Testify Daily News - March 30, 2026

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video Everything You Need to Know to Build a Deadlift Platform (In 5 Minutes) (click the title to watch):

Steve Hauser
Great video. One thing for those, who like me, are "cheap": Oak plywood isn't cheap, and while it makes sense to use it in a club, for me, with a home gym, 3/4" CDX plywood would be much cheaper, and, again, for me, "good enough". Keep making these great videos, Phil!

Phil
Thanks, Steve, and yes indeed, CDX plywood is a solid choice. We also saved some money and used MDF on all of our 8 x 8 lifting platforms throughout the rest of the gym. We used urethane on those as well (with a little sand mixed in for traction).

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

Everything You Need to Know to Build a Deadlift Platform (In 5 Minutes)
Building a deadlift platform should be simple, straightforward, and relatively quick. We cover it all in about 5 minutes. Click here to watch.

 

The Most Underrated Approach to Training and Consistency of All Time?
The most effective approach to training isn’t complicated - but it is overlooked. Here’s the simple way to build real consistency and long-term results. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: The TRUTH About Breathing, Bracing, and Lifting Heavy
Are you breathing like a buffoon when lifting? Don't. It's simple, so let's fix it fast. Phil covers the key points. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: Do ONE Thing to Get Stronger and Improve All Your Lifts!
Can one cue help all of your lifts? Your squat, deadlift, press, bench press, snatch, and clean-and-jerk? Phil explains. Click here to read.

TESTIFY CAMPFIRE MUGS ARE AVAILABLE!

For lifters who train hard . . . and like a little campfire-style to go along with their training sessions. Durable, no-frills, and proudly wearing the Testify logo. From campsite to squat rack, this mug's for you.

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.

Testify Strengthlifting Challenge

  • April 11, 2026

  • The annual Testify Strengthlifting Challenge is back, and we invite you to be a part of it! This is a strengthlifting meet, which means the contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Testify Barbell MAYhem - The Clean & Press Classic

  • May 1, 2026

  • The annual Barbell MAYhem is back, and this year's event is a Friday night clean-and-press!

  • This is a single-lift weightlifting meet wherein competitors will perform the clean-and-press. Each lifter will receive 3 attempts, and the heaviest successful lift will determine their score.

  • There will be prizes - for feats both serious and outlandish - throughout the night!

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Testify IronFest VIII

  • July 10, 2026

  • IronFest is a team-based strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will perform one upper body lift and one lower body lift, and each lifter will receive 3 attempts for each lift.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

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 2026.02.23.

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 2026.01.05.

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 2025.12.08.

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 2025.12.08.

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.

The Most Underrated Approach to Training and Consistency of All Time?

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

You missed Monday’s workout. It happens.

I get it – it’s not ideal, and you’re slightly disappointed in yourself.

Again, it happens.

But then you miss Wednesday’s workout. Perhaps you usually train in the mornings, but you slept through your alarm. Or maybe you train after work, but meetings went late into the evening.

Now the whole week is a bust. You’ve missed two out of your three workouts, and at this point, you might as well just skip the rest of the week and start fresh on Monday.

Right?

Have you ever forgotten to brush your teeth before going to bed? Heck, maybe you even forgot to brush them the next morning, too.

At this point, you probably just decided to skip brushing your teeth for the rest of the week. Might as well start brushing them again next week.

You get it.

It’s true – consistency is the foundation of progress. After all, the greatest programming and technique don’t mean a thing if you’re not . . . you know . . . using them.

But you’re not going to let a missed session or two be a bigger situation than it actually is.

You forgot to brush your teeth last night? Do it tomorrow morning and move on with life.

You missed your last workout? Get in the gym today and move on with life.

Be a person. Brush your teeth. Train.

Only molehills here. No mountains allowed.

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

The TRUTH About Breathing, Bracing, and Lifting Heavy

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Are you breathing like a buffoon when lifting? Don't. It's simple, so let's fix it fast. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers the key points.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/06/23)

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

Do ONE Thing to Get Stronger and Improve All Your Lifts!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/06/23)

Let’s cover a cue that will help you with every single one of your lifts. To be precise, this is actually a type of cue, and more specifically, we’re discussing the concept of the overcue.

The overcue (i.e., an over-correction cue) communicates an exaggeration of what we want to happen in a specific lift, and it can be an extremely effective tool to achieve improved technique in any lift. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Example 1: Squat
From watching video of yourself lifting, you notice you’re consistently squatting about an inch high. The first approach to solving this problem is to simply tell yourself to “squat one inch deeper” - in other words, tell yourself the truth. However, if that doesn’t do the trick, you may have to lie to yourself a bit, and that’s the idea behind the overcue: it’s a productive lie.

With this in mind, you cue yourself to “squat three inches deeper.” You don’t actually want or need to squat three inches deeper, but telling yourself to squat one inch deeper wasn’t doing the trick, so you exaggerate the concept of what you need to do in order to accomplish your goal.

Example 2: Deadlift
You’re raising your chest prematurely on the deadlift, and as a result, you’re pulling around your knees and making things much more difficult than they should be. You know the deadlift begins with knee extension, so you try a few cues such as “push the floor’ or “straighten the knees” to help with the movement.

However, if this doesn’t work, you move on to an overcue such as “hips go up first” or “hips first.” Of course, this is an exaggeration - you don’t want your hips to lead the way in the deadlift, but this exaggeration of the correct technique might just do the trick for you.

Example 3: Jerk
Got soft elbows when receiving the barbell overhead in the jerk? If you are pressing out your jerks and telling yourself to “lock it out” isn’t working, try cueing yourself to “lock it before you land it.” In other words, tell yourself to completely straighten your elbows before your feet hit the deck. This isn’t what actually happens in a correctly executed jerk, but that doesn’t matter - you are simply exaggerating an aspect of the correct movement to help improve your technique.

Example 4: Squat
You’re breaking at the hips before breaking at the knees; in other words, as you start your squat, you are bending at the hips first instead of correctly bending at the hips and knees simultaneously. First, you tell yourself the truth by using the cue “hips and knees together,” but if that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to try something else.

In this case, an overcue such as “knees first” can be very useful. You don’t actually want your knees to bend before your hips do, but telling yourself the truth wasn’t working, so you introduce the overcue, and this tends to solve the problem quite nicely.

Use overcues judiciously. Remember that you are lying to yourself just a bit when you use one, so be conservative in your approach. First, cue yourself to do precisely what it is that you want to do - tell yourself the truth - but if that doesn’t work, it may be time to move on to an overcue.

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:

  • Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

  • Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

  • 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.

(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

Everything You Need to Know to Build a Deadlift Platform (In 5 Minutes)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Building a deadlift platform should be simple, straightforward, and relatively quick. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers it all.

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 News - March 23, 2026

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video 99% of Lifters Don’t Know These 9 Gym Equipment Facts (click the title to watch):

VTgirlandherbeagles
Oh my gosh! I’m going to find that video on that bar jack and head up to my father in laws wood shop tonight!

Phil
You might have already found the link as we put it in the video description below the video, but in case you haven't seen it yet, here's the video and link:

DIY Deadlift Jack - The Fishhook!
https://youtu.be/g6ncATYrprc

I hope it helps!

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

99% of Lifters Don’t Know These 9 Gym Equipment Facts
Most gym equipment seems straightforward — but a few overlooked details can make a big difference. Here are nine facts about common lifting equipment that many lifters never learn. Click here to watch.

 

Stop Doing This!! Your Shoulders are Destroying Your Bench Press
Using your shoulders incorrectly in the bench press? Phil helps you fix it quickly so you can add pounds to your bench. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: Do This for a Bigger Squat! | How to Pause Squat (and Why!)
Want to improve your squat? The pause squat can help. We explain what a pause squat is, how to do it, and why you might want to utilize the pause squat in your training. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: To Stand Up . . . Stay Leaned Over!
Stop raising your chest early in the squat — it's making for a weaker squat. Phil explains and gives two useful cues to help. Click here to read.

TESTIFY CAMPFIRE MUGS ARE AVAILABLE!

For lifters who train hard . . . and like a little campfire-style to go along with their training sessions. Durable, no-frills, and proudly wearing the Testify logo. From campsite to squat rack, this mug's for you.

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.

Testify Strengthlifting Challenge

  • April 11, 2026

  • The annual Testify Strengthlifting Challenge is back, and we invite you to be a part of it! This is a strengthlifting meet, which means the contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Testify Barbell MAYhem - The Clean & Press Classic

  • May 1, 2026

  • The annual Barbell MAYhem is back, and this year's event is a Friday night clean-and-press!

  • This is a single-lift weightlifting meet wherein competitors will perform the clean-and-press. Each lifter will receive 3 attempts, and the heaviest successful lift will determine their score.

  • There will be prizes - for feats both serious and outlandish - throughout the night!

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Testify IronFest VIII

  • July 10, 2026

  • IronFest is a team-based strength meet wherein the contested lifts will be the squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors will form teams of 2 lifters/team and perform all 4 lifts; each lifter will perform one upper body lift and one lower body lift, and each lifter will receive 3 attempts for each lift.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

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 2026.02.16.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

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

Compare to 2025.12.29.

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 2025.12.01.

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 2025.12.01.

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.