From Pain to Power: A Strength Training Transformation Story with Mac & Gil
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Release Date: 12/02/2025
Resilience through Resistance Training: Harder to Kill, Faster to Heal
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
When it comes to long-term health and fitness, most people focus on performance or appearance. But one of the most important benefits of strength training has nothing to do with how you look. It’s resilience. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson continue the C.L.A.R.A. series with R is for Resilience, breaking down how resilience through resistance training makes you harder to injure, faster to heal, and better prepared for the unexpected. They explore real-world examples of slips, falls, illness, and setbacks — and why people who consistently lift weights...
info_outline
Accountability for Strength Training: Do What You Said You’d Do
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
When it comes to fitness, most people don’t fail because they lack information — they fail because they don’t follow through. In this episode of the C.L.A.R.A. series, Andrew Jackson and Niki Sims break down why accountability for strength training is the real foundation of long-term success. They explore how self-trust, integrity, and consistency determine whether training becomes a lifelong habit or another thing you start and stop. You’ll hear why accountability isn’t just about having someone watch you, but about becoming the kind of person who does what they say they’ll do —...
info_outline
Strength Training for Longevity: Train Now So You Don’t Become a Burden Later
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
When you’re young, longevity doesn’t feel urgent. Strength training is about PRs, aesthetics, or stress relief. But as life speeds up—and as you watch parents and peers lose independence—the real value of training becomes clear. In Episode 2 of the C.L.A.R.A. series, Andrew and Niki explore what longevity actually means, why strength training protects quality of life, and how consistency through imperfect seasons keeps you capable for decades. They discuss Dr. Jonathan Sullivan’s concept of compressing the morbidity window, the dangers of the “sick aging phenotype,” and why...
info_outline
Keep Showing Up: Why Consistency is the Real Strength
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Consistency is the foundation of strength training—but it’s also the hardest part. In the first episode of the C.L.A.R.A. series, Andrew and Niki break down why strength training consistency matters more than motivation, outcomes, or perfect programming. If you’ve ever struggled to stick with lifting, lost momentum after early progress, or felt discouraged by slow results, this episode explains why that’s normal—and how to stay in the process anyway. C.L.A.R.A. stands for Consistency, Longevity, Accountability, Resilience, and Adaptability. These five principles form the mental...
info_outline
Deadlift Meet at 40: Niki Sims, a Rough Taper, and What She Learned
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
In this episode of Beast Over Burden, hosts Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson unpack how GLP-1 medications, TRT, and peptides are changing the coaching landscape—and what that means for strength training. Drawing from years of hands-on coaching experience, Andrew explains how GLP-1s and strength training interact, why muscle preservation becomes critical during rapid fat loss, and how tools like TRT can accelerate progress without changing the core rules of adaptation. If you’re a lifter training on GLP-1 medications, considering TRT, or a coach working with clients using these tools, this...
info_outline
GLP-1s, TRT, and Training: What Lifters & Coaches Need to Know
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
GLP-1 medications, TRT, and peptides are becoming common—but they don’t change the rules of strength training. Learn how GLP-1s and strength training work together to preserve muscle, manage recovery, and train intelligently for long-term health. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, hosts Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson unpack how GLP-1 medications, TRT, and peptides are changing the coaching landscape—and what that means for strength training. Drawing from years of hands-on coaching experience, Andrew explains how GLP-1s and strength training interact, why muscle preservation becomes...
info_outline
Train Anyway: Consistency Blueprint for Strength & Fitness in Busy Seasons
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims sits down with Barbell Logic coach Nikki Burman to unpack what it really looks like to train anyway—to stay consistent in strength and fitness through pregnancy, toddlers, homeschooling, deployment, and the unpredictable rhythm of real life. Nikki shares the mindset shifts, visualization practices, planning systems, and flexible training strategies that helped her stay grounded and capable during some of the most demanding seasons of her life. This conversation is a powerful reminder that consistency doesn’t come from perfection—it comes...
info_outline
From Pain to Power: A Strength Training Transformation Story with Mac & Gil
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
In this inspiring strength training transformation story, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with Coach Mac McGregor and his longtime client, Gillespie Ferguson, to explore one of the most powerful journeys ever shared on Beast Over Burden. Once a self-described “unathletic” late starter plagued by chronic pain, self-doubt, and years of setbacks, Gillespie rebuilt not just his lifts but his entire understanding of what he was capable of. Through patient coaching, persistent work, and a deep friendship formed through the process, he transformed from a hesitant beginner into a confident,...
info_outline
Strength Training for Moms: Nikki’s Journey through Pregnancy, Postpartum, & Unstoppable Consistency
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
In this inspiring episode, Nikki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with two of Barbell Logic’s most recognizable names: Nikki Berman (Director of Client Experience) and Coach Bekah Creek (PT and longtime BLOC coach). Together, they dive deep into what strength training for moms really looks like—during pregnancy, postpartum, deployments, sleepless nights, and every chaotic season in between. Nikki shares the full arc of her journey: from chasing “skinny” through extreme dieting and cardio, to discovering barbell training, to becoming a mother of four and finding her strongest, most...
info_outline
Strength Training for Couples: Kayleigh’s & Jeff’s Journey Through Weight Loss, Burnout, & Renewal
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
In this inspiring Beast Over Burden episode, Nikki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with Kayleigh and Jeff to explore strength training for couples, overcoming burnout, building sustainable routines, and transforming body composition with intention and patience. What This Episode Is About When Kayleigh and Jeff started lifting together, they didn’t just change their strength — they changed their lives. What began with a difficult vacation photo became a powerful journey of discipline, weight loss, personal growth, and deep partnership. Today, they train together four days per week in their...
info_outlineIn this inspiring strength training transformation story, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with Coach Mac McGregor and his longtime client, Gillespie Ferguson, to explore one of the most powerful journeys ever shared on Beast Over Burden. Once a self-described “unathletic” late starter plagued by chronic pain, self-doubt, and years of setbacks, Gillespie rebuilt not just his lifts but his entire understanding of what he was capable of. Through patient coaching, persistent work, and a deep friendship formed through the process, he transformed from a hesitant beginner into a confident, physically capable Coast Guard volunteer on the Isle of Skye.
In this candid conversation, Mac and Gillespie walk through the early struggles of pain and insecurity, the slow technical rebuild of every lift, the psychological work of staying committed through setbacks, and the surprising breakthrough that came years into training. They also share the dramatic impact of Lyme disease, the process of starting over from scratch, and why knowing how to train is the ultimate form of resilience. This episode is a reminder that strength is not reserved for the gifted—it’s for anyone willing to start, struggle, and keep showing up.
Whether you're a beginner, someone returning from pain, a coach working with complex clients, or simply someone who needs to hear that transformation is possible at any age, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
-
How Gillespie went from chronic pain and self-doubt to the strongest he’s ever been
-
Why rebuilding technique can feel slow—but changes everything
-
The role of psychology, confidence, and patience in long-term coaching
-
How Coach Mac used experimentation and customization to solve persistent pain
-
What to do when progress stalls (sometimes for months at a time)
-
The breakthrough moment when strength finally “clicked”
-
How improved nutrition and mindset accelerated transformation
-
The surprising impact of Lyme disease—and how to start over the right way
-
Why strength training skills stay with you for life
-
How training helped Gillespie earn a place in the Coast Guard
-
Why this strength training transformation story is so powerful for late starters
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Meet Mac & Gillespie
02:25 – Gillespie’s beginnings: not athletic, not confident, but willing
07:40 – Early training attempts & meeting the first lifters who inspired him
11:10 – Working with Carl Schutt & the challenges that carried into lockdown
15:55 – The first in-person session with Mac & rebuilding from scratch
21:30 – Psychology of pain, fear, and believing you’re “not built for strength”
26:05 – The slow technical fix: empty bar squats, 40-kg deadlifts, constant troubleshooting
30:20 – When progress finally took off: nutrition, confidence, and consistency
35:42 – Hitting big PRs: 187.5 kg deadlift, 140 kg squat, and more
39:55 – Disaster strikes: the onset of Lyme disease
43:20 – Starting over with a fresh LP after treatment
47:00 – Becoming Coast Guard–ready: strength meets service
50:25 – What Gillespie wishes he could tell his younger self
54:10 – Mac and Gillespie reflect on friendship, persistence, and purpose
58:00 – Final thoughts & how coaching changes lives