Understanding barbells is easy, actually (but what are the rings for?)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Ever wondered why barbells have rings etched into them? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down the key parts of a barbell and explains what those markings mean – and why they matter.

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.

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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?

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Testify Post - June 22, 2026

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video DEADLIFT REGRETS: Top 10 regrets from veteran lifters (click the title to watch):

Daddio Lovecraft
Good timing. Getting ready for Deadlift Day.

Phil
Glad to hear it – hope this 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

DEADLIFT REGRETS: Top 10 regrets from veteran lifters
Experience is a great teacher, and it's always great to learn from the mistakes of others so you can avoid the same errors. Phil breaks down 10 common deadlift mistakes and how to avoid them. Learn from the mistakes of others — and make better, faster progress. Click here to watch.

 

99% of Lifters Don't Know Which CLEAN to Perform: POWER vs SQUAT vs SPLIT
In weightlifting (AKA Olympic weightlifting), there are 3 different landing positions, and each has its unique advantages. We cover each version as well as why you might want to perform it. Click here to read.

 

Blast from the Past: The BEST Way to Warm Up for Lifting (Do NOT Do This!)
Want to warm up efficiently for lifting? Make sure you're not making this mistake. Phil explains in this short video. Click here to watch.

 

Blast from the Past: 4 Easy Ways to Load Your Deadlift
Loading and unloading the barbell for your deadlifts can be a pain, so we give you 4 different ways to make this process easier. 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

Reminder: In observance of Independence Day, we will be closed for training on Saturday, 07/04/26.

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 10 Year Celebration!

  • June 27, 2026

  • Current and former members – join us as we celebrate 10 incredible years of strength, community, and hard work at Testify Strength & Conditioning!

  • Please RSVP by clicking here!

  • 4:00–7:00 PM

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.

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 2026.05.18.

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 2026.03.30.

Option 3
5-10 rounds of:
30 sec ME tire flips
30 sec rest

Compare to 2026.03.02.

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 2026.03.02.

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.

99% of Lifters Don't Know Which CLEAN to Perform: POWER vs SQUAT vs SPLIT

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

You have three options for performing the clean – power clean, squat clean, and split clean. Let’s cover the advantages of each so you can decide which one your should be performing, and as a bonus, we’ll also cover what adding the word “hang” (e.g., “hang power clean”) means for these three cleans.

#1 Power Clean
The power clean starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then racks (i.e., catches or receives) the bar on the shoulders in a partial depth front squat position.

alex demonstrates a power clean.

When you read or hear “power,” think “partial squat” – both begin with the letter P, so it's a rather handy way to remember the receiving position.

The advantage of a power clean is that it's the simplest of the three receiving positions (i.e., landing positions) – you don't need to learn to front squat as you do in a squat clean, and your feet don't travel very far as they do in a split clean. For these reasons, the power clean is usually the first version of the clean that we teach, and for general strength trainees or athletes who wish to incorporate cleans into their training, the power clean is what we typically recommend.

Note: If you’d like to see these cleans demonstrated, watch the short video below.

#2 Split Clean
The split clean starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then racks (i.e., catches or receives) the bar on the shoulders with the feet in a split position - one foot positioned in front of the torso and one foot positioned behind the torso.

maddie demonstrates a split clean.

The advantages of a split clean are twofold – first, depending on the length of the split, you can receive the bar at a lower position than that of a power clean, which helps in terms of lifting heavier loads since you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it

Second, you don't have to execute a full depth front squat as you do in a squat clean, and with this in mind, while the split clean can be a solid option for lifters of all ages, it is an exceptionally great option for master's lifters (i.e., older lifters).

#3 Squat Clean
The squat clean – also known as a “full clean” and most commonly as simply a “clean” – starts with the bar on the floor, the bar is accelerated upward, and the lifter then racks (i.e., catches or receives) the bar on the shoulders in a full depth front squat position.

abby demonstrates a squat clean.

The advantage of a squat clean is that it has the lowest receiving position of the three cleans, so you don't have to get the bar as high before racking it when compared to a power clean or split clean.

As a result, it is the version of the clean capable of lifting the most weight, and because of this, if you attend a weightlifting meet (AKA Olympic weightlifting meet), the squat clean is the most common type of clean you'll typically see.

Bonus Tip
Power, split, and squat are all receiving (i.e., landing) positions, but the word hang refers to a starting position. Specifically, it means that the lift starts with the bar hanging in the hands instead of with the bar resting on the floor.

As a result, a hang power clean, hang split clean, and hang squat clean all look very similar to their respective versions covered earlier in this article, but the bar starts hanging in the lifter’s hands instead of resting on the floor.

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 BEST Way to Warm Up for Lifting (Do NOT Do This!)

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Want to warm up efficiently for lifting? Make sure you're not making this mistake. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains in this short video.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 06/17/23)

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

4 Easy Ways to Load Your Deadlift

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/05/21)

If you’re new to lifting, it may seem like loading and unloading your deadlift sometimes take an unseemly amount of effort. Let’s improve this situation, shall we?

Option 1
If you’re using bumper plates, simply grab the plate about halfway down or just slightly lower than that, lean back a bit, and simply pull. You’re using your bodyweight to help pull the plate along - the plate will slide lightly along the floor, and you’ll be good to go.

One of the advantages to this method is that if there is some slop at the other end of the barbell, this tends to tighten up both sides simultaneously.

Option 2
Deadlifting with metal plates is preferable to deadlifting with bumper plates because, when you add other plates like 25s or 10s, you’re not adding a full size plate, so loading extra plates is relatively effortless until it’s time to add another 45 to each side.

When it’s time to add a 45 to each side, grab a 2.5 lb plate (5s or 10s also work, but 2.5s are best), and roll one side of the bar up onto the plate. This raises the bar enough that you can slide the next 45 on easily.

This method is also very useful when unloading your bar at the end. Simply roll the innermost 45 up onto a 2.5, which leaves the outer 45s off the ground. As a result, they are easy to slide off the bar.

Option 3
Whether you’re using metal plates or bumper plates, you can use a commercially available deadlift jack. On one hand, a deadlift jack is the best option in terms of ease of use, but it’s also the most expensive option as some models will cost you $150-$200 or more. It’s great . . . but it can be pricey. A more economical version of a deadlift jack would be . . .

Option 4
The fishhook! (if you’ve seen the movie “Moana,” you’ll understand the name) Anyone can make one of these - the process is simple, cheap, and we have a video covering the entire project (thanks to one of our coaches, Tyler Holm!), and you can scroll down to the end of this article to view that video.

With the fishhook, you can easily jack up one side of the bar, which makes it very easy to slide on either a bumper plate or a metal 45.

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:

  • 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

DEADLIFT REGRETS: Top 10 regrets from veteran lifters

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

Experience is a great teacher, and it's always great to learn from the mistakes of others so you can avoid the same errors. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down 10 common deadlift mistakes and how to avoid them. Learn from the mistakes of others — and make faster, safer progress.

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