Testify Citizen - September 15, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video DIY Lifting Straps in 3 Minutes - Stop Wasting Money (click the title to watch):

Lee Tucker
been shopping and made 4 sets of dead lift straps for £2.49

Phil
Nice work!

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

DIY Lifting Straps in 3 Minutes - Stop Wasting Money
Don't want to waste your hard-earned cash on lifting straps? In this quick DIY guide, Phil shows you how to make your own heavy-duty lifting straps in less than 3 minutes using cheap, simple materials. Strong, durable, and budget-friendly — perfect for deadlifts, rack pulls, rows, and any heavy pull where your grip needs backup. Save money and lift more. Click here to watch.

 

What His Poor, Sad Bench Press Was Missing
Far too many lifters don't use their legs effectively when they bench press. Do you? Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: EASY Way to Open Your Barbell Packaging!! | How to Unbox Your New Barbell
Stop prying staples open or twisting your barbell packaging. We've opened a lot of barbells, and this method is - by far - the quickest and easiest way to open your new barbell packaging. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: Squatting Deeper - Don't Make These 2 Mistakes!
Are you trying to hit the correct depth in your squat but making one of these mistakes? Phil covers a few cues to help lifters squat deeper. Click here to read.

“GET STRONGER - LIVE BETTER” SHIRTS ARE AVAILABLE!

Why do you train? Because getting stronger makes everything else easier. Get stronger. Live better. “Testify” to this message and represent your favorite gym with this shirt in several color options.

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.

Friday Night Fun Night: Trivia Teams!

  • Join us for the first-ever Testify Friday Night Fun Night: Trivia Teams from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 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 3-5 people will compete in a friendly trivia contest with fun prizes up for grabs. You do not need a team to sign up!

  • We need to know numbers for planning and food, so please click here to RSVP!

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
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 2025.08.11.

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 2025.06.23.

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

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

Compare to 2025.05.26.

Option 4
5 rounds:
4 tire flips
8 sledgehammer strikes
6 pull-ups
10 push-ups

Pull-ups and push-ups can be modified – talk to the coaches for options.

Compare to 2025.05.26.

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.

What His Poor, Sad Bench Press Was Missing

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Are you missing out on using your lower body in the bench press?

Sure, the bench press press is an upper body lift in the sense that the prime movers of the lift - the pecs, the triceps, and the delts - are located in the upper body. However, if you’re not using your legs effectively, you’re leaving pounds, well, off the barbell.

Using your legs efficiently provides three benefits when benching, so let’s dive in (and if you’d like to see this in action, watch the video below).

Benefit #1: Stability
The bench itself isn’t very wide and thus doesn’t provide much in the way of stability. You, however, are smart enough to take a roughly squat-width stance, and you also drive your body up the bench ( i.e., toward the direction of your head) by driving your legs into the floor.

As a side note, you drive your legs diagonally downward into the floor. You don’t drive them straight downward as this will cause your hips to come up off the bench, which means the rep doesn’t count. You also don’t drive them straight forward as they’ll simply slide across the floor when you do that. Think diagonally downward.

Benefit #2: Support
The use of your legs supports your arch and ensures that you can maintain this position efficiently and consistently when performing each rep.

Benefit #3: Rigidity
We humans are naturally soft and squishy, and you don’t want to bench from a soft and squishy platform - it makes for lousy force transfer between the things moving the weight - your arms - and the support surface - the bench.

Think of it this way - in the squat, your lifting shoe is the interface between the load and the platform, while in the bench press, your entire body from your shoulders downward acts as this interface - in other words, everything from your torso downward acts as the lifting shoe, so you want everything to be rigid.

Driving with your legs creates a compressive effect, and this helps ensure that your body is as rigid (and thus stable) as possible when benching.

Make sure you use your legs the next time you bench - your future PR will thank you for it.

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?

book a free intro

EASY Way to Open Your Barbell Packaging!! | How to Unbox Your New Barbell

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Stop prying staples open or twisting your barbell packaging. We've opened a lot of barbells, and this method is - by far - the quickest and easiest way to open your new barbell packaging. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and demonstrates.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/28/23)

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

Squatting Deeper - Don't Make These 2 Mistakes!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 05/07/21)

When people are endeavoring to squat deeper - whether because their coach told them too or because they’ve recorded themselves on video and seen the disheartening proof of a “too-high” squat - we often see two mistakes:

  1. The lifter descends significantly faster than before without actually squatting deeper.

  2. The lifter leans over too much.

With regard to mistake #1, remember that going deeper doesn’t mean descending faster. In fact, 50% of the time, going down faster doesn’t change anything except the speed of the descent (yes, duh) and the other 50% of the time, the lifter actually cuts off his squat even higher when he tries to descend more quickly.

Julie makes mistake #2 as she leans over too much in an effort to achieve the proper depth. Note that the crease of her hips have not passed below the level of the top of her kneecap and are, in fact, well above height of the kneecap.

Julie makes mistake #2 as she leans over too much in an effort to achieve the proper depth. Note that the crease of her hips have not passed below the level of the top of her kneecap and are, in fact, well above height of the kneecap.

Mistake #2 - leaning over too much - comes from a misunderstanding of how depth is achieved. Depth is achieved when the crease of the hip passes just below the height of the top of the patella. In other words, you squat deeper by taking the hips lower - not by taking the barbell lower.

JULIE HITS THE CORRECT DEPTH ON HER SQUAT.

If the hips go lower, everything else above the hips goes lower as well - including the bar - but the reverse is not necessarily true. When starting your descent, leaning over (as you shove your knees out and reach back with your hips) is important, but once you’ve set your back angle by doing so, keep it constant - don’t lean over more than you already have.

If you struggle with either of these two mistakes, try the cues “stretch deep” or “reach deep” the next time you squat. With the “stretch deep” cue, you are reminding yourself that you will experience a stretch in the hips as you descend lower into the squat, and with the “reach deep” cue, you are reminding yourself that you reach downward with your hips - not the bar.

“Stretch deep” and “reach deep” - give these cues a try, 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.)

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

DIY Lifting Straps in 3 Minutes - Stop Wasting Money

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Don't want to waste your hard-earned cash on lifting straps? In this quick DIY guide, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers shows you how to make your own heavy-duty lifting straps in less than 3 minutes using cheap, simple materials. Strong, durable, and budget-friendly — perfect for deadlifts, rack pulls, rows, and any heavy pull where your grip needs backup. Save money, and lift more.

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

Testify Nugget - September 8, 2025

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video 6 Weight Lifting Secrets That Feel Like CHEATING (plus a bonus) (click the title to watch):

DLedge
Calluses are the limiting factor in my grip for deadlifts. They never go away and get in the way. Any tips?

Phil
Are you using chalk? Calluses should develop, but they should not be raised - just essentially tougher areas of skin. If they are raised (which will certainly happen far more without chalk), the bar will pull on them, and they’ll eventually tear.

We did a video on hand care for lifters a few years back, and you might find it useful:
Hand Care for Lifters
https://youtu.be/2aBErH_Yvi0

DLedge
I do use liquid chalk. They are always raised, sometimes they tear. Then they come back after healing. Thanks for the reply, I will watch the hand care video

Phil
You're welcome, and if your calluses are always raised, it's worth checking to make sure that you're using a tension grip when deadlifting, i.e., carrying the bar down slightly toward the fingers and not up by the base of the palm. If a deadlift is carried too high in the hand, it will slide or roll down in the hand, and this process makes for an insecure grip and tends to caused raised calluses as well.

Here's some more info on this:
Use This Grip for a BIGGER Deadlift! (Tension Grip) | Deadlift Technique
https://youtu.be/7e_gnfCNM_M

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

6 Weight Lifting Secrets That Feel Like CHEATING (plus a bonus)
These aren’t gimmicks—they’re overlooked techniques and tactics that can help you train more efficiently and get stronger right now. We cover 6 lifting tips (and a bonus) to level up your training. Click here to watch.

 

He Stopped Pressing Like This. You Should Too.
Many lifters use their hips incorrectly in the press and don't even know it. Do you? Let's find out and fix it. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: The BEST Warm-up for Barbell Training (Plus an EASY Math Trick to Help!)
Phil covers how to efficiently and simply structure your warm-ups for barbell training and gives you an easy math trick to help. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: One Cue to Rule Them All: Fix Every Single One of Your Lifts
We help you improve all of your lifts with one simple type of cue. Click here to read.

“GET STRONGER - LIVE BETTER” SHIRTS ARE AVAILABLE!

Why do you train? Because getting stronger makes everything else easier. Get stronger. Live better. “Testify” to this message and represent your favorite gym with this shirt in several color options.

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.

Friday Night Fun Night: Trivia Teams!

  • Join us for the first-ever Testify Friday Night Fun Night from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 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 3-5 people will compete in a friendly trivia contest with fun prizes up for grabs.

  • We need to know numbers for planning and food, so please click here to RSVP and register your team!

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.

Testify Christmas Classic

  • December 13, 2025

  • The Christmas Classic 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.

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 2025.08.04.

Option 2
5 rounds:
10 cal bike
1 min rest
4 sandbag-over-bars
1 min rest

Set the yoke crossmember at 35/33, and the weight is 150#/75#.

Compare to 2025.06.16.

Option 3
5-10 rounds:
50 ft yoke carry
50 ft yoke push
100 ft sandbag carry and S.O.B. (sandbag-over-bar)

Perform 1 round every 2-3 minutes.

Compare to 2025.05.19.

Option 4
Row/Tire 10 min ladder:
2 cal row
2 tire flips
4 cal row
4 tire flips
6 cal row
6 tire flips
…
Climb the ladder as high as possible in 10 minutes.

Compare to 2025.05.19.

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.