How to Breathe and Brace Correctly When Lifting Heavy | Valsalva Maneuver

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Breathing, Valsalva, getting tight, bearing down, bracing?! Learn how & when to breathe and get tight for each individual lift. It's not complicated, but new and experienced lifters get this wrong frequently, so let's fix it. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 11/21/22)

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Simple and Cheap DIY Chalk Stand

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 02/26/21)

When you chalk up for your next set, it’s nice to have a chalk stand. It’s not absolutely necessary, of course, as you can just use a bag of chalk or - better yet - a chalk bucket sitting on the ground. Although those options work, a chalk stand makes much less of a mess than a bag of chalk, and as the stand is raised, you don’t have to reach all the way down to the floor level as you do with a bucket of chalk, which can be a bit of pain if you already have your belt tightened.

With all this in mind, here’s how you can make a simple and cheap chalk stand (feel free to watch the video above if you’d rather not read the steps below):

Step 1
Go to your nearest hardware store and purchase the following items (you may already have some of these items at home). If you’d rather not make the trip, you can click the items below and order from Amazon.

Step 2
Set one bucket on the ground - upside down.

Step 3
Set the other bucket on top of the first bucket - right side up. The closed ends of the two buckets should now be touching.

IMG_6317.jpg

Step 4
Tape the two buckets together by wrapping duct tape around the buckets several times. Tape the “seam” between the buckets as well as above and below the seam. Five or six times around the buckets should do nicely.

Step 5
Spray paint the buckets. This step is optional and is for aesthetic purposes only - it covers up any logos or printing on the buckets. It’s nice to have the paint match the buckets (or as closely as possible) for two reasons:

  • This is supposed to be a quick process, so don’t worry too much about whether you’ve painted the entire apparatus or not. If the logos are covered and the paint closely matches the bucket, it will look just fine.

  • Eventually, the paint will chip or wear in places, and if the bucket is close to the same color as the paint, this won’t be a big deal.

Step 6
Place the lid on the ground - upside down - with a brick, 10 lb plate, or some other relatively heavy object on top of the lid, and then set your new chalk stand on top of the lid and press down so that the lid is attached to the stand. You’ve now weighted the base of your chalk stand and made it much less likely to tip over and spill.

IMG_6318.JPG

Step 7
Put a chalk-topper over the top of the stand. This is optional, but if other people use your chalk stand, you’ll find this greatly helps keep the chalk dust inside the stand. Our chalk toppers are from www.junkbrands.com.

IMG_6316.JPG

Step 8
Place some chalk in the top bucket, and you’re good to go!

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.

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(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?

Do This Once & Instantly Improve Your Squat Form

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Want to improve your squat technique right away? This particular tactic might seem counterintuitive to some - Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and demonstrates.

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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  • Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

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?

The Testify Ledger - April 28, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video How to Warm-up Correctly for Lifting Weights (STOP Using Percentages) (click the title to watch):

John Fish
What about rest intervals?

Phil
Solid question, and we’ve done a few videos that have covered that as well. Here’s one that you might find useful:

Get Stronger . . . Faster! Save Time at the Gym!
https://youtu.be/6-UNUyoPjBE

In general, you don’t need to rest in between your warm-up sets – they are relatively light since they are warm-ups, and therefore the act of changing the weights will provide enough rest between your warm-up sets. (you can rest between them, of course, but if you’re looking to save time, this is an excellent place to do it)

With that said, you probably will want to rest a few minutes before you start your first work set, and you’re definitely going to need to rest sufficiently between work sets.

TESTIFY ONLINE COACHING

Interested in getting stronger working one-on-one remotely with us? Click here to book your free strategy session.

Get Stronger. Live Better. Start Today.

ARTICLES & VIDEOS

Why Does This Bar Position Just Work So Well?
When squatting, why does this particular barbell position work so well, and how do you find the correct location? Click here to watch.

 

Bench Press & the Biggest Mistake You’re Making
You're set to bench press, and for the most part, it's great. But you're missing one big detail. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: The Deadlift: STOP Lifting Your Chest?!
Lack of knee extension and raising your chest too soon on the deadlift are related errors, and in the 4th video in our Saturday Shorts series on fixing the deadlift, Phil covers how to correct these issues and add pounds to your pull. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: THIS is Destroying Your Press . . . and Driving Me Nuts
Phil covers how NOT to make a very common press error. Click here to read.

TESTIFY 3/4 SLEEVE SHIRTS ARE UP!

Baseball season is here, so represent your favorite team - well, gym - in style!

PLUS - you get four different options to choose from!

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 - Teams Edition!

  • May 23, 2025

  • Grab a partner and take on the barbell at Testify Barbell MAYhem – Teams Edition! One lifter snatches. The other cleans & jerks. One epic night of strength, teamwork, and mayhem.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Testify IronFest VII

  • June 20, 2025

  • 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.

Deadapalooza! The Annual Testify Deadlift Festival

  • August 15, 2025

  • Deadapalooza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the deadlift. There will be one bar (possibly multiple bars if numbers dictate), and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It's 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 2025.03.24.

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 2025.02.03.

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 ft sled push (50 ft down-back)
100 ft farmer carry (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 min

Compare to 2025.01.06.

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 2024.01.06.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

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.

Bench Press & the Biggest Mistake You’re Making

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

You’re missing out on something big when it comes to your bench press, so let’s identify it and fix it real quick.

The Error
You’re set up to bench - you’ve got your stance at roughly squat width, you're driving with your legs for stability and to support your arch, you’ve got the barbell positioned in the base of the palms over the bones of your forearms, and you’ve established a stationary focal point on the ceiling.

What could you possibly be missing?

Shoulder retraction.

Why It’s Important
The bar is balanced over your shoulders, so you want as strong, stable, and safe of a platform as possible from which to bench. With this in mind, you want your shoulders pulled back into retraction. Specifically, you want them pulled back and down (i.e., toward your butt), but if you’re driving hard with your legs to support your arch while simultaneously lifting your chest, you’re already taking care of the down aspect.

You pull them back to create a wider base of support on the bench, i.e., so it’s not just the middle of your back in contact with the bench. You also pull them back to help reduce any chance of impingement when benching.

Note the height of the barbell (compared to the exit sign in the background) when mike sets up poorly (left) vs when he correctly retracts his shoulders (right).

Additionally, you pull them back to slightly reduce the range of motion on the bench press. This isn’t cheating, by the way; instead, it’s reinforcing a stable and correct range of motion as compared to the unstable and incorrect range of motion created by protracted shoulders.

Locking out the bench press on protracted shoulders is like locking out your squat standing up on your toes. Sure, it’s a longer range of motion, but it’s not stable, and it’s also idiotic. Benching with retracted shoulders is analogous to squatting with your feet firmly anchored to the floor.

What to Do
When setting up to bench, cue yourself to pull your shoulders back. Try to keep them pulled back when unracking the bar, but if they slip out of position slightly, make sure to re-retract them before starting your first rep.

When locking out a rep at the top, keep your shoulders pulled back. If you notice the outsides of your shoulders “jumping” up off the bench slightly when you finish a rep (watch yourself on video), cue yourself to “finish deliberately” or “lock out with control” as opposed to locking out aggressively.

You can also cue yourself to “lock it out with short arms” or try to lock out the bench press with the barbell as close to your chest as possible. This drives home the idea that, although your elbows are obviously straight at lockout, your shoulders should be pulled back so that the bar isn’t any further away from your chest than necessary.

Pull your shoulders back, keep them back, 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?

The Deadlift: STOP Lifting Your Chest?!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Lack of knee extension and raising your chest too soon on the deadlift are related errors, and in the 4th video in our Saturday Shorts series on fixing the deadlift, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers how to correct these issues and add pounds to your pull.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 11/19/22)

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.

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?