Barbell Logic

What began as a conversation between podcast recordings, turned into an interesting discussion about the nature of progress during the post-novice and intermediate training phases and the limitations of the SRA model as we currently understand it. Matt and Scott explore the question of what exactly drives progress in the traditional post-novice programs such as Texas Method and Heavy Light Medium.

When Scott sold Data Storage, Inc. -- as told in episode #142 --  things didn't go perfectly smooth. As with any decent sized small business, various legal matters arise in the course of regular operations. When it's sale time, however, any outstanding legal issues come under intense scrutiny as the buyer conducts their due diligence. In these situations, you need a ringer. You need a guy like David Keesling, a veteran trial attorney and labor law expert based out of Tulsa, OK.

On December 28th of 2018, Scott sold Data Storage, Inc., a small business he started over twenty years ago and has operated since. Scott discusses the details of how the sale went down, why he sold it, and what's in store for his future.

With the new year now upon us, many people are starting a training program for the first time, or coming back to one. There's no better place to start than the Starting Strength novice linear progression -- LP for short -- but as we have observed, it can be challenging for novices to do the program correctly. While simple at its core, the novice LP will not look the same for every lifter and requires a bit of finesse to tweak, especially as the lifter nears the end of LP.

We all know that some level of fitness, or aerobic conditioning, is necessary for life. Whether it's for sport, physical activities (like hiking, biking, or throwing the frisbee), or simply to minimize the risk of cardiac and metabolic disease, conditioning must play a role in our training program As discussed previously, barbell training satisfies the criteria for "conditioning" too. But why? Do we need more than barbells? Robert Santana and fellow RD and PhD Christy Alexon join us today to explain.

Dr. Sully returns to the show to share stories from Greysteel Strength & Conditioning, his unique barbell gym catered specifically to trainees in their 50’s, 60’s, and well beyond. The folks at Greysteel have been through a lot — cancer, Parkinson’s, psoriatic arthritis — but that doesn’t stop them from getting stronger, healthier, and mentally tougher under the barbell. Sully and his trainees have also built a tight knit community, bound together by hard work, encouragement, and a common goal o

SSC and Registered Dietician Robert Santana returns to the show to discuss how his approach to nutrition coaching has evolved over the years. Santana has developed, in essence, a nutrition linear progression emphasizing incremental habit changes over counting macros.

Matt and Scott revisit a concept explored thoroughly in the Blue Book (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition) but, until now, not given the full treatment at Barbell Logic. This concept is known as the Master Cue, and refers to the importance of keeping the barbell positioned over the middle of the foot, or simply "midfoot", during the squat and deadlift. The Master Cue is a reminder to the lifter to make the bar travel perfectly vertical, as if moving in a vertical slot.

Producer Trent walks through some of the Barbell Logic episodes aired in 2018: -Brent Carter's Rip impression -Matt and Scott laying down advice on marriage for Chase Lindley -Grandpa Reynolds sings his rendition of Marty Robbins' El Paso -Matt explains the minimum effective dose for programming -Robert Santana explains how to lose the "skinny-fat" body -Coop from Garage Gym Reviews offers advice on outfitting a home gym -Sully talks about finding purpose in coaching after a career in medicine

From Matt, Scott, and the rest of the Barbell Logic team, Merry Christmas! We thank you for your listening and support this past year, and wish you much happiness and many PR's in the year to come. Scott put together another Christmas special this year, walking you through some of his favorite jazz tracks, including: -Django Reinhardt -Wes Montgomery -Dexter Gordon -Duke Ellington -John Coltrane Enjoy the holidays -- we'll see you in 2019.

Matt and Scott discuss the future of Starting Strength Online Coaching -- the company, the people, the clients -- and what's in store for 2019 and beyond. After a year of incredible growth, SSOC has expanded it's original mission to bring Starting Strength coaches to the world to being the leading content provider of strength training related information.

One question received for the Q&A episodes deserved it's own episode. A listener asked about Matt's experience with Westside Barbell, which he recounts in this episode.

Matt and Scott are back with another round of Q&A, answering listener-submitted questions from IG, FB, and email. In today's podcast they answer: 1.) How do you train while traveling? How do you find a good gym on the road? 2.) Who are your favorite lifters to watch? 3.) How do you learn how to be a risk-taker (in business)? 4.) What are your persistent form problems? What are your "swing thoughts" before the lift?

Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of gym onlookers at your ignominious deadlift routine... that is the question of today's podcast. Matt and Scott weigh the pros and cons of "hyping up" during training, whether it's to hit a PR or just to get through some heavy worksets.

Matt and Scott are back with another round of Q&A, answering listener-submitted questions from IG, FB, and email. In today's podcast they tackle: 1.) Is there a way to measure to determine whether a 3" or 4" belt is the right choice? 2.) Do you recommend specific abdominal work? 3.) At the end of LP, does the deadlift usually fail first because it's the last lift performed in the workout? 4.) How do you train people that work night shifts? 5.) What sort of impact has counseling had on your life?