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What creates elite performance? Learn about the story of Gillian Ward—a truly world class athlete. From an early age, she demonstrated a proclivity for physical activity. Through drive and dedication, she crushed local records and eventually moved onto world records in many different sports.    Discover the humanity, tenacity, and experiences behind the athlete and person, Gillian Ward. Whether yo...

Our relationships and experiences help make us who we are. How do we learn the values we exhibit? How does one's upbringing affect the rest of one's life? What leads to success and contentment? Scott, Matt, and Frog discuss stories and experiences that touch on these timeless questions. BLOC sales and special offers:  https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ Want to try online coaching for FREE? Email ex...

Matt, Scott, and Grandpa Reynolds reminisce about memories and growing up. They discuss the values they learned and lived from their upbringings.  BLOC sales and special offers:  https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ Want to try online coaching for FREE? Email experience@barbell-logic.com for a free trial of Barbell Logic Online Coaching. You'll get feedback on your technique and programming from a Ba...

Matt and Scott talk with John Wilson about fighting against and training through cancer and cancer treatments. John's diagnosis of stage 4 cancer shocked him, but he regrouped and decided to tackle cancer head on. He continued to train and has inspired people in the strength community through his example.  BLOC sales and special offers:  https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ Want to try online coachin...

Sybil, Scott, and Matt discuss Sybil beginning strength training at the age of 79 and continuing to train into her 80s. She describes how gaining strength has improved her quality of life by enabling her to accomplish everyday tasks. Beyond the topics discussed, you get some appreciation for Sybil's vivacity and tenacity. BLOC sales and special offers:  https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ Want to tr...

Matt and Brett discuss the process behind programming and exercise selection, starting with the excitement and motivation that novice linear progression training brings, as a lifter sets a PR every workout. They move through the progression of MED changes taking a lifter from LP to intermediate training and beyond. They cover how different supplemental and accessory changes change the main lifts. ...

Brett reflects on his strength journey, including success and stumbles at meets and how the process has changed him. Brett discusses why and how he began the Art of Manliness, which transforms into a discussion on authenticity and meaning. The episode ends with Brett answering questions from an audience. BLOC sales and special offers:  https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ Want to try online coaching...

Scott, Matt, and Brett discuss Brett's initial foray into strength and some of the progress he made, including weight gain and weight loss. They cover the physical and mental benefits of strength training and voluntary hardship. They also discuss how welcoming and supportive the strength community is despite how things may appear on the covers of fitness magazines or social media posts. BLOC sales...

The press often challenges lifters and coaches as the lifter advances.   The press uses less muscle mass and less weight than the other lifts and is less forgiving of bar path deviations.  Because of this, the press doesn't stress the body as much as the deadlift, squat, or even the bench press.  Heavy singles and missed reps don't wreck lifters like a heavy deadlift single or a missed squat.  The...

MED offers a useful framework to modify lifters' programming, taking a lifter from the novice linear progression to and through advanced, longer, more complicated programs.  Small changes not only increase stress, lengthen the stress recovery-adaptation-cycle, and bring continued PRs but allow the coach and lifter to tweak a program that has brought success, experiment with which small changes ten...

Barbell training is a safe, effective way to get stronger and improve one's health.  That being said, some basic precautions can increase safety and prevent needless injuries--and even fatalities.  Proper spotting and correct placement of safety pins or spotter arms in a power rack or on a squat rack make the squat and bench press safer.  Different lifts, however, require different safety consider...

You have diligently executed the first four steps of the deadlift set up.  You are tight--and uncomfortable--and ready to get the bar off the ground.  What now? For many, no cue works better to get the deadlift moving correctly off the ground than some variant of "push the floor away."  In a correctly performed deadlift, the bar moves up off the ground in a straight line with the knees first exten...

The deadlift tests raw strength possibly better than any other lift.  It differs from the other main lifts because it starts in the bottom position, without the benefit of a stretch reflex provided by an eccentric--lowering--portion prior to the concentric--up--portion.  Luckily, we have a simple 5-step process to help you get in the correct position each time. 5 Step Set Up Stance Grip Shins to b...

Though the bench press's importance may be overvalued, it cannot be denied that this lift is unparalleled in building upper body strength.  Because of the stability provided by the bench, no other lift contributes to force production for the upper body like the bench press.  The bench press and press provide the foundation for lifters' long term strength progression.   Because this lift is perform...

Heavy presses--more than any other of the big four lifts--do not forgive form errors.  Certain cues help novices begin pressing competently and, if you are a coach, must be cued early and often to your lifters.   The combined cues "close grip, elbows forward, wrists straight" help the lifter get into the correct bottom position, which contributes to a mechanically efficient bar path.  For the pres...

Though its prominence has increased due largely to the increased popularity of CrossFit and StrongMan, the press remains an undervalued and underperformed lift.   If you haven't included presses in your program--or if you want to improve your press--learn about the importance of the press to a well-rounded strength program and how to correctly perform the press. How much do you press?     BLOC sal...

A more horizontal back angle characterizes the low bar squat compared to other squat variants.  The back angle throughout the squat provides important information about whether the squat is being performed correctly or not. During the descent, the back angle should set somewhere before halfway down the squat.  Once the back angle sets, the back angle should stay nearly constant during the rest of...

Certain form issues pop up regularly with lifters.  Common cues arise to address these issues.  "Knees out" remains a staple cue for coaches looking to fix errors in the squat, including knee cave and knee slide. As a lifter descends in a correctly performed squat, the muscles lengthen under load, and the lifter should feel an increased tightness as she approaches the bottom.  This provides a stre...

The squat builds strength, adds muscle, and increases mental toughness.  The squat begins each training session at the beginning of a lifter's linear progression and often requires the most work from the coach and lifter to correct form issues.  The squat deserves its nickname, "the king of the lifts." Learn how to squat, which cues help lifters get in the correct position, and why we advocate for...

Figures in the fitness industry debate issues such as using RPE, including power cleans in linear progression, programming for older people, and prioritizing intensity or volume.  Some argue whether a certain program provides better results than another program.  While coaches may enjoy debating the finer points of programming, form and consistency--more than programming--determine how fast you pr...

Coach Matt and Coach Niki outline three different deadlift programming "tracks" for lifters, based on their sex, age, size, level of training advancement, and long-term goals as a lifter. Over time, Matt and Niki have observed that, depending on these factors, most lifters will thrive in one of three tracks, or programming models.   Very high intensity / very low frequency with lots of supplementa...

Recently Matt and Niki have been dealing with a prominent issue among their late intermediate and advanced lifters (some of them very strong too!). These lifters will descend beautifully into the hole on a squat, then while driving up allow their knees to shoot back, causing their hip angle to close and their backs to become more horizontal as more of their body mass travels behind the midline. Th...

Coach Matt and Niki explore a common issue with the bench press -- losing tightness at the bottom of the eccentric portion of the lift. This error presents in a number of ways, such as the elbows flaring out or "chicken winging" on the way up, the chest and/or sternum sinking during the eccentric portion, or the bar visibly bouncing or rebounding off the chest.   Matt and Niki first attempt to fix...

In separate interviews, Matt and Scott sat down with Blake and Katie, the founders of Dominion Strength, and Mike Reed, the founder of Microgainz, both successful small businesses that filled a niche in the strength community with innovative, high quality products and excellent customer service. In two interviews, Blake, Katie, and Mike talk about how they came up with the idea for their businesse...

In this episode, Matt and Scott present their favorite whiskeys (or whatever happens to be in front of them at the time of recording) from the first episodes of Barbell Logic.   Visit https://barbell-logic.com/offers/  to find the latest deals on strength and nutrition coaching at Barbell Logic Online Coaching, training equipment from the show sponsors, and more!   Want to try online coaching for...