Week of 2023.04.24

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION
From our video Valsalva and Your Deadlift (click the title to watch):

Duguay Lima
What if i release the air and “renew” the valsava on the top?

Phil
Breathing in and out only occurs at one point (on pretty much every lift). In the squat, this is the top of the movement. In the deadlift, this is when the bar is sitting on the floor.

With this in mind, we specifically coach lifters to continue holding the Valsalva at the top of the deadlift and until the bar is back on the floor. Air is support, and you're still supporting the bar at the top of the lift, so we want to keep that held breath.

This can be a hard habit to break (like any habit) if you're used to releasing your breath at the top (not difficult physically - you just have to remind yourself, and that's the easy part to mess up), but in the long run, you'll adjust, and it's not difficult to do.

Hope this helps!

ARTICLES & VIDEOS

Get a Bigger Squat Now with 3 Simple Tips!
Want to get your squat moving in the right direction? Of course you do. In this video, we cover three simple and quick ways to improve your squat. Click here to watch.

Never Make This Squat Mistake Again! | Fast Fix
This squat mistake either makes you look ignorant or like you're compensating for something. Either way, it's not a good look. We help you fix it in this short video. Click here to watch.

This is Destroying Your Press . . . and Driving Me Nuts
"This error is wreaking havoc on your press . . . and driving me nuts," says Phil. Learn to correct it quickly and permanently. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: Free (or cheap!) Strongman and Conditioning Equipment
Whether you're interested in competing in strongman or spicing up your conditioning options, there are a number of strongman equipment options that you can get for free or at least very cheaply - especially if you're willing to put in a bit of DIY effort. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: Why Do You Put the Bar There When You Squat?
We cover the correct location for the bar when squatting as well as why we put it there. Click here to read.

NEW TESTIFY GEAR!
Summer's coming, and we've got women's and men’s tank tops in multiple colors. Get 'em while they're hot! (Ok, actually, get 'em before it gets hot.)

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

WHAT'S COMING UP
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.

Testify Barbell MAYhem weightlifting meet

  • May 6, 2023

  • Click here to register or for more information.

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.

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 2023.02.20

Option 2
Bike/row:
8 x 30 sec on/2:00 off

Score = least distance covered in any 30 second interval

Compare to 2023.01.30.

Option 3
Outdoors:
5-10 rounds:
50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)
50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 min

Indoors:
5-10 rounds:
100 yd sled push (50 ft down-back)
100 yd farmer carry (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 min

Compare to 2023.01.02.

Option 4
Row 10 x 100m
Rest 1 min between sprints. Your score is your slowest time.

Compare to 2023.01.02.

THIS is Destroying Your Press . . . and Driving Me Nuts

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Are you adjusting your wrist and elbow positioning after unracking the barbell when pressing? Stop that. Stop unracking the press like a doofus. Doofusses (Doofuses? Doofusi?) are the worst at pressing.

This makes me want to throw up in my mouth just a little bit.

We see this mistake often - the mistake of unracking the press, stepping back, and only then getting the elbows slightly forward of the bar and wrists neutral. This is inefficient, it wastes time when you’re supporting the bar, and it gets harder and harder to do as the weight on the bar gets heavier.

In the squat, we don’t make adjustments to the bar or our grip after unracking the bar, and the press is no different.

In fact, this same concept is how you check if you’re doing it correctly - after unracking the bar (i.e., after standing it up from the hooks with your legs), if nothing from your waist upward needs to change position before starting the set, you’ve got it right. You simply take two small steps back from the rack, take a breath, and start the set. On the other hand, if you have to adjust anything above the waist between the unrack and the start of your first rep, you’re unracking it incorrectly.

So, let’s get it right before you unrack it. Set your grip and wrists correctly, dip down far enough (with your hips and legs) so that you can get your elbows slightly in front of the bar, and then stand the bar up while maintaining that exact position. Watch the included video (above) for a quick demonstration of how to correctly - and incorrectly - accomplish this.

If you mess up, don’t fix your wrists and elbows after the unrack; when you do this, you’re reinforcing a bad habit. Instead, simply re-rack the bar, fix it, and then unrack it. Be correct and consistent - from the empty bar up to your work weight, every unracking of the bar should be the same.

If you unrack it correctly every time, your press will be better off, and you won’t look like a doofus. Which is good.

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

Why Do You Put the Bar There When You Squat?

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 02/19/21)

Listen up, folks - we’re going to discuss something you’ve probably never thought about before - why we put the barbell in the low bar position when we squat. Specifically, we’re going to discuss an anatomical rationale for placing the bar in The Position, so for today, we’ll be skipping the mechanical discussions about moment arms, hip drive, etc. (but as I was a physics teacher in a past life, we can geek out on that some other time if you like).

If you take a person who has never squatted before, maybe even a person who has squatted before, and you say, “Hey, go over there and squat that bar down and up” - which is unfortunately a fairly common approach to coaching - pretty much everyone in the world will go over to the rack, get under the bar, and they will then place the bar in what is called the high bar position (only they don’t know it’s called that), and they’ll stand upright with the bar sitting up high on the shelf provided by your traps.

They will do this because it’s easy and it’s obvious. It’s easy because it doesn’t require much - if any - flexibility (although it actually can be tough for some people), and it’s obvious because it’s the first potential shelf that the bar runs into as you slide under the bar.

However, remember that this position - the position of standing upright - is the easiest position in the entire squat. You know this because you can stand there supporting a lot more weight than you can actually squat. As this is the easiest position to assume, we might be wise not to let this position dictate the location of the bar.

Instead, we’re going to slide just a bit further forward - further under the bar, if you will - until the bar slides past the traps and is now supported on the shelf provided by your delts. We choose this location for the bar - not because it’s the easiest position to achieve when standing up (because it is not) - but rather because it’s the most secure location for the bar when you’re actually squatting.

Picture yourself at the bottom of your squat - you’ve got a nice, leaned-over torso, and now, with the bar sitting in The Position, any downward motion of the bar (i.e., rolling or sliding down your back) is blocked by your delts, and any upward motion is blocked by your traps. The bar is pinned between these two muscle groups in a very secure manner, and a bar that doesn’t want to move up or down your back is a very good thing when squatting heavy weights.

Now that you’ve got something to think about as you rest between work sets, it’s time to get to squatting.

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 2023.04.17

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION
From our video What You Should NEVER Do When Deadlifting! (click the title to watch):

Zachary Klimczak
Hey Phil - how do straps come into play? You've done a few videos on lifting straps, but it wasn't clear where those could be introduced over the hook grip and/or the mixed grip. Love your content. Thanks.

Phil
Thanks, Zackary! When a guy (or gal) is working through the linear progression, we just have him use hook grip or mixed grip. If he's got some type of problem with one hand (we've seen injuries, etc.) where that's not possible past a certain point, then we'd have him use straps as soon as it's necessary, but in general, on the LP, use hook grip or mixed grip.

As the program changes, a lifter might have heavy rack pulls or more deadlift volume on certain days. For rack pulls, use straps (they get very heavy - a set of 5 can be pulled around your 1 RM deadlift weight). For a session with multiple work sets of deadlift, we usually have a lifter pull his first set with hook grip or mixed grip and then use straps for any subsequent sets.

This is especially useful for olympic lifters. They hook grip a lot throughout the week due to the snatch and clean, so their thumbs (and hands in general) can take a beating, and thus straps are useful to preserve their hands (because they MUST hook grip for snatches and cleans).

ARTICLES & VIDEOS

Do CrossFitters Make the Best Deadlifters?!
What are CrossFitters good at when it comes to the deadlift, and how can this particular phenomenon help you improve your deadlift? Click here to watch.

What You Should Never Do When Deadlifting!
Are you making this mistake when deadlifting? Well . . . don't. Let's fix it fast. Click here to watch.

Motivation is for Suckers
Struggling with motivation to get to the gym and train? Learn why you're approaching it all wrong. Phil explains in Testify's weekly article. Click here to read.

NEW TESTIFY GEAR!
Summer's coming, and we've got men's and women's tank tops in multiple colors. Get 'em while they're hot! (Ok, actually, get 'em before it gets hot.)

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

WHAT'S COMING UP
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.

Testify Barbell MAYhem weightlifting meet

  • May 6, 2023

  • Click here to register or for more information.

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 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 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 2023.02.13.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m

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

Compare to 2023.01.23.

Option 3
1st: 5 x 50 ft seated sled pull. Add weight each round. Rest as needed.
2nd: 5 x 100 ft duck walk. Add weight each round. Rest as needed.

Compare to 2022.12.26.

Option 4
Outdoors
4 rounds:
50 yd farmer carry
80 m sled drag
Rest 2 min

Indoors
4 rounds:
100 ft farmer carry
100 ft sled drag
Rest 2 min

Compare to 2022.12.26.

Motivation is for SUCKERS

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Motivation is for fools. Motivation is for wieners. Don’t trust your motivation.

People far more eloquent and well-known than me - admittedly a rather low bar in both cases - have said some version of this sentiment, but if you’ve never seen or heard it, it’s important that you do so today: Motivation is for suckers.

We are all fools and suckers at various times in our lives - I’ve certainly been both of those on more occasions than I care to admit - but when it comes to training, you’ve got to know that you do not trust motivation.

Instead, trust habit. Trust discipline. Trust delayed gratification. These are all various ways of saying essentially the same thing. Go in and simply punch the clock on a regular basis.

99% of the time, training is exactly that - going in and punching the clock. Sure, you’ll have days where you’re jazzed up to train, but you’re going to have a ton of days where you don’t particularly want to touch a barbell, and this is especially true the longer you’ve trained. PRs get harder to come by over time - after all, the stronger you get, the harder it is to get even stronger.

Punch the clock anyway. You have permission from me - for all that matters - to not want to train . . . and still go and train anyway. All those workouts where you’re excited to get in the gym and train? In the long run, those aren’t the difference makers - those aren’t the ones where you make the most progress. But the workouts where you didn’t feel like going to the gym and went anyway? Those are your moneymakers. You keep stringing those days together, and over time, that’s how you make progress. Being consistent. Punching the clock.

Are you stoked to brush your teeth? Probably not, but you do it anyway. On the days that you’re not motivated to get to the gym, treat your training the same way.

It’s ok to not be motivated and still train. Training isn’t life, but it makes the quality of the rest of your life better. Get to work. Punch that clock.

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 2023.04.10

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

This Week’s Conditioning

Option 1
”Prowler Base+1”
1. Load up a manageable weight.
2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.
3. Rest 30 sec.
4. Repeat 5-15 times.

Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” (on Starting Strength).

Compare to 2023.02.06.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

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

Compare to 2023.01.16.

Option 3
1. Work up to a heavy single on the axle clean-and-press (i.e., ground to overhead).
2. 5 x 100 ft Zercher carry (50 ft down-back). Add weight each round. Rest as needed.

Compare to 2022.12.19.

Option 4
Outdoors:
5 rounds:
15 cal row
50 yd sled push, 100#/50#

Indoors:
5 rounds:
15 cal row
100 ft sled push, 250#/125#

Push sled slow for recovery. Score is slowest row.

Compare to 2022.12.19.