Testify Gazette - September 28, 2026

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video If You Only Watch One Squat Video, Make It This (click the title to watch):

xyzct
Can anyone comment on the knees caving in during a couple of the lifts at the beginning of the video. Does that count as form breakdown, or is that a tolerable amount? Don't get me wrong - that gal's 3-plate squat at the beginning is freakin' awesome - more than I can squat! I just want to understand proper form better, and what allowable tolerances for deviation are.

Phil
Solid question, and I hope my response below will prove useful.

It would be better to keep the knees apart and in line with the toes, but those three squats you saw were 1-rep attempts during competitions, so at challenging, near-max or max weights, this is not uncommon, didn’t cause pain, and was acceptable.

xyzct
@TestifySC, ah, that makes total sense that there were moments of form breaking down, now that I know those are true competition 1RMs. Thank you for clarifying.

Phil
You're very welcome!

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

If You Only Watch One Squat Video, Make It This
Want a better squat? Start here. These seven tips cover the details that can make your squat stronger, more consistent, and easier to execute – including two tips that may not be what you expect. Click here to watch.

 

4 ERRORS Beginners Make that Experienced Lifters NEVER Do | Part 3 - The Deadlift
Beginner lifters make these 4 mistakes in the squat, press, deadlift, and bench press. Phil explains and covers how to successfully fix them. Today's article covers the deadlift. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: Get Your FIRST Chin-up or Pull-up | 6 Ways to Success!
Want to get your first chin-up or pull-up. We cover 6 ways to help you get it done. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: The FWYS Principle: If You Don't Change This, Your Press Will ALWAYS Suffer
A common problem in the press is achieving the correct start position for each rep - specifically for every rep AFTER your first rep. Let’s fix this. 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.

Push Pull Pandemonium

  • October 16, 2026

  • Join us for a Friday evening filled with benching, deadlifting, and general revelry!

  • Sign up by September 25 to get a meet shirt and avoid the late registration rate!

  • Registration ends October 15.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Minneapolis, MN: Starting Strength Squat & Deadlift Camp

  • October 3, 2026

  • 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

  • November 14, 2026

  • 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 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 2026.08.24.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m

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

Compare to 2026.07.06.

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 2026.06.08.

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 2026.06.08.

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.

4 ERRORS Beginners Make that Experienced Lifters NEVER Do | Part 3 - The Deadlift

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

In this multi-part series, we cover four mistakes that lifters often make when starting out. We covered the squat in Part 1, the press in Part 2, and today, we’re discussing the deadlift.

Let’s assume you’ve mastered the 5-step deadlift setup process (and if you haven’t, check out the video below). You move through the steps deliberately and efficiently – stance, grip, shins, chest, and pull.

Once the bar is locked out at the top of the pull, an extraordinarily common mistake lifters make is that of lowering the bar incorrectly and – as a result – inefficiently.

Your goal is to set the bar down back over the middle of the foot, i.e., the exact position you lifted it from in the first place. However, many lifters set it down well in front of this position (for reasons we’ll discuss in a moment), which means they have to make adjustments to get the bar back to the correct spot for the next rep. This wastes time, it wastes energy, and it often results in a bar that’s in the wrong spot for the next pull.

Lifters make this mistake because they allow their knees to get in the way of the bar on the descent (like the fool in Figure 1).

Figure 1: don’t be like this fool.

Don’t lower the bar by bending your knees. Lower the bar by bending over.

This is a bit of an overstatement as you do indeed allow your knees to unlock as you start to bend at the hips, and you allow them to bend a bit farther after the bar passes your knees, but the point remains – you lower the deadlift primarily by bending over.

If you try to lower the deadlift with your knees, the bar has to travel around your knees, which is inefficient, weaker, and far more uncomfortable on both your back and your knees.

With this in mind, the next time you lower a deadlift, cue yourself, “Butt back, bow to the floor, aim for the middle of the foot.”

Reach back with your hips as you start, point your chest at the floor, and look at the middle of your foot as you set the bar down. Making sure that you can see your midfoot will force you to keep your knees out of your line of sight and thus out of the barbell’s vertical path.

Watch the video below to see this solution to today’s deadlift error in action.

Once you set it down correctly over the midfoot, the mantra for the next rep becomes simply, “Shins, chest, pull,” and you’ll notice those are the last 3 steps from the 5-step setup.

Lowering the bar: Butt back, bow to the floor, aim for the midfoot.

Next rep: Shins, chest, pull.

Keep things simple, correct, and repeatable, and your deadlift 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

Get Your FIRST Chin-up or Pull-up | 6 Ways to Success!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Want to get your first chin-up or pull-up. We cover 6 ways to help you get it done.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 08/07/23)

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

The FWYS Principle: If You Don't Change This, Your Press Will ALWAYS Suffer

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/24/21)

A common problem with new lifters and the press is achieving the correct start position for each rep - specifically, achieving the correct start position for every rep after your first rep.

After all, the correct start position for the first rep should be accomplished by correctly gripping and unracking the bar in the first place (watch the included video that covers this), but today, we're specifically talking about getting the correct start position for the rest of your set (e.g., your 2nd rep all the way to the end of the set).

Figure 1

The key is to finish the press where you start the press, so make sure that you start with elbows slightly in front of the bar, squeezing the bar tightly and with relatively straight wrists (technically, they will be slightly in extension) as you see in Figure 1. Then, after locking out the rep overhead, simply remind yourself to lower it back to this exact same position.

Figure 2: Don’t be like this fool.

Specifically, we do not want to lower the bar back to the position you see in Figure 2, where the lifter has his elbows behind the bar and wrists in severe extension. It’s a weaker position - it’s tough to support a heavy weight in this position, and now you’ve got to spend time and energy getting back to the correct start position.

Even worse, if you don’t spend that time and energy getting back to the correct position, it’s harder to press the bar overhead from this weak position. This poor position often contributes to a forward bar path on the next rep, which can easily be the difference between a successful rep and a missed rep at challenging weights.

Figure 3

Again, the key is to finish where you start (FWYS).

If you still find that lowering the bar consistently to the correct start position is difficult, try this mental picture (Figure 3) - imagine that you are standing very close to a wall with the bar locked out overhead. While lowering the bar, picture yourself dragging your elbows down the wall while keeping your fists (and therefore the bar) away from the wall.

Remember to aim for your nose with the bar on the way down as well as on the way up. This “elbows-dragging-down-the-wall” image is a slightly exaggerated picture of what we actually want to happen (watch the included video to see this in action), but a number of our members have found this very useful.

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

If You Only Watch One Squat Video, Make It This

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Want a better squat? Start here. These seven squat tips cover the details that can make your squats stronger, more consistent, and easier to execute – including two tips that may not be what you expect.

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

Testify Courant - September 21, 2026

/ 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):

Eldr
A question. What is the protocol for lowering? Just drop the bar? Lower under tension?

Phil
Don't drop the bar, but you can and should lower the bar faster than you picked it up. Hips back, "bow to the floor," and set the bar down relatively quickly right over the midfoot.

You might find this video of ours useful: https://youtu.be/bo1A2Y8wpq8

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

The BEST Barbell Collar Most Lifters Overlook (And It's Been Around for Decades)
Which barbell collar is actually the best? Phil breaks down four common types, what each one does well, where each falls short, and which collar he'd choose. Click here to watch.

 

7 Signs You're Using Your Lifting Equipment WRONG - Stop Making These Mistakes With Your Lifting Gear | Part 3
Are you making some mistakes with your weight lifting gear? You might be, and you probably don't even know it. In Part 3 of this series, we cover 7 more errors (and how to fix them) that lifters make with their equipment. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: 2 Fatal Deadlift Mistakes: 1 Solution (Simple and Fast)
Are these two errors destroying your deadlift? Find out and fix them in under 2 minutes. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: STOP Making This Deadlift Mistake With Your Legs!
Are you accidentally "kicking the bar" away with your shins when deadlifting? Let’s identify and fix this problem quickly. 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.

Push Pull Pandemonium

  • October 16, 2026

  • Join us for a Friday evening filled with benching, deadlifting, and general revelry!

  • Sign up by September 25 to get a meet shirt and avoid the late registration rate!

  • Registration ends October 15.

  • Click here to register or for more information.

Minneapolis, MN: Starting Strength Squat & Deadlift Camp

  • October 3, 2026

  • 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

  • November 14, 2026

  • 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 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 2026.08.17.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

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

Compare to 2026.06.29.

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 2026.06.01.

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 2026.06.01.

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.