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.

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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?

Testify Tribune - April 20, 2026

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

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION

From our video What Most Lifters Never Learn About Arms in the Press (click the title to watch):

Joseph Dickerson
Thanks for the tips. Put these to use this week and already saw an improvement in efficiency.

Phil
You’re welcome, Joseph, and I’m glad to hear it!

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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

Two Squat and Deadlift Mistakes That Seem Right But Aren't
Lifters are making these two mistakes on the squat and deadlift — and have no idea. Phil covers what's going wrong and what to do instead. Click here to watch.

This Mistake is DESTROYING Your Press | 5 Simple Tips to Fix It FAST
Are you making this mistake when you press? We help you fix it quickly with these 5 simple tips. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: Pulling Blocks: What, Why, and DIY vs. Commercial (Which Should YOU Use?)
What are pulling blocks, why are they useful, and should you buy them or make them yourself? We cover it all. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: Ain't Nothing Worse than a Slippery Bench!
Slipping and sliding when you bench press? Phil helps you quickly and easily fix this situation with a few options. 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. Load up a manageable weight.
2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.
3. Rest until breathing and heart rate slow down. (45 sec – 2 min)
4. Repeat 5-15 times.

Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” (on Starting Strength).

Compare to 2026.03.16.

Option 2
Bike/row:
8 x 30 sec on/2:00 off

Score = least distance covered in any 30 second interval

Compare to 2026.01.26.

Option 3
5-10 rounds:
50 ft yoke carry
50 ft yoke push
100 ft sandbag carry and S.O.B. (sandbag-over-bar)

Perform 1 round every 2-3 minutes.

Compare to 2025.12.29.

Option 4
Row/Tire 10 min ladder:
2 cal row
2 tire flips
4 cal row
4 tire flips
6 cal row
6 tire flips
…
Climb the ladder as high as possible in 10 minutes.

Compare to 2025.12.29.

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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 Mistake is DESTROYING Your Press | 5 Simple Tips to Fix It FAST

At every strengthlifting meet, there are always one or two people who get red lights in the press and don’t know why.

It’s the knees.

The dynamic use of the hips in the press gives a nice throw or bounce at the beginning of the movement, and reaching the hips forward also causes your upper body (and thus your head as well) to counterbalance by moving back slightly and clearing a path for the barbell.

Excellent, but in the words of Uncle Ben (of Spiderman fame): “With great power comes great responsibility.”

figure 1: it’s not usually as egregious as this demonstration shows . . . usually. at any rate, this clearly shows the knee flexion you’re trying to avoid.

Reach forward with your hips, but keep your knees straight. If your knees flex (Figure 1) and contribute to the upward movement of the bar, the lift doesn’t count as you’ve now performed a push press and not a press.

Still a solid lift – but not the one you’re trying to do.

If your knees unlock when you press, you’ve got a problem, so here are five cues to help fix your situation.

If you want to see these errors and their solutions in action, check out the short video below.

Cue #1: Flex Your Quads
This is the simple approach and is how we teach the press from the start. We usually cue movements and not muscles, but when we do cue muscles, we do so – as in the case here – to prevent movement. Specifically, you are preventing the bending of your knees.

Before you reach forward with your hips, flex your quads hard. Your quads are responsible for straightening the knees and keeping them straight (Figure 2), so contract them hard and keep them contracted hard throughout the lift.

figure 2: so much better.

Cue #2: Tight Knees
This cue conveys the idea that your knees should remain tight and rigid throughout the lift. Keep your knees immovable.

Cue #3: Lock Your Knees
This cue reminds you to lock your knees (and thus use your quads without thinking about your quads) before your start. Lock them before you start the lift and keep them locked.

Cue #4: Pull Your Kneecaps Up
Look down at your kneecaps and consciously flex your quads. Notice that your kneecaps rise when you do this (Figure 3).

figure 3: Quads relaxed and kneecap down (left) vs quads contracted and kneecap pulled up (right)

Now that you have a picture in your head of what happens when you flex your quads, you cue yourself to pull your kneecaps up before you reach forward with your hips. Pull ‘em up and keep ‘em up.

Cue #5: Keep Your Knees Back
This is a favorite of mine.

As your hips move forward at the start of the press, your knees do too, so it’s an overcue, but your knees should never be as far forward as your hips are. At the most extreme point of reaching your hips, your hips should be farther forward than any other part of your body – including your knees.

Watch this phenomenon in action in the video below.

Cue yourself to keep your knees back when you reach with your hips. It just might be the concept you’ve been missing.

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?

Pulling Blocks: What, Why, and DIY vs. Commercial (Which Should YOU Use?)

What are pulling blocks, why are they useful, and should you buy them or make them yourself? Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers it all.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/15/23)

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?

Ain't Nothing Worse than a Slippery Bench!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 09/24/21)

If you’re dealing with a bench that has a slippery surface, this is a situation that needs to be remedied.

We use our legs on the bench press as they provide lateral stability and support our arch, but we can only effectively drive up the bench with our legs if our shoulders are firmly pinned to the bench itself. In other words, sliding up the bench is not what we want, so if you’re training on a bench that’s a bit slick, this is a problem. Below are a few solutions, and if you don’t feel like reading, you can watch our videos on this topic instead.

Figure 1

Option 1
Take a couple of strength bands (AKA resistance bands) and place one (lengthwise) around each side of the bench as shown in Figure 1. The bands will stick to the bench quite nicely, and you, in turn, will stick to the bands quite nicely. Since many commercial gyms have these bands, this can be a handy solution if you’re training at a commercial gym while traveling.

Figure 2

Option 2
Find and buy a non-slip rug pad (or non-slip shelf liner). A 2 ft x 4 ft section should be more than sufficient, and you can get something in this size for under $10. Simply place the rug pad on the bench as shown in Figure 2, and you now have a very grippy bench on which to train.

This is probably my favorite option as it’s flexible, rolls up easily and compactly, and is therefore easy to bring with you in your training bag.

Option 3
If Options 1 and 2 aren’t available for whatever reason, you can substitute a yoga mat for the rug pad listed in Option 2. Most commercial gyms have something like this lying around. It will be a bit on the wide side, but it will usually get the job done.

Option 4
There are a few companies out there that manufacture shirts with grippy sections of material. These are designed to help keep the bar secure on your back when squatting as well as keep you in place on the bench when benching. A7 is one such company, but you can simply google “bench grip shirt” or “bar grip shirt” to find other options. I don’t have any personal experience with these types of shirts, but I’ve heard excellent reviews from those I know who train with them.

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?

Two Squat and Deadlift Mistakes That Seem Right But Aren't

Lifters are making these two mistakes on the squat and deadlift — and have no idea. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers what's going wrong and what to do instead.

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?