Barbell Logic

Dr. Sully returns to the podcast to talk about the effect of strength training on joint health, the efficacy of various types of protheses, and improving joint health for Masters lifters. Sully presented on this topic at the 2018 Starting Strength Coaches Association along with the other members of the science committee, including recent guest CJ Gotcher.

Gillian Ward is definitely the best athlete we've had on the show, and likely the best athlete we'll EVER have on the show. Her athletic accomplishments are varied and extraordinary: she holds the Guiness World Record for most pushups in 1 hour with 1,190 pushups, she placed 3rd at the Crossfit Games in 2008 (after only doing Crossfit for a little over three months), she has her IFBB pro card, and has competed at a high level in gymnastics, strongman, powerlifting, and Olympic lifting.

CJ Gotcher, a Starting Strength Coach and a member of the science committee for the Starting Strength Coaches Association -- which is tasked with combing through the exercise science literature published each year -- joins the podcast to help us understand the state of the exercise literature, and how coaches can stay on top of the field.

Today father-and-son team Paul and Jarrad Markel join us from Student of the Gun, a TV show, podcast, and community providing content on intelligent gun ownership and safety, hunting, self-defense, and general shooting advice. As Scott says, Student of the Gun is "the thinking man's gun show."

Matt and Scott discuss the content and format of the Starting Strength seminar, an intensive weekend full of lecture, technical analysis of the lifts, and practical coaching on the platform. The seminar is the culmination of the content presented in SSBBT and Practical Programming, combined with the platform segments where attendees lift under the watch of a staff coach while themselves teaching others how to lift.

Our sometimes curmudgeonly but always thoughtful co-host Scott Hambrick shares today some of the things that bring value to his life, and some of things that rob his life of value. And, well, as it turns out it's not things at all which bring him value, but rather people and experiences.

Matt and Scott have talked a lot about voluntary hardship on the show, and how strength training tends to refine one's habits and mindset as well as the body. To that end, over his life and training career Matt has developed a set of values and refined them, and today he is sharing them with you.  Of course, Matt's values aren't *your* values, but taking a peak into his personal code of ethics and values might serve as some inspiration as you travel your own path during training and life.

One common criticism of the Novice Linear Progression as detailed in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition is the lack of volume for upper body work, especially for the Press. We all know the benefits of building a big overhead press (not to mention it's probably the coolest Big Lift), so Matt and Scott tackle this problem and offer some tips to continue building your press after LP.

It's not the sexiest topic, but being safe around barbells is extremely important if you want to have a long and healthy lifting career. Like handling firearms, there are some basic rules for lifting barbells that will keep you safe. Here are the rules, tips, and tricks to keep you safe which doing each of the big lifts.

We're going on summer vacation! Just kidding, but we *are* going to a once per week release schedule for the rest of the summer. We will be releasing new episodes each Tuesday (none on Friday) through the first week of August. In the meantime, head over to our YouTube channel for some sweet new videos. We'll be releasing new videos regularly so make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you know when they drop! Enjoy your summer folks.

Coop from Garage Gym Reviews returns to the podcast to discuss the benefits of training in a home or garage gym. While many think a home gym is out of reach, either financially or logistically, the essentials don't have to cost a lot, especially if you track down some used equipment on Craigslist. Home gyms also have a great ROI when compared to gym memberships, as monthly dues continue to add up while home gyms continue to be useful for years, long after the sting of the initial capital expenditure.

Cooper, founder of Garage Gym Reviews -- an excellent resource for in-depth reviews of gym equipment -- joins Matt and Scott for a discussion about his personal strength journey, how he came to found the website, and some of his favorite equipment.

Matt and Scott discuss their experience dieting under the tutelage of Robert Santana, a SSC and the head nutrition coach at SSOC. Santana's basic approach is to coach his lifters to eat to support their strength, while maintaining high protein levels (which, of course, are necessary to support muscle growth). Matt also talks about the struggles of hitting macros and eating healthy while traveling.

SSOC intern Joel Rasmussen flew all the way from Adelaide, Australia to join the Barbell Logic podcast, en route to a Starting Strength seminar in Wichita Falls. While he was in town, Matt and Scott chatted with him about establishing a home gym out of his garage in Adelaide, his coaching experience as an intern with SSOC, and how he managed to rehab his "stuffed" back.

One of the most requested Barbell Logic topics has been reading recommendations, specifically for books on business and investing. Today Matt and Scott lay out their favorite business books, readings that helped shaped their values, operations, and interactions in their own businesses.