6 Hard Truths About Lifting Belts Most Lifters LEARN Too Late

A lifting belt is one of the most misused pieces of gear in the gym. In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down six common mistakes and the simple corrections that go with them.

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.

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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?

The Testify Morning News - April 27, 2026

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A post shared by Testify Strength & Cond. (@testifystrengthconditioning)

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

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

Joseph Dickerson
Press the ground like a leg press, essentially.

Phil
You've nailed it, and we use that cue as well at the 5:49 mark.

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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.

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ARTICLES & VIDEOS

Stop Using a Utility Knife to Cut Horse Stall Mats (Do This Instead)
Cutting horse stall mats with a utility knife is slow, frustrating, and unnecessary. Here’s a faster, easier method - plus the simplest way to move heavy mats by yourself. Click here to watch.

This Bench Press Fix is a Game-Changer
Are you making this mistake on your bench press? Phil helps you fix it simply and quickly. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: Most Common Deadlift Error? (It's NOT What You Think)
Are you making this deadlift error? It's extremely common, and it's making your deadlifts a lot harder (and take longer!) than they should be. We help you fix it quickly. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: Cleans vs Power Cleans vs Hang Cleans - What's the Difference?!
Cleans, power cleans, hang cleans, hang power cleans - Phil covers the differences as well as how to easily remember each one. Click here to read.

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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.

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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 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.

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.

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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 2026.03.23.

Option 2
Bike/row:
12 min TT

Score = distance

Compare to 2026.02.02.

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 2026.01.05.

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 2026.01.05.

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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.

This Bench Press Fix is a Game-Changer

Did that last rep of your bench press set actually count? Let’s find out.

Movement Standards or “Who Am I Kidding?”
In last week’s article, we discussed a movement standard for the press. Specifically, the knees have to remain straight – if the knees bend, it’s no longer a press (as you just accidentally performed a push press), so the rep doesn’t count.

Likewise, in the squat, there’s a movement standard. Get your hip crease below the top of your patella at the bottom of the squat. If you didn’t do that, you didn’t squat – you just performed a curtsey with a barbell on your back.

That’s weird, so make sure you hit depth.

Not surprisingly, there are movement standards in the bench press as well. Of course, the barbell has to touch your chest at the bottom of the rep, and you have to lock out your arms at the top of the rep.

However, many people forget – or are simply unaware – that your butt has to stay in contact with the bench throughout the entire rep.

If your keister comes up off of the bench (Figure 1), the rep doesn’t count, and it’s easy to make this mistake by using the legs incorrectly when benching.

Figure 1: Mike mistakenly lifts his butt up off of the bench . . . this is no good.

Leg Drive in the Bench Press
Executed properly, use of the legs creates stability and supports your arch. To do this, you endeavor to drive your body up the bench (in the direction of your head). You don’t slide in that direction, of course, because the bar is pinning your shoulders down to the bench, but the act of attempting to drive your body up the bench gives increased lateral stability (since you’re utilizing a roughly squat-width stance), a supported arch, and a certain amount of compression and therefore rigidity in your torso.

When people lift their butt up off of the bench, however, they are accidentally using their legs to drive their bodies vertically upward instead of horizontally “up the bench.”

The Solution
To fix this, drive your feet diagonally forward and down into the ground. You don’t drive your feet entirely downward as this will cause you to bridge your hips up off of the bench, and you can’t drive your feet entirely forward as they would simply slide across the floor.

figure 2: Mike correctly keeps his hips in contact with the bench . . . much better.

Thus, you push your feet diagonally into the floor, and in doing so, you’ll provide the horizontal “up the bench” drive you’re looking for without accidentally lifting your butt up off of the bench.

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.)

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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?

Most Common Deadlift Error? (It's NOT What You Think)

Are you making this deadlift error? It's extremely common, and it's making your deadlifts a lot harder (and take longer!) than they should be. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers helps you fix it quickly.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/20/23)

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.

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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?

Cleans vs Power Cleans vs Hang Cleans - What's the Difference?!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 10/20/23)

Cleans, hang cleans, power cleans, hang power cleans - what are the differences between these lifts, and how can we remember these differences in an easy and practical manner? To sort this out, we first need to understand two words - hang and power.

HANG
Hang refers to a starting position, so if you see the word hang, then you know the lift starts with the bar hanging in your hands. Common hang positions include the mid-thigh, low thigh, above the knee, below the knee, and even mid-shin, but most often (without any other specific qualifiers), hang typically refers to a start position at the mid to low thigh. 

Finally, note that if you don’t see the word hang, then you know the lift starts with the bar resting on the floor.

POWER
Power refers to a landing position (AKA receiving position), i.e., the position in which you catch or rack the bar. When you see the word power, simply think partial squat (tip: power and partial both start with the letter “p”). Thus, if you see the word power, you’re going to receive the clean in a partial depth squat (i.e., not a full depth squat). If you don’t see the word power, then you know you’re going to receive the clean in a full depth squat.

Now that you’ve got those two terms down, it’s time for the actual lifts . . 

CLEAN (AKA squat clean or full clean)
Since you don’t see the word hang, the bar starts on the floor, and since you don’t see the word power, it’s not received in a partial squat and is therefore received in a full depth front squat before being stood up. 

In summary, the clean starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, it is received in a full depth front squat, and then the lifter recovers (i.e., stands up).

POWER CLEAN
You don’t see the word hang, so the bar starts on the floor, but you do see the word power, so the bar is received in a partial depth front squat.

In summary, the power clean starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, it is received in a partial depth front squat, and then the lifter recovers.

HANG CLEAN
You see the word hang, so the bar starts hanging in the lifter’s hands, but you don’t see the word power, so the bar is received in a full depth front squat.

In summary, the hang clean starts with the bar hanging in the hands, the bar is accelerated upward, it is received in a full depth front squat, and then the lifter recovers.

HANG POWER CLEAN
Not surprisingly, this is a combination of both the hang clean and the power clean - the love child of both of those lifts. You see the word hang, so the bar starts hanging in the lifter’s hands, and you also see the word power, so the bar is received in a partial depth front squat.

In summary, the hang power clean starts with the bar hanging in the hands, the bar is accelerated upward, it is received in a partial depth front squat, and then the lifter recovers.

By knowing what hang and power mean - and knowing what it means when those words aren’t present - you’ll be able to consistently figure out these variations of the clean. 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:

• 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.)

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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?

Stop Using a Utility Knife to Cut Horse Stall Mats (Do This Instead)

Cutting horse stall mats with a utility knife is slow, frustrating, and unnecessary. Here’s a faster, easier method - plus the simplest way to move heavy mats by yourself. 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?