Strength Training in Your 40s: From Back Pain to a 465 Deadlift with Dalton Stanage
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Release Date: 06/16/2026
Why Muscle Matters as You Age with Dan Rossi
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Dr. Dan Rossi joins Beast Over Burden to talk about strength training, aging, injury, confidence, and why muscle mass matters beyond the gym. As a hospitalist and internal medicine doctor, Dan sees older patients at some of the hardest points in life. That perspective has changed how he thinks about training. Strength is not just about chasing numbers, looking athletic, or reliving old football PRs. It is about building a foundation for the decades ahead. Dan shares how he returned to focused barbell training in his 40s, worked around a demanding seven-days-on, seven-days-off hospital...
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Training Through Back Pain: How to Keep Going Without Forcing It
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Training through back pain does not mean forcing your old numbers or pretending nothing hurts. In this Beast Over Burden episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss Niki’s long process of training through and around back pain. Niki shares how her mindset shifted from trying to get back to heavy barbell lifting as fast as possible to focusing on training consistently, building muscle, and finding movements that felt productive. That shift changed everything. Instead of measuring progress only by old PRs, Niki learned to use more exercises, modify movements, manage recovery, and train hard...
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Strength Training After 40: Hunting, Family & Getting Stronger with Beau Baggett
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Strength training after 40 should help you do more than lift weights in the gym. It should help you stay capable, active, and strong for the life you actually want to live. Beau Baggett joins Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson to talk about building strength for backcountry hunting, family life, and long-term health. After years of running marathons and focusing on endurance, Beau realized he had the cardiovascular fitness to move through the mountains but not the strength to pack out heavy loads during hunting trips. That realization led him to Barbell Logic, where his training evolved from linear...
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Strength Training After a Stroke: Melissa’s Story
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Melissa McGregor’s strength training journey began years after suffering a stroke while 10 weeks pregnant. In this Beast Over Burden episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson are joined by Barbell Logic coach Joel Rasmussen and client Melissa McGregor to talk about stroke recovery, adaptive strength training, coaching, and rebuilding physical confidence. Melissa shares what it was like to regain the ability to move, lift, cycle, ski, and do the physical things that mattered to her and her family. Joel explains how he coached her through proprioception challenges, drop foot, balance issues,...
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Powerlifting After a Heart Attack: Michael Gaudet’s World Championship Comeback
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Michael Gaudet joins Beast Over Burden to share his remarkable story of powerlifting after a heart attack, living with type 1 diabetes for 50 years, and becoming a world champion at 62. Michael has lived many athletic lives: wrestler, competitive cyclist, sports car racer, mountaineering instructor, and competitive powerlifter. After surviving a 100% LAD “widowmaker” blockage in 2023, he returned to heavy training, competed at World Cup Masters, earned a spot on the U.S. team, and won a world championship in Seoul. Niki, Andrew, and Michael discuss strength training after 60, training with...
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How to Build Physical Freedom Through Strength Training
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Physical freedom does not come from constantly starting over. In this Beast Over Burden episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss what it really takes to build physical freedom through strength training. They explain why freedom in training is not just doing whatever you want in the gym. It comes from building muscle, developing skill, gaining training experience, and learning how to adjust when life gets messy. Niki and Andrew talk about why the first 18–24 months of structured strength training are so important. During that time, lifters build muscle, learn the basic lifts, create...
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Getting Stronger with Age: PRs, Purpose & Training for the Long Haul with Eric Dahl
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Eric Dahl joins Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson on Beast Over Burden to share how he continues getting stronger with age, setting major PRs in his mid-40s while balancing work, family, coaching, and recovery. Eric has been part of the Barbell Logic family since 2017 and has built an impressive strength resume, including a 507-pound bench press and a 628-pound deadlift at 46 years old. But this conversation is about more than big lifts. Eric shares how strength training became his version of a midlife crisis, why hard training provides purpose, and how he has learned to adjust recovery,...
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How to Reset Your Nutrition After the Holidays
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Feeling off after the holidays does not mean you need to panic, crash diet, or punish yourself with extra cardio. In this Beast over Burden legacy episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk about how lifters can reset their nutrition after the holidays while still supporting strength training, muscle, and long-term progress. They discuss the post-holiday tipping point: feeling bloated, fluffy, tired, or ready for change after a season of more food, more alcohol, less sleep, and less consistency. Instead of overcorrecting, they explain how to stabilize first, choose better metrics, and make...
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Strength Training After 70: How to Stay Strong, Active, and Consistent for Life with Michael Taylor
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Strength training after 70 is not about pretending age does not matter. It is about adapting, staying consistent, and refusing to quit. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk with Barbell Logic client Michael Taylor, a 73-year-old lifter who started strength training at 60 and has continued training through arthritis, joint pain, exercise modifications, and the normal challenges of aging. Michael shares how his training has changed over time, why he moved from some barbell lifts to machine variations, and how coaching has helped him continue training hard while...
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How to Keep Training While Traveling
Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic
Training while traveling does not have to be perfect to be useful. In this Beast over Burden legacy episode, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss how to keep training while traveling for work, vacation, or any trip that disrupts your normal routine. They explain why doing something is often better than doing nothing, especially when you want to maintain strength, muscle, momentum, and consistency. Andrew shares how his mindset shifted from “barbells or nothing” to finding a useful training stimulus wherever he is. Niki and Andrew also talk about why travel workouts can help you feel...
info_outlineStrength training in your 40s often starts with limitations—nagging injuries, inconsistent training, and the feeling that your best years are behind you. But what if this is actually the decade where you build your strongest, most resilient body?
In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims talks with Barbell Logic client Dalton Stanage about his journey from chronic back pain to deadlifting over 465 pounds in his mid-40s. After years of throwing his back out doing everyday tasks, Dalton was hesitant to even attempt a deadlift. But through consistent, coached strength training, he not only fixed his back issues—he became stronger than ever.
The conversation explores what strength training in your 40s really looks like. It’s not about chasing your twenties or relying on perfect conditions. It’s about building consistency, trusting the process, and making steady progress over time. Dalton shares how showing up week after week—regardless of how he felt—led to dramatic improvements in both strength and overall quality of life.
They also discuss how priorities shift in your 40s. Training becomes less about short-term goals and more about long-term capability—being strong for your kids, your grandkids, and the demands of everyday life. Dalton, a father of eight and a grandfather, explains how strength training allows him to stay active, engaged, and present with his family.
The episode also dives into the role of nutrition, recovery, and discipline. As Dalton shifts toward improving body composition, he shares how tracking food, prioritizing protein, improving sleep, and reducing alcohol have all played a key role in his continued progress. These lifestyle changes are essential for anyone looking to get stronger and leaner in their 40s and beyond.
Finally, the conversation highlights the value of coaching. Instead of trying to figure everything out alone, having a coach provides structure, accountability, and a clear path forward—helping you avoid mistakes and accelerate results.
Strength training in your 40s is not about decline—it’s about building a foundation for the decades ahead. Whether your goal is to eliminate pain, gain strength, or become the “jacked grandpa,” this episode shows what’s possible with the right approach.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to get strong, this episode will change your perspective—and give you a clear path forward.