Week 2023.01.23

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

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 2022.11.21.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m

Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = slowest time.

Compare to 2022.10.31.

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 2022.10.03.

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 2022.10.03.

Improve ALL of Your Lifts with This Cue?!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Due to their technical nature, cues usually are very lift-specific. For example, “hips back, chest down” works really well for the squat, but it doesn’t work for a press or a bench press. However, there are exceptions to this rule; not too long ago, we made a video (check it out below) about the idea of a positive cue versus a negative cue. I'm not going to give the whole video away right here, but that concept - it's not really a cue, but it's a type of cue - applies to all lifts, and today’s topic is very similar. 

We’re talking about the cue of “slow start” or simply “slow down.” Typically, when you use this cue (either of them), you're going to use it in your warm-ups or at least when the weight is light enough that slowing down shouldn't negatively affect the lift, i.e., it's not always going to work so well when the weight gets heavy. 

Let’s take a look at a few examples of this cue in action. On the press, some people struggle with “winding up the hips,” i.e., the hips should move forward first, but some lifters tend to move the hips backward before moving them forward. This can be a difficult habit to break, but if you simply tell yourself “slow down” or “slow start,” you can resist the urge to have your hips go back and instead slowly force your hips to go forward.

On the squat, a common error is to lead with the hips on the descent; in other words, the lifter bends or breaks at the hips first and then bend the knees, whereas we would like to see simultaneous breaking of the hips and knees.

If you break at the hips first, just tell yourself “slow start,” and that will give you the time - during those first couple inches of descent - to focus on making your knees go forward and out at the same time that your hips go backward.

On the clean, you want to make sure that the barbell touches your thighs at the jumping position (roughly the mid-thigh), so when we teach it - and you can always do this when you're when you're practicing this on your own - we go slow at first because we have to learn to touch that point on the thighs every single time.

Eventually, it will be quick, and in fact, eventually it must be quick since a heavy clean or snatch won’t be successful if it’s slow, but the lift needs to be correct before it’s quick. As a result, if you're missing that point on the thighs, simply tell yourself to slow down, and when you get to that point on your thighs, that’s when you speed up. Again, in reality, the entire lift should be speeding up, but if you’re working to correct something, slowing down can be very useful.

Hopefully, this helps you in your training, 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.)

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 2023.01.16

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

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 2022.11.14.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = lowest distance.

Compare to 2022.10.24.

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 2022.09.26.

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 2022.09.26.

Basic Barbell Maintenance

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

My wife, Becky, and I have two bare steel barbells in our garage gym, and while bare steel is unmatched in terms of grip and feel, it does require a bit of maintenance. Bars with a protective coating (e.g., zinc) will need some attention from time to time as well - simply less frequently.

With all of this in mind, let’s dive into how to perform some simple barbell maintenance.

Brush the Chalk Off the Barbell
The upside to chalk is that it absorbs the moisture of your hands and thus provides a secure grip on the bar. However, the downside is that chalk can hold some of that moisture and keep it on the bar even after you’re done training, and that can encourage rust formation on your bar.

To prevent this, simply brush the chalk off the bar every time you’re done training. A cheap nylon bristle brush will do the job just fine, and brushing off the chalk will take you about 20 seconds tops. Every member at Testify does this (whether the bar is bare steel or not) as well, and it helps tremendously.

APPLYING OIL TO THE BARBELL

Oil the Barbell Shaft
About once a month (perhaps even more infrequently), you’ll need a few things: 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil, a brass bristle brush, and a clean rage or two. The oil will help remove rust from the bar as well as apply a protective coating to help prevent future rust. Simply apply a bit of oil to the bar (watch the video above for an example) and then use the brass bristle brush to brush in the oil. After that, take a clean rag and then wipe down the bar to absorb any excess oil.

You can spend more time on any trouble spots, but if you’re doing this on a semi-regular basis, this will do an excellent job of protecting and caring for your bar. If you’ve got a bar that needs some serious rust removal, we also have a video that goes into depth on that process.

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

Week of 2023.01.09

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

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 2022.11.07.

Option 2
Bike/row:
5 min on
4 min off
4 min on
3 min off
3 min on
2 min off
2 min on
1 min off
1 min on

Record distance for each interval and add for total distance.

Compare to 2022.10.17.

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

Compare to 2022.09.19.

Option 4
For time:
500m row
5 x 80m sled push (200 ft if indoors)
500m row

Rest 1 minute after the first row and after each sled push.

Compare to 2022.09.19.

The 9th Circle of Deadlift Hell: The Drifting Barbell

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/30/22)

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.

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

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