Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic

Niki Sims and Gillian Ward discuss why nutrition compliance trends so much lower than training compliance, why this is, and how you--as someone who has nutrition goals--might combat this and succeed toward or past your goals. Nutrition coaching is quite different than strength or training coaching. With training, you prescribe a certain number of exercises, and the lifter does or does not do them....

Matt & Scott discuss the myth of maintenance and how this doesn't really apply for people, despite what people often claim. Sometimes life prevents strength training from being a high priority, so you do your best. Work, injuries, vacation, etc. can prevent improvement in the gym. When these things are not preventing improvements in the gym, then do your best to improve in the gym. The day will co...

Matt & Scott discuss how to behave properly in a gym, because to many don't respect the equipment or the people around them. Don't be that guy (or gal). Take care of the equipment and put it back where you got it. Treat the equipment with the respect it's due. Wipe down your bench and similar equipment. Put the weights away properly (right location, and lips out on the weight tree).  If you're in...

Matt and Scott discuss how you can save time in the gym, because we know (with rare exception) you lift to live not live to lift. LP workouts shouldn't take that long. Early workouts should realistically take about 45 minutes. This will increase to 60 minutes as you rest more and the weights go up. They should NOT take more than 90 minutes.  If you're in a hurry, warm up for your next exercise bet...

Matt and Scott discuss why we warm up and how to properly warm up. Warm ups--like much with lifting--can come with lots of confusion and misinformation. First, why do we warm up? We warm up to warm up the tissues, so this is the general purpose of warm up. We also warm up to practice the movement and prepare our neuromuscular system for the work sets, including the fact that as we add weight the c...

Matt and Scott discuss the master cue, a cue developed based on a basic understanding of biomechanics that can be used for many lifters. You cannot perform a squat correctly if the center of mass of the barbell-lifter system is not directly over the center of balance (your midfoot). The midfoot really means, however, that weight is balanced between the balls of your feet and your heels.  Because i...

Matt and Scott discuss whether you should get hyped for a lift. They tend to say no, unless you've practiced getting hype and your form is good. If your form isn't locked in, don't hype.  Also, there is an importance for regularity before lifts. Because of this, you shouldn't act completely differently for PR attempts than lighter attempts. Do the same thing.  If you're an advanced lifter, you mig...

Matt and Scott discuss how to train older clients.  Barbell Logic's age demographics tend to skew older, so the company and its coaches have lots of experience coaching older clients.  Depending on the age, almost everyone can deadlift. Many can squat, bench press, and press. Some lifts may have to be modified, but an exercise similar to the lifts can be executed for most older clients.  Older peo...

Dr. Jonathan Sullivan joins Matt and Scott to discuss the merits and drawbacks of including the power clean in someone's program. Who should perform it, and how do we evaluate if someone should or should not perform the power clean? Sully has 3 criteria for assessing whether someone should perform the power clean: Want to do it Aptitude to do it Tolerate it For those who meet the above criteria, i...

Scott and Matt discuss what is a cue and why good coaches give cues. You should only have to teach a lifter a lift once, but you will have to correct that person's execution of the lift. Because we can't as coaches lift the weight for the lifter, we have to deliver information to the lifter as they lift to get them lifting more in line with the model. We do this with a cue. Cues can be visual, tac...

Matt and Scott discuss common pitfalls that novices make as they begin their strength journey.  First and foremost, many people lift with horrific form. You need to get your form right or pretty close. This either requires a coach or your needing to spend the time educating yourself and filming, watching, and analyzing your own lifts. Many people don't get shoes, and proper shoes make a huge diffe...

Scott & Matt discuss what you have to have, what you should have, and what is nice to have in the world of strength training. First--it's nice to have a home gym. It provides flexibility and convenience, though it admittedly takes an initial investment of money to get a functional gym. If you're working to create a home gym, this is what you should have: Get a 20kg or 45lb bar of relatively high q...

Gillian and Niki answer your nutrition questions, including hunger & recipes, small wins & gastric distress.  0:00 Introduction & Gillian is Human -what do you do if you get off the rails? -hydrate & drink lots of water -get back to your normal: don't overreact, but get back to the routine that makes you feel good -do the things you need to do to get back (shop, food prep, etc.) 9:30 Hunger Signal...

This is the NEW interview with Dominion Strength Training . Niki talks to Blake & Katie about their journey as entrepeneurs as their business has grown and they've expanded the products they offer. You can follow Dominion Strength Training on Instagram . Niki actually met Blake & Katie before Dominion Strength Training started, as they came to Atlanta Barbell to receive coaching. They were CrossFi...

This is a new interview with Mike Reed from MicroGainz . Mike & Matt really focus on entrepreneurship and creating a successful business. Also, Mike and his wife recently attended the 2021 BLOC Party, had a blast, was able to meet many of the coaches and clients, and brought gear to sell (without shipping).  You can follow MicroGainz on Instagram here . MicroGainz offers fractional plates (now up...

This is the episode Matt & Mike recorded the day before Thanksgiving 2020 and aired that Black Friday. Matt & Mike discuss MicroGainz and the opportunities and challenges that COVID created for their businesses.  You can follow MicroGainz on Instagram here . MicroGainz offers fractional plates (now up to 10 lbs), dumbbell fractional plates, gym pins for machines, and now Barbell Logic engraved mic...

Jordan Stanton, owner of Next Level Barbell , joins Matt & Scott to discuss his story of frugality, risk taking, and self-determination.  He went to college to become a nurse, but realized this was not a career he wanted to stick with long term. He began to train lifters and came to a point where he had to decide if he was going to really pursue it or not, and he ultimately did.  He paid off his b...

This is the original Dominion Strength Training interview. Blake & Katie join Matt & Scott to discuss the creation of Dominion Strength Training. You can find their website here and follow them on Instagram here .  Blake identified the possibility for creating a belt company when--as a novice lifter--he saw a gap between poorly made, cheap belts that you could get quickly and expensive, high-quali...

Matt & Scott share their business books that have provided them value and insight as business owners themselves.  The E Myth Revisited (Matt) This book discusses business systems. There are owners, managers, and technicians in every business. If you're a great technician, you might not be a great manager or owner (e.g. if you're a great coach, it doesn't meat you'd be great at running a gym).  Sco...

Who are we, and how did we get here? Matt addresses these in his 2021 BLOC Party State of the Union.   This is Matt's address to the Barbell Logic coaches and staff at the 2021 BLOC Party. Matt delivers these roughly quarterly to the staff, and he initially intended to keep this internal as past state of the unions have been. Ultimately, though, at the prompting at some of his staff, he realized t...

Matt & CJ Gotcher answer your questions about the Academy and coaching, including when you should fire a client, how Matt's coaching practice has changed, the PBC process, and how to know if coaching is NOT right for you.  CJ Gotcher is a staff coach for Barbell Logic and the Academy Director.  0:00 Introduction 1:57 Firing a Client As a coach--or really anyone in the service industry--you will ev...

Enjoy the panel Q&A that ended the 2021 BLOC Party. Listen to Dr. Puder, Matt Reynolds, Gillian Ward, Niki Sims, Andrew Jackson, & CJ Gotcher answer questions from the BLOC Party attendees. Topics include nutrition post-vacation, finding clients in a new location, training to looked more jacked, and countering the effects of sitting. 0:00 Introduction 2:20 Finding Clients in New Location Deliberat...

This podcast is a recording from the 2021 BLOC Party. It was the first presentation on Saturday, August 7th that Matt & Niki gave to the staff, coaches, client, friends, and family of Barbell Logic. It comes from a emerging idea that Matt and other staff and coaches at Barbell Logic have been developing, which is that STRENGTH CANNOT COME AT ALL COSTS. We have to consider and balance all facets of...

Thomas Frank, popular YouTuber on productivity and related tips, joins Matt to discuss his journey as a Barbell Logic Online Coaching client as he just recently achieved a 1000-lb powerlifting total. You can learn more about Thomas Frank at his YouTube channel . Thomas is publishing a video on his channel documenting his journey.  Thomas & Matt met at a conference and Thomas mentioned to Matt that...

John Welbourn joins Scott & Matt to discuss his journey from skinny kid to NFL athlete to fitness figure trying to share the benefits of strength & fitness.  John Welbourn enjoyed a long career in the NFL, in part because of his dedication in the gym and in the kitchen. He ate healthy foods, being an early adopter of the paleo diet, and saw the benefits on the field from getting strong in the gym....