Testify Sun - October 28, 2024
/THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION
From our video The BEST Shoes for Lifting! (click the title to watch):
James Lee grant
Hi what shoe do you personally wear/recommend
Phil
I wear a pair of Nike Romaleos 2. I bought them used off of Ebay back in 2016 or 2017 and have been wearing the same pair since then. They're still in excellent shape, and the only thing I've had repaired on them is the velcro as it was starting to wear out (wasn't gripping as well). If I needed to replace them - and if they still made them - I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.
That said, the version Nike makes now - the Romaleos 4 - is also excellent. If I had to get a pair of shoes today, I'd get them, and this is the first shoe we linked to in the description below the video (https://amzn.to/3LAYn8d).
If those weren't available, I'd probably go with the current generation of the VS Athletics shoe, which we also linked to in the description (https://amzn.to/3LGoYB6). I've trained in those on a couple of occasions (e.g., when my shoes were in the shop), I recommend them often to new members, and they're solid. A close cousin would be the Do-Win weightlifting shoe - also a good choice.
Adidas lifting shoes (https://amzn.to/3WbFVJk) tend to to be too narrow for my feet. The Inov-8 shoe in the description (https://amzn.to/3xIoXGZ) is a good option, and a number of our members wear those and like them a lot. I simply have a lot of training history with my Nikes and thus would probably stick with the same brand as the 4s are reasonably close in design to the 2s that I currently wear.
James Lee grant
@TestifySC ok ty I was deciding between romaleos 4 or classic do wins. I do have wide feet so good to know about Adidas
James Lee grant
@TestifySC are they true to size?
Phil
They seem to be - at least the 2s. I can't speak for the current generation (i.e., the 4s). I usually wear a 12 or 12.5 in most shoes, and my Romaleos 2 are a size 12. I've also trained in a size 12.5, and those have fit as well.
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ARTICLES & VIDEOS
How Not to DIE on the Bench Press (2 easy tips)
Bench pressing by yourself? It can be the most dangerous lift in the weight room, but it can also be incredibly safe with these two easy tips. Click here to watch.
Do CrossFitters Make the BEST Deadlifters?!
“The short answer is ‘No.’ However, there is one thing that efficient CrossFitters tend to do well when deadlifting, and we might be able to learn something about the deadlift from observing this phenomenon…” Click here to read.
Blast from the Past: Starting Strength Squat/Low Bar Squat | Fix Your FOCAL POINT!
Is your ridiculous focal point ruining your squat? Where should you look when you squat? In this video - our 4th in a series of Saturday Shorts on fixing the squat - Phil quickly discusses and demonstrates how to solve this problem. Click here to watch.
Blast from the Past: Knee Position in the Split Jerk
Back leg too straight in your split jerk? Front knee too far forward? Phil explains knee position in the split jerk and helps you fix a few common problems. Click here to read.
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WHAT'S COMING UP
The annual Testify Fall Classic was a great success this weekend, and we are immensely thankful to everyone who helped out! Loaders, judges, table officials, those who helped setup and tear down - we could not have hosted this meet without you all!
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.
Benching Bonanza! The Annual Testify Bench Press Jubilee
November 22, 2024
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.
Barbell Blizzard! A Winter Wonderland of Weights
December 14, 2024
Barbell Blizzard is a team strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2-4 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will receive 3 attempts for each lift.
Click here to register or for more information.
IN OTHER NEWS . . .
There will be a small price increase for members who have grandfathered membership rates. Please be on the lookout for an email with the details (only members with grandfathered rates will receive an email from me). If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at barb.mueller@testifysc.com.
Thank you for your understanding and commitment to getting stronger with us at Testify Strength & Conditioning!
Barb Mueller
barb.mueller@testifysc.com
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 2024.08.26.
Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m
Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = slowest time.
Compare to 2024.08.05.
Option 3
1. 5 x 50 ft seated sled pull. Add weight each round. Rest as needed.
2. 5 x 100 ft duck walk. Add weight each round. Rest as needed.
Compare to 2024.07.08.
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 2024.07.08.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better!
Do CrossFitters Make the BEST Deadlifters?!
/Do CrossFitters make the best deadlifters? The short answer is “No.”
However, there is one thing that efficient CrossFitters tend to do well when deadlifting, and we might be able to learn something about the deadlift from observing this phenomenon.
The Problem You Want to Solve
A common problem that we see with new lifters (and yes, even experienced lifters) is that of lowering the barbell in an extremely inefficient manner. While lowering the deadlift should be the easiest part of the lift, it very often is not.
When setting the bar down, the goal is to lower it rather quickly in a straight, vertical line so that it lands right over the middle of the foot - in other words, in the same place from which you started the previous rep. However, in a misguided attempt (whether consciously or subconsciously) to keep the back vertical, a lifter often makes this process difficult, inefficient, and almost painful to watch.
Figure 1: Good heavens - don’t do this.
If this is you, then you’re making the mistake of starting to lower the bar primarily by bending the knees. As the knees bend, they go forward and become an obstacle for the bar (Figure 1), so you have to lower the bar around your knees.
This curved path is much harder to create and manage than the simple vertical line we’d like to see. You’ll feel the increased difficulty immediately in your back since you’ve made the job harder for your back than it should be.
Why Do Many CrossFitters Do This Efficiently?
It has everything to do with deadlifting during a metcon, i.e., deadlifting a high number of reps at speed when racing against a clock.
Don’t get me wrong - performing high rep deadlifts at speed is certainly not ideal for learning and encouraging solid deadlift technique. However, and for example, if you’re doing fifty deadlift reps for time, you may tend to become rather efficient (again, consciously or subconsciously) at lowering the bar simply because you’re trying to conserve energy.
In other words, you’re letting gravity do all the work of lowering the bar, and herein lies the key.
The Solution
Gravity likes to pull things down in a straight, vertical line, which is exactly the bar path you want when setting the deadlift down. You’re not going to drop the bar, of course, but one of your main tasks when setting it down is to simply stay out of the barbell’s way.
figure 2: this is much better.
You do this by keeping your knees out of the way (i.e., you keep your knees back) and bending mostly at the hips rather than the knees (Figure 2). You want the bar to travel straight down over the middle of the foot, so your job is to stay the heck out of the barbell’s way so that gravity can pull it there for you.
Bow to the Floor . . . Fast
To do this, reach back with your hips, bend over, and slide the barbell down your thighs, and this is how we teach lowering the deadlift in the first place. However, if that concept isn’t working for you, simply cue yourself to “bow to the floor . . . fast.”
To see this solution in action, watch one of the videos included in this article.
Don’t drop the bar, and don’t destroy your platform, but you can and indeed should lower your deadlifts pretty quickly. While your knees shouldn’t be locked straight, they should stay back out of the way, and the concept of bowing to the floor often helps with this.
Bow to the floor, keep your knees out of the way, let gravity do the work for you, and you’ll do a great job setting the bar down right over the middle of your foot. It’s simple, it’s efficient, and you won’t have to roll the bar back to the correct position before starting the next rep (because it will already be there).
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. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?
Starting Strength Squat/Low Bar Squat | Fix Your FOCAL POINT!
/Is your ridiculous focal point ruining your squat? Where should you look when you squat? In this video - our 4th in a series of Saturday Shorts on fixing the squat - Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers quickly discusses and demonstrates how to solve this problem.
(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 08/20/22)
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?
Knee Position in the Split Jerk
/(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/21/22)
A common problem with new lifters and the split jerk - and it can be a problem with experience lifters, too - is that of knee position. The back knee often requires a bit more attention than the front knee, but we'll cover the front knee position briefly before moving on to the back knee.
Figure 1
For a demonstration of these problems and their solutions, check out the short video included near the end of this article.
Problem #1: Front Shin Angled Forward
When you lock the barbell out overhead in the split jerk, you want the front shin to be roughly vertical as Becky demonstrates in Figure 1, so if you find that your shin tends to be angled forward when you land as Becky demonstrates in Figure 2, you probably need to reach further with your front foot.
Figure 2: front shin angled forward
How to Fix This Problem
To help with this, try cueing yourself to reach further - specifically, reach forward with your front heel. Thus, the cue is “front heel forward” or “reach with your heel.”
If necessary, you can picture yourself landing with your front shin actually angled backward. In other words, envision your landing position with your front heel ahead of your front knee. While this mental picture is an exaggerated one and not the actual position we want (and thus represents an overcue), it can occasionally be useful in achieving the correct position.
Problem #2: Back Knee Completely Straight
As for the back leg, we want the knee to be bent or unlocked with the back heel off the ground as you see Becky demonstrate in Figure 1.
Figure 3: don’t do this.
While the knee bend is not going to be 90 degrees - so don't do what Becky’s doing in Figure 3 - we certainly don't want the back knee to be completely straight either, and that's a common problem that needs to be addressed.
A straight back leg tends to jam the lifter forward onto the front foot. Note the difference between the correct position in Figure 4a versus the straight leg position in Figure 4b.
If you find that you're landing forward with an excessive amount of weight on your front foot, it's very possible that you need to bend your back knee.
Another problem with a straight back leg is that the depth or amount of drop you can achieve in the split should come from the hip joint and the knee joints of both legs. You can clearly see this with the front leg - the hip is flexed (i.e., bent), and the knee is bent, and those two factors together allow the lifter to drop down into position.
Figure 4a (left) vs Figure 4b (right)
The hip and knee of the back leg should also contribute to the drop, but if the back knee is completely straight, it can't contribute to the dropping motion. This will typically mean that the only way to drop lower is to bend the front knee even more, which then pushes the front knee forward into a weaker position.
On a lesser note, allowing the back knee to bend means the hip of the back leg doesn't have to occupy as severe an angle as it otherwise would. Again, note the difference between the two positions shown in Figure 4a and 4b - if you try this yourself, you'll note the difference in sensation at the hip as well as in the low back. The bent knee position will feel stronger and more stable.
How to Fix This Problem
To help fix a straight back leg, try one of the following cues immediately before performing the jerk:
The most straightforward approach is simply “bend the back knee” or “bend the knee.”
If the above cue doesn’t work, try “drop the back knee” or simply “back knee down.”
Finally, you can also cue yourself to land with more weight on your back leg or foot.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)