Testify Herald - July 7, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video When Deadlifting Heavy, Don't Stand Up & Try This Instead (click the title to watch):

peccie78
Been lifting for 30 years and my deadlift always gave me lower back pain. Also couldn’t feel the power in my legs while lifting. This is the first explanation in years that actually helped me improve. Good job!

Phil
That’s great to hear, and thank you!

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

Don't start deadlifting before you've done THIS
It's simple. It's fast. And skipping it could wreck your deadlift. Phil explains and demonstrates. Click here to watch.

 

If Wrist Wraps Could Talk, They'd Be Screaming at You
Are your wearing your wrist wraps like a goof ball? Don't do that. Let’s fix it. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: How to Deadlift | Set Your Back the RIGHT Way: Part 1
Do you have a tough time setting your back in flat, rigid extension when you deadlift? In Part 1 of this Saturday Shorts series, we walk you through how to solve this problem. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: What Every New Lifter Gets Wrong - Part III
Phil discusses a few more common mistakes (and how to correct them) in the 3rd and final installment of the "Mistakes New Lifters Make" series. Click here to read.

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.

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.

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.

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 2025.06.02.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m

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

Compare to 2025.04.14.

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 2025.03.17.

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 2025.03.17.

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.

If Wrist Wraps Could Talk, They'd Be Screaming at You

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

WHAT A FOOL.

Good heavens. Do not do this. Do not make these mistakes with your wrist wraps.

Problem #1: Forearm warmers are cute, but not useful.
Wrist wraps are not forearm warmers, so don’t wear them as if they are. If you wear your wrist wraps this low (as seen in Figure 1), they don’t provide any stability to your wrist.

Here’s your check - if you can easily bend your wrist backward (i.e., extend your wrist), you’re wearing your wraps in the wrong place.

figure 1: Addi is wearing her wrist wrap too low on the arm, so the wrap provides no support.

Problem #2: Gloves are swell, but not for lifting.
Wrist wraps are not gloves, either, so don’t wear them high up on the hand as if they are. Wearing your wrist wraps this high on the hand (as seen in Figure 2) creates the same problem as wearing them too low - the wraps can’t provide any stability to the wrists.

The check is the same as in Problem #1 - if you can easily bend your wrist backward, you’re wearing your wraps in the wrong place.

figure 2: Addi is wearing her wrist wrap too high on the hand, so the wrap again provides no support.

The Solution
It’s a wrist wrap, so it needs to cover the wrist. Profound, I know, but be sure to realize that since the wrist connects the hand and the forearm, the wrap needs to cover both the hand and the forearm - not simply one or the other.

figure 3: Starting higher on the hand and wrapping lower to the forearm

The job of the wrap is to stabilize the wrist - to provide a belt or a cast for the wrist, in a manner of speaking. With this in mind, start with the wrap on the hand, and as you apply the wrap (Figure 3), start wrapping slightly lower so that the forearm is covered as well.

Then . . . check. Can you bend your wrist backward easily? The wrap shouldn’t completely immobilize the wrist, but it should make it harder to bend the wrist, and if it does, you’ve done your job.

Of course, you need to apply the wrap with enough tension so that it’s rather snug, but that’s a topic for another day, so be sure to check out one of the videos in this article to learn more about where and how to correctly wear your wrist wraps.

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.)

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

How to Deadlift | Set Your Back the RIGHT Way: Part 1

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Do you have a tough time setting your back in flat, rigid extension when you deadlift? In Part 1 of this Saturday Shorts series, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers walks you through how to solve this problem.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/24/22)

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?

book a free intro

What Every New Lifter Gets Wrong - Part III

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Can you see what Dawson is doing wrong here? Hint - Dawson can’t.

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 04/09/21)

In Part I and Part II of our series on common mistakes new lifters make (as well as how to avoid them), we’ve discussed everything from misloading your bar to breathing at the wrong time when lifting. Today, in Part III, we’ll continue by looking at a few other errors you might make when starting out and talk about how to correct them as well.

Unloading the bar by more than one 45 pound plate difference (squat, bench, press)
If you’ve ever seen an unevenly loaded barbell cartwheel off the rack, you’ll know what we’re talking about here, and if you haven’t, well, that’s a good thing. When you load or unload the barbell, there will be differences in weight from from one side to the other as you load weight on one side of the bar and then repeat the process on the opposite side of the bar.

A little asymmetry won’t cause the barbell to tip over, but the key is to keep that asymmetry within limits. A good rule of thumb is to never load or unload the bar by more than one 45 lb plate difference between sides of the bar. For example, if you have one plate (i.e., a 45 lb plate) on the left side of the bar, you can have zero, one, or two plates on the right side of the bar, but don’t load three plates on the right side (i.e., since three plates compared to one plate is more than a one plate difference). A cartwheeling bar is a loud and potentially dangerous event, and this practice will help you avoid this situation.

Letting go of the bar between reps on the deadlift
New lifters will often let go of the bar between reps on the deadlift. Easy fix here - don’t. Remember, it’s only considered a set of five (or three, four, etc.) when you do all five reps without letting go of the bar (otherwise, you’re just performing singles).

Do not give yourself permission to let go of the bar between reps. The deadlift will be hard, the hook grip will be uncomfortable, and you’ll want to stop, but you’ll be fine. You might not feel fine while you’re doing it, but that’s normal when doing hard things, and this way, you finish the set sooner than you otherwise would, and then you get to the best part of lifting that much faster as well . . . resting.

Allowing your gaze to wander or closing your eyes during the set
Do you tend to look all over the place while you lift, or do you close your eyes when lifting? Pick one focal point before you start your first rep and remind yourself to look there until you are done with your last rep.

Use your warm-ups for practice. Don’t look somewhere else while performing a rep, and don’t even look somewhere else between reps. If necessary, put a mark on the wall in front of you while pressing, or put a small plate on the floor in front of you while squatting. One focal point.

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.)

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

Don't start deadlifting before you've done THIS

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

It's simple. It's fast. And skipping it could wreck your deadlift. 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.

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

The Daily Testify Gazette - June 30, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video 12 Outdated Lifting Trends to Ditch in 2025 (and What to Do Instead) (click the title to watch):

photog
Outstanding information. Thanks so much! The dog barking at you squatting made me LOL!

Phil
You're very welcome, and Parker was pretty handy there :-)

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

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. Phil explains and demonstrates. Click here to watch.

 

Your Rest Periods are Adorable . . . Now Quit It.
Are you rest periods destroying your strength training? Let's fix this. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: How to Bench Press: The Setup | STOP Doing This!
Are you getting setup as well as you should be when you bench? In under 2 minutes, Phil covers a common error during the setup process. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: How to Convert Kilograms to Pounds Fast - Easy Math Trick!
Convert kilograms to pounds quickly & easily without a calculator! Useful for physics homework, chemistry homework, & lifting weights. Click here to read.

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.

WHAT'S COMING UP

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.

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 2025.05.26.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

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

Compare to 2025.04.07.

Option 3
Outdoors:
5-10 rounds:
10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)
50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Indoors:
5-10 rounds:
10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)
100 ft farmer carry (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Compare to 2025.03.10.

Option 4
10 x 50 ft yoke carry
Each carry is 25 feet down and 25 feet back and is for time. Rest 1 minute between carries.

Compare to 2025.03.10.

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.