Deadlift Meet at 40: Niki Sims, a Rough Taper, and What She Learned
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Release Date: 12/23/2025
Strength Training for Golfers: Build Power, Increase Distance, and Train for the Long Haul with Jimmy Wisinski
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Strength training for golfers is one of the most overlooked ways to improve performance on the course. Many golfers still believe that lifting weights will make them stiff or hurt their swing—but the reality is the opposite. Getting stronger is one of the fastest ways to increase club head speed, gain distance, and improve overall athleticism. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk with Barbell Logic client and PGA golf coach Jimmy Wisinski about how strength training for golfers directly translates to better performance. Jimmy shares his journey from program...
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Barbell Training for Longevity: Strength as Medicine for Aging Well with Dr. Jonathon Sullivan
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
In this episode of Beast over Burden, hosts Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with Jonathan Sullivan — known to many as “Sully” — to discuss why barbell training for longevity is one of the most powerful tools for improving quality of life as we age. Sully is the co-author of The Barbell Prescription and owner of Greysteel Strength and Conditioning, and his approach to strength training blends decades of medical practice with deep coaching experience. The conversation explores the idea that strength is not simply about fitness — it is medicine. Sully explains how the decline many...
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Lifting for the Long Haul: How Strength Training Evolves Across Decades of Life
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
What does strength training actually look like after 10, 20, or even 30+ years? In this kickoff episode of our new series, Lifting for the Long Haul, hosts Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson introduce a collection of real stories from Barbell Logic clients and coaches who have committed to training across decades—not just chasing short-term results. This series is about more than PRs. It’s about what happens when strength becomes part of your life—through career changes, injuries, aging, family responsibilities, and everything in between. You’ll hear how lifters in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and...
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Why Strength Training Makes Athletes Faster
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Does strength training actually make athletes faster? In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson break down why strength training makes athletes faster and more powerful than agility drills alone. They discuss new research comparing strength training to sprint, plyometric, and “functional” training—and why the results continue to point to the same conclusion. This episode explains the simple science behind athletic performance: muscles move bones, force production drives speed, and getting stronger is the most trainable way to improve sports performance. If...
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Stop Dieting, Start Eating Real Food: Losing 30 Pounds Without the Diet Cycle
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
For decades, Jenny Hicks felt like she was always on a diet. Like many people, she tried everything—low carb plans, restrictive programs, packaged diet foods, and extreme calorie cuts. The weight would come off for a while, but it always came back. After years of repeating the same cycle, Jenny wanted something different. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk with Jenny about how she finally broke the diet cycle. Working with a Barbell Logic nutrition coach, she learned how to stop dieting start eating real food, prioritize protein, and build habits that...
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Sustainable Fat Loss through Nutrition Coaching with Jeremiah Wicken
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Sustainable fat loss isn’t about perfect macro tracking, crash dieting, or extreme restriction. It’s about building habits you can actually maintain when life gets busy. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with Barbell Logic coach Jeremiah Wicken to break down what sustainable fat loss really looks like from a coach’s perspective. They discuss why most diets fail long term, how satiety and food quality matter more than macro obsession, and why simple, repeatable habits outperform rigid short-term plans. If you’ve ever lost weight only to gain it...
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GLP-1 Food Noise and Strength Training: One Client’s Path to Real Health
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
GLP-1 medications are changing how many people approach weight loss, diabetes, and appetite regulation. But medication alone is rarely the whole solution. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk with Barbell Logic client Joshua Farrow about how GLP-1 medications reduced his food noise and helped him begin rebuilding his health. After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Joshua combined GLP-1 treatment with strength training, cycling, and nutrition coaching to dramatically improve his blood markers, build muscle, and create a sustainable lifestyle. The...
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Why Simple Nutrition Habits Beat Complicated Diets
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Nutrition can feel confusing when every new diet promises a different solution. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims talks with Barbell Logic Director of Nutrition Brittany Snyder about why lasting progress rarely comes from complicated diet plans. Instead, the most reliable improvements in health and body composition often come from building simple nutrition habits that can be repeated consistently. Many people spend years searching for the perfect diet. They try low-carb programs, intermittent fasting, strict meal plans, and calorie restriction, only to find themselves repeating...
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Nutrition for Lifters: A New Beast Over Burden Series
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Nutrition advice is everywhere, but much of it isn’t designed for people who train. Diet trends often focus on quick weight loss or restrictive rules, leaving many people stuck in a cycle of starting and stopping new plans that never seem to last. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson introduce a new series focused on nutrition for lifters. Rather than discussing generic diet advice, the series explores how nutrition actually works for people who are strength training and trying to build sustainable habits. Throughout the upcoming episodes, listeners will hear...
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Understanding Fitness Trade-Offs: Why There’s No Perfect Workout or Diet
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Is there a perfect workout or diet? In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson explore the reality of fitness trade-offs and why every training and nutrition decision comes with pros and cons. From coaching vs AI to conditioning vs strength training, dieting strategies, and training equipment, they break down how to make smarter choices by understanding what you gain—and what you give up. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to choose the “best” approach to fitness, this episode will help you think more clearly about your priorities and make decisions you can...
info_outlineIn 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 episode delivers a first-principles framework for protecting muscle, managing recovery, and training for long-term health.
Competing at 40 looks different than it did in your 20s—and that’s not a bad thing.
In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson recap Niki’s recent deadlift-only meet, breaking down why she decided to compete again, how she trained while traveling, what went wrong during the taper, and what the experience revealed about strength, perspective, and showing up at 40.
This isn’t a PR story. It’s an honest look at preparation, adversity, meet-day chaos, and the value of competing without tying your identity to a number on the bar.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
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Why a deadlift-only meet made sense at 40
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How pulling 405 in training reopened the door to competing
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The training structure that stayed simple—and the one key change that mattered
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How frequent travel and inconsistent gyms affected recovery and performance
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What a “rough taper” actually feels like
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A realistic approach to weight management without extreme cutting
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Meet-day logistics, warm-up chaos, and disrupted attempts
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Why missing a lift doesn’t mean missing the point
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What it means to be proud of your strength at 40
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro and why this meet recap matters
02:33 – Pulling 405 and deciding to compete again
06:49 – Training approach and key program changes
10:47 – Training while traveling: 20 gyms in one year
15:08 – Getting sick, a rough taper, and reset expectations
20:35 – Weight management and attempt selection
28:24 – Meet-day chaos, warm-ups, and attempts
36:45 – What Niki learned from a deadlift meet at 40change
46:00 – Final thoughts: tools don’t replace training
48:10 – How to work with a Barbell Logic coach
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