Week 2021.02.01

/

This Week’s Conditioning

Option 1
Sled
Outdoors:
10-20 x 25 yds EMOM at a weight of your choice

Every minute, push the sled 25 yards, i.e., if pushing the sled takes 20 seconds, then you have 40 seconds to rest. Perform 10-20 rounds.

Indoors:
10-20 x 100 ft EMOM at a weight of your choice

Every minute, push the sled 100 feet, i.e., if pushing the sled takes 20 seconds, then you have 40 seconds to rest. Perform 10-20 rounds.

Compare to 2020.11.30.

Option 2
5 rounds:
10 cal bike
1 min rest
4 sandbag-over-bars
1 min rest

Set the yoke crossmember at 35/33, and the weight is 150#/75#.

Compare to 2020.11.09.

Option 3
5-10 rounds:
50 ft yoke carry
50 ft yoke push
100 ft sandbag carry and S.O.B. (sandbag-over-bar)

Perform 1 round every 2-3 minutes.

Compare to 2020.10.12.

Option 4
5 rounds:
4 tire flips
8 sledgehammer strikes
6 pull-ups
10 push-ups

Pull-ups and push-ups can be modified – talk to the coaches for options.

Compare to 2020.10.05.

The 9th Circle of Deadlift Hell: The Drifting Barbell

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

You’ve memorized the 5 step setup for the deadlift, you rehearse it in your head every night as you lie in bed, and yet, somehow, you still struggle with step 5 - “Drag the bar up your shins.” No matter how hard you try, that stupid bar seems to always swing away from your legs as you pull it off the floor.

In the deadlift, the barbell needs to be in a close, committed relationship with your shins as you pull it off the floor, and a bar that swings away from you betrays that relationship and makes for a much harder deadlift, so if you’re struggling to escape this 9th circle of deadlift hell, try out one of the following fixes:

Use Chalk
This is so obvious as to be painful, but please, for the love of all that is good in the world, use chalk when you’re lifting, and use chalk especially when deadlifting. Get some chalk on your hands before you start warming up the deadlift, and then apply some more chalk before you pull your work set(s).

If you won’t use chalk, summon up your inner Kelly Clarkson and just walk away. You’ve decided not to lift weights today, so leave the gym and come back when you’ve changed your mind.

As you can tell, the phenomenon of not using chalk aggravates me somewhat. Most people use chalk, and the phenomenon is - not surprisingly - restricted only to those who would lift more and be stronger if they also used chalk. I have other words on this topic, but they are not fit for print.

Chalk affects your ability to transmit force to the bar efficiently, and that, in turn, affects your ability to control the bar and keep it close. Use chalk.

Use the Appropriate Grip
You can’t use double overhand forever, so start using a hook grip, an alternate grip, or straps before your grip starts to become an issue. If you persist in using a grip that isn’t working for you, I have other words for you, too.

Grip affects your ability to transmit force to the bar efficiently, and that in turn affects your ability to control the bar and keep it close. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Get a grip.

Midfoot Balance
The combined center of mass of the lifter-barbell system should be balanced over the middle of the foot. In other words, you and the barbell together should be balanced - not on the balls of your feet and not on your heels - but rather right over the middle of your feet.

People often get onto the balls of their feet in steps two or three of the setup process - the “bend at the waist and take a grip” step or the “bend your knees to bring your shins to the bar” step, respectively - and this will cause the bar to swing away from you as you break it off the floor. The easiest fix is to simply make sure that you stay midfoot as you execute these steps, but if you find that you’ve rocked forward a bit onto the balls of your feet, simply rock back a bit until you are balanced over the middle of your feet again. Ideally, you want to do this before step four (i.e., before you squeeze your chest up to set your back).

“Pin It to Your Shins”
Your lats are responsible for keeping the bar close, i.e., keeping it on your shins, but you don’t need to think about your massive lats while deadlifting. Instead, just cue yourself to keep the bar pinned to your shins as you squeeze the bar off the floor. Pin it to your shins.

Step 4: Squeeze Your Chest Up . . . Then Pause
During step four of the setup process, you squeeze your chest up and set your back in rigid extension. Many people will squeeze their chest up and immediately try to break the bar off the floor. This often results in hips that drop and a bar that swings away from the lifter (if it actually comes off the floor at all).

Instead, try this: Squeeze your chest up hard like you always do (without dropping your hips), putting a lot of tension on the bar, and then . . . pause one second.

Do NOT relax that tension that you’ve placed on the bar - keep pulling. It should feel like the bar is bending upward in the middle, and indeed, if it’s heavy enough, it will be. THEN put even more tension on the bar, pulling harder until the bar comes off the floor.

This pause has helped a number of lifters for two reasons. First, it tends to discourage dropping the hips right before pulling the bar off the floor. Second, it also allows step four to function as a quick diagnostic step of sorts - when you’ve got a decent amount of tension on the bar, you can assess whether or not you and the barbell are still balanced on your midfoot and you can also assess whether or not you’re trying to keep the bar pinned to your shins. If you’re not doing one of these tasks, you can make a small correction and then pull the bar off the floor.

IMG_5932.jpg

If your deadlift keeps swinging away, see if one of the tips above helps. Dante will be cheering for you.

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?

book a free intro

Week 2021.01.25

/

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 2020.11.23.

Option 2
Bike/Row for 9 rounds:
1 min on
1 min off

Record distance for each round.

Compare to 2020.11.02.

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 2020.10.05.

Option 4
Row/Tire 10 min ladder:
2 cal row
2 tire flips
4 cal row
4 tire flips
6 cal row
6 tire flips
…
Climb the ladder as high as possible in 10 minutes.

Compare to 2020.09.28.

Stop Using Your Hands to Catch Your Cleans!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

The clean is racked (i.e., caught or received) on the shoulders. Not in the hands.

This is the correct way to rack a clean.

Figure 1: This is the correct way to rack a clean.

When you rack a clean, you do so by rapidly punching your elbows forward and up so that the barbell can sit on the shelf provided by your delts (Figure 1). This shelf is extremely strong, stable, and it can support a lot of weight - more than you can clean, in fact.

On the other hand - or rather, hands - if you receive your cleans by supporting the bar in your hands (Figure 2), your poor, tiny, bent wrists will hate you for it, and it’s possible that your collarbones will too.

Don’t rack your cleans like this. Your wrists will despise you.

Figure 2: Don’t rack your cleans like this. Your wrists will despise you.

To rack the bar properly, jam the elbows forward and up and receive the bar with a loose grip - be sure to let the thumb slip out of the hook grip as you punch the elbows forward.

Elbows forward and up and a loose grip on the bar

Figure 3: Elbows forward and up and a loose grip on the bar

It’s possible that your pinky finger (maybe even your ring finger) will slip off the bar during the catch, and while this is not ideal (especially if you need to jerk the barbell overhead yet), it’s not the end of the world. Do whatever you need to do with your grip to permit the receiving of the bar on your shoulders.

Your wrists will not be straight when you catch a clean, and that’s perfectly fine. Whether a lifter receives the bar correctly on the shoulders or not, the wrists will be bent backwards in extension, but a bar caught on the shoulders (with elbows forward and up) is supported by the shoulders, so the wrists - although bent - do not take any of the load. A bar caught with low elbows, however, cannot be successfully supported by the shoulders and is instead supported on bent - and usually painful - wrists.

Tommy doesn’t even need hands to rack his cleans. (We do NOT recommend trying this at home, folks)

Tommy doesn’t even need hands to rack his cleans. (We do NOT recommend trying this at home, folks)

Be kind to your wrists and commit to catching your cleans on your shoulders. You’ll enjoy the lift far more when your wrists aren’t screaming at you.

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?

book a free intro

Week 2021.01.18

/

This Week’s Conditioning

Option 1
Sled Pyramid – 4, 5, or 6 tiers
Go up and down a 4, 5, or 6 tier “sled pyramid” – rest as needed. The distance for each round is 80 m indoors (a down-back on the 40m course) or 200 ft outdoors (2 down-backs on the 50 ft course). Rest as needed.

For example, Bob does the following (4 tiers):
Round 1: Empty sled
Round 2: 25#
Round 3: 50#
Round 4: 75#
Round 5: 50#
Round 6: 25#
Round 7: Empty sled

Compare to 2020.11.16.

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 2020.10.26.

Option 3
5-10 rounds of:
30 sec ME tire flips
30 sec rest

Compare to 2020.09.28.

Option 4
5-8 rounds:
50 ft sled push
50 ft sled pull (hand over hand)
Row 1 minute
Rest 1 minute

This can also be done in a group of three where the sledder determines how long the other two people row and rest.

Compare to 2020.09.21.