The Daily Testify - October 2, 2023
/THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION
From our video Is Your Squat Stuck? It's Not Why You Think. (click the title to watch):
Mcluhan Salem
Coach what can happen if I lift my chest? To be sure I'm not doing it
Phil
To be clear, you will lift your chest eventually - after all, we finish the squat in a standing up, vertical position. The key is that you don't want to raise your chest too soon, which is why the cue "stay in your lean" works well. If you maintain your back angle for about the first half to two-thirds of the ascent, you'll be in good shape.
If you raise your chest too soon, you'll note that the squat slows down, is harder than it should be, and depending on the severity of the error, your knees might actually move forward when you start raising your chest.
Mcluhan Salem
Thank you
Phil
You’re welcome.
ARTICLES & VIDEOS
How to Build Pulling Blocks | Easy DIY Deadlift Blocks
Need some easy-to-make pulling blocks for deficit deadlifts, block pulls, benching, or even a makeshift deadlift platform? We've got you covered. Click here to watch.
You're (Probably) Destroying Your Squat . . . Before You Even Start.
Is your soft, sloppy unrack destroying your squat before you even start the first rep? Let's find out. Click here to watch.
Get Stronger . . . Faster?
You want to get stronger, but you don't have all day to spend at the gym. Phil discusses how to productively train while still saving time at the gym. Click here to read.
Blast from the Past: Lifting Belts | Width, When, Where, and What!
Phil covers the 4 Ws of lifting belts: width of belts, when to use a belt, where to wear your belt, and what to do once the belt is on. Click here to watch.
Blast from the Past: Barbell Rings - What Are These Things For?!
Phil covers the difference between the weightlifting rings and the powerlifting rings and why it's important. Click here to read.
NEW TESTIFY GEAR!
Baseball season is here, and so is Testify’s new 3/4 raglan shirt - in multiple colors! Get yours today and represent your favorite gym!
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 Fall Classic
October 21, 2023
The Testify Fall Classic is back for 2023, and we invite you to be a part of it! This is a strengthlifting meet, which means the contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift.
Click here to register or for more information.
Free Intro to Deadlift Session
November 4, 2023
Are you interested in getting stronger? Book your free "Intro to Deadlift" session and learn to deadlift, meet some of our coaches, and see the gym! All ages and abilities are welcome.
Click here to book your free session.
Benching Bonanza! The Annual Testify Bench Press Jubilee
November 17, 2023
Benching Bonanza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the bench press. There will be one bar, and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It'll be a ton of fun, so come on out!
Click here to register or for more information.
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 2023.07.31.
Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m
Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = slowest time.
Compare to 2023.07.10.
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 2023.06.12.
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 2023.06.12.
You're (Probably) Destroying Your Squat . . . Before You Even Start.
/Is your soft, sloppy unrack destroying your squat before you even start the first rep? Let's find out.
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.
Get Stronger . . . Faster?
/Want to get strong but need to spend less time at the gym? This article is for you.
Let it be said - there’s nothing wrong with spending a lot of time at the gym. If you don’t need to save time, then this article probably isn’t for you, but a lot of people need to get through their workouts in a reasonable amount of time - they need to get in, get done, and get out - so if this describes your situation, let’s improve things with two quick tips.
Tip #1: Go Through Your Warm-ups Quickly
Warm-ups are where you save time. Don’t rest between your warm-up sets. For example, in the squat, do your empty bar squats, then immediately grab your next warm-up weight, put it on the bar, and perform that set. Again, immediately grab the next warm-up weight and then do that set, and so forth and so on.
Sure, after your last set, wait several minutes before your first work set - you want to be rested for your work sets, after all - and definitely rest between your work sets, but again, your warm-ups are where you save time. If you keep moving, you can get to your first work set of squats within 10 minutes of squatting the empty bar.
If you need an additional reminder to keep moving, set a timer (I use one regularly when training) or even tell yourself to get a little out of breath during your warm-ups. It’s okay if this happens during the warm-up process - the warm-up weights are light, so it’s not going to be a problem, and remember, you’re going to rest appropriately before your first work set anyway, so you won’t be out of breath anymore at that point.
Tip #2: Warm Up Your Next Lift Between Your Work Sets
Using the squat and press as examples, after you’ve done your first work set of squats, start warming up your press (you’ll need a second barbell to utilize this tip). Do a couple empty bar sets, then have a seat for several minutes, and then perform your second work set of squats.
As always, make sure you’re well rested before starting a work set, but you can certainly perform most, if not all, of the next lift’s warm-ups by the time you finish the current lift’s work sets. Not surprisingly, this works best if the two lifts are relatively unrelated, like the squat and press example used here (e.g., warming up the deadlift between squat work sets isn’t a great idea).
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?
Lifting Belts | Width, When, Where, and What!
/Phil covers the 4 Ws of lifting belts: width of belts, when to use a belt, where to wear your belt, and what to do once the belt is on.
(This is a Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/22/22.)
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.
Barbell Rings - What Are These Things For?!
/(This is a Blast from the Past article originally posted on 08/27/21.)
Every barbell has one or two pairs of rings - also known as score marks or knurl marks. Today, we’re going to talk about the two types of rings, the purpose of the rings, and how they might pose a problem for a new or inexperienced lifter.
For further explanation and demonstration of the topics covered in this article, be sure to check out any of the included videos.
From top to bottom - barbells with (A) power rings only, (B) weightlifting and powerlifting rings, and (C) weightlifting rings only
The 2 Types of Rings
Using a dual-ringed bar (i.e., a bar with both sets of rings) for reference, the inner rings are known as the powerlifting rings or simply the power rings, and these marks are 81 cm apart (approximately 32 in). The outer rings are known as the weightlifting rings or the olympic rings, and these marks are 91 cm apart (approximately 36 in).
Purpose
Both sets of rings are used for reference points when you take your grip on the bar. In the sport of powerlifting, the power rings on a dedicated powerlifting barbell (or “power bar”) represent the maximum legal grip width for the bench press (i.e., at the widest legal grip, the index fingers still need to be in contact with the rings). In lifts other than the bench press (e.g., the squat) the rings still serve as a reference point upon which to base your grip.
In the sport of weightlifting - i.e., the snatch and clean-and-jerk - due to the wider grip widths used in the clean, the jerk, and specifically the snatch, it is useful to have a wider set of rings for reference, and thus, the weightlifting rings are set a bit wider than the power rings.
The Problem
A potential problem arises when a lifter switches from one barbell to a different barbell. Suppose, for example, that Jack is accustomed to training on a bar that only has one set of rings, and then he travels somewhere and ends up using a dual-ringed bar. Suddenly, Jack’s not sure which set he should be using for his reference point for his grip.
Conversely, let’s say Jill has been training with a dual-ringed bar, and then she goes to her first competition, and the competition bar only has one set of rings. As Jill steps onto the competition platform, she isn’t sure whether she’s looking at the power rings or the weightlifting rings.
The solution here is pretty simple - know your equipment. If you’re not sure which rings you’ve been using, you can easily figure it out. If it’s a dual-ringed bar, you hopefully already know whether you’ve been using the inner set or outer set, and if it's a single-ringed bar, break out your tape measure and check the distance between the rings (32 inches = powerlifting rings and 36 inches = weightlifting rings).
If you have to go train or compete on a different bar, know the following points:
At a powerlifting meet, you’ll either encounter a power bar (i.e., a bar with power rings) or a bar with both sets of rings (less common at a meet).
At a weightlifting meet, you’ll either encounter a weightlifting bar (i.e., a bar with weightlifting rings) or a bar with both sets of rings (again, less common at a meet).
In general training, if you encounter a single-ringed bar, you’re probably - probably - looking at the power rings as these bars are far more common than dedicated weightlifting bars.
While the above points are useful, your best bet is to still measure.
Knowing these facts, you can keep your technique reproducible and therefore consistent wherever you go.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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