Week 2021.04.19

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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 2021.02.15.

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

Record distance for each round.

Compare to 2021.01.25.

Option 3
Outdoors:
10 rounds:
25 yd yoke carry
Rest 1 minute

Indoors:
10 rounds:
30 yd yoke carry (15 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Compare to 2020.12.28.

Option 4
1. 5 yoke carries @ 30 yd (15 yd downback) – work up to heaviest carry
2. 5 rounds of 5 reps on the axle “clean and press away” – work up to heavy set of 5

Compare to 2020.12.21.

Tips and Tricks for the New Lifter - Part II

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Evan demonstrates a handy trick for loading and unloading your deadlift.

In Part I of this series, we discussed several tips and tricks that might help you as a new lifter, and now, in Part II, we’re back with a few more. With practice, using these tactics may seem obvious, and you might wonder why you didn’t think of them earlier, but when you’re starting out, these types of tips are often anything but obvious.

Easy Loading for Deadlifts
When you’re loading (or unloading) your deadlift with more than one 45 lb plate per side or more than one bumper plate per side, roll the plate (on the side you’re currently loading) up onto a 2.5 lb plate. This will raise the 45 lb plate or bumper plate off the ground just enough that it makes it easier to slide on the next plate (see the photo above).

Of course, using a deadlift jack is makes things even easier, and we have a video on how to make one (click here or scroll down to the end of this article), but in lieu of that, using a 2.5 lb plate works quite well.

Holding Valsalva for Multiple Reps
You can hold your Valsalva (i.e., your tightly held breath) for multiple reps on the bench press. Holding your Valsalva for 2-3 reps is pretty common on the bench press, and as long as you aren’t running out of oxygen, doing so works very well as you don’t have to get tight again before the next rep.

Two warnings, though: first, don’t take it as a personal challenge to see how many reps you can get on one breath - this may not end well - and second, holding your Valsalva for multiple reps doesn’t usually work very well for lifts other than the bench press.

Easy Unloading for Bumper Plates
If you’re finished snatching, cleaning, or deadlifting (even rowing), and you have multiple bumper plates on each side of the bar, here’s how to unload your bar: first, take the collars off both sides of the bar. Second, unload all of the plates from the left side of the bar. Third, raise the empty left side of the bar - walking it upward (the right side of the bar remains on the ground) until the bar is sitting vertically inside the stack of plates on the right side of the bar. Finally, simply lift the bar out of the stack, put the bar away, and then put the plates away.

Evan shows how to easily remove multiple bumper plates at once.

Evan shows how to easily remove multiple bumper plates at once.

We hope these tips help you get stronger and live better, and perhaps we’ll be back with a Part III in the future.

-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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Week 2021.04.12

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The 2021 Testify Strengthlifting Challenge is in the books! Lots of PRs were set, and many congratulations go out to everyone who stepped onto the platform to compete this past Saturday. Thank you to those of you who helped out at the meet – setup, teardown, judging, spotting, loading, scoring, announcing – without you, this meet wouldn’t be possible. Also, thank you to those who came out to support and cheer on the lifters – you all made it a fun day for the lifters on the platform.

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 2021.02.08.

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 2021.01.18.

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 2020.12.21.

Option 4
10 x 50 ft farmer carry
Each carry is 25 ft down and 25 ft back and is for time. Rest 1 minute between carries.

Women: 97# per handle (80# of plates)
Men: 137# per handle (120# of plates)
(Note: Each handle weighs 17#.)

Compare to 2020.12.14.

Mistakes New Lifters Make - Part III

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Can you see what Dawson is doing wrong here? Hint - Dawson can’t.

In Part I and Part II of our series on common mistakes new lifters make (as well as how to avoid them), we’ve discussed everything from misloading your bar to breathing at the wrong time when lifting. Today, in Part III, we’ll continue by looking at a few other errors you might make when starting out and talk about how to correct them as well.

Unloading the bar by more than one 45 pound plate difference (squat, bench, press)
If you’ve ever seen an unevenly loaded barbell cartwheel off the rack, you’ll know what we’re talking about here, and if you haven’t, well, that’s a good thing. When you load or unload the barbell, there will be differences in weight from from one side to the other as you load weight on one side of the bar and then repeat the process on the opposite side of the bar.

A little asymmetry won’t cause the barbell to tip over, but the key is to keep that asymmetry within limits. A good rule of thumb is to never load or unload the bar by more than one 45 lb plate difference between sides of the bar. For example, if you have one plate (i.e., a 45 lb plate) on the left side of the bar, you can have zero, one, or two plates on the right side of the bar, but don’t load three plates on the right side (i.e., since three plates compared to one plate is more than a one plate difference). A cartwheeling bar is a loud and potentially dangerous event, and this practice will help you avoid this situation.

Letting go of the bar between reps on the deadlift
New lifters will often let go of the bar between reps on the deadlift. Easy fix here - don’t. Remember, it’s only considered a set of five (or three, four, etc.) when you do all five reps without letting go of the bar (otherwise, you’re just performing singles).

Do not give yourself permission to let go of the bar between reps. The deadlift will be hard, the hook grip will be uncomfortable, and you’ll want to stop, but you’ll be fine. You might not feel fine while you’re doing it, but that’s normal when doing hard things, and this way, you finish the set sooner than you otherwise would, and then you get to the best part of lifting that much faster as well . . . resting.

Allowing your gaze to wander or closing your eyes during the set
Do you tend to look all over the place while you lift, or do you close your eyes when lifting? Pick one focal point before you start your first rep and remind yourself to look there until you are done with your last rep.

Use your warm-ups for practice. Don’t look somewhere else while performing a rep, and don’t even look somewhere else between reps. If necessary, put a mark on the wall in front of you while pressing, or put a small plate on the floor in front of you while squatting. One focal point.

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.)

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 2021.04.05

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Reminder: Please note that the gym will be closed this Saturday, 04/10/21, as we are hosting the annual Testify Strengthlifting Challenge.

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 2021.02.01.

Option 2
Bike/row:
12 min TT
Score = distance

Compare to 2021.01.11.

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

Compare to 2020.12.14.

Option 4
1. 5 yoke carries @ 30 yd (15 yd downback) – work up to heaviest carry
2. 5 rounds of 5 reps on the axle “clean and press away” – work up to heavy set of 5

Compare to 2020.12.07.

Weightlifting Meets: Placing and Tiebreakers

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IMG_6451.jpg

A lifter’s place (i.e., 1st place, 2nd place, etc.) at a weightlifting meet is determined by the total, i.e., the sum of the lifter’s heaviest successful snatch and the lifter’s heaviest successful clean-and-jerk. Since two lifters can have the same total, let’s look at the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) rules for determining place and - specifically - breaking any ties that may occur. Let’s look at the rules in order of application (the official IWF phrasing is given in bold) using our sample lifters Bob and Joe.

Rule #1: Best result - highest first: if identical, then:
This one is pretty simple - if Bob’s total is 170 kg and Joe’s total is 165 kg, then Bob wins because his total is higher. If they both total 170 kg, then we move on to Rule #2 . . .

Rule #2: Best Clean & Jerk result – lowest first; if identical, then:
Bob and Joe both total 170 kg in keeping with the example above. Bob’s best clean-and-jerk is 90 kg while Joe’s best clean-and-jerk is 100 kg. Bob’s clean-and-jerk is lower than Joe’s, so Bob wins.

This logic can seem a bit strange at first, and we’ll address it after going through the rest of the rules. However, if their best clean-and-jerks are both 90 kg, then we move on to Rule #3 . . .

Rule #3: Best Clean & Jerk result’s attempt number – least number of attempt first; if identical, then:
As stated above, Bob and Joe’s best clean-and-jerks are both 90 kg. Bob hit 90 kg on his 2nd attempt while Joe hit 90 kg on his 3rd attempt. Bob’s attempt number is lower than Joe’s (i.e., 2 is lower than 3), so Bob wins.

Again, if the logic seems strange, don’t worry - we’ll get to it in a moment. On the other hand, if they both clean-and-jerked 90 kg (i.e., their best) on their 2nd attempt, then we move on to Rule #4 . . .

Rule #4: Previous attempt(s) – least number of attempt first; if identical, then:
Now, it gets slightly more complicated. Again, in our example, Bob and Joe both clean-and-jerked 90 kg (i.e., their best) on their 2nd attempt. Bob attempted 85 kg on his first attempt while Joe opened at 86 kg. Since 85 is less than 86, Bob wins.

If they both hit 90 kg for their best clean-and-jerk on their second attempts, and they both opened at 85 kg, then we move on to Rule #5 . . .

Rule #5: Lot number – lowest first.
Last time - we promise. Bob and Joe both clean-and-jerk 90 kg (i.e., their best) on their 2nd attempt, and they both opened at 85 kg. Bob’s lot number is 15 while Joe’s lot number is 23. Bob’s lot number is lower than Joe’s, so Bob wins.

These rules can seem pretty convoluted, but if you’re actually watching the meet, it’s pretty simple. Rule #1 is fairly obvious - whoever lifts the most wins. After that, when it comes to the tiebreaker rules (i.e., Rules #2-5), the basic idea is that whoever hits that 170 kg total first - in time - wins. For example, if Bob establishes his 170 kg total at 1:30 p.m., and Joe establishes his 170 kg total at 1:40 p.m., Bob wins since he got to 170 kg earlier in the day than Joe did. Seriously - that’s it.

In the example for Rule #2, Bob’s total is cemented in place when he hits 90 kg for his last successful lift. That means his total is 170 kg before Joe ever steps on the platform to attempt 100 kg. In other words, Bob is rewarded for having staked his claim to 170 kg first - Joe could have gone for 101 kg to total 171 kg, but he instead went for the tie at 170 kg, and since Bob got there first, he wins.

All of the other rules that follow are simply worded to guarantee that this same concept applies in all situations, which can require some serious thought when considering how the order of lifting is determined in weightlifting (for more on that, read this article).

So simply remember this - in the case of a tie, if you hit the total first, you win.

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