When Benching Heavy, Don't Bench Vertically & Try This Instead

Are you trying to push the bar vertically when you bench press? This seems counterintuitive, but trying to bench vertically is ruining your bench press. 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.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

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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?

Testify Courant - June 23, 2025

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THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video 9 Brutal Truths About Lifting Weights That Seniors LEARN Too Late (click the title to watch):

Jersey Jim
I got 99 problems but Sarcopenia and weakness aren't on the list. Staying strong as you age is the closest thing to the fountain of youth.

Phil
Absolutely!

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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.

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ARTICLES & VIDEOS

How to Build Strength after 50 Without Complication or Confusion
Want to build real strength in your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond — without all the fluff and confusion? In this video, Phil breaks down a simple, proven approach that works, no matter your age or experience. No gimmicks, no guesswork — just clear steps to get stronger, feel better, and stay active for the long haul. Click here to watch.

2 Fatal Deadlift Mistakes: 1 Solution (Simple and Fast)
Are these two errors killing your deadlift? Find out and fix them quickly. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: WHERE Should I Put the Bar for the Squat?
How do you find the best position for the barbell when squatting? Phil shows you in less than 2 minutes with some help from Mike as well. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: What Every New Lifter Gets Wrong - Part II
We discuss a few more common mistakes (and how to correct them) in the 2nd edition of the "Mistakes New Lifters Make" series. Click here to read.

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SLEEVES ARE OVERRATED - GRAB A TESTIFY TANK!

Sun's out, guns out, and we've got men's and women’s tank tops in multiple colors.

Get yours today and represent your favorite gym!

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

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WHAT'S COMING UP

Thanks to everyone who came out and competed at this past weekend’s IronFest VII! Also, a big thank you goes to those who helped out!

Reminder: We will be closed for training on Friday, 07/04/25, in observance of Independence Day.

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.

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.

Minneapolis, MN: Starting Strength Squat & Deadlift Camp

• October 4, 2025

• Spend the day learning the theory and practice of the low bar back squat and the deadlift.

• Participants will spend lots of time on the platform receiving coaching and instruction on the squat and deadlift in a small group setting. We will also have a lecture and discussion on programming and cover how to identify and correct common technical problems.

• Click here to register or for more information.

Benching Bonanza! The Annual Testify Bench Press Jubilee

• November 21, 2025

• Benching Bonanza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - not surprisingly - 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’s a great time for all involved, and we hope to see you there!

• Click here to register or for more information.

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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 2025.05.19.

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 2025.03.31.

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

Compare to 2025.03.03.

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 2025.03.03.

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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.

2 Fatal Deadlift Mistakes: 1 Solution (Simple and Fast)

Let’s briefly cover two mistakes that might just be killing your deadlift, and while we’re at it, we’ll fix them with one simple cue.

A Problem of Balance
Typically, when balance is an issue in the deadlift, the problem is that of your balance and/or the barbell shifting or swinging forward. However, that is not the problem we’re discussing today - we’ve covered that in numerous videos and articles, and you can watch one such video below:

Today’s balance issue is less common but certainly common enough to warrant a quick examination. The problem is twofold and is that of either getting back on your heels during the deadlift or shifting your weight to the outside, “knife-edge,” aspect of your feet.

Mistake #1: Balance Goes Backward
When your balance shifts backward during the deadlift or any standing lift, you’ll feel the weight (i.e., the combined weight of you and the barbell) shift toward your heels, and you may even see (on video) or feel your toes start to lift slightly off the floor as shown in Figure 1.

figure 1: phil (left) demonstrates an exaggerated version of mistake #1 while becky (right) demonstrates slightly more subtle version.

This creates an unstable platform upon which to lift, and as a result, it makes for a weaker, harder, and less efficient pull.

Mistake #2: Balance Goes “Outside”
When your balance shifts to the outside edges of your feet, you’ll typically see the inside edges of your feet start to lift or “flutter” a bit off the floor (Figure 2).

Again, this reduces your ability to effectively transmit force to the floor and makes for a weaker, harder lift.

figure 2: phil and becky demonstrate mistake #2.

One Cue to Rule Them All
Both of these errors are more common when people pull in flat, soft-soled shoes (as Becky demonstrates in the pictures above) as the rigidity of a lifting shoe (which Phil is wearing) helps reduce the likelihood of these errors. That said, it’s possible to make these mistakes in any shoe, so let’s fix these issues quickly.

Simply cue yourself, “Big toe down.” In other words, you are reminding yourself to keep the big toe of each foot firmly attached to the floor.

The big toe is at the front of your foot, so this helps correct the error of your balance shifting backward, and the big toe is also on the inside aspect of your foot, so this helps correct the error of your balance shifting onto the outer edge of your foot as well.

Big toe down.

It’s simple and effective, and as always, we hope these tips help 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.)

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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?

WHERE Should I Put the Bar for the Squat?

How do you find the best position for the barbell when squatting? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers shows you in less than 2 minutes with some help from Coach Mike as well.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/17/22)

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?

What Every New Lifter Gets Wrong - Part II

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 03/26/21)

In Part I of this series - Common Mistakes New Lifters Make (and how to avoid them!) - we discussed the common errors of misloading your bar, forgetting to wear your belt, and forgetting to use chalk or a hook/switch grip for your deadlift.

Parker and Milo make all kinds of mistakes - mistakes only redeemable because the two furballs are moderately cute.

In Part II, we’re going to examine a few other mistakes that new lifters are likely to make, and hopefully, we can help you avoid them or at least quickly correct them. Most of this list is inspired by conversations we have at the gym with new (and sometimes experienced!) lifters, and the mistakes are not listed in any particular order.

Setting the j-hooks too high for the squat (or press/bench press)
For some reason, new lifters often set their j-hooks too high for their squat. You should never be at risk of catching the edge of a hook with the barbell when either unracking the bar at the beginning of your set or racking the bar at the end of your set, so err on the conservative side and set the hooks a bit lower than you think you should. Mid-sternum is a good height to start with, and remember, too low is better than too high - nobody should have to do a calf raise to rack the bar - and you can always raise the hooks later if you’ve set them too low.

Looking for the j-hooks when racking the squat (or press/bench press)
It can be tempting to look at the j-hooks as you’re racking the bar after your last rep. Don’t. Unless you have an exceptionally sneaky and cruel training partner, the hooks didn’t go anywhere while you were squatting, so stop treating them like they have legs. When you’re finished with your last rep, look straight ahead and walk forward until the bar makes (and keeps) solid contact with both uprights. At this point, you’ll know the bar is over the hooks (assuming you set the hooks at a reasonable height - see the previous paragraph), and you can then safely lower the bar down to the hooks. Looking at one hook makes it very likely that you will miss the other, and this tends to be a rather disastrous event - it might not happen today, but it will happen. Don’t look at the hooks.

Breathing in or out while the bar is moving
New lifters often breathe out when the bar is moving upward - we have years of fitness magazines to thank for this inane idea. Again, don’t. Remember: if the bar is moving, you’re not breathing. Instead, inhale before the rep starts and exhale after the rep ends. In other words, all breathing takes place between reps - not during - and for crying in the beer cheese soup, don’t blow your air out at the top of your deadlift. Wait the quarter of a second it takes to lower it to the ground and release your breath when the bar is back on the floor.

Watch one of the included videos above or below for more on how to correctly breathe and perform the Valsalva maneuver.

We hope these tips help you in your training, and we anticipate a “Part III” in the near future.

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.)

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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?

How to Build Strength after 50 Without Complication or Confusion

Want to build real strength in your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond — without all the fluff and confusion? In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down a simple, proven approach that works, no matter your age or experience. No gimmicks, no guesswork — just clear steps to get stronger, feel better, and stay active for the long haul.

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?