Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic

Tired of fitness fads, celebrity workout programs, and quick fixes? Are you struggling to meet your fitness and health goals? We ditch one-size-fits-all plans and focus on sustainable, effective strategies that fit seamlessly into your busy life. This podcast is for real people—busy professionals, middle-aged moms, and anyone tired of gimmicks—seeking practical tools to transform their fitness and health journey. Here’s what you’ll discover in this fitness and health podcast: -Simple, hard-hitting approaches to deliver real results without overwhelming your schedule. -Nutrition strategies that are realistic, enjoyable, and actually work. -Mindset shifts to overcome plateaus and build lifelong health habits. -The benefits of strength training and why hiring a professional coach can change the game. Fitness is a journey, not a destination. Join us as we dive into the lifestyle of strength training, sustainable nutrition, and mindset mastery. We’re here to help you take control of your health, achieve your goals, and live a stronger, healthier, and more fulfilling life. The power is in your hands—take the first step today. We’ve got your back.

The Gummy Bear Trap: Prioritizing Long-Term Fitness over Short-Term Pleasures 02/11/2025

The Gummy Bear Trap: Prioritizing Long-Term Fitness over Short-Term Pleasures Prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term pleasures is the key to achieving your goals. Fitness can feel good, just adjust your time scale. Feel Good Fitness: Prioritizing Long-Term Fitness over Short-Term Pleasures Are you tired of starting over every Monday? Do you find yourself constantly battling between instant gratification and your long-term fitness goals? You're not alone! In this episode, we're diving deep into the psychology of prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term pleasures, and how to escape the gummy bear trap. We've all been there: the siren call of the donut, the allure of skipping a workout, the "I deserve this" mentality that derails our progress. It's easy to fall into the trap of doing what we want right now, but what happens when those "right now" choices add up? Six months down the line, are you closer to or further from the body and health you truly desire? This episode explores the crucial concept of the time domain in fitness. We often think about our goals in terms of what we want immediately, neglecting the bigger picture. We'll help you dissect your true desires, peeling back the layers of "I want a 6-pack" or "I want to weigh X" to uncover the deeper "I don't wants" – the feelings of bloat, guilt, low energy, and lack of capability that drive your long-term vision. How to Prioritize Long-Term Fitness over Short-Term Pleasures The Gummy Bear Trap: What it is and how it sabotages your fitness goals. We'll explain how focusing on short-term pleasures can lead to long-term dissatisfaction. Identifying Your True "I Wants": It's more than just aesthetics. We'll guide you through a process of discovering the deeper motivations behind your fitness goals – the feelings of health, strength, confidence, and well-being you're truly seeking. Mastering the Time Domain: Learn how to shift your mindset from immediate gratification to long-term vision. We'll explore practical strategies for aligning your actions with your goals. The Power of "Peeling Back": Discover how to analyze your goals and understand the underlying "I don't wants" that are driving them. The MED (Minimum Effective Dose) for Long-Term Success: We'll discuss how you don't need to go to extremes to see results. Identify the key changes that will have the biggest impact on your fitness journey. Honing Your "Feel Good" Skills: Learn to recognize and appreciate the positive feelings associated with healthy behaviors. It's not just about white-knuckle discipline; it's about enjoying the process. The Importance of Self-Awareness: Pay attention to how your body feels after certain actions. Develop a deeper understanding of how your choices impact your well-being. Playing with the Time Domain: Experiment with different approaches and find what works best for you. Fitness is a journey, not a race. Key Takeaways: Prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term pleasures requires a shift in mindset and a deep understanding of your true goals. It's not about deprivation; it's about making conscious choices that align with your vision. Small, consistent changes can lead to significant results over time. Self-awareness and the ability to recognize how you feel are crucial for long-term success. PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/35171920

Physical Freedom through Nutrition 02/04/2025

Physical Freedom through Nutrition Gain physical freedom through nutrition. Sustainable nutrition builds a foundation for health and physical freedom. What is Physical Freedom? Let's first consider financial freedom, a term often discussed. We define financial freedom as the ability to do what you want with your time. You achieve this because you have earned enough time (in the form of money) to be able to do what you want with your time. Physical freedom is the ability to be able to do what you want with your body. You earn this through the discipline of healthy training and nutrition habits over time. You can gain physical freedom through nutrition and exercise habits. You build habits that support your goals. These habits become joyful. You have agency and the ability to influence your life. Things do not just happen to you. Sometimes things are outside your control (injuries and illnesses). Either way, you roll with the punches and control what you can. Physical Freedom Through Nutrition: Body Image & Bad Goals Many of us spend all or most of our lives walking around comparing ourselves to some image or celebrity. For many, that is Bradd Pitt in Fight Club. Andrew actually experience 6-pack abs and extreme leanness in an environment he would never want to recreate, where he was training like crazy, had little freedom and was undereating. Later, Andrew learned how to build sustainable habits that did not require extreme diets. He actually was able to enjoy the process and sustain that level of leanness. He had built habits that supported his goals. The Brad Pitt goal was a false idol. Physical Freedom Through Nutrition: Love the Process Learning to love the process really matters. Both Andrew and Niki have found themselves able to enjoy periods such as the holidays, where they kick back a bit, enjoy more alcohol, more desserts, but do not eat to physical discomfort. Ironically, when Andrew had less healthy habits, he was more anxious about holiday periods, felt he could not enjoy them, but regularly ate until he was physically sick. Approaching these periods with the long-term in mind, no anxiety, and knowing you can enjoy them but that includes enjoying yourself after the meal (not feeling sick) is sustainable and healthy. Achieve physical freedom through nutrition. PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/35107685

Physical Freedom through Nutrition: New Podcast Series 01/28/2025

Diet Reboot: Get Back on Track & Stop Diet Derails - #610 01/21/2025

Diet Reboot: Get Back on Track & Stop Diet Derails - #610 Do a diet reboot if you've slipped up and need to get back on track. These tips & tricks help you stop diet derails and help you stay on track. Diet Reboot to Get Back on Track 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. Diet Reboot: Snap Back to Health 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. If your diet has derailed, don’t freak out, snap back to health with these strategies. Do a diet reboot! PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34664565

Ultimate Guide for Strength Training While Traveling - #609 01/14/2025

Ultimate Guide for Strength Training While Traveling - #609 If you travel regularly, you will have to continue to strength train as you travel. Learn fitness travel hacks in this ultimate guide to strength training while traveling. Strength Training While Traveling: Why It Matters 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. Strength Training While Traveling: Fitness Travel Hacks 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 & . PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34664530

Helpful Home Gym Equipment - #608 01/07/2025

Helpful Home Gym Equipment - #608 Learn about helpful home gym equipment. This gear solves common problems or makes your lifting more fun, varied, or effective. Helpful Strength Equipment for Your Home Gym You need a few items to begin strength training properly, though you can also start exercising today. As you progress and build the habit of strength training (and simultaneously get older) some equipment can help solve common problems you will likely encounter. Some of these items help add variety and make training more fun. Other gear helps deal with common injuries or pain points. Regardless, this list of items can help you build compliance and improve your training. If you use it, it is ultimately an investment in yourself and your health. Accessories for Accessory Work can get repetitive if all you have is a barbell. A few pieces of equipment can multiply the potential hypertrophy and accessory work you can program. Adjustable dumbbells allow you to add dumbbell variations and accessory lifts without taking up a ton of space (and saving money compared to a full set of dumbbells). Not only can you perform dumbbell variations of the main lifts, you can also perform more accessory work that you simply cannot perform with barbells (e.g. dumbbell flies or lateral raises). A similar example of helpful strength equipment is a pulley system. This enables lat pull downs as well as using the pulley system for hypertrophy work (triceps, biceps, etc.). The last helpful items that focuses primarily on the upper body is getting a dip attachment to your power rack or an adjustable bench. They allow variation for pressing movements, and you can also perform accessory lifts on the bench. Enabling lower body accessory work comes in handy as you become more advanced, as deadlifts and squats don’t only get repetitive but if you face a big injury, you might not be able to perform one or both of these lifts for awhile. Some helpful strength equipment for this area are a reverse hyper, glute ham raise, or leg extension/leg curl attachment. Some of these take up a lot of space, but getting just one of them can provide additional leg stress and make a big difference in your lower body training. Supplying Supplemental Lifts This might be the widest area, as we’re talking about different types of barbells and other items that can . A deadlift bar can really help your deadlift 1RM, as it has a smaller diameter and more whip (which reduces the range of motion). An axle bar for the press or bench press reduces your ability to grip the bar but enables good pressing variants. It is also necessary if you’re considering Strong Man training. Getting a slingshot or board attachment can help overload the bench and work on the top portion of your bench. The slingshot can also help if you have shoulder pain. Bands and chains are helpful strength equipment that enables . The and football bar (and variations of both) not only add supplemental variations to the lifts but can also prevent pain for the shoulders and wrists specifically. Convenience & Climate The last area of helpful strength equipment includes items that add convenience to your lifting or improve the atmosphere of the gym. The monolift attachment allows you to not have to take a step bar or move the bar from the pins to the shoulders on the bench. It provides the most benefit to the most people for the bench press, as many find it reduces or eliminates shoulder pain. Niki also uses it for the RDL. A deadlift jack makes loading and unloading plates easier for any lift that has the barbell on the ground, especially the deadlift. A 1-arm deadlift jack is smaller and more mobile – you can put it in your gym bag. A 2-arm deadlift jack makes more sense if you have a decent amount of space in your home gym or for public gyms. & help with wrist support or grip support for compression or tension grips. Ammonia or smelling salts help bring focus and intensity to big attempts. Clothes really are helpful strength equipment. A timer or watch can ensure that you don’t waste time in the gym between sets and make the rest time consistent. This is especially important at a public gym or if you’re a coach, because the lifter isn’t paying you to tell them stories. Last but probably not least for most people is something to help with climate control, specifically heating or cooling your gym. PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34664510

Handling Holiday Nutrition: The Ultimate Guide - #607 12/31/2024

Handling Holiday Nutrition: The Ultimate Guide - #607 The holiday season is coming up, and for many of us this is a time where we gain weight: whether we justify an unexpectedly large bulk or simply seem unable to avoid our weight inching up despite our best intentions. Learn some practical methods to achieving your goals and preventing or limiting holiday weight gain (or even enabling holiday weight loss). The holidays present unique challenges: huge meals, home-baked desserts, calorically-dense food items, peer & family pressure, fond memories. We can enjoy the holidays while still moving toward our goals. First, leave room in your food & training journal to assess why you deviated from your plan. This isn’t to judge yourself, but to build awareness. Were you hungry? Did you eat because you always eat at a certain time? Did you not want to disappoint someone? Did you mindlessly eat? Or, did you just really want that food item? Approaching holiday meals and time periods with realistic plans. Fasting prior to a meal is likely unrealistic. Eating a protein-rich meal the day of a big meal that will have plenty of fat and carbohydrates, however, makes sense. For the big meals themselves, have a plan to help you prevent or at least limit overeating. For example, fill your first plate with a normal amount of food. This may mean limiting the items you put on your plate. This may mean putting sample-size amounts on your plate. Then, when you’re done, wait 15 minutes before getting seconds. For dessert, assess whether you’re hungry or not. Take a dessert home if you really want it--you don’t have to try every type of pie that meal or that day! Finally, Niki & Gillian discuss the idea of “volume eaters” and “intensity eaters.” Though people may be some combination thereof, volume eaters tend to overeat through large quantities of food, whereas intensity eaters tend to overeat through calorically dense items (eggnog, anyone?). Arm yourselves with the knowledge and tips to better battle the holidays! PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34664490

Thank You, Listeners (Beasts & Future Beasts) - #606 12/24/2024

Unleash Your Physical Freedom: Reclaim Your Body & Mind - #605 12/17/2024

Unleash Your Physical Freedom: Reclaim Your Body & Mind - #605 Unleash your physical freedom. Reclaim your body and mind from bad habits, restrictive and narrow goals, and unrealistic expectations. Physical Freedom: Financial Freedom as an Analogy The concept of financial freedom - no longer stressing about finances and not having to trade your time for things you do not wish to do - helps derive useful lessons for health and fitness. Attaining financial freedom requires discipline. One must define and follow through with hard decisions over a long period of time. This, though, is the path to freedom. Don't look for shortcuts. And, even if you somehow find yourself with a sudden pile of money, you will only use that money well if you have developed the habits ahead of time. Physical Freedom: Bash Bad Habits The first and most obvious steps you must take is to remove bad habits. You have trouble saying no to highly processed sugary foods. You overeat. Do you feel free when you make these decisions that do not align with your stated goals? Of course not! Freedom requires some discipline to build virtues (e.g. the virtue of temperance so you can willingly say no to the donuts). Physical Freedom: Remove Restrictive Goals Many of our coaches and clients have followed overly restrictive goals that they bought into. For example, you follow the dictum that physical strength is the most important thing in life. When you follow this, you will sacrifice your health and get fat to pursue this goal. You will avoid activities you enjoy, such as skiing, swimming, hiking, because this will remove weight on the bar in your next session. Unless you have a hyper-specific goal or truly believe such a restrictive goal is true, ditch this counterproductive dogma. Physical Freedom: Own Your Choices Here is another example. You are so concerned with leanness, that your plan (even if you have not said this explicitly) requires you to never eat your grandma's pie again. Is this really sustainable? Can you avoid every holiday food for every meal forever? Are you really going to eat chicken breast and broccoli every meal. When you have physical freedom, you can choose in indulge when appropriate, knowing you will not go off the rails and that you can make another choice to get leaner after a vacation or holiday period. PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34442295

Do It Now: Don't Delay Your Fitness Goals - #604 12/10/2024

Feasting Fearlessly: Building a Strong Nutritional Baseline for the Holidays - #603 12/03/2024

Feasting Fearlessly: Building a Strong Nutritional Baseline for the Holidays - #603 Building a strong nutritional baseline is the key to sustainable, healthy holiday eating. Don't derail for your health & fitness goals due to the holidays! How to Build a Nutrition Baseline Building a nutritional baseline is the ultimate holiday eating hack that let's you truly enjoy special holidays meals and days without totally derailing from your health and fitness goals. What is a nutritional baseline and how do you build yours? A nutritional baseline is a normal, habitual way of eating that you do seven days a week that brings you toward your goals. You know how it feels and looks, you know which foods and in what quantities it consists of. Essentially, you can mindlessly return to this baseline because it is your nutritional normal or your nutritional north. Building a Nutritional Baseline: Fearless Feasting How does this apply to holiday eating, though? Those truly special days that you want to enjoy and not track, you should do so. The surrounding days and really the vast majority of the days during the holiday period, however, you need to eat at your baseline. For some, the holiday season can go from before Halloween through the Super Bowl. That's getting close to half the year. You cannot eat sloppily for half the year. At the same time, however, you should be able to enjoy meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas with family and friends. Andrew and Niki recommend not tracking on these days (unless you have super strict nutritional goals) but rather focusing on enjoying the food. Walking after the meals can help. Remember, additionally, that eating so much that you are sick is not enjoyable. Enjoy the whole process: family, friends, cooking, eating, drinking, and afterwards. Those in-between days should be at baseline. Building a strong nutritional baseline can help you reach your health and fitness goals, even during the holiday season. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, . Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34222670

Lift Your Way to a Leaner You: Debunking the Biggest Weight Loss Myth #602 11/26/2024

Lift Your Way to a Leaner You: Debunking the Biggest Weight Loss Myth #602 Lift your way to a leaner you. Strength training is your secret weapon to leanness, despite the lingering weight loss myth that you should simply diet and do cardio. Debunking the Weight Loss Myth of Cardio & Caloric Restriction You go to the doctor and the doctor tells you that you need to lose a certain amount of weight for your health. He questions why you lift and recommends you perform regular cardiovascular exercise. What do you do? Lift your way to a leaner you (while ensuring you are in a slight caloric deficit). You acknowledge that you could be a bit leaner, but you've been lifting for awhile. You look better with more muscle on your frame and you enjoy strength training. More muscle increases your daily caloric expenditure, as it gives some of your incoming calories an additional place to go beyond fat gain. Lift Your Way to a Leaner You: Slow & Steady Wins the Race Slow and steady weight loss, with consistent lifting and a healthy, high protein diet help minimize muscle loss during your weight loss. Ultimately, you want to be leaner, you do not really care about the number on a scale. The doctor in the above scenario is a bit hyperfocused on BMI. Metrics, however, are supposed to measure progress. In this case, we are concerned about health and longevity. You want more muscle but you also want to be leaner. Abandoning strength training, reducing calories, and adding cardio is likely not going to produce the body you envision. It is certainly not going to help produce a muscular body. Lift Your Way to a Leaner You: Cardio for Cardiovascular Health Conditioning or "cardio" is not really the best way to help increase the calories out part of the calorie equation. A better method would be to increase your daily low-level activity, such as increasing your steps. Regardless, conditioning is really about improving your performance for certain tasks and improving cardiovascular health. Lift your way to a leaner you. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/34119006

Buy Back Your Time with a Professional Coach - #601 11/19/2024

Buy Back Your Time with a Professional Coach - #601 Buy back your time with a professional coach. Coaching yourself means less progress in the gym and more time learning to become a coach. Buy Back Your Time: Grocery Delivery Example You probably need to value your time more. Too often, people avoid certain purchases because they deem them as too expensive. Sometimes this is true, but often buying back your time - a non-renewable resource - is the best thing you can do. Grocery delivery for most people is a no-brainer. You spend little money to avoid the headaches and time needed to go to the grocery store. Mowing services for grass are another great example. If you do not enjoy doing these tasks and need more time, pay money to someone who will do it for you to earn back your time. Buy Back Your Time: Home Gym Having a home gym is another great way to save time working out. In this case, you will probably also save money over a long-enough period of time. Don't wait for equipment, don't worry about the broccoli hair Zoomers, lift when you want at your house. Buy Back Your Time: Professional Coach This is really the benefit of hiring a professional coach. An expert takes something off your plate, allowing you to not worry about it. That expert will move you to more progress than you otherwise would have gotten. Additionally, you do not have to learn some level of the expertise. Any time you decide to "do it yourself," you are taking on the burden of learning a certain skill that someone else is an expert or professional at. Sometimes, the task is quick, so it's fine. You should consider buying back your time, however, by hiring a professional online coach. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33950602

Overcoming Pain & Setbacks - #600 11/12/2024

Overcoming Pain & Setbacks - #600 Pain and setbacks can derail progress. Overcoming pain and setbacks requires addressing your why and acknowledging how you feel when you perform healthy habits. Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: Oh Snap! A client finds himself making progress in all areas of fitness, at the lightest bodyweight in years and working toward specific barbell numbers. He has a week of stressful work, where sleep was out-of-whack, he sat more than normal, and his schedule was off. He returns to the gym and during his warm ups feels a tweak and hears a pop. Training has to change now. Right before he crested the mountain top, he was cutoff at the knees. Suddenly, he found himself letting nutrition, alcohol, and sleep slip too. After all, why was he training now that the clear goals were unachievable? Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: What is Your Why!? This client's why had really become the weight on the bar. It is easy to get emotionally tied to seeing the numbers go up. The numbers cannot (and will not) always go up. It is critical to touch on your deeper whys for training. Even if you signed up for coaching or began training with specific numbers in mind - even if you are an elite lifter chasing numbers - you certainly actually have a deeper reason than seeing a larger amount of iron go up. Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: What Feels Good!? Remembering how you feel when things are going well matters. Yes, the numbers were going up. That was fun. Did you feel good when you were eating healthy, drinking less, and ensuring you got sufficient high-quality sleep? How did it feel to check off your nutrition, fitness, and health tasks every day? When considering how you feel and how you felt, think about over a long period of time. Yes, staying up late with alcohol and processed food feels good in the moment. How do you feel that next morning? How does it feel to check your bodyweight on the scale? What do things look like after a couple weeks of these behaviors? Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: Think of February & March! Think about the future. You may think about running this process through your head - what will things look like if the sloppiness continues for weeks and months? You might also think about a specific time or place in your future. How do you feel in February after months of excess calories? How do you feel in March (or insert your time here) at that beach vacation? What feelings arise when someone who has not seen you in awhile sees you and you've gained weight? Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: Love the Process Loving the results without loving the process will cause problems. Enjoy exposing yourself to discomfort through training. Maybe the weight on the bar is not challenging, but you get to feel a pump. Maybe you don't get a pump, but you have to complete high-repetition exercises you hate - this is voluntary hardship too! Overcoming pain and setbacks is challenging, but you can do it. PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33881932

Mastering Fitness Habits: Tips for Lasting Results - #599 11/05/2024

Mastering Fitness Habits: Tips for Lasting Results - #599 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33776307

Why You Should Walk More - #598 10/29/2024

3 Peaks Challenge for Charity - Beast Over Burden - #597 10/22/2024

Announcing the Build Your Business Podcast - #596 10/18/2024

Returning to the Gym After a Long Break - Beast Over Burden - #595 10/15/2024

Returning to the Gym After a Long Break - Beast Over Burden - #595 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33452027

Should I Lift If I'm Tired? - Beast Over Burden - #593 10/08/2024

Should I Lift If I'm Tired? - Beast Over Burden - #593 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33358732

How to Get Your Back Back - Beast Over Burden - #591 10/01/2024

How to Get Your Back Back - Beast Over Burden - #591 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33262707

Prioritizing Your Health - Beast Over Burden - #589 09/24/2024

Prioritizing Your Health - Beast Over Burden - #589 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33170182

Powerlifting Meet: Performance Under Pressure - Beast Over Burden - #587 09/17/2024

Powerlifting Meet: Performance Under Pressure - Beast Over Burden - #587 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 . 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/33071147

Barbell Competition: Benefits & Tips - Beast Over Burden - #585 09/10/2024

Barbell Competition: Benefits & Tips - Beast Over Burden - #585 Why participate in barbell competition, and if you decide to compete how do you approach it. Learn about this and the exciting new . Barbell Competition Benefits Andrew interviews , owner of and the , 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 . 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/32955337

Unshakeable Confidence - Beast Over Burden - #583 09/03/2024

Unshakeable Confidence - Beast Over Burden - #583 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 . Check out the . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/32840462

Stronger Means Harder to Kill - Beast Over Burden - #581 08/27/2024

2024 Olympics Wrap-Up - Beast Over Burden - #579 08/20/2024

Back Pain: Causes, Treatments, & Red Flags for Lifters - Beast Over Burden - #577 08/13/2024

Back Pain: Causes, Treatments, & Red Flags for Lifters - Beast Over Burden - #577 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 . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/32526382

Take Action and Train: Time & Strength Wait for No One - Beast Over Burden - #575 08/06/2024

Take Action and Train: Time & Strength Wait for No One - Beast Over Burden - #575 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 . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/32425402

Tackling Tweaks - Beast Over Burden - #573 07/30/2024

Tackling Tweaks - Beast Over Burden - #573 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 . Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE! No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: Connect with the hosts Connect with the show Or email /episode/index/show/barbelllogic/id/32331462

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