.testifysc.com/events.
Starting Strength Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp
May 20, 2023
Spend the day learning the Squat, Press, and Deadlift and how to self-evaluate your lifts while training in your garage or commercial gym without a coach.
Click here to register or for more information.
Testify Strongman Summer Showdown
June 17, 2023
Show up to lift, throw, carry, push, and pull big things, but most importantly, show up to have a great time with your fellow competitors and perhaps try something new!
Click here to register or for more information.
Testify IronFest V
July 8, 2023
IronFest is a team-based strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will perform one upper body lift and one lower body lift, and 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 rounds of:
Push sled 100 ft
Pull sled 100 ft (hand over hand)
Indoors:
20 rounds of:
Push sled 50 ft
Pull sled 50 ft (hand over hand)
Compare to 2023.03.06.
Option 2
Bike/row:
3 rounds of:
8 x 20 sec on/40 sec off
Rest 3 min between rounds
Score = lowest distance
Compare to 2023.02.13.
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 2023.01.16.
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 2023.01.16.