Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic

Mastering fitness habits is the key to crushing your goals and gaining lasting results to boost your health and quality of life. Mastering Fitness Habits: Actions You Do No Matter What Habits are things you do without making new decisions. For Andrew, his four healthy habits are walking, food choices, sleep, and training. He can go on auto-pilot in these areas, which automatically bring him toward his health and fitness goals. Niki's dog died recently. No one would have blamed her for not training. For Niki, however, it was not only important to maintain the habit but it actually provided an emotional outlet, where she could get out of the house and get out of her mind and do something healthy for herself. Mastering Fitness Habits: Applied Principles Not Rigid Rules This does not mean black-and-white rigid programs. It does not mean if you do not do your 3x5 low bar squats, 3x5 bench press, and 1x5 deadlift with at least 5 minutes of rest you are not doing the program and have failed and are a bad person. Rather, you incorporate walking regularly as part of your day. Most of the time that means at least 10,000 steps for Andrew, but sometimes that is unrealistic. On vacation, for example, he continues to train, but workouts will tend to be shorter with less volume and less weight. Sleep may become a lower priority on vacations, but it is not completely ignored and certain actions that help Andrew sleep better will be maintained. Mastering Fitness Habits: Find Freedom Habits do not restrict freedom they create it. Do you feel free when you cannot say no to the office donuts or that second or third drink or have to go through the drive through on your way home from work? Is this freedom? No, freedom is not choice. Freedom is the ability to do what you want, in line with your values. If you want to be healthier and more capable, and be able to do more, you have to regularly train, sleep, and eat well. Mastering fitness habits is not complicated, but it's not easy. Learn some tips to crush your health and fitness goals. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn why you should walk more, how it improves your health, mindfulness, and quality of life. Don't eschew this pedestrian but effective fitness tool. Physical Fitness Benefits of Walking More A good reason why you should walk more is because it provides many health & fitness benefits. Andrew mentions a study that shows that the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day equates to, essentially, a "change in effective years" of 8 years. To simplify, it equates to making you 8 years younger than you otherwise would be. Now, it is easy to draw too much from studies, but what is clear is that walking was correlated with positive health outcomes. Walking is accessible to almost all people, usually exposes you to the sun and gets you out from behind screens, and gives you time to think about things. Mental Health Benefits of Walking More Another reason why you should walk more is the benefits to your mental health. Walking gets you away from screens and your everyday problems. Creating this time and space to do something else let's you think or do other important activities such as think, talk, or listen to a podcast or audiobook. Walking is a great activity to do with deep work. You can decide to take a break from the urgent and focus on the important, while doing something physical. Why you should walk more!? Because it's all-around good for you. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn about how Jack Armstrong, BLOC client, completed the Three Peaks Challenge for charity. You can donate to the cause here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-surphlis-1718352507474 Three Peaks Challenge for Charity Jack Armstrong, BLOC client, competed the Three Peaks Challenge. The challenge involves climbing the 3 highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales, along with driving to the peaks, within 24 hours. Jack's training had to change, with much higher volume at low intensity and ensuring that his back (which can act up with heavy deadlifts and squats) was healthy. He also hiked regularly. The event itself was one long, hard day, and the team only failed to complete the challenge under time because they got stuck in traffic (but they ascended and descended the hills under their planned time). Despite the rain, wind, cold, hail, and physical pain, this - being stuck in traffic - was the most painful moment of the day. If you want to help donate to the hospital where Margot, who has cancer, is being treated, you can give here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-surphlis-1718352507474 PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Subscribe to the Build Your Business podcast hosted by Matt & Chris Reynolds, who help you overcome the fears, unknowns, and challenges of business ownership. Learn more about Ryan Matt Reynolds. Learn more about Chris Reynolds, CEO & Founder of Surton. Subscribe to the Build Your Business Podcast If you have a skill or passion you're good at, you may have been told, or you may have considered, turning it into a business. Many coaches began as fitness enthusiasts who wanted to help others get stronger and healthier. That's great. If you sell you services, however, you are a business owner. If you are a business owner, you have to work as the owner, manager, and technician in the business. The technician is the role you're probably thinking about. You're the coach, power washer, baker, etc. You have to run and oversee the business. This is the management and ownership. Many businesses fail because they fail to do this. Don't be saddled with the anxiety that comes from being a new business owner. Learn advice from Matt & Chris, who have nearly 40 years of business ownership between them. Subscribe to the Build Your Business podcast at turnkey.coach/build

Struggling to get back into the gym after a long break? Learn how to overcome mental and physical challenges and restart your fitness journey with our beginner's guide. Returning to the Gym After a Long Break: Shift Your Mental Mindset You went on a vacation, got sick, had a baby, were injured, or had your gym closed down. How do you get back to working out regularly? Niki and Andrew first, of course, recommend that you probably want to avoid this situation if you can. Even if it's just some light bodyweight exercises, this is significantly better than no exercise. The hardest aspect of this is in your head. Once you take a break longer than about 3-5 days, you will find a significant decrease in performance. Because of this, you will have to deal address your expectations for what your body can do based on its past performance versus its current performance. Focus on the habit of training and identify yourself as a lifter - you are someone who strength trains. Lastly, remember that you are moving toward your goal, but that it will likely take longer than you would like (but in the grand scheme of things it will not take that long). Returning to the Gym After a Long Break: Soreness & Other Physical Challenges As you have to adjust your mindset, you also need to adjust the weight and volume. Begin with lower volume and lower weight. It is much better to err on the side of too light than too heavy. It will help you ease back into the program, build confidence, and enjoy the quick gains from the lower weight as opposed to quickly missing reps because you tried to begin as close to your limit as possible. Expect that your second workout or second day at the gym will be harder than the first. Especially with the squat, you will experience soreness. Remember that movement will help with soreness. Enjoy the shock to your system. Beginning your strength training routine after a break should not be scary. Take it easy, adjust your mindset, and get back in the gym! Share your experience with returning to the gym after a long break. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Should I lift if I'm tired? It depends, on your tendencies, goals, experience, normal state, and more. We help you answer for yourself if you should lift today. Should I Train if I'm Tired? Experience & Tendencies You're going to feel tired sometimes. What do you do if you feel tired? Should you train? It depends. Niki recently felt tired and ended up taking a nap instead of training. She has learned, over years and decades of training, that this occurs regularly, she knows she will train the next day. Niki loves training and knows she will train the next day. You may begin to find similar patterns. Remember, though, most people seek to avoid training, so know your tendencies. Andrew shares a different experience, where for a long period of time he was sleep-deprived and always tired. He has had to learn, over time, that he would feel better after training, but he also had to reduce the expectations. If he never trained when he was tired, he would never exercise. Expecting the weight to go up every workout, however, is creates a loop of disappointment, guilt, and can lead to missed training. Should I Train if I'm Tired? Take Ownership of Your Training Regardless of your decision, you have to own your decision and your training. If you skip today, own it, know why you did it, and do not let it break your training habit. If you train, own that as well. Expecting PRs or the prescribed weight and volume may be counterproductive. Rather, aim to maintain the habit. This is about behaviors and patterns that contribute to your quality of life and long-term goals. This is not about hacks, short cuts, or other snake oil. You have to put in the work over the long haul. Should I train if I am tired? Find out! PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn how to get your back back after a chronic injury. It takes patience, focus on recovery, and a focus on what is truly important. How to Get Your Back Back: What Is Your Goal? You have to remember what your goal is. What matters most to you? Niki had an emotional attachment, built over years with baked-in assumptions she had to reevaluate, about the need for the weight on the bar to go up on a few lifts in a limited rep range. She had to ditch this as the metric that mattered. What she REALLY wanted was to build muscle mass, enjoy the gym, and limit or eliminate pain. Dreading the gym and waking up in pain every morning was not working. Do you HAVE to deadlift to build muscle mass? No you do not. We love the deadlift, but if the deadlift is causing you to hate your workouts and be in pain all the time, then it is not moving you closer to your goals and you should ditch the deadlift. Niki also decided to stop BJJ. While she enjoyed it, she was underrecovered and it was not bringing her closer to her most important goals. How to Get Your Back Back: Patience Instead of lifting heavy, Niki had to reduce stress and prioritize recovery. This first looked like lighter bodyweight and light implement movements. Then it moved onto machines. For Niki, the jump to machines was huge, because she was able to train hard without making her back worse. Ironically, the crooked path toward her goal has brought her closer to PRs than the path of beating her head (or maybe her back) against the wall of pain, frustration, and trying to do the program. She had to train curious and see if the exercise hurt, be ready to modify the weight or range of motion. She had to emotionally detach from weight on the bar. She had to rather focus on other things - did she wake up in pain. Did her back hurt during the workout? Waking up without pain was a win aligned with her goals that was worth celebrating. Learn how to get your back back. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Prioritizing your health helps boost all other priorities in your life. Respect yourself and your boundaries and learn how to prioritize your health, no matter what. How to Prioritize Your Health: Set & Protect Boundaries Do not allow work travel or other obligations cause you to abandon your priorities. If you lose your health your work and those other responsibilities will suffer. Prioritizing your health means understanding this is important to you and putting time and effort into it, even when time and effort is severely limited. When you fail to prioritize your health, not only does your work suffer, but you will likely feel growing resentment, as you have failed to defend your goals and have your actions reflect your core values. Prioritizing Your Health During Travel & Difficult Times For Andrew and Niki, investing in health during travel looks like consistently getting to the gym, maintaining a habit of walking, and picking better food choices. This does not mean two hour workouts or the same diet one might eat during a strenuous cut. It means, however, ensuring you maintaining the habit of exercise and working toward your goals. It means attempting to get 10,000 steps. It means looking for healthier food options, prioritizing protein and fiber insofar as you can. You cannot completely let your guard down. You cannot relax your standards with reckless abandon. This is not how you accomplish your goals long-term. This is especially important and true if you travel regularly. Prioritizing your health means respecting yourself, your goals, and your boundaries. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

A powerlifting meet gives lifters and coaches an opportunity for performance under pressure. Learn the whys, hows, and whats of powerlifting meets. Learn about this and the exciting new International Barbell Federation (IBF). Powerlifting Meets for Everyday Lifters You don't have to be a 700 lb deadlifter to benefit from a strengthlifting meet. People of all ages and backgrounds have found the purpose-organizing power of signing up for and preparing for a meet. Putting the meet on the calendar gives a time and place where you need to perform. It helps you organize your training, eating, even vacations and such around this. Sometimes, this is not appropriate. You might not want to schedule this when life is throwing you severe involuntary hardship. Still, novices and experienced lifters, young and elderly, the painfully average or elite can benefit from adding this to their training. As a coach, the best way to get better at helping lifters at meets is to have your lifters go through meets. Second best way is going through a meet yourself. Powerlifting Meet: The Power of the Platform Beyond the training-organizing function, the environment of a meet - especially an in-person meet - is powerful. People regularly experience PRs as they get cheered on. On the other hand, the unique elements of a meet can throw people curve balls. You have judges and an open platform (as opposed to staring at a wall). You have less control over when you lift and have weird equipment and clothing. Judges may give you commands. You have to handle emotions. With all this, it is certainly an experience worth having under your belt as a lifter and coach. Try a powerlifting meet or strengthlifting meet, so you can perform under pressure. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Why participate in barbell competition, and if you decide to compete how do you approach it. Learn about this and the exciting new International Barbell Federation (IBF). Barbell Competition Benefits Andrew interviews Jordan Stanton, owner of Next Level Barbell and the Strength Union, both in or around Portland, OR, as well as former owner of the United States Strengthlifting Federation (USSF). As a gym owner, in-person coach, online coach, lifting federation owner, and competitive lifter, he has experienced barbell competition in all its aspects. Why compete? Competition focuses lifters' training, organizing it around a purpose connected to time. It also provides some motivation, not only mentally because the meet is on the calendar, but also to train hard and take recovery seriously. Consider participating in an online or in-person meet, regardless of your training level. Barbell Competition Tips & General Approach Generally, you want to taper before a meet and practice heavy singles. You definitely need to be familiar with the rules of the meet. Having a coach can really help here. For many, though, the most important thing is not stressing about the meet or how you do but simply experiencing the meet. Lift heavy as people cheer you on. See how all the different rules and aspects of a meet change your lifting and your training leading up to your programming. Barbell Competition Online The USSF went online during Covid. Now, the USSF has been reflagged and is the International Barbell Federation (IBF). If you're seeing this before or in October 2024, sign up for the online meet from October 9-20, 2024. You can do a powerlifting version (squat, bench press, deadlift) or strengthlifting version (squat, overhead press, deadlift). Make sure you read the rules and ensure you execute accordingly the day you lift. An online meet is a great lower stress way to compete in your normal environment, not having to take a day out to go somewhere and spend most of the day competing. Consider participating in barbell competition as part of your overall training approach, even if just one time. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

When you know you have a good product, service, or solution, you have unshakeable confidence. How do you develop this? Learn what this is and how you develop it! Unshakeable Confidence: Is It Possible & What Is It? Andrew saw a video of someone handing out bags of money and reacting to people accepting or not accepting it. Seems pretty crazy, to turn a bag of money, right!? Now, in a big city, we can acknowledge that people might not fully understand what is going on, might be skeptical, and other reasons may exist. But in a situation this obvious - do you want free money? - the person handing it out is not insulted if you turn it down. Why? Well, because this person is delivering such obvious value. Andrew realized that when you know you have a good product, good service, good solution, this is how you react to rejection. You don't get incredibly defensive or emotional. You might take it as a learning opportunity. While you want to spread the word about the good thing you have, your emotions are not so wrapped up in defending the value because you know, deep down, this thing has value. Unshakeable Confidence: How to Develop It Be honest with yourself and invest in ability, integrity, and benevolence. If the product needs work, be honest with yourself. That might be part of your pitch and you should charge accordingly. For example, if you are trying to become a coach, you might initially charge nothing or very little and pitch it as something that will likely provide them value while allowing you to improve your coaching. If they receive value, request a testimonial. Pick something that keeps you curious, and grow and expand your limits within that thing. Improve your craft. Improvement requires honesty, because you have to acknowledge your deficiencies and work to improve those areas. When it comes to sales, this will look like not being obsessed with closing the sale, but rather offering a service where you help the other make a decision. Occasionally, it will not be a good fit. That's okay. Do not force something bad when it does not make sense. Develop unshakeable confidence and then deliver. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Stronger means harder to kill, more able to fulfill your work and domestic obligations, and more useful overall. Listen to Matt's talk to the Tactical Response alumni. This group of people cares about being prepared, protecting themselves and their loved ones, and more capable overall. If they are weak, however, they have a gap, and they need to be stronger. This applies to you too. Stronger Means Harder to Kill Would you like to be harder to kill, more resilient, healthier, and more useful overall or softer, easier to kill, more susceptible to death and sickness, and a burden on others? If you're weak, you have a gap that needs to be addressed. You need to get stronger. Getting stronger is brutally simple. Eschew complication, follow the simple, hard, effective way. Receive the greatest return investment for your time and effort by following basic barbell movements such as the squat, bench press, deadlift, and press. Strength is about overcoming cancer, staying out of a nursing home, becoming a better father or mother. It is about building the confidence to regularly do hard things, and to be more prepared when involuntary hardship comes. Act now! Exercise today and work toward training to get stronger and harder to kill. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We cover the good, the bad, and the ugly in the recent games in this 2024 Olympics Wrap-Up. 2024 Olympics Wrap-Up: the Impressive & the Controversial You have to admit it, Olympians' performances are impressive. The amount of work over years and decades is immense. Genetic gifts abound, but so do mindset and work ethic abilities. Olympians' RPE 10 is not the same as our RPE 10. We value voluntary hardship and appreciate what the human body can do. We stand in awe of the excellence on display in the Olympics, but rather than demotivate us it inspires us. In some small way, we get to participate in the same pursuit to not accept mediocrity and burdening others, but improving ourselves. Enjoy this 2024 Olympics Wrap-Up! PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Back pain for lifters can be scary & frustrating & varies in severity. Learn the causes, treatments, approaches, & red flags as a lifter and coach. Rebekah Krieg, Exclusive Coach & former long-time physical therapist, discusses back pain, how to approach it as a lifter and coach, and red flags contraindicate training. Back Pain for Lifters: Part of the Human Experience Back pain happens. Whether an MRI of your back would look "normal" or "bad," back pain seems to be part of the human experience for those who exercise and train and those who do not. It is better, all things being equal, to train and strengthen your low back. A strong back is a resilient low back. Back pain comes in many intensities and durations, from the short-term tweaks, to the multi-month or year variety, to chronic back pain. As lifters and coaches, we have to approach back pain with some flexibility but basic principles, an openness to refer out, active listening to our clients. Back Pain for Lifters: Treatments & Approaches The general approach is to focus on what you can do. If a lifter experiences a tweak during the workout, a general approach is to do the following: reduce load first next, reduce range of motion next, vary the exercise selection be prepared to end the workout As a coach, do not encourage or support client catastrophizing. Training curious, see what works. Even if the workout has to be ended, most likely the client will feel better after a day or two and with something easy movements like bending over at the waist to get blood flowing into the back. Motion is lotion. For someone with new back that comes in, encourage them to see how the back feels after a warm up (and likely a slower, longer warm up). If they are still not feeling good, than follow the steps above. Often times, though, they will feel better after a warm up. If someone comes in with chronic back pain, they are used to back pain. Focus on excellent technique and be more conservative with them. Ensure that the back pain does not get worse, and see if it gets better. Communication will be critical, and you may include a back pain metric that helps you and the client ensure pain monitoring is a regular part of the coaching process. If the back pain is bad and normal enough, they might never do the conventional deadlift. Focus on what they can do. If the conventional deadlift or low bar squat causes significant pain or things to get worse, it does not make sense to force them into these movement patterns. Back Pain for Lifters: Red Flags that Contraindicate Training Sometimes, clients should not even warm up. If the client reports any sudden loss of function since the back pain, this contraindicates training. Below is a longer list: lack of bowel control sexual dysfunction bilateral pain loss of motor function (e.g. foot drop) Do NOT let them warm up. They need to go to the doctor. Bekah even has said that she has had to fire a client who would not follow her recommendations and guidelines for lifting and would not see a doctor. This may be the kindest thing you can do to them. What type of glaring signal might it send to someone that a coach will no longer take their money unless they change their behaviors? Back pain for lifters and coaches can be frustrating and scary. Do not catastrophize, follow some basic steps and principles, and do not be afraid to refer out to another healthcare professional. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Take action and train because time & strength wait for no one. Get the most out of your training, & don't spend any more time without barbell training. Take Action and Train: Time & Strength Waits for No One Time is our most valuable asset because we can never earn more of it. We can make changes to make more money. We cannot make changes to earn more time (though we can make changes to spend our time in more valuable ways). You do not want to spend another year, month, week, or even day without moving toward your health and fitness goals. You do not want to be ten years older having not trained. Not only will you be no closer to your goals, you may be further away. Furthermore, you will have lost ten years' time to train and reap those benefits. But there is no better time to begin training than now. Make the change now. If you're short on time, that is no problem: spend time with simple, hard, effective training that delivers the minimum effective dose for maximum return on investment. Take Action and Train: MED Strength Training for Maximum Value You get no better return on your investment of time and effort than using compound barbell movements, such as the squat, press, deadlift, and bench press. Too many people - especially template peddlers - know because all they are selling is a program, they need to show off by including complexity and many exercise. Because of this, these programs often take 2-3 hours and have needless complexity, as it looks like you received more value with the longer, more complex workouts. Simple, hard, effective is the way. If you're extremely limited on time, you may even simply perform one exercise a day. You don't know how much benefit you can get from how little time. It is not easy, but it is simple. It is brutally simple and brutally effective. Take action and train today. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Tackling tweaks can be terrifying. You're lifting and suddenly - OUCH - pain. We discuss how to handle these tweaks. Tackling Tweaks: Don't Catastrophize You're lifting, all is going well, then suddenly you feel pain. What do you do? How do you handle this? Why me, why now!? It can be easy to catastrophize, to immediately assume the worst. The reality is, your workout may be over, it may not be, you may be able to do something. You want to do what you can do, and most tweaks may affect one or two workouts but will have a quick return to normal. Tackling Tweaks: Step-by-Step Andrew & Niki break down how Niki dealt with a recent adductor tweak and how this can apply to similar situations for you. Evaluate for red flags Calm down Check for range of motion Incrementally start loading it The first two steps may be interchangeable, but first check in with your body. Do you feel tingling? Is there bruising or swelling? Is it unilateral or bilateral? If you feel tingling or see bruising or swelling, it is more than a tweak. Depending on how you are feeling, you may need to calm down. This may involve sitting or walking around. Check for range of motion. Move into a position of discomfort and see if it gets better or worse. Stop if it gets worse. Then, assuming you encounter no red flags, begin to load incrementally. It is probably a good idea to do the movement slow and controlled - maybe a tempo variation with a pause. You may adjust the movement to limit the involvement of the muscle that hurts. Winning may look like getting some movement done - it will likely not look like getting the programmed workout done. Tackling tweaks does not have to be terrifying. Learn how. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

How does consistency help us reach our goals? We explore the fundamental but undervalued lynchpin to success that is consistency. Consistency: Lynchpin for Success Repeated action brings you toward your goal. Obviously, if you want to learn Latin, you need to study Latin regularly - studying Mandarin Chinese will not help. That being said, a mediocre plan that you consistently follow is better than the "perfect" plan followed sporadically. Fitness influencers like to argue about the perfect program, the best exercises, the proper technique, and many other things. None of these things matter if you do not train regularly. The difficult part of this is that you have to put in the effort for a long time before seeing the results you want. Consistency: Compliance & Technique This is about actions, not outcome, though the actions bring you to your desired outcome. Compliance - following the actions that bring you toward your goal - does not mean following a rigid plan perfectly without any possibility or flexibility for deviation. Rather, it means regularly performing actions that bring you toward your goal no matter what. You train whether you are motivated or not. That may mean bodyweight exercises, shorter workouts, fewer workouts, but it means you do not "go dark" for periods of time. Consistency of technique, as it relates to strength pursuits, is also undervalued. Having a repeatable way to perform an exercise helps provide a clear measuring stick, let's you know if you completed a repetition or not, helps prevent injury, and targets the muscle groups as desired. Pursue consistency, because nothing matters as much as this. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn how to get beyond the sticking points, where failure and quitting too often arise but opportunity and long-term success await those who intelligently persevere. Minimum Effective Action: Where is the Progress? PRs have stopped, you're not feeling as good as you had been, you'll not looking forward to your time in the gym like you had been. Sometimes it takes longer to realize than you would think, but suddenly you realize things are not going as you would like them to go (and as they had been before). What do you do? Because recovery is the limiting factor, it is helpful to think through different areas of your life that contribute to recovery and where you might be falling short or missing the mark: sleep (quality & quantity) eating (quality, quantity, consistency) alcohol protein routine (do you have one right now?) stress You will likely identify an area or multiple where you are not doing as well as you can. For example, maybe you've fallen out of your normal routine during the summer, partly by drinking more. The drinking has reduced your sleep quality and quantity and also your protein and fiber. Tightening things up, reducing alcohol, and reestablishing your routine can help. Minimum Effective Action: Consistency & Path of Least Resistance Identifying the path forward when you want to make changes can be hard. Really, the simple, hard, effective way is the way forward. Focus on one or two things, and do them consistently. The change needs to be something you can see yourself doing indefinitely. IT needs to become a habit, so that when you do not have discipline OR motivation, it is the easy thing to do. For example, for Andrew and Niki they feel bad when they do not work or they eat bad food. It has become easy for them to eat healthier and train because otherwise they very quickly identify they feel bad and see the negative consequences. Take the minimum effective action to reach your goals. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn how to get beyond the sticking points, where failure and quitting too often arise but opportunity and long-term success await those who intelligently persevere. Get Beyond the Sticking Points: Frustration, Failure, & Quitting There is a time around 6 weeks into an attempted habit implementation, new diet, or workout routine, where people tend to quit. The early, easy gains end; the long-term changes the person wants have not really been seen; and the path forward remains unclear. This is when most people quit. They build a habit of quitting, not knowing how to get beyond this common sticking points. If approached with wisdom and perseverance, these times are actually doors to long-term success. Get Beyond the Sticking Points: Perseverance & Long-Term Success These times are great times to ask for help or dig deeper. For lifting, signing up for online coaching can be great (real online coaching where you get technique feedback and personalized programming) or go in for an in-person technique check up with a professional coach. If you cannot afford this or, for some reason, do not want to seek a coach, you have to educate yourself and become a coach. Piling more stress on in and of itself typically does not work. Pulling the stress back often does not work. The stress-recovery-adaptation period must be elongated, no longer one stress event with time afterword, but rather a period of time where you stress yourself, build up fatigue where fitness decreases, and then allow for recovery to allow fatigue to go down, fitness to come up, and ultimately cause more performance (hopefully a PR). Getting through these sticking points, however, is really the key to long-term success. You have to be able to handle unexpected bad times, keep going, but keep going intelligently so you do not burn out. Get beyond the sticking points. Learn how to build life-long health and fitness habits. Strength is for everyone. Strength is for life. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

How do we confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves, not get bogged down in negativity, and move toward our goals. Uncomfortable Truths: Coming to Terms with Your Shortcomings You set a goal. Inherent is this is that you do not like what you are doing now. Something must change. You have probably intertwined your identity with the actions that you need to change. The potential pitfall is wallowing in negativity and neuroticism. You may adopt a victim mentality. Clear this hurdle. Uncomfortable Truths: Move Toward Your Goals Niki and Andrew share common and personal examples. One that happens that is less obvious is coming to terms with the slowing improvement toward the end of LP or early intermediate training. You may have not reached the goals you expected or desired. You may have wrapped up your identity in the daily and weekly PRs, and now are trying to accept you have to do more work to get fewer PRs in less time. Niki struggled with the process of gaining weight. She found having structure and guidelines around the process and metrics helped her have confidence in the process and her coach. Andrew has confronted that he has accomplished much reacting to his emotions. Now, to reach further levels of professional development, he has to overcome this inclination. Learn how to confront uncomfortable truths. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We investigate accessory lifts: what's the point? Why do auxiliary lifts and how should you think about incorporating them into your training? Accessory Lifts: What's the Point? It's that time of year, where people begin to go on vacation and either take breaks from lifting or ask to do hotel workouts (which they often do not do). What may cause, in part, the low compliance with hotel training is not understanding the point of the accessory lifts that, because of the limited equipment and weight, have to be used for these workouts. So, what purpose do these lifts serve? The provide additional volume for muscle groups that cannot be adequately stressed by solely using the main lifts. We love the main lifts, they are fantastic tools and over time they should go up. As you advance, though, you will almost certainly need to incorporate more of these auxiliary lifts that train muscle groups like the deltoids, triceps, biceps, hamstrings, calves, and more. Adding Accessory Lifts to Your Training As always, you first need to know the why? We explained the general why, but the personal why - why do you as a lifter need them now? You have to consider your time, equipment, preference, goals, and desired muscle groups to target. The benefits of home gyms are huge, but this is one area where home gyms tend to be more limited. You may have to get creative or invest in things such as adjustable dumbbells or pulley attachments. These need to be performed strictly and for difficult sets. In fact, these can be more productively trained at higher RPEs than deadlifts and squats because they provide less systemic fatigue to the body. You want to bar speed to slow down for the last rep or two and for them to be challenging. Program them for reps below 20, typically, because you do not want to stop because "you're tired." Consider adding accessory lifts to your program if you want more training stress and hypertrophy. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We have questions for Niki Sims (and she has answers)! Learn more about Niki, her thoughts on training and life, and her goals. Questions for Niki Sims: Training, Success, & Motivation Andrew asks Niki an assortment of questions. What is a particularly memorable success story from one of your clients? A story that stands out (and there are more, but this one jump into her head) is a daughter of a client who started to lift. Her family lifts, and so she started to lift. Niki could tell something was off, but her client was not talkative. Finally, the client told Niki her back was hurting. Niki change the training and let her know training should not hurt or be something you don't look forward to. Now, she loves training, she is into it, and you can see the different in her videos. How do you stay motivated to train consistently and what advice do you give to those struggling with motivation to train? For Niki, this has become the favorite part of her day. She has tailored the time and space to what she wants. She has removed things she does not want. If a lift is painful, she takes it out. She has her own home gym she loves. This time is a time without work (except work against gravity). You should make this as fun and enjoyable and comfortable as you can - this includes the exercises you are doing but also the space, music, and more. Questions for Niki Sims: Goals, Mentors, & the Future Niki and Andrew continue. What are your personal fitness goals and how are you working toward them? Niki is working on her chin-ups, both 1RM and AMRAP. Besides this, she wants to consistently train four days a week with fun training sessions to get more meat on her body. Additionally, she learning how to eat to support this. Who are some of your mentors in the fitness industry? Matt Reynolds has helped, but especially when it comes to learning about the business side of the industry. Niki las learned much from Andrew Jackson on how to organize work to be more effective and efficient. Gillian Ward, Niki's coach, has been a huge mentor, from whom Niki has learned a ton. Lastly, Niki loved to see how Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions infused passion into the everyday work of the team. Where do you see the industry heading in the next 5-10 years? Gyms will get better and better, especially in terms of equipment. AI programming will mean less manual input but more data. You will be able to go into a gym with your program and not have to enter anything manually. You will know exactly what is available in the gym in your App. These are questions for Niki Sims. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Gauging nutrition progress can be hard, as weight & waist may fluctuate or not change quickly (or as quickly as we'd like). Learn how to better gauge progress on nutrition. Niki and Andrew discuss how you can better gauge nutrition progress and advance in the realm of nutrition. Gauging Nutrition Progress: Subjective Feelings Tracking nutrition progress can be frustrating. The amount of work that goes into changing behaviors, even in a relatively short few day period, with no or little measurable change to metrics such as weight or waist, can cause people to quit. What can become important, not just in these first few days but in general to become someone who builds some mastery in the realm of self-control and nutrition, is observing the feelings associated with feeling bad and feeling good. How do you feel during training? Do you feel depleted, bloated, or energetic? Are you full, satisfied, or hungry? What do these actually feel like (e.g. how do you feel after eating an appropriately portioned healthy meal versus overeating versus undereating). Observing these sensations and associating them with behaviors that connect to certain outcomes can help you see that you are on the right track or need to make adjustments. Some of these feelings are longer-term feelings (e.g. tight pants, the seat belt test) others you can experience soon after a meal or after a day or a couple days of behavior changes. Really, what you are learning to do is trust in the process by knowing the sensations that come from behaviors that will lead you toward your goals. Gauging Nutrition Progress: Objective, Quantifiable Behaviors Beyond this growing self-awareness, tracking behaviors that will lead you to your goals can be helpful. For example, tracking glasses of water, servings or grams of protein, servings or grams of fiber can help you track habits that will lead you toward your goal and, importantly, that you can control. This helps provide a quantifiable metric that comes before the weight, waist, and appearance progress and is much easier to observe than the subjective feelings. Gauging nutrition progress can be hard. Learn how to observe your subjective feelings associated with moving toward or away from your goals and create quantifiable metrics with healthy behaviors so you can better track your progress. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

It's time to conquer your limiting beliefs to finally achieve that goal you've had for years or decades. Conquer Your Limiting Beliefs: What is Possible One of the biggest limiting beliefs is failing to understand what is possible, especially over a longer period of time. People tend to overestimate how much change they can make in a short period of time but underestimate how much they can change over months and years. The short change bias is why so many diets fail and why many media outlets develop the "8 weeks to abs" and similar things. Seeing "normal" people perform things you think is impossible, though, is powerful. Watching people who don't look like Ronnie Coleman or Ed Coan deadlift 500 or bench press 315 makes a big impact. How did they achieve these goals? Through consistent training over years. Conquer Your Limiting Beliefs: Feeling Stuck We love what Barbell Logic offers because Barbell Logic coaches help clients get unstuck. Barbell Logic clients tend to fall into this general boat: ready to change, ready to work to change, ready to pay some money to change, but unsure of what to do. Getting unstuck is possible. Achieving a physique or strength level you thought impossible is likely possible. It won't happen in eight weeks. It might happen in eight years. See what happens with consistent training over months and years. Experience strength with Barbell Logic. Conquer your limiting beliefs and crush your goals. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn the similarities between building wealth and muscle and how we can learn principles from both to improve both. Similarities Between Building Wealth and Muscle Andrew and Niki have been reading The Psychology of Money, a book that, as its title suggests, delves into how we approach money based on the inner workings of our mind. They really realized, reading this book, how similar building muscle and building wealth are. So many principles of success (or paths to failure) overlap. Some of the ideas that overlap include: Less ego, more wealth Humility when things are going well; compassion when going poorly Importance of planning and knowing personal preferences Avoid the extremes Don't worry about "optimum" There is a lot more there, including maybe the obvious but important idea that there is no get rich or get jacked quick scheme. You have to build behaviors consistently over time to achieve strength or a muscular physique or wealth. Also, shout out to YNAB, which is a company we appreciate that can help you on your path to your financial goals. Look more into the similarities between building wealth and muscle. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Invest in a home gym for peace of mind. Having training equipment available & close underpins training success, providing reliability, convenience, & peace of mind you can't have with a commercial gym. Home Gym for Peace of Mind - Reliability In 2020 we learned that access to gyms and restaurants (and toilet paper) was not guaranteed. For those who had home gyms, however, it may have been one of the best stretches of training they had ever had. Commercial gym goers, however, had to use what they had at home and try to buy equipment as prices and demand skyrocketed. Beyond those black swan events, gyms can close, hours can change, new clients can come take equipment we want to use during our normal training hour. With a home gym, your equipment is available for you when you want to use it. Home Gym for Peace of Mind - Convenience & Control The reliability that brings peace of mind may be the most important aspect of this, but beyond this, convenience and control matter. Listen to the music you want to listen to. Arrange and complete obnoxious circuits with multiple pieces of equipment. Do curls in the squat rack. No one cares. Lift at 2 o'clock in the morning or go lift during your work day in jeans. Wear what you want. Chalk your hands. Home Gym for Peace of Mind - Getting Started The bare minimum to start is a barbell and plates. We recommend an Olympic barbell with 2" sleeves and 2" plates. The one thing to not skimp on is the barbell, though you can get a quality barbell from Rogue that does not cost too much. Garage Gym Reviews has great reviews of equipment at different prices and a general guide on getting started on your home gym. Don't do the strength equivalent of buying a treadmill and not using it. Get what you know you will use and continue to get more as needed. Invest in a home gym for peace of mind, convenience, reliability, and control. Invest in a home gym for the gains so you can be a lifter for life. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We discuss how to lift forever. This is a mindset and approach to become and remain a lifelong lifter. How to Lift Forever: Why It Matters Lifting for quality of life is a habit that can last for years and decade. We hope you lift as long as you can. We've discussed the benefits of strength and voluntary hardship, and how accumulating hard sets and building muscle contributes to health and longevity. This is why it matters. You can't lift in your 20s and expect to benefit in your 50s and 60s. You need to build and maintain a habit that stays with you through your many phases of life, including the valleys. How to Lift Forever: Attributes Niki really see a tripartite time division with lifters who lift for the long haul and how they think about and approach the past, present, and future. Lifters who maintain the habit over years and decades plan ahead. They think about how they will train this week, month, year, and even five years. They invest time and money into their training. Looking whether there is a gym close by your travel location, for example, or incorporating hotel gym workouts or even bodyweight workouts helps maintain the habit. Looking at the past means being able to appreciate the past and be proud of the work and progress you've put in. The past, however, really becomes most important in terms of how it manifests and informs how you think about the present. You have to be okay with being where you are at. It doesn't mean you are happy with it or you don't have a goal to improve, but you do not beat yourself up. How to Lift Forever: A Mental Model Thinking about the past and the present may be the most critical element. You find yourself where you are. You have a goal for the future. You understand you have made past decisions that have brought you to your present situation. A question Niki asks is "What got me to this moment I'm not liking?" You may find you're okay with your decisions. For example, after a vacation, you might be a bit more bloated with clothes fitting more tightly. Did you enjoy the vacation? How important was the vacation? You might find you don't regret your decisions. If you do regret your decisions, think about how you can adjust travel arrangements in the future so history does not repeat itself. Don't beat yourself up or find yourself falling into dividing your expectations and reality. Then, visualize your future. Think about where you want to be at a certain point of time (e.g. at the end of the year). Decide what actions will move you to that point and then execute. Learn how to lift forever. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We discuss why and how lifters should do cardio: what is most effective and why include it in your program at all? We answer these questions and more. Why and How Lifters Should Do Cardio: What is Cardio? Cardio is the term for those activities that raise your heart rate and stress your cardiovascular system. Another term - the term we prefer - is conditioning. Conditioning tends to come more with the idea of a purpose, like training versus exercise. Cardio is more something you should do to get out of breath and sweaty. There are three general reasons people do cardio. Weight loss: Cardio is not a great way to lose weight or get leaner. Rather, focus on nutrition, lift to create a signal for muscle growth, and generally be active. Performance: Conditioning helps you perform your sport or activity. For most clients, this means not feeling so out of breath when they play with their kids, go for a hike, or perform other physical activities then enjoy. Health: You may perform cardio to be generally more healthy, especially your cardiovascular system. Why and How Lifters Should Do Cardio: Energy Systems Cardio encompasses three energy systems. Aerobic: This is low-intensity, long duration. You are almost certainly primarily using your aerobic energy system now. This encompasses normal life along with low-intensity exercise, such as walking or an easy jog. You oxidize fat and carbohydrates. Glycolytic: Medium-intensity, medium duration (~10s - 2 minutes). You use this for things such as running intervals. You break down carbohydrates. Phosphagen: High-intensity, short duration (~10s or less time). You use this for short bursts, such as a 50m sprint, a jump, or a 1RM effort. This uses ATP readily available in your muscles. Conditioning for lifters will typically stress the aerobic and glycolytic energy systems, as lifting stresses the phosphagen system (and the glycolytic as well). Why and How Lifters Should Do Cardio: Conditioning for Strength Athletes Most lifters will want to incorporate some easy aerobic activity and then high-intensity interval training (HIIT). For the aerobic activity, things that simply get you active suffice. This can mean walks. If you enjoy other activities, such as swimming, running, or biking, by all means do those in Zone 2. To include intervals, you should perform low-impact, low-skill activities for relatively short durations repeatedly a few times a week. This can look like accessory circuits at the end of your workouts, hill sprints, prowler pushes, or some type of machine intervals (bike, rower, elliptical, etc.). Why and how lifters should do cardio depends, but there are some general principles and best practices that make sense for your performance and health. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We discuss recovery as the limiting factor. How addressing what you do outside the gym affects what you do in the gym and your movement toward your goals. Recovery as the Limiting Factor (Toward Adaptation / Your Goals) The stress-recovery-adaptation cycle underpins the process of training. You stress yourself (the workout), spend time not stressing yourself (recovery), and hopefully move toward your goal (adaptation). The stress you apply needs to be specific, based on the specific adaptation to imposed demand (SAID) principle. If you want to improve your run time, you should run, not follow a powerlifting routine. For many people, following the workout program is relatively easy. What often becomes harder is changing habits outside the gym, which can be developed over years and decades. How much protein are you eating? Are you willing to eat consistently in a caloric surplus? What does your sleep look like each night? These and other factors limit your adaptation, and so addressing them can help you move toward your goal. Failing to deal with them means you may fail to meet your goal. Recovery as the Limiting Factor: Maximizing Recovery As you age, stressful events occur in your life (even if they're positive, like having a baby), and your priorities change, your recovery (and thus your adaptation) capacity changes. To move toward your goal and stay healthy, maximizing recovery may make sense. This area, though, often comes with harder-to-crack psychological underpinnings. On some level, you like to and are used to your habits (even if you are unhappy with where they have led you). Ensuring you get enough protein and consistently eat high quality foods matters. Prioritize sleep (which comes with a host of habits you can build around sleep). Limit alcohol. Don't pursue the unimportant and non-urgent in your life. A new approach to training, especially in more stressful times of life, may need to occur. Building in some autoregulation and not beating yourself up if you don't do what is programmed (the planned stress) matters. For example, Niki and her sister were on vacation. They went to the gym and Niki's sister did her last warm up and it was way heavier than expected. Niki decided to decrease the weight. The win was completing the workout, not beating themselves up about the weight on the bar, and not grinding out reps unnecessarily. Recovery as the limiting factor is an important topic that needs more serious consideration. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We share our go to healthy recipes. These are tasty, healthy, and enjoyable and help you crush your goals (without suffering). Go To Healthy Recipes: Consistency, High Protein, Veggies Before we go on to discuss some of Andrew and Niki's go-to recipes, let's discuss some principles for how the find, make, or purchase these. Find ways to get as high protein as possible (from natural foods). 2:1 protein to fat is good. This tends to mean, looking for lean beef, chicken, eggs, or Greek yogurt (there are, of course, other options, but these are readily available high protein options). Seek ways to strip unnecessary fats out of your diet. Think about things that minimize suffering. Some examples include reducing cooking oils, removing or reducing cheese in salads, replacing high fat dairy with lower fat dairy, and using some egg whites with whole eggs. Eating the same foods consistently is helpful. These meals provide stability. You know how you will feel after them. Unless other big changes have occurred in life, you know how much to cook, it's easy to know your calories and macros, and you know how full you will feel and for how long. Go To Healthy Recipes Andrew and Niki both like the Made In Blue Carbon Steel frying pan. It cooks eggs well. Niki loves a high protein and veggie breakfast. She cooks some onions, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and bok choy. Add some salt (not until the end!) and then some Boar's Head pastrami turkey (about 50 grams). Cook some eggs and back, put all of it in a low carb tortilla and you have a healthy breakfast that is under 400 calories. Andrew will often go to Starbucks. When eating out, look for options that have high protein to calories ratios. Greek yogurt with fruit (fresh or frozen), sugar free jello, and maybe grape nuts is super tasty and high in protein. Whipped cottage cheese is similar. Andrew also has a chicken breast meal with potatoes. Cut the chicken breast in half (to make it thinner). Salt ahead of time (could even salt and leave in the fridge over night). Cook some baby potatoes in the oven (don't salt until the end)! Enjoy. Lastly, a rice hack. Forget about the rice button on your instapot. Rinse the rice, add your water or chicken stock, some salt, and (optional) pat of butter or oil. Cook it for 3 minutes, do NOT have the keep warm function come on afterwards, then immediately start dishing out. These are some of your go to healthy recipes. What are yours? Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Swing for the fences! Don't leave anything on the table, give it your best shot, and go full bore ahead. Swing for the Fences! - Aggressively Pursue the Urgent & Important A single decision or event can change the course of your life. Regardless of life, philosophy, or religion, this is true. When presented with a big opportunity, you need to swing for the fences. Hyperfocus your life and efforts on this. This is when urgent and important overlap. This is when you put your sleep, family life, and other things on the backburner to aggressively pursue the opportunity. You don't get the outcome if you don't swing for the fences. You don't even get to swing for the fences if you don't swing at all - if you fail to show up. Swing for the Fences Regardless of the Outcome This does not mean you succeed. You may fail. You will fail often. Another opportunity will come. Work hard, prepare yourself for those opportunities, and be ready to show up and wing for the fences when the opportunity falls in your lap. Don't leave life with regrets about what you did not seek, what you failed to try. Swing for the fences! This podcast is brought to you by TurnKey Coach. Enhance your coaching effectiveness and efficiency with TurnKey Coach. You can learn more by going HERE. Check out Coaching 101 - the new Academy course designed to cover the basics of coaching. It's leaner and tighter than our other offerings (and cheaper). Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Are more sets better? We dive into a new study and an associated article and headline. Are More Sets Better? Evidence-Based & Nuanced We're talking about muscles and hypertrophy today. Outside Magazine recently featured an article that discussed adding more sets for building muscle, which argued that you should add more sets to build muscle. Andrew and Niki are here to be your funnel of truth. Are More Sets Better? Let's Dig Deeper When we look at scientific studies, it's important to avoid the seemingly easy route of reading a headline or even a news article. If you read the study itself, don't assume that the study title or abstract will match the data necessarily. News media exist to sell their product, and weak headlines don't sell. These incentives exist for scientific magazines and scientists as well - no results or another study confirming what we would expect to find do not dazzle. That being said, studies and scientific literature are not worthless. What Andrew & Niki find is that the headline overstates the findings. Remember, we all have models of how the world works. Ideally, your model has been built according to investigation and astute observation. Studies can and should inform that model, and if a piece of data disagrees with your model you should confront it. That being said, upturning your model because of one study is not recommended. Are more sets better? Maybe, it depends, as adding sets is certainly a tool to use. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn about the good news - the gospel of hard. Hard things done intelligently and consistently create good results. The Gospel of Hard: Voluntary Hardship We at Barbell Logic have been spreading the good news of voluntary hardship for years. Truly, if you expose yourself to hard things, intelligently, consistently, good things will happen. Truth be told, even if you do this somewhat poorly, the persistent hard work often produces results. Hard does not feel good, especially at first. But if you repeatedly expose yourself to hard things and overcome them, you will learn to associate hard with opportunity, and build a lifelong habit of pursuing challenges and the fruits of these obstacles. The Gospel of Hard: Physical & Psychological Benefits This is Barbell Logic, so clearly we love the physical benefits from strength training. That being said, the psychological changes matter and may be bigger. Completing hard tasks builds confidence. It builds a pathway that you can apply in other areas of your life. A heavy set of squats can help you become a better father or employee or friend. We obviously love barbell and strength training, but we highly encourage you to pursue something hard regularly, especially in the physical realm. See the fruits of your efforts. If you're looking to begin, but are stuck, look for a coach. Look for someone who can help you with technique and programming, but also connects well with you. Experience the gospel of hard. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

How can I look like Jake Gyllenhaal? If you've asked yourself or your coach this, we discuss what this looks like (really). How Can I Look Like Jake Gyllenhaal? The Goal A popular movie comes out with a young actor who takes his shirt off and shows his shredded mid-section. What comes next? The onslaught of requests and goals to look like him. Articles explaining his training routine, diet, and more. Shred your abs with this Roadhouse routine. Andrew and Niki explore what this process might look like (really). How Can I Look Like Jake Gyllenhaal? The Process It's going to take a long time and, contrary to many people's expectations and desires, you will almost certainly have to gain weight before you cut. For many, they are unwilling to add weight. Second, the cut is going to be rough. It may begin easy enough, with sustainable nutrition practices, but you will end feeling (and being) weak and lethargic. Realize that Jake approached this like a bodybuilder for a show. This is the peaked, temporary appearance of someone who underwent a long process and was not walking around like this for a long period of time. It is inherently unsustainable. How Can I Look Like Jake Gyllenhaal? The Mindset Third, it will take a lot of consistent, hard training over a long period of time (some of which you will feel and be weak). Lastly, and not unimportantly, you will have to deal with the hunger and what comes next. You will have extremely low energy near the end, not want to train, not want to work, and think about food most of your day. You got shredded, took the picture, posted it to Instagram. Now what? It will be hard to not compare yourself unforgivingly against this temporary success. If you want to look like Jake Gyllenhaal, you need to envision the life around the body and be prepared to dedicate the sacrifice this will entail. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We talk about the evolution of training expectations as you move from novice to intermediate to advanced lifter. How you you manage your mindset, so you can train for life? The Evolution of Training Expectations: Managing Your Mindset PRs measure progress, encourage buy-in and consistency, and help make training fun for novice, intermediate, and early-advanced lifters. This slows or ends. You want to keep training for the rest of your life, though. The driving force for keeping you training cannot be PRs. You cannot expect to drive up weight on the bar consistently. Failing programmed reps is not actually failure, in the scheme of your goals to train consistently and grow and maintain strength, vitality, and health over time. If you are overly wedded to today's workout - if there is a hyper focus on today - you are, really, falling into an exercise (not training) mindset. Now, it's true that training involves following a plan. But our bodies do not always cooperate - even the best coach in the world cannot perfectly predict your performance that day. Things need to change. The Evolution of Training Expectations: Accumulate Hard Sets Accumulate heavy but doable sets over time. This is the way to build strength and muscle over time. As you progress, great flexibility will likely need to be built into your program. You will not be able to grind away RPE 9.5-10 sets. You need to enjoy training. Picking a specific exercise to drive up, as opposed to everything, may make sense. Focusing on consistency (even if it's one lift a day) can help. Play with different supplemental lifts and different rep schemes. Take the PRs when they are there, and enjoy them. You may think about maximizing recovery. It will take longer and longer to get PRs (and one day they will stop). Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Tips for Training While Traveling: Whys Why train while traveling? While, in part, it depends on how often you travel, your goals, the length of travel, and how consistent you are outside of travel. For those who are extremely consistent and rarely travel, it might make sense to take the week off. If you travel for business, you need to train. You will feel better if you train. The workout might not feel good, especially to start, but you will feel better afterwards. You might even feel better during the workout (e.g. initial warm ups feel terrible, then the heavier warm ups and work sets move well and feel good). It also helps provide structure to your days, which on vacation can often lack structure. Additionally, it gives you some short amount of you time, and, importantly, healthy you time. Tips for Training While Traveling: Hows Incorporate your gym seeking into your travel planning. Checkout the hotel gym and nearby gyms. You can often find a serviceable gym that has a guest policy. You might need to call the gym to check the visitor policy. Pack and prioritize some equipment. Belts and other bulky items are not needed. Having a pair of shoes that you can both lift and do cardio with makes sense. You might pack some small things like liquid chalk, straps, or knee sleeves. Plan your workout ahead of time. Intend to do at least something hard - get into that "worth it" zone. Depending on the number of times you will train and decide whether you will do full body and a split. Fewer times means full body makes more sense. Besides that, Niki and Andrew have some general tips and approaches they take: Mentally let go of the weight on the bar AMRAPs supersets (antagonistic or similar) burn out sets drop sets hard exercises that don't require tons of weight (e.g. bulgarian split squats) bend these joints: knees, shoulders, elbows, hips Try out these tips for training while traveling. A couple links for helping you train while traveling can be found here & here. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We really need to talk about menopause. What to expect, how you make changes to lifting, nutrition, expectations, and more. Menopause: Causes & Expectations Menopause is about a 10-year period of life for women where estrogen decreases, causing other changes to a woman's biology. Some changes include the end of the menstrual cycle, decrease in energy levels and trouble sleeping, increased difficulty trying to retain muscle mass, hot flashes, and sex drive changes. Let's face it, it does not sound all that fun. But it happens, so it makes sense to understand it, prepare for it, and undergo it in a way that matches our goals and values. Menopause: Approaching & Undergoing It Intentionally Really, what you do in the weight room and kitchen do not change. You need to eat protein and lift heavy weights. That does not change. Managing expectations is important. Adaptations cannot occur as quickly. You will not be able to handle as big of a dose of stress, and you will take longer to recover. This is why Niki recommends, for those who are in a position to do so, to put on the muscle mass while it's easier to do so before menopause. Building the habit now and understanding how to enjoy training, over years and decades, is important. This may not be the most fun time to train, but it is important to continue to train. We really need to talk about menopause. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Learn how to better your bench with proper technique and good equipment. Improper gear and form means less weight on the bar. Bench more. Learn the way. Better Your Bench with Good Equipment For anyone who has tried to bench heavy in a commercial gym, they typically find that the experience is frustrating. Weights are harder than expected and may even come with missed reps. Bad equipment is often to blame. Whether it is slippery bars with nearly no knurl to those bench-rack combinations that have the bar far too low or too high to slick benches that prevent you from digging into the bench and freezing your scapulae, these gear problems abound in commercial gyms. You can, typically, make a bad situation worse. You can better your bench. Wearing a bar grip shirt helps your shoulder blades stick better to the bench. You may want to bench in a squat rack, which typically has smaller jumps between holes, then in those bench-rack combos. Having a spotter so you don't have to shrug the bar 4 inches off the j-hooks can help. You may need to put plates underneath your feet so you can get a better arch. At home, getting a monolift is a good investment, especially if you tend to experience shoulder pain. Also, you may need to lower expectations. This can be a good situation for autoregulation. Better Your Bench with Correct Technique Technique matters too. You want to have the maximum amount of stability for the longest duration possible. You should not be wiggling after the bar is unracked. Don't do it! Build tension as you set up. Your legs should drive up the bench into your shoulders into an arch. You should use the weight of the bar to help pin your shoulders down into the bench. You should squeeze the bar hard. Another consideration is breathing. If you can do it efficiently, complete 2-3 reps on one breath. If not, focus on maintaining scapula position between breaths. Better your bench with proper equipment and good technique. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Programming Difficulties for New Dads Having a newborn changes your life, and training has to change as well. For a dad, the change is different than for a mom. For the mom, she undergoes physical changes for 9-10 months leading up to the birth, so her training has to change prior to birth. For fathers, however, their changing (mostly) does not change before the birth. At birth it changes drastically. This is an especially busy time for fathers, and part of it is the lack of predictability. When will the baby sleep (when will mom sleep). You might think you were going to train and then mom falls asleep and you're watching the kid. Flexibility is required in your training for these programming difficulties for new dads. Programming Solutions for New Dads If you have a coach, it's important to talk to your coach prior to the birth about what is likely realistic (this will change). Lower your expectations for how long training will be. You might also have to cut training sessions short. Both Andrew and Niki have seen many clients train with their babies in the gym. This is fine. Something like a one life a day program is probably what is called for. It helps if you have a home gym or at least some equipment at home. If you don't have a home gym, you need to make your gym as convenient as possible. Something that is on the way to work and open early so you can workout early is likely ideal. Working out before bed affects sleep. Overcoming programming difficulties for new dads also tends to involve more autoregulation and lifter control. The client might decrease the weight and volume a bit if they're exhausted. If they're feeling good, they might go for extra reps or an extra set. Aim for at least 3 workouts a week. Think about getting in a training session over a series of workouts, as opposed to one longer workout. Mindset Shift for New Dads How you define training and training sessions and how you identify that will have to change. 4 sessions of 90 minutes a week is probably over. Uninterrupted training sessions and full body training sessions are probably on hold for a bit. Productive, useful training, however, does not have to look like that. Planning, preparing, and completing something each week is massively better than taking weeks or months off. Here are some thoughts on overcoming programming difficulties for new dads. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Niki and Andrew interview Melissa MacGregor, wife of BLOC coach Mac and BLOC client, and her coach Joel Rasmussen. Melissa suffered a stroke but, with patience, perseverance, and strength training, was able to return to physical activities she never thought she could do again. Healing Through Strength Training: Perseverance & Experimentation Melissa saw her husband benefit from strength training and decided to give it a try herself. Joel, her coach, tried many creative ways to help her focus on what she could do. They experimented and pushed into the pain. Pain was feedback that, in her case, was positive because it was a sensation. Joel also had to get creative for new ways to feel her body during lifting, as she did not have the normal sensations and proprioception that others have. Over time, with patience and hard work, she has regained not only the ability to complete certain lifts "normally," but has also been able to return to activities such as biking and skiing, that she never thought she would be able to do again. Listen to this heartwarming and motivating story of patience, perseverance, grit, and healing through strength training. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

We explore professionalism and why it's hard to be professional. Professionalism is difficult, but deliver values and sets you apart. Professionalism: Competence, Integrity, Benevolence Andrew has delivered, through podcast and in-person talks, a deep dive on how competence, integrity, and benevolence make up a professionalism value equation. Matt also has also delved into this here. This framework or model to conceptualizing your coaching or business really helps you think more intelligently about where to improve. Professionalism Sets You Apart When you have built yourself some expertise and are above the level of amateur, you should respect yourself, expect a high value of yourself and ask a relatively high price of your customer (the price should be less than the perceived value). Then, you need to deliver a high level of service consistently across the competence, benevolence, and integrity. Plenty of people are delivering online coaching. Personal trainers and coaches abound. Professionalism sets you apart. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

What does joyful self-improvement look like (and is it possible)? Today, we explore solutions sans suffering. Joyful Self-Improvement: Struggling & Floundering People really struggle to make important changes in their lives (that they at least ostensibly want) such as to lose weight or gain more muscle. Reasons abound for the difficulty. People hear and see conflicting, extreme solutions or short-term, impossible solutions (e.g. 6 weeks to six-pack). Furthermore, every person is different. People have different goals, preferences, body types, and reactions to training stimulus (e.g. you cannot become faster than Usain Bolt simply by trying really hard, though you will certainly fail if you do not try). Joyful self-improvement also confronts the reality that change takes a long time. It took you a long time to reach the point where you have decided it's time to make a difference. The positive changes you desire will also take a long time. Joyful Self-Improvement: Solutions Sans Suffering Whatever solutions you (or a coach) decides on, they have to be sustainable. Can you really go the rest of your life only eating meat (or some other extreme diet). Note that many of the people who follow a strict diet have quick feedback regarding when they eat a certain food (such as celiac disease). Niki and Andrew recommend getting to a baseline before making changes. When you make changes, don't through the kitchen sink at your problems, but try one (or a couple) small changes. Consistently eating a couple hundred calories less than you have can make a BIG impact. For joyful self-improvement, lean into what you like and embrace the long path to change. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

What is the goal of long-term strength training or barbell training? Muscle is the motive. It's your health & capability 401k. Niki & Andrew explore their changing mindset and training. The Motive is Muscle - Shifting the Goal The measurement that is most correlated with force production (strength) is the cross sectional area of muscle mass. Basically, more muscle means you're stronger. Strength equates to more capability. At some point, though, if you only value force production, whether it be because of gyms closing or an injury or getting older, your PRs are behind you. What is the goal? You could say it's to keep your PRs as high as possible, but for many, that's is pretty unmotivating. Muscle is the motive. Aim to accumulate hard sets each workout, each week, and increase stress over time. As you get older, it gets harder to add muscle mass (but not impossible - it's never to late to start training!). Aim to build muscle and keep training. Muscle is the Motive - Shifting the Mindset This changing goal requires a changed mental approach. We have stressed PRs for year - and we still celebrate PRs. Especially when someone begins to train, PRs help motivate as well as measure progress. Gaining muscle mass and focusing on hypertrophy is harder to change. It takes awhile to measure progress, and it's even harder than with strength training to remember the goal of each training session because there is not necessarily a scheduled PR attempt lurking days, weeks, or months off. Really, because at some point - whether it be a permanent shift or temporary period of life - you have to train knowing PRs aren't coming. Hopefully, at this point, you've built up the habit. Try to ensure you enjoy training (understanding you won't enjoy every rep, set, or workout). And, worse case, take your medicine, because it's good for you. Muscle is the motive. Gaining muscle mass is the goal. Go get it. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Andrew & Niki talk sleep strategies & fluff updates: how snapping back after the holidays improves sleep, health markers, appearance, how you feel, and more. Sleep Strategies & Fluff Updates It's January, post-Holiday period, and time to snap back. Andrew & Niki share their fluff updates and tips and tricks for improving sleep. Niki has had a 19-day period thus far, which has included weighing and measuring, no alcohol, and reduced sugar. She is not trying to lose tons of weight, as she wants to support training. She wants to look good for an upcoming television appearance and feel good. From this period, she has seen improvements to sleep (especially deep sleep each night) and improve resting heart rate. Andrew has similarly snapped back with 3 (no 4) drinks. The biggest thing he has noted has been improved sleep, especially deep sleep. Sleep Strategies & Deep Sleep Andrew has even had some drinks and still seen improved sleep. Andrew and Niki have both seen magnesium supplementation before sleep helping sleep. Andrew stumbled on the benefits of sodium before bed after eating popcorn and noticing he did not get up to go to the bathroom. Stan Efferding has actually recommended this (not eating popcorn but just the sodium) as well. Andrew has also began to read before bed, not on his phone, and this has helped with his pre-sleep routine. Let us know if you have any questions on sleep strategies! Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Looking to 2024, we predict, hope, and share our thoughts on what you can expect from BLOC and what we are looking forward to. Looking to 2024 - Smell What BLOC is Cooking Matt, Niki, and Andrew share their predictions and goals for 2024 - fitness, fashion, and more. Fashion Predictions Matt: traditional, classic forms of clothing (feminine dresses & masculine suits and outfits) Niki: onesies & swapping of normal gender styles Andrew: 2000s are coming back, with belly buttons Goals Matt shared his here Niki: journaling every day; and being able to quickly return to the body she wants (after periods of more relaxed food & drink) Andrew: being more present & intentional (while acknowledging that these terms have become common, but that doesn't mean they're not admirable things to strive for) Business Predictions Matt: First $2M quarter Niki: strength for life catching on and bolstering BLOC & TKC Andrew: another step-function increase in the organization of Barbell Logic Looking to 2024? We share out thoughts, predictions, and hopes. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Enjoy us look back on 2023 with BLOC Wrapped - the BLOCies. We share the best of our coaches & clients, fitness trends, & more. BLOC Wrapped - Coaches & Clients Our clients and coaches are amazing. We've got the stats to prove it. Matt joins Andrew & Niki to discuss clients who lifted the most tonnage, hit the biggest lifts, and more. They also discuss which coaches has the best on-time feedback and which lifts were the most programmed. We love celebrating our clients and coaches. What these stats reflect is a dedication and work that is reflected in the progress. The process creates the progress. BLOC Wrapped - Fitness Trends & Lifts Matt, Andrew, & Niki share their favorite and least favorite lifts and favorite and least favorite fitness trends of 2023. Niki loved the pendulum leg press (though they are incredibly rare). Matt enjoyed both the incline dumbbell press or Bulgarian split squat, and Andrew agreed about incline pressing. Matt's least favorite exercise was the incline barbell press (seems to cause shoulder issues for some people). Andrew wasn't crazy about the overhead press. Niki has avoided deficit deadlifts because of her observation that they seemed correlated with injury (personally and for clients). Matt sung the praises of GLP1 drugs, which have helped him lose weight. Andrew has enjoyed the shift in the fitness and nutrition sector of focusing on quality of life, as opposed to suffering and restricting. Niki loves all the women strength training in the gyms. Stanley water cups (that don't even fit in cup holders) tick Matt off. Andrew is not crazy about broccoli hair and red plaid pajama pants. Niki can't stand fitness influencers using photoshop. That is BLOC wrapped. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

What the fluff!? What do you do when you suddenly realize you feel bad, aren't happy with you look, and want to get rid of the fluff? What the Fluff!? It's January 2nd (or maybe later). You pull the belt across you on the plane, you get into your pants, you look in the mirror...what the fluff!? You may have eaten normally for most of the holiday period. For many people who find themselves gaining weight, it doesn't come from the decisions they're making for lunch on Wednesday, it's the "abnormal" days. Many who fail to lose fat do well on the week days but then overeat far too much on the weekends, negating any caloric deficit they may have created during the week. During the holiday periods or similar times like vacations, "abnormal" days increase, further increasing the caloric surplus. What can you do? Snap back to health by resetting your baseline. What the Fluff!? Snap Back Strategies Before you begin addressing the problem, consider your approach. Don't catastrophize. This may be a long habit of unhealthy decisions that you've decided to stop, or you may generally feel pretty good about your nutrition habits and just need a quick course correction. Either way, don't expect to fix this in a couple days. For big changes, you need to think about 6 to 12 months. When it comes to metrics, know yourself. For some, recording your weight each day will drive you crazy. For others, it's useful information that helps inform their decisions without causing overreactions. In terms of approaches, starving yourself is not a good approach. It may be useful, however, to have a short period where you're strict with no alcohol, no added sugar, and focus on having as many single-ingredient foods as possible. This resets your baseline and will, actually, have you feeling better after a couple days. You'll find that the bloat is gone and you come to begin appreciating healthier foods. Weighing and measuring for a period of time may also help. Why? Because it helps prevent a slide into hidden calories ("that's close enough"). It also, if you have not done it, helps inform you of just how many calories peanut butter, whiskey, and cooking oils have. Filling your plate with more veggies really helps too. What the fluff!? Don't freak out, snap back to health with these strategies. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Niki and Andrew answer your lifting and lifestyle questions on BJJ, nutrition, blown-out pants, and more! Approaching BJJ as You Age Don't train as if you have to prove yourself or go RPE 10 each time. Rather, focus on picking up the basics, because that foundation of basics will result in deep, impressive skill as you potentially move to your purple, brown, and black belts. Pay attention to the details in the basics. Don't try to skip ahead, but understand the small, subtle details of basic moves. When it comes to competition, these details and foundation will cause you to be able to follow your intuitions, and you may surprise yourself when it matters. Nutrition Strategies for Truck Drivers Truck driving presents the combined challenges of limited food options and lots of time being completely sedentary (and the incentive to not stop too often, so not drinking too many liquids). You do not need to count macros, necessarily, but you need a strategy to consume adequate protein and limit calories (unless you're focusing, for some amount of time, on gaining strength and getting bigger). If you're focused on getting bigger, it's a bit easier, but simply ensure you're getting adequate protein. If you want to maintain or get leaner, preparation is key. Andrew recommends either packing heated pre-made meals in Thermoses (so you can eat hot, high-quality food for your first couple meals). Alternatively, bring a cooler with some healthy options. When looking at food options in a truck stop or gas station, Andrew has the following macronutrient general guidelines: at least 20-30g protein 40-60g carbohydrates no more than 10-20g fat You don't have to count calories, but these are good numbers to aim for when selecting a snack or meal when you can read the labels. Blowing Out Your Pants Andrew has a history of blowing out his pants. He says he has blown out at least twelve. He shares two stories. First, he blew out some pants at a wedding when he was dancing (he goes hard on the dance floor). The next day, when looking at the pants with the blown-out crotch, he discovered that he had been sweating so hard that there was encrusted salt on the black pants. Second, when he was a 280-pound lifter in a corporate setting, with the other executives being endurance athletes, he had just eaten a whole rotisserie chicken and, sitting in a chair, both broke the chair and fell over (and blew out his pants). The things we do for strength sometimes. Training & Marketing without Dogmas Niki's training objective is to gain as much muscle mass without injuring herself. Andrew's training is boring but consistent. Niki shares the difficulty in marketing her approach or the BLOC approach after she and BLOC has really moved away from dogmas. While we coach with principles, coaching is more applied to the clients' individual circumstances. Talking to others businesses, it's hard to be heard if you're not beating a dogmatic drum. Effective Communication & Storytelling (Emotions) Andrew shares that he has really learned the importance of emotions in communication (especially with disagreements or arguments). The details or what was said does not matter so much, but how the person was or is feeling. It is important to acknowledge those emotions. It actually relates to how Matt tells stories. He says, essentially, that he shares how he felt, what he did, and then how he felt after he did the thing. We relate to the emotion. As a coach, it is important to pay attention to your client's emotions. Not doing so can erode trust. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Do hard things. Valuable pursuits are difficult - embrace these challenges to grow, improve, and crush your goals. Do Hard Things - Valuable Pursuits are Difficult Nothing worthwhile is easy. Maybe we'll be surprised by how easy it is (maybe we built up a certain pursuit or task that we have inflated its difficulty). Building habits of sustainable nutrition is difficult. Creating a training plan you stick too is challenging. Pursuing anything with regularity - which is what is required to achieve excellent or even competence in any area - is hard. You have to make decisions every day that move you closer to that goal. You have to get in the gym or study the flashcards or write the words when you don't want to. Additionally, you'll have to stop doing something, as if you have decided to spend more time doing something, that time will have to come from other activities you engage in. Doing hard things feels good, if not in the moment, and leads to true happiness. Do Hard Things - The Value of a Coach We all have blind spots. These are patterns of behavior that we are unaware of for whatever reason that are producing the undesired outcomes we are trying to overcome. It is challenging to be objective with ourself. This is the value of a coach. A good coach can see things you cannot (or wish not) to see. A good coach can also help implement practical, realistic, sustainable solutions. This is necessary because a common pitfall comes from going too hard and then yo-yoing between too hard and not enough. Progress toward your goal comes from sustainable habits every day. Do the hard things, which require vulnerability, time, and effort. The hard things bring value and happiness. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]

Niki & Andrew answer common beginner questions. Whether you're curious about equipment or protein, cardio or warming up, or wondering how long LP lasts, we give you the answers. Common Beginner Questions - Equipment You can't lift weights without weight to lift, and you need to wear appropriate clothes. Even running, while it seems the simplest of activities, comes with appropriate footwear and clothing (don't run in a 3-piece suit and oxfords). The first thing you should buy is shoes. Look for something around 0.58" heel with a solid sole. 1" is too high. Next, you need a belt. If they were to recommend one beginner belt, it would be a 3", single prong, leather belt at 10mm thickness. 4" is better for taller people (especially if you have a longer torso). We especially love Dominion. Chalk is also a must for the deadlift, though both Andrew & Niki recommend straps for more and more clients, because they are not interested in competing. You still need to work your grip, but straps for work sets is just fine. Niki & Andrew move on to other common beginner questions, looking at nice-to-have-but-not-necessary equipment. Lastly, you need 1.25lb plates. They're not expensive, and we love MicroGainz. Many people love knee sleeves, especially if they lift in a cold area. Wrist wraps also help keep the wrists extended on pressing movements. Lastly, a deadlift jack of some type makes loading and unloading weight for the deadlift and other lifts off the floor much easier. Common Beginner Questions - Protein & Programming Niki & Andrew now address other common questions, regarding nutrition and cardio. Can beginner lifters continue to do cardio if they already have a cardio practice? Yes, novice linear progression, while important, is not worth sacrificing conditioning and other healthy habits for. It may be a time you prioritize strength, but not eliminate all other physical practices. Andrew recommends 1g per pound of bodyweight for beginner lifters, mostly because it is easy to remember. If you weigh more or are more advanced, this can go down closer to 0.7g per pound. While most people don't eat enough protein, people can push protein too far, sacrificing fibrous veggies and workout-fueling carbohydrates to consume more than 1g per pound of bodyweight. Other common beginner questions include how to warm up and how long LP lasts. Warming up depends on which lift it is in the workout and whether you're in a warm or cold environment, but generally 5 warm up sets is enough. It depends, though. You should feel prepared to work. You should NEVER just load up the work set weight without warming up. Just as with protein, you can overdo it. Lastly, how long does LP last? It depends, but generally at least 2 months. Someone who eats more, is younger, stays consistent, is willing to grind on weights, and has more testosterone can definitely push this longer. We hope these answers to common beginner questions helps you and your lifting. Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page. Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/ Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected]