When Strength Training, Don't Rest & Try This Instead

Rest between sets is important . . . or is it?. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers two simple yet overlooked strategies that can improve your training efficiency.

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 News - June 8, 2026

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THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video The Easiest Way to Cut Horse Stall Mats (Nobody Tells You This) (click the title to watch):

fangedknight
Are you using a wood blade or a metal blade on your jigsaw?

Phil
It’s a wood blade.

Here’s what we have in the description below the video:

“Craftsman Jig Saw Blades: https://amzn.to/4dYxN9E
The blade used in this video is a "Fast Cut Wood" blade from Craftsman and is one of the blades in the package linked above.”

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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

10 Lifting Mistakes in 10 Minutes
From beginners to experienced lifters, these mistakes show up everywhere. In under 10 minutes, we cover 10 common lifting errors and how to correct them quickly. Click here to watch.

6 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Deadlifting HEAVY
What should you take care of before a heavy deadlift? Phil covers 6 simple and effective tips when preparing to pull heavy. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: How to Deadlift 600 POUNDS in 10 Minutes | Save Time at the Gym
You can save some serious time during your training sessions, and it's not complicated. Phil explains and demonstrates how to do it. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: How to EASILY Move Stall Mats! | Gym Equipment
The classic rubber horse stall mat is extremely useful. It's also a pain to move . . . or is it? We show how to easily move a stall mat with just one person and without any special tools. Click here to read.

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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.

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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 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.

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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 2026.05.04.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m

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

Compare to 2026.03.16.

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 2026.02.16.

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 2026.02.16.

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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.

6 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Deadlifting HEAVY

Do you want to know what successful, intelligent, wily lifters do before pulling heavy? Let’s dive in with six solid tips and tactics.

#1 Chalk
It’s a big deal.

If you’re going to pull heavy – if you’re going to deadlift at all – be sure to train with chalk.

If your gym doesn’t provide chalk, then you bring your own.

If your gym doesn’t allow chalk, then either sneak it in anyway, use something like liquid chalk, or simply find another gym. It’s that important.

#2 Be picky with your stance.
Line up close to the bar. Set up so that your shins (when vertical) are about one inch from the bar. The stance will be fairly narrow – about hip width – and with your toes pointed out at about 10-15°.

Lining up this close puts the bar right over the middle of your foot, which – as your balance point – is the best place from which to try and pull heavy weights.

Mike lines up with the bar over midfoot.

#3 Grip
Use a hook grip, use an alternate grip (AKA mixed grip or switch grip), or use straps.

Don’t miss out on the deadlift’s training benefits by allowing grip to be the limiting factor. Use chalk on your first day of deadlifting, and within a month or two of starting to train, be sure to use a modified grip (read: stronger grip) as well.

Remember, no one cares what you can deadlift with a double overhand grip, so don’t sacrifice your deadlift progress on the altar of “I gotta build up my grip strength, bro.”

#4 Midfoot balance
You want the bar over the middle of your foot, and you want your balance to be over the middle of your foot as well.

Another way of thinking about this is that you want your weight to be equally distributed from the front of your foot to the back of your foot. You generally do this automatically when standing, so be sure to maintain midfoot balance as you bend over to grab the bar.

#5 Shins touching the bar
Don’t ever try to pull the bar off the floor without your shins in contact with the barbell.

After taking your grip during the setup process, you bend your knees slightly to bring your shins into contact with the bar. After this, it is the job of your arms (specifically, your lats) to keep the bar in contact with your shins.

Cue yourself, “Pin it to the shins.”

If you have the the bar over you midfoot, if you have midfoot balance, and if you keep the bar pinned to your shins, you will have solved most of the positioning problems people have in the deadlift.

#6 Breathe and brace correctly.
Before you pull the bar off the floor, take a big breath, hold that breath by performing a Valsalva maneuver, and set your back in flat, rigid extension. Hold that breath throughout the entire rep until the bar is back on the floor.

If you’re not sure what a Valsalva maneuver is, be sure to watch the video below. It will help you breathe and brace correctly and thus maintain a tight and rigid back as you break the bar smoothly off 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.)

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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?

How to Deadlift 600 POUNDS in 10 Minutes | Save Time at the Gym

You can save some serious time during your training sessions, and it's not complicated. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains and demonstrates how to do it.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 06/10/23)

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?

How to EASILY Move Stall Mats! | Gym Equipment

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/10/23)

The classic ¾-inch-thick, 4 ft x 6 ft horse stall mat is very useful for gyms - whether a commercial gym or a home gym. We’ve used many, many mats in the construction of our lifting platforms, and you can also simply use them as gym flooring.

However, they are a pain to move. A real big pain in the butt in fact, so whether you’ve got a partner to help you or you’re moving mats on your own, let’s solve this problem.

Note: While I’ve provided photos to help, all of these solutions are far more easily understood in action in the included videos.

Figure 1: Two People - hanging the mat over a board (top) and rolling up the mat (bottom)

TWO PEOPLE
If you’ve got two people, there are a couple of solutions (Figure 1), and we’ll cover a third option in the “reverse taco” section later in this article.

Solution 1
One option is to lay a board (or pole) on the floor. Next, lay the mat on top of the board. Finally, pick up both ends of the board and rest them on one shoulder of each person.

Solution 2
A second option is to simply roll the mat up and have each person grab one end.

ONE PERSON (Reverse Taco Method)
Having two people is nice, but there is a very easy way to drag a stall mat when you’re on your own. Now, don’t try to drag it like the fool in Figure 2 - you’ll have to pinch the mat extremely hard between your fingers, it will be very difficult to keep that grip, and half the time, the mat will simply slip out of your hands.

Figure 2: Don’t use either of these methods. they’re dumb.

Instead, do the following as described in the three steps below and as demonstrated in Figure 3.

Step 1
Pick the mat up from the edges.

Step 2
Flip the mat so it creates a “hill.” The edges of the mat will now be wedged into your hands, which means that you don’t have to hang on very tightly at all.

Step 3
Drag the mat. You’ll be surprised at how easily you can hang onto the mat utilizing this method.

figure 3

This method can also be utilized by two people (Figure 4), and as mentioned earlier, this is far more easily demonstrated and understood on video than with the printed word and photos, so I’d recommend watching one of the included videos.

Figure 4: 2-person reverse taco method

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?

10 Lifting Mistakes in 10 Minutes

From beginners to experienced lifters, these mistakes show up everywhere. In under 10 minutes, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers 10 common lifting errors and how to correct them quickly.

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?