How to nail testing week

With testing week coming up, it’s a good time to zoom out a little and come back to a few things that matter, not just for testing week, but for your training long term.

One of my biggest lessons from doing weightlifting is this: STRENGTH IS RELATIVE.

In weightlifting competitions, athletes are split into bodyweight and age categories. Not everyone lifts the same and they’re not meant to. The number on the bar only makes sense in the context of the person lifting it.

That same idea carries across everything we do in the gym. It’s why we use percentages in our barbell lifts, not just in weightlifting, but in squats, presses and pulls too. Your training is based on your current strength, not anyone else’s.

WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN TRAINING

Coming into testing week, it’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is lifting.

But comparison doesn’t really help here.

Two people can lift completely different weights and both be exactly where they need to be. A PB is relative. Progress is relative. Effort is relative.

The goal isn’t to match someone else, it’s to show up and execute your lift as well as you can.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED IN MY OWN TRAINING

Over time, a few things have made the biggest difference for me and they’re the same things I come back to when I coach:

REST. Giving yourself time between lifts to reset and actually be ready.

MINDSET. Staying focused on your lift, not what’s happening around you, so each attempt feels intentional, not rushed or random.

SETUP. Approaching every lift the same way, from the empty bar to your heaviest attempt.

None of these are flashy, but they’re the things that make lifts more consistent, especially when the weight starts to feel heavy.

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WHY THIS MATTERS IN TESTING WEEK

Testing isn’t about chasing someone else’s numbers or trying to prove anything. It’s about putting yourself in the best position to lift well.

Taking your time.

Trusting your setup.

Staying in your own lane.

Because at the end of the day, the number only means something in the context of you.

FINAL THOUGHT

If you take one thing into testing week, let it be this:

Focus on YOUR lift, YOUR setup, YOUR execution.

I used to be the person constantly looking sideways, comparing numbers, questioning where I sat and letting that take away from what I was actually doing. It never helped my lifting and it definitely didn’t make it more enjoyable. The shift came when I started focusing on my own progress, my own lifts and what was in front of me.

That’s what we want for you next week and every other week! Be proud of your lifts, whatever is on the bar. Back your training. Own your progress.

Because no one else is lifting your barbell but you!

COACH GEM

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