Barbell Logic

It's no secret by now that Matt and Scott are men of passion. Occasionally these passions evoke such entertaining tirades, fulminations, and fervent orations during the podcast that they must be shared. This is one such occasion.

Today Matt and Scott welcome back Dr. David Puder, psychiatrist and host of the Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast, to discuss one of Hambrick's rules -- don't date someone you wouldn't marry. Dr. Puder shares some of his "red flags" of dating and offers some practical tips for evaluating potential mates for those currently navigating the dating market.

After 200 episodes and counting, we've heard from a lot of new listeners, some of whom are beginning their barbell journey for the first time. While we encourage everyone to go back to the first 20 or so episodes, in particular #15 - How to Kill It In Your First Starting Strength Session, this episode is an overview of what to expect when you start training, including common pitfalls to avoid.

Matt and Scott are back with another round of Saturday Q&A. If you'd like to ask Matt and Scott a question, email questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll feature you on a future Q&A episode!

Two years and two days ago, Matt and Scott officially launched the Barbell Logic podcast with Episode #1 - Why Strength? The idea was simply to make a logical case for barbell training and how it should be done, an audio diary of Matt's coaching experience, so to speak. Since then, the show has expanded into all aspects of life -- business, finance, marriage, children, music -- as it became an extension of Matt and Scott's eclectic personalities.

In August 2018 Paul and Jarrad Markel of Student of the Gun joined us to talk about their experience strength training and how it made them more resilient, acute marksmen (Episode #97 - Fighting STRONG with Student of the Gun). A few months ago, Matt received news that "Professor Paul" had been diagnosed with cancer in his neck. Today Paul returns to the podcast to discuss his mindset that "fighting solves everything" and how the strength he has built under the bar is helping him battle cancer.

Matt and Scott are back with another round of Saturday Q&A. If you'd like to ask Matt and Scott a question, email questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll feature you on a future Q&A episode!

Coach Matt and Scott explore the fitness fatigue model on today's show. They have discussed the SRA model at length on the show -- go check out episode #144: Rethinking SRA and Post-Novice Programming -- and one thing is clear: to continue getting stronger, stress has to go up. We've got plenty of templates and models to organize programming in such a way to make this happen for the intermediate lifter, but as the lifter advances there is a practical hurdle to overcome, the management of fatigue.

Coaches often note that the bench press is one of the easiest lifts to teach, probably because most people have done a bench press if they've ever set foot in a gym. After teaching the proper arch position, and identifying the correct grip, the execution of the bench press mostly takes care of itself. Yet there is one key to big benches that eludes many lifters -- the all-important leg drive. On today's show Coach Matt and Scott discuss the importance of leg drive and how to maximize it during the movement.

Matt and Scott are back with another round of Saturday Q&A. If you'd like to ask Matt and Scott a question, email questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll feature you on a future Q&A episode!

To quote Rip, "it's common to want what we cannot have." And let's be real, we all want abs. Or at least a flatter stomach. Yet many of us approach the barbell as novices with a little (or a lot) extra body fat, leaving us with seemingly conflicting goals: get stronger, or lose weight? It is in fact possible to get stronger and reduce your waistline at the same time, however it takes proper nutrition, intelligent programming, and a realistic mindset about the length of time it takes to make lasting change.

For those that have walked the path and become strong, there are times when the weights go from challenging, to soul-searching, to world-endingly heavy, yet, stress must continue to increase in the quest for more strength. That's where the deload comes in -- a strategic, drastic reduction in load and volume to allow fatigue to dissipate and provide a much-needed psychologic break from heavy training.

Matt and Scott are back with another round of Saturday Q&A. If you'd like to ask Matt and Scott a question, email questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll feature you on a future Q&A episode!

Matt and Scott talk with lifter and coach (and, recently, social media superstars) Miles "Smiles" Taylor and "Uncle" Nic Myers about Miles' incredible journey to the strengthlifting platform. Miles has cerebral palsy, a motor disability affecting his ability to control his body. Consequently, prior to discovering training he was very weak physically, but not mentally. Clearly Miles was determined to make the most of his body, and push himself to achieve more than others thought possible.

Dr. Christy Alexon returns to the show to discuss the importance of vitamin supplementation for the hard-training individual. She focuses on three key vitamins and supplements -- Vitamin C, D, and probiotics for the gut -- which are often overlooked by otherwise macro-compliant lifters. Taking vitamins or probiotics doesn't just mean popping a pill, however, and Dr. Alexon recommends supplementing with natural foods first before turning to pharmacy-bought, OTC supplements.