Testify Free Press - August 18, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video Deadlift Pro Tips (The "Don't Stand Up" Trick) (click the title to watch):

Jonathan Martin
I always laugh when people give goofy cues, but those are the ones I always remember!

Phil
Absolutely!

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

5 simple tips to unlock Squat GENIUS mode… plus a bonus tip
Struggling to get your squat right? In this video, Phil breaks down 5 simple, practical tips to help you lift more weight with better technique—and he shares a bonus tip regarding a common mistake lifters make with their backs. Click here to watch.

 

5 Mistakes That DESTROY Your Lifting Warm-up
Want to have a more effective and efficient warm-up? Avoid these mistakes. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: The Mistake That is KILLING Your Deadlift! | How to Set Your Back for the Deadlift: Part 4
Is your hideously rounded back wreaking havoc on your deadlift? We help you fix it fast in Part 4 of this Saturday Shorts series. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: 3 Obvious Gym Tips…That No One Follows
In Part 2 of this series, Phil covers more tips and tricks to help the new lifter. 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

Congratulations to everyone who competed at this past Friday's Deadapalooza and thank you so much to everyone who helped out! Judges, loaders, table officials, those who helped set up and tear down - you all were great, and we couldn't have wonderful events like this without you!

Reminder: We will be closed for training on Monday, 09/01/25, in observance of Labor 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.

Friday Night Fun Night: Trivia Teams!

  • Join us for the first-ever Testify Friday Night Fun Night at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 26!

  • Grab your smartest friends (or the ones who make you laugh the most) and join us for a night of trivia, laughs, and good food!

  • Teams of up to 5 people will compete in a friendly trivia contest with fun prizes up for grabs.

  • More details to come!

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.

Kansas City, MO: Starting Strength Squat & Deadlift Camp

  • October 25, 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
“Prowler Base”
1. Load up a manageable weight.
2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.
3. Rest until breathing and heart rate slow down. (45 sec – 2 min)
4. Repeat 5-15 times.

Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” (on Starting Strength).

Compare to 2025.07.14.

Option 2
Bike/row:
12 min TT

Score = distance

Compare to 2025.05.26.

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 2025.04.28.

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 2025.04.28.

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.

5 Mistakes That DESTROY Your Lifting Warm-up

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

You want to warm-up effectively and efficiently, so let’s eliminate five mistakes that lifters commonly make when warming up.

Mistake #1: Using a Percentage Chart
Percentage charts are the diapers of the lifting world - they can be useful when just starting out to keep you from making a big mess of things, but in the long run, your life will be much better if you outgrow them.

There’s nothing wrong with using a percentage chart at first - you’ve got a lot going on in your head - technique, rest periods, weight jumps from session to session, etc. - and a warm-up chart makes for one less thing to think about.

with practice, warming up is simpler, easier, and quicker without a chart like this one.

However, with experience and some trial-and-error, you’ll learn that - after you do a few sets of five reps with the empty barbell - you’ll select the rest of your warm-up weights by simply taking two to four roughly even jumps in weight, and you’ll be at your work weight.

The longer you train, the more your warm-ups will remain mostly the same from session to session, and this is a weakness of charts as the percentage-based warm-up weights change each time your work weight changes. For an experienced lifter, on the other hand, the first few warm-up sets tend to remain the same, and he only has to deal with making subtle changes to the last warm-up set or two.

If you want to use a chart for the first few weeks, go ahead, but try and wean yourself off of it pretty quickly. Your warm-ups will be simpler and quicker when you do.

Mistake #2: Using a Warm-up App (or Spreadsheet)
I see what you did there.

A warm-up app is just a percentage chart shrouded in technology, so all of the same logic from Mistake #1 applies here as well.

With practice, warm-ups are easier, quicker, and simpler without these items.

Mistake #3: Using Plates That Are Too Small
Don’t use 1.25 lb plates in your warm-ups.

These plates (and smaller ones) are very useful for work weights, but you generally don’t need to be that precise for your warm-ups.

Make all your warm-ups end in either a zero (e.g., 80, 90, 100) or a five (e.g., 85, 95, 105), and you won’t need the 1.25 lb plates for warming up. As you get stronger, you can make most (if not all) of your warm-ups end with a five, and at that point, you won’t need 2.5 lb plates for your warm-ups either.

don’t use 1.25 lb plates in your warm-ups, and as you get stronger, you won’t use 2.5 plates (like this one here) as often either when warming up.

Remember - fewer options for warm-up weights means less to think about, which is generally a good thing. Warm-ups weights should be intelligently chosen, but you generally don’t need razor-sharp precision, and if you do, it won’t be until your last warm-up.

Mistake #4: Taking Too Much Time Between Warm-up Sets
Don’t rest between your warm-up sets.

Perform a warm-up set, load the weight for the next warm-up set, then perform that warm-up set, and so on.

Ample rest is very important between work sets, but we’re talking about warm-up sets. Since they are warm-ups, they’re not heavy yet, and the act of changing the weight between sets will provide enough rest for your next warm-up set.

If it’s a warm-up, there’s no need to rest - the act of changing the plates provides enough rest time.

It’s worth nothing that you want to rest a few minutes after your last warm-up set since you now have a work set coming up, but beyond that, you don’t need to rest between warm-ups.

If you want to rest several minutes between your warm-up sets, you are welcome to do so, but if you’re looking to save some time in the gym (and there are far more interesting things to do in life then spend all day in the gym), this is where to look first.

Mistake #5: Too Many or Too Few Warm-up Sets
Warming up should both prepare you for the work set and not exhaust you by the time you get there, so you want to find a reasonable middle ground in terms of how many sets to perform. After the empty bar, you don’t need seven more warm-up sets (i.e., too many warm-up sets), and conversely, you don’t want to jump from the empty bar right to your 275 lb squat (i.e., too few warm-up sets).

As mentioned earlier, after the empty bar (except the deadlift), most people can simply perform two to four more warm-up sets with gradually increasing loads on the bar to prepare for the work sets. A useful approach is to perform a set of five reps, then three reps, then two reps, and any sets after that would be 1 rep sets (i.e., singles). Here are a few examples (weight x reps x sets):

Example 1
45 x 5 x 2 (empty bar)
95 x 5 x 1
135 x 3 x 1
185 x 2 x 1
215 x 1 x 1
—————
235 x 5 x 3 (work sets)

Example 2
45 x 5 x 2 (empty bar)
65 x 5 x 1
85 x 3 x 1
105 x 2 x 1
—————
115 x 5 x 3 (work sets)

Example 3
45 x 5 x 2 (empty bar)
135 x 5 x 1
225 x 3 x 1
275 x 2 x 1
315 x 1 x 1
—————
345 x 5 x 3 (work sets)

For the deadlift, start with full-size plates, so you’ll either use bumper plates or 45 lb metal plates. Here are two examples:

Example 1
75 x 5 x 1
105 x 3 x 1
135 x 2 x 1
155 x 1 x 1
—————
170 x 5 x 1 (work set)

Example 2
135 x 5 x 1
225 x 3 x 1
315 x 2 x 1
355 x 1 x 1
—————
390 x 5 x 1 (work set)

Note that with this 5-3-2-1 scheme, the warm-up sets are tapered, i.e., you perform fewer reps as the weight on the bar increases. This allows you to prepare yourself for your work sets by increasing the load while not exhausting yourself in the process (since you’re doing fewer reps as the weight goes up).

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

The Mistake That is KILLING Your Deadlift! | How to Set Your Back for the Deadlift: Part 4

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Is your hideously rounded back wreaking havoc on your deadlift? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers helps you fix it fast in Part 4 of this Saturday Shorts series.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/14/23)

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

3 Obvious Gym Tips…That No One Follows

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Evan demonstrates a handy trick for loading and unloading your deadlift.

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 04/16/21)

In Part I of this series, we discussed several tips and tricks that might help you as a new lifter, and now, in Part II, we’re back with a few more. With practice, using these tactics may seem obvious, and you might wonder why you didn’t think of them earlier, but when you’re starting out, these types of tips are often anything but obvious.

Easy Loading for Deadlifts
When you’re loading (or unloading) your deadlift with more than one 45 lb plate per side or more than one bumper plate per side, roll the plate (on the side you’re currently loading) up onto a 2.5 lb plate. This will raise the 45 lb plate or bumper plate off the ground just enough that it makes it easier to slide on the next plate (see the photo above).

Of course, using a deadlift jack is makes things even easier, and we have a video on how to make one (click here or scroll down to the end of this article), but in lieu of that, using a 2.5 lb plate works quite well.

Holding Valsalva for Multiple Reps
You can hold your Valsalva (i.e., your tightly held breath) for multiple reps on the bench press. Holding your Valsalva for 2-3 reps is pretty common on the bench press, and as long as you aren’t running out of oxygen, doing so works very well as you don’t have to get tight again before the next rep.

Two warnings, though: first, don’t take it as a personal challenge to see how many reps you can get on one breath - this may not end well - and second, holding your Valsalva for multiple reps doesn’t usually work very well for lifts other than the bench press.

Easy Unloading for Bumper Plates
If you’re finished snatching, cleaning, or deadlifting (even rowing), and you have multiple bumper plates on each side of the bar, here’s how to unload your bar: first, take the collars off both sides of the bar. Second, unload all of the plates from the left side of the bar. Third, raise the empty left side of the bar - walking it upward (the right side of the bar remains on the ground) until the bar is sitting vertically inside the stack of plates on the right side of the bar. Finally, simply lift the bar out of the stack, put the bar away, and then put the plates away.

Evan shows how to easily remove multiple bumper plates at once.

We hope these tips help you get stronger and live better, and perhaps we’ll be back with a Part III in the future.

-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

5 simple tips to unlock Squat GENIUS mode… plus a bonus tip

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Struggling to get your squat right? In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down 5 simple, practical tips to help you lift more weight with better technique—and he shares a bonus tip regarding a common mistake lifters make with their backs.

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 Testify Star - August 11, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video Stop Benching With Your Shoulders & Try This Instead (click the title to watch):

robert reynolds
Great info coach. For years I laid on the bench all comfy like I was going to take a nap. Then wondered why my bench didn't improve. I'm definitely going to try the lock out with your elbows cue. I'm still lifting and learning at 71. God is good. Thanks for all you do.

Phil
Thanks very much, Robert, and I hope this helps out!

Wayne Noll
Training at 71! Awesome! Gives us “kids” ( I’m 64) something to shoot for, lol. I wish I could get my coworkers to lift, so many guys in their 40s and 50s who tell me that they’re too old.

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

Stop Benching With Your Shoulders & Try This Instead
Tired of shoulder problems or stalled bench progress? We break down two common shoulder-related mistakes and show you how to improve your bench quickly and simply. Click here to watch.

 

I Didn't Notice This Mistake Until It Was Too Late
How do you make sure your upcoming lift is successful? There's one mistake people make before even starting the lift, and here's how to avoid it. Phil accidentally demonstrates. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: 2 Wrist Wrap Mistakes EVERY Lifter Should Stop Making
Are you making these two common errors with your wrist wraps? Let's fix them. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: How to Safely Bench Press Alone!
If you need to bench press alone, you need to do it safely, and it's very simple. Phil breaks it down. 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.

Kansas City, MO: Starting Strength Squat & Deadlift Camp

  • October 25, 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.

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 2025.07.07.

Option 2
Bike/row:
8 x 30 sec on/2:00 off

Score = least distance covered in any 30 second interval

Compare to 2025.05.19.

Option 3
8 rounds:
Outdoors:
4 tire flips
50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Indoors:
4 tire flips
100 ft sled push (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 minute

Compare to 2025.04.21.

Option 4
Sandbag-over-bars
Set yoke at #33 for women or #35 for men.
1. 1 minute AMRAP
2. 5 rounds of 2 reps every 2 minutes (speed!)
3. 1 minute AMRAP

Weights
Female under 40 years
140 lbs and under: 75 lbs
140.1 lbs – 185 lbs: 100 lbs
185.1 lbs and over: 150 lbs

Female 40 years and over
140 lbs and under: 50 lbs
185 lbs and under: 75 lbs
185.1 lbs and over: 100 lbs

Male under 40 years
185 lbs and under: 150 lbs
185.1 lbs – 235 lbs: 200 lbs
235.1 lbs and over: 250 lbs

Male 40 years and over
185 lbs and under: 100 lbs
185.1 lbs – 235 lbs: 150 lbs
235.1 lbs and over: 200 lbs

Compare to 2025.04.21.

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.