Podcasts about ssoc

I will stream 4/4 on Wed, topics: French Illumism, Illuminati Thanks for listening everyone, great showing tonight!@COJACpodcast (t,Ig, Venmo, YT) please subscribe!!! :)Conspiracy or Just a Coincidence -patreon

In this episode we interview Ray Luc Levasseur. During his time underground Levasseur was a purported member of the United Freedom Front, and the Sam Melville Jonathan Jackson Unit. Prior to that Levasseur organized in several above ground formations, including the Southern Student Organizing Committee (SSOC), Vietnam Veterans Against The War, and SCAR. We talk to Ray about his early life, and the influence of his experience in Vietnam on the development of anti-imperialist politics and commitments.  He also shares his first incarcerated organizing experiences in Tennessee. And we have brief discussions of his time in SSOC, Vietnam Veterans Against The War, and SCAR. After that we discuss Ray's time underground, and the claimed activities the Sam Melville Jonathan Jackson Unit and the United Freedom Front.  Specifically he discusses IBM's involvement in Apartheid, and the targeting of the military and prison industrial complexes by those underground groups.  We end with a discussion of Ray's time in Marion and the refusal there by Levasseur and other political prisoners to build weapons for the federal government. Ray also shares thoughts on his experiences during 13 years of solitary confinement at Marion and later at ADX. And discusses why small acts of generosity and care on the outside can mean a great deal to people experiencing extreme repression.  He leaves the discussion with several ways folks can get involved in supporting political prisoners. We will include links in the show notes for folks who want to get involved in that necessary work. One quick urgent note, political prisoner David Gilbert goes before the parole board this month. He needs letters of support. They must be submitted by Wednesday September 8th at 6pm Eastern Time. Please go to friendsofdavidgilbert.org to get full details on the process and do that for him.  And just a quick reminder that if you like what we do and want to support our ability to continue to do it. Become a patron of the show. We're still working on our current goal to get 1,000 patrons of the show. Get involved with: Sundiata Acoli (he needs his petition signed!) Jericho Movement Spirit of Mandela Tribunal Anarchist Black Cross Federation Write to Jennifer Reznicek Support Eric King Check out Freedom Archives for ways to support political prisoners, and also for their amazing archives of radical movements, which including communiques from the UFF.

A delightful conversation with Dr. Louis Zbinden, President of the independent surgical group - Surgical Specialists of Charlotte, on the many ways we've worked together as a medical community to deliver the best care for the patients in the Charlotte Metro area!  He's held medical staff leadership roles at AH Pineville but also system roles and with CPA (Carolinas Physician Alliance) - to deliver value based care.  

Matt and Scott sit down for a chat with Scott's SSOC client and friend Tim Pedersen, a retired Navy pilot whose physical history includes a long list of intense but short-lived endeavors, often ending in injury. Tim discusses his burning to desire to train, how various training methods and sports took their toll over the years, and how he eventually discovered Starting Strength and SSOC. Since training with SSOC he has developed a sustainable approach to fitness and health, and accumulated years of injury-free training (well, mostly, there were several pre-existing injuries to deal with along the way!).   Got a question for Matt and Scott? Email us at questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll answer your question on an upcoming Saturday Q&A!   Discounts Get 3 months of coaching at Starting Strength Online Coaching for just $500! Use SUMMERGAINZ at checkout. Use discount code LOGIC to save 10% off microplates, dumbbell microplates, and more at Microgainz Use discount code LOGIC to save $10 off belts and more at Dominion Strength   Discounts Get 3 months of coaching at Barbell Logic Online Coaching for just $500! Use SUMMERGAINZ at checkout. Use discount code LOGIC to save 10% off microplates, dumbbell microplates, and more at Microgainz Use discount code LOGIC to save $10 off belts and more at Dominion Strength   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Barbell Logic Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Matt and Scott first talked about money and personal finance in Episode 157, which focused on the many benefits of getting out of debt. Once you are debt free, Scott says, it's time to play defense with your finances, and put you in a position to build wealth which you can then invest, and make your dollars work for you.   Defensive finance is all about managing your life expenses and building the nest egg that you can retire on and live at your current level of consumption. Obviously, the lower your life expenses, the less you have to save to maintain your consumption as a retiree... or thinking about it another way, the more you can save in excess of the bare minimum nest egg. This excess can protect you from life's unexpected eventualities -- sickness, children, job loss, major household maintenance -- which tend to be expensive affairs.   Scott lays out the simple math of retirement in thirds. Take your gross (pre-tax) income: 1/3 will go to taxes; this number will likely be smaller in your younger years, higher in your later years as your income grows, but on average count on 1/3. 1/3 will go to life expenses -- housing, food, insurance, clothing, transportation, and everything else. 1/3 should be saved for retirement.   Therefore, your total living expenses should equal 1/3 of your gross income. For many people, however, living expenses constitute MUCH more than a third of their income. And that's a problem.   Much digital ink has been spilt over the "latte problem," the amount of money wasted on mindless daily habits such as a Starbucks latte on the way to work. And it's true, these habits can add up in a year. A simple $3 Starbucks tall latte, five times a week, adds up to nearly a $1,000 in a year after sales tax. Many people order more expensive drinks that this too. Nevertheless, Scott argues that most people make the most costly mistakes with the big items: cars and houses. It takes a LOT of lattes to make up for overspending on a house or a new car.   Defensive finance also means searching for the hidden cost of ownership. A house is an asset, but it's a pretty terrible one as far as money goes. It does not produce anything. It cannot be sold easily (or cheaply; remember there are closing costs!). It's value is highly volatile to factors outside of your control (macroeconomic issues, interest rates, changing city demographics and government). And it's expensive to maintain. Many people fail to recognize the costs of home ownership beyond the mortgage payment. Property taxes can cost many thousands of dollars each year. Insurance must be obtained. Maintenance costs between 3-5% of the house value annually, although maintenance tends to be sporadic: the A/C breaks down, a storm destroys the roof, the fences needs repair, etc.   Living within your means while considering the FULL cost of your lifestyle is the essence of defensive finance. That means containing your total living expenses to 1/3 of your income, so that you can save for retirement and, as Scott says, not have to eat dog food in your winter years.   Got a question for Matt and Scott? Email us at questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll answer your question on an upcoming Saturday Q&A!   Discounts Use the discount code LOGIC to save $79 off your first month of coaching at SSOC.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com  

Starting Strength Coach Jordan Stanton joins the podcast to discuss recent developments in the US Strengthlifting Federation, a variant of powerlifting in which lifters contest the squat, press, and deadlift. Since taking over the USSF in 2018, Jordan has made a number of changes, increasing the number of meets, improving the ruleset based on feedback from lifters and a panel of judges and coaches, and streamlining the meet direction process from equipment to judging to spotting.   The USSF differs from traditional powerlifting in a few important ways: As noted above, the standing press is substituted for the bench press -- a nod to the defunct clean and press practiced by the great Olympic lifters of yesteryear. There are no judge's commands. Once the platform is declared "ready," the lifter has 60 seconds to unrack the bar, perform the lift, and re-rack the bar... all on their own time and under their own power. Lifters weigh out, not in. Immediately following the third deadlift attempt, lifters walk to the weighing area and record their bodyweight, escorted by a judge. Deadlifts must be performed conventionally, with the knees inside the elbows. This contrasts with the sumo deadlift style which is popular in other powerlifting federations.   These changes eliminate many controversial and downright inconvenient elements of traditional powerlifting. Eschewing judges commands ensures that each lifter has an equal opportunity to complete the attempt, without influence from a judge's command, which may vary in timing, thereby affecting the difficulty of the lift. Furthermore, it eliminates red lights due to the lifter jumping the "rack" command following the completion of a squat. It also eliminates the need for the head judge to call a good lockout at the top of the deadlift, which he is in a poor position to judge anyway. In all lifts, the lifter executes the attempt as best he can, and the judges simply give white or red lights based on the rules.   Weight outs were instituted for the safety of the lifters and to even out the difference between the lifter's weight class and the actual bodyweight at which they compete. In federations with long weigh-in periods, weight can be cut dramatically before the meet and regained afterward, meaning a lifter could weigh in at 198lbs (therefore putting him in the 90kg weight class) but step on the platform at 225lbs or more. Drastic weight cuts can be dangerous, but they also add an element of weight management to the sport which is separate and secondary to the sport's primary contest: strength.   The USSF holds meets year-round across the US, so head on over to the USSF website to view the events and sign up for a meet near you!   You can also follow Jordan Stanton on Instagram at @nextlevelbarbell (the name of his new gym in Portland, OR).   Got a question for Matt and Scott? Email us at questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll answer your question on an upcoming Saturday Q&A!   Discounts Use the discount code LOGIC to save $79 off your first month of coaching at SSOC.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com  

Fan favorite Andy Baker returns to the podcast... this time to talk about himself, not programming (though he manages to sneak some programming talk in anyway). Andy of course is the programming mastermind behind the Baker Barbell Club, and the co-author of Practical Programming and The Barbell Prescription. Today he shares his story of training as a kid in a sweltering attic in Houston, to learning from top lifters in college, to a career of military service... and explains how each of these experiences contributed to the master barbell coach we know today.   Andy found an early mentor in powerlifter Bill Windschief (Deep Squatter has an interview with Bill here), a USPF Texas State Champion and top-3 finisher in the USAPL Nationals in the late 90’s. Bill taught Andy the value of simple, effective programming, and was a proponent of the three week, 8-5-2 rep scheme cycle that Andy still uses with his lifters today. Andy also points out that during the 90’s, with the internet still in its infancy, the gym served as the main source of information on lifting technique and programming. Lifters met face to face, talked between sets, and shared what was working and what was not… quite a different atmosphere from today, where lifters are more likely to spend their rest time checking Instagram or arguing on forums. Consequently, he learned to have an open mind and pull from many sources — powerlifters, bodybuilders, Olympic lifters, even strong recreational lifters — when designing his own training routines and thinking about fitness.   In college Andy trained as a bodybuilder, though he never competed. He later shifted to powerlifting, while studying for a degree in Exercise Science. He found the curriculum disappointingly endurance-focused, however, and was frequently bored in class. Then September 11th happened, and he made the snap decision to sign up for the Marine Corp. While on tour in Iraq, he turned to the base gym for peace, and continued to work on his academics when possible. After completing his four year contract with the Marines, Andy opened his gym, Kingwood Strength & Conditioning. He has operated the gym successfully now for over twelve years, which he credits to the personal attention, coaching expertise, and small, manageable overhead he has cultivated there.   Check out the classic Lee Haney workout video that started it all for Andy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_XeJKhO6M4   You can find Andy at http://www.andybaker.com, where he offers online and in-person coaching, custom programming design, and programming templates.   Got a question for Matt and Scott? Email us at questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll answer your question on an upcoming Saturday Q&A!   Discounts Use the discount code LOGIC to save $79 off your first month of coaching at SSOC.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Andy Baker returns to the podcast once more to discuss his strategies for driving hypertrophy in intermediate lifters. Andy is a master programmer who has co-authored Practical Programming and The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40. In this episode Andy argues that the current vogue for high volume training in pursuit of hypertrophy demonstrates an incomplete understanding of the programming variables and is often simply impractical.   Andy reminds us that both volume and intensity are stressors in the SRA equation, and we need more stress to drive continued strength adaptations. Since cross-sectional muscle size is the main driver of strength gains after the novice phase (during which neuromuscular efficiency increases also contribute to strength), the additional stress should contribute to hypertrophy. Most trainees have the idea that more volume is needed after novice LP, since they have increased intensity as the only variable up to that point. This is true, but how much is enough volume? Logically, volume can be driven up indefinitely, whereas intensity can only be driven up to a point -- 100% of a rep max.   Practically, however, there are limits to the amount of volume a trainee can do in a workout. Instead of increasing sets and reps indefinitely, Andy recommends using novel exercises at varying rep ranges to drive additional volume. These are typically supplemental lifts such as pause/tempo squats, front squats, rack pulls, incline bench press, press starts, etc., however they could also be accessory movements like lying triceps extensions. He recommends introducing these early to mid-intermediate, giving the trainee plenty of workouts to acclimate to the new movement to the point it can be trained heavy. The goal here is to identify, over time, a handful of assistance exercises which work well for the lifter, recognizing that every lifter will be different... and even the same lifter may not respond the same way to assistance lifts as their training career progresses!   Andy also points out that accumulating new movement patterns builds a mind/muscle connection that trainees coming out of the novice stage -- during which the exercises are very limited -- often lack. Since these movements are mechanically less efficient than the main barbell lifts, they can be done for more reps and thus, give the muscles more time under tension, which contributes to muscle growth. Andy emphasizes that as soon as a trainee learns new movements, they must be loaded heavy.   You can find Andy at http://www.andybaker.com, where he offers online and in-person coaching, custom programming design, and programming templates.   Got a question for Matt and Scott? Email us at questions@barbell-logic.com and we'll answer your question on an upcoming Saturday Q&A!   Discounts Use the discount code LOGIC to save $79 off your first month of coaching at SSOC.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Building on the personal finance episode that aired as #157, which focused on getting rid of debt, Matt and Scott talk to Jesse Mecham, the founder of You Need A Budget as well as an SSOC client. You Need A Budget (YNAB) is a philosophy of budgeting based on four simple rules of money management, with some handy software tools to take the tedium out of spreadsheet data entry. This ground-up approach to budgeting bears a strong resemblance to Starting Strength's method of barbell training, starting with first principles and building toward clearly defined, actionable goals.   Jesse developed his rules as a young married man in a graduate program of accounting with a subsistence income between himself and his wife. They didn't have money, but they did begin the conversation about budgeting early in their relationship. On a fateful day a year after buying his first car, Jesse received a letter from the state department of motor vehicles informing him of the need to renew his registration... for a fee of $150. A large (and unforeseen) sum to him -- he had never owned a car before -- it highlighted the need to think about the known but irregular expenses of life and budget for them ahead of time, so he wouldn't be caught off guard. Eventually this idea worked it's way into his budgeting spreadsheet, which he offered for sale online, and You Need A Budget was born.   A complete exploration of Jesse's money rules can be found on the YNAB site, but they can be summarized as follows (and they follow sequentially): Give every dollar a job -- what you have in account today, right now. Give those dollars a job: gas, food, electric bill. Embrace your true expenses -- not just what you spent today, or will spend this week, or this month... EVERYTHING, including car tires, registration, insurance premiums, etc. Roll with the punches -- your money works for you. You get to decide what jobs your dollars will have, which means you also get to decide when it's time for them to change jobs. Age your money -- spend the money you earned last month for this month's rent. Then work toward spending money from last quarter on this month's rent, and so forth. Now you have created savings, you have dollars for an emergency fund, and you can begin investing to create wealth.   Just as Starting Strength doesn't tell you to do strong things on Day 1 (like, perform a max effort single), Jesse's rules don't tell you to make huge changes or look far out into the future at the beginning. Instead he focuses on where a person is now, in the present moment (i.e. their current account balance, not the paycheck they expect to receive at the end of next week), and helps them start allocating the resources they have. Once those resources are accounted for, the person can then start thinking about what to do with their future paycheck. A linear progression of sorts.   Check out the You Need A Budget website for more information. Jesse has also written a book about his money philosophy called, simply, YNAB: The Book.   Discounts Barbell Logic listeners can get their first year of You Need A Budget FREE. Sign up for SSOC with the discount code YNAB to save $84 off your first month, which will cover the cost of a year's worth of You Need A Budget.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Matt and Scott have received numerous emails about personal finance questions, many related to Scott's philosophy on investing. While these are good questions, investing could be considered the "intermediate" phase of personal finance, and Matt and Scott would be remiss to skip over the "novice" phase: gaining freedom from debt and freeing up cash flow for other productive uses. This episode focuses on their thoughts about debt management, and why paying off debt is the first step to gaining freedom in your life.   We have often referred to strength training as a sort of physical 401k, a process of banking strength for the future when you really need it. Productive training relies on a few basic things (besides the training itself): food, sleep, rest, and appropriate weight progression. Without these things, the novice program still works for a time, but progress falters well short of the lifter's potential. We can draw some analogs to your real 401k. Early in life, your ability to be productive is high, so the goal is to bank excess productivity in a retirement fund that you can draw on when you aren't able to work (or simply don't want to work) at the same capacity at an older age. Cash flow is the lifeblood of savings. Just like food and sleep, without it there is nothing to build on, no resources with which to construct the nest egg. Debt is a major drain on cash flow, and therefore a drag on savings.   There are many good resources on right-sizing your expenses and paying off debt: Dave Ramsey, Mr. Money Mustache, and You Need A Budget (the creator of which, Jon Meacham, is an SSOC client). While there are many strategies and approaches, the important thing is that you do it, so you can free up your time, reduce your stress and anxiety, and focus your attention on more important things... like squats.   Discounts Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

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.   Of course, as discussed in previous episodes barbell training satisfies the criteria for "conditioning," being a form of short, intense exercise similar to the high intensity interval training (HIIT) employed in circuit training, Crossfit, and the like. But why? Robert Santana and fellow Registered Dietician and PhD Christy Alexon join us today to explain.   The body utilizes ATP, adenosine triphosphate, to do stuff like stand up, walk around, climb a tree, pick up a box, etc. ATP is readily available in our muscle cells but in small amounts -- enough for 10-15 seconds of strenuous activity, but no more. Obviously many physical tasks involve strenuous activity lasting much longer than 15 seconds, so why don't we keel over once the initial ATP is used up? The answer lies in bioenergetics, that is, the network of energy systems the body uses to deliver ATP to the muscle cells.   There are three major types of energy systems: "Anaerobic" or phosphocreatine -- ATP stored directly in the muscle cells; high energy output, very short duration Anaerobic glycolysis -- the breakdown of glycogen (a blob of glucose molecules, or carbohydrate, stored in the muscles and liver) into ATP; medium energy output, medium duration Aerobic (oxidative) glycolysis -- the use of oxygen as fuel to breakdown carbohydrate and fat into ATP; low energy output, long duration These systems do not work independently, but rather concurrently; as you lift a heavy set of five, the phosphagen system dominates, but glucose is being broken down and the aerobic glycolytic cycle is upregulated in anticipation of more activity. Therefore, weight training provides a conditioning effect because it trains the aerobic energy systems, albeit indirectly. After all, that is what conditioning is: the capacity for sustained aerobic activity, typically measured by VO2 max in the lab.   Many novices wonder whether they should be doing "conditioning work" in addition to the main barbell lifts. The answer, for a novice, is no (though exceptions may apply to morbidly obese trainees who require additional calorie burn for emergency weight loss). The barbell training alone constitutes enough conditioning work to satisfy general health needs, and any additional work would simply interfere with recovery... and as Barbell Logic has made the case repeatedly, getting stronger will make a bigger impact on performance and health than any other fitness attribute at this point. For intermediates and beyond, the answer varies. For general health, i.e. minimizing the risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders like diabetes, strength training combined with regular physical activity (walking, hiking, biking) is sufficient. Sports with an endurance component will require more conditioning, which may interfere with the acquisition of strength. It's rare to see a marathoner with a big squat.   Christy has a PhD in Nutrition and Wellness and currently works as both a Registered Dietician for Rennaisance Periodization and as a Clinical Associate Professor of Nutrition at the Arizona State College of Health Solutions where she teaches macronutrient metabolism.   Discounts UNTIL JAN 15th, 2019 ONLY - Get your first month of SSOC online coaching for just $49! Or get online coaching AND nutrition for only $79 for the first month. No discount code required. Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.  Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

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, a healthy dose of competition, and a common goal of strength and self-vitality.   At Greysteel there are no excuses, only reps and results. Of course, training Masters’ athletes requires some clever workarounds for preexisting injuries and joint pathologies, as well as a keen eye for judging exertion and stress on a workout-by-workout basis. Sully has cultivated all of these skills, which are captured in his book The Barbell Prescription (co-authored by another master coach, Andy Baker).   The start of a new year prompts many to look into the mirror, make resolutions, set goals, and turn a hopeful eye toward the future. If you are looking for motivation for change, look no further than Greysteel and it’s brave, hard-working members.   Visit Greysteel Strength & Conditioning and be sure to check out Sully’s excellent videos on training, physiology, health, and more at the Greysteel YouTube channel.   Discounts UNTIL JAN 15th, 2019 ONLY - Get your first month of SSOC online coaching for just $49! Or get online coaching AND nutrition for only $79 for the first month. No discount code required. Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.  Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

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.   Many people try to overhaul their diet by "white knuckling" their way through major changes, like cutting out sodas, cutting all refined carbs, stopping all fast food, eating more vegetables, etc. While these are noble and worthy habits, trying to acquire them all at the same time often constitutes a huge change in the person's habits. This might work in the short term -- two or three weeks -- but inevitably it fails as the urgency of the catalyst for change begins to fade. White knuckle discipline is not just a bad idea for the dieter, it's also a bad plan for a nutrition coach because even it does work, it doesn't provide much data about what variables drove the change. Nevertheless, the calories have to add up (or subtract, depending on whether you're gaining or losing) for change to happen.   Therefore, Santana has found that small, incremental habit changes over time not only stick better, but also provide good data on what works for the trainee. Habit changes can be as minor as switching from sugary sodas to diet soda (really not that minor a change when you think about -- a person drinking 4-5 sodas a day could cut nearly 1,000 calories by switching to diet sodas -- even though it's an easy change). Each habit change is treated like a PR in the nutrition LP, and celebrated accordingly. And just as adding 5lbs each workout in the novice LP quickly adds up to big strength gains, accumulation of positive eating habits adds up over time to major body composition changes. Most importantly, they are sustainable and lasting body composition changes.   From now until January 15th SSOC is offering a HUGE deal on online coaching. Sign up now and get your first month of online coaching for $49, OR get both barbell coaching and nutrition coaching for just $79! This deal only lasts for a couple weeks so sign up now at SSOC. No discount code necessary -- the discount will appear in your cart when you sign up.   Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.   Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Everyone's got one, and they all stink. We're not talking about opinions. We're talking about excuses. As the New Year approaches -- and along with it new resolutions and promises to change old habits -- it's easy to imagine yourself six months or a year later with exactly the body you want, performing exactly the skills you want to learn, achieving all your goals... but it doesn't work like that. Time and time again, people make resolutions and fail, often before the first quarter of the year has come and gone.   Why does this happen? It's simple, really. Consistency is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to training. Consistency is easy when the year is young, spirits are high, and motivation is plentiful. As soon as life gets busy again, as soon as a setback occurs -- travel, sickness, a minor injury -- people often miss sessions, and never get back to the consistency they began their training program with.   They come up with excuses to justify missing workouts. Or worse, they hide behind these excuse before ever starting a workout program. We've heard them all: I'm too busy to train I'm too tired to train I'm too sick to train I'm too old/injured to train I don't want to get bulky And so forth...   The problem is, out of the vast, overwhelming number of these excuses, there is no good reason NOT to train. The key to consistency is not motivation, or willpower, it's simply discipline. Discipline is simply the habit of training, no matter what, especially when you have an excuse. Eventually, the habit takes over and training becomes normal, and consequently, not training becomes abnormal.   Today, that may not be the case for you. That's ok. Let's get started right now. Don't wait until the New Year. Start today. Clear an hour on your schedule, and get started. Refer back to the first ten episodes for the basic overview of how to train if needed. It will be painful at first -- not the workout itself, but getting yourself to actually do it -- but string along enough workouts and it will simply become a new habit. You may even find you start to enjoy it.     Starting Strength Online Coaching Need a good coach to help guide you through training? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Coach Trent discuss how routine and habits can impact your mindset and sometimes get in the way of good training. As the saying goes, humans are creatures of habit, and that holds true for training. Whether it's a pair of lucky underwear, a rocking tune, or doing the haka before a PR deadlift, we all develop habits and quirks which help us focus, clear our minds, and prepare to train. But what do you do when something's off? Maybe you left your gym bag at home and you're without a belt and shoes to squat in, or you have to run a new route with unknown surfaces and unfamiliar inclines. Is that workout a bust, or can you adapt on the fly and get some productive training?   Good coaches encourage productive habits and routines. Teaching a lifter to approach the bar the same way every time, for example -- right hand, left hand, then right foot, left foot, take a big breath, brace hard, etc. -- promotes the repeatability of a movement and gives the lifter's mind something to focus on while executing a complex movement pattern. Naturally, over time trainees develop their own personalized routines to mentally prepare for training and get into the right frame of mind to exert a high level of effort.   Sometimes these routines can shift our mental attention away from the body cues we can control -- things like "hips back" or "stay in the midfoot" -- toward ambient or circumstantial cues which we cannot directly control, such as what music is playing, what is going on in our peripheral vision, having clear sight lines outside the normal gaze of the movement. While these details are often what separate the good gyms from the bad, we cannot always choose where we train, and chances are we will encounter unideal environs.   Likewise, equipment can become a crutch, particularly for strength training.  Again, a good coach will recommend you to buy and use basic tools which facilitate productive lifting: shoes, a belt, perhaps some wrist wraps for heavy pressing and benching, straps for the advanced deadlifter. However, form creep happens to everyone and equipment use can become a crutch masking poor technique. Using wrist wraps to maintain a moderately extended wrist in a heavy press, for instance, may be masking the fact that the grip is wrong, and needs to be corrected to carry the bar over the supportive bones of the forearm instead of the smaller, weaker bones in the hand and wrist. A lifter that has learned to push out against her belt rather than tighten her abs with a proper Valsalva may find herself unable to control her back position in a heavy squat, because she has compromised her ability to engage the abdominal wall in the lift.   All that said, don't try to fix what ain't broke! Habits and routines absolutely have their place in training. On the other hand, if you find yourself struggling with a lift, a movement, or a skill, examine your routine, and occasionally put yourself in totally new, unfamiliar environments to learn how to self-asses and adapt more readily. Some of us train for competition, where the field of play, the weather, and a host of other factors are unpredictable, and learning to thrive under pressure is a key skill. For the rest of us simply training to live a healthier life... well, life still throws curveballs, and the skills of adaptability and versatility is just as important in life.   Starting Strength Online Coaching Need a good coach to help guide you through training? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

In Part 2, Matt and Scott outline the remaining 4 core values that drive SSOC, Barbell Logic, and their personal lives. As Scott remarks, the best businesses are outpourings of their owners, and the work the company performs is directly informed by the values the owner has.    SSOC and Barbell Logic's Core Values (continued) We invest in bettering ourselves: seeking continuous improvement in all aspects of our life, and not settling or resting on our laurels. We take initiative: and are proactive about solving problems rather than waiting someone else to tell us to do things. We invest in the community: realizing that our core values are best fulfilled by working with the community of lifters and their collective knowledge and wisdom, rather than in isolation. We are professional: we work in a timely fashion, we are punctual, we treat each other with respect, we don't react emotionally but rather with rationality and wisdom.   Note that Matt originally referenced ten core values in the Part 1 of this podcast. One of the original ten values -- be selfless -- was struck from the list after some debate amongst the leadership staff. While the notion of selflessness is a noble one, the self is ultimately the grounding point for the company's ethics and morals. Without the self, one could argue, there are no ethics. So while SSOC and Barbell Logic do strive to put the company first in their business dealings, they do so out of a strong sense of self.   Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.   Save 5% off any orderat Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Trent and Coach D return for round 4 of the series on lower back pain, wrapping up the topic with a meaty discussion about exercise for treating chronic low back pain as well as acute pain from injury.   As mentioned in previous episodes, it's very important to first get an accurate diagnosis to understand what you're dealing with before getting back to training. Hard neuro symptoms such as loss of motor function, drop foot, etc. are more serious and may require a different approach to treatment than chronic sciatica, for instance. The diagnosis helps identify the source of the pain, and provides some idea of the likely healing time of the tissues affected (muscle, tendons, bone).   Once an accurate diagnosis has been made, treatment should -- in most cases -- begin immediately. Rarely is rest the right answer, unless the athlete is dealing with a severe injury. At this point, the coach or medical provider should begin educating the athlete about the nature of their injury and some of the things they may experience during the rehab process, being careful not to catastrophize the injury. Sometimes they are going to experience pain during their workouts, but using the exposure without danger principle discussed in Part 3 will help rewire their pain response while giving the tissue the best environment to heal.   From here, Coach D likes to break down the exercise progression into several steps, with pain and knowledge of the injury and the typical healing times for different types of tissue serving as the guide.   The Exercise Prescription Bodyweight movements while laying on the back. At this point there should be little or no loading of the spine, just introducing light movement. Bridges Knees to chest Trunk rotation Bodyweight movement, progressing to sitting. The athlete should focus on keeping the spine neutral and using the back as a rigid lever during these movements. At this point we have still not introduced loading beyond bodyweight. Sit to stands, from a high box to progressively lower box if necessary. Hip hinges, using the back as a rigid lever Compound movements, with light loading. This is a good time to break out the training bars, broomsticks, and PVC pipe. Adjust the grip, implement, or movement pattern as necessary to accommodate for pain tolerance. For instance, if the lifter is having a hard time holding a regular barbell, try a safety squat bar or buffalo bar. Loading should be conservative at this point; there will be plenty of time to progress to heavy later. Squats using a light bar, kettlebell, or even bodyweight squats to a box, but using full range of motion. Planks and side planks in short intervals, increasing duration over time, for athletes who still have trouble loading their spine in a horizontal position. Sled pulls and drags Weighted carries with dumbbells or kettlebells Compound movements with progressive loading. At this point it's time to reintroduce the compound lifts -- the squat, press, and deadlift -- with some load. The lifter needs to pay special attention to executing the lifts with perfect or nearly perfect form. At this point the athlete's pain should be low to moderate on the pain scale, and they can load the lifts using pain as the guide. Use common sense with the progression: a 400lb squatter coming back from a minor adductor strain need not make 5lbs jumps every workout, but he probably should not make 50lbs jumps either. Likewise even a strong lifter coming back from a more severe injury such as a hamstring tear may need to make more conservative jumps while the tissue heals. In both cases the progression model will look the same, but the timelines will be different: the lifter with adductor strain may only need 2-3 weeks before he is back to squatting 90-95% of his previous loads, while the hamstring injury may require months, depending on the severity.   At first the athlete should be doing these movements every day. Once compound loading begins, as the loads climb they can start tapering their workouts from every day to every other day, eventually back to their original workout schedule, such as 3 times per week.   The key thing when dealing with pain is motion is lotion, and movement as soon as possible after an injury is the best way to promote healing in the damage tissues. For those suffering from chronic pain and not necessarily an injury, movement is still the answer! Progressing to compound movements with load: increases blood flow to the tissue, which brings nutrients, facilities cellular waste removal, and brings growth hormones to the tissue reduces scar tissue, as the muscle is encouraged to heal in the direction that it is used, as opposed to randomly scarring, which can increase the chance of injury in the future reduces muscle atrophy improves motor sequence firing and increases muscle stamina, which help make movement and everyday tasks easier   Further Reading on Back Pain, Pain Science, and Exercise Intervention for Pain In the Spine or In the Brain: Recent Advances in Pain Neuroscience by Nijs J, Clark J, Malfliet A, Ickmans K, Voogt L, Don S, den Bandt H, Goubert D, Kregel J, Coppieters I, Dankaerts W Effects of Functional Resistance Training on Fitness and Quality of Life in Females by Cortell-Tormo, Juan & Tercedor, Pablo & Chulvi-Medrano, Iván & Tortosa-Martínez, Juan & Manchado, Carmen & Belloch, Salvador & Perez-Soriano, Pedro Exercise in the Management of Chronic Back Pain by Dreisinger T The Effects of Strength Exercise and Walking on Lumbar Function, Pain Level, and Body Composition in Chronic Back Pain Patients by Lee JS, Kang SJ Individualized Low Load Motor Control Exercise and Education versus High-Load Lifting Exercises by Aasa B, Berglund L, Michaelson P, Aasa U Core Strength Training for Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain Which Patients With Low Back Pain Benefit From Deadlift Training? by Berglund L, Aasa B, Hellqvist J, Michaelson P, Aasa U   Starting Strength Online Coaching Need a good coach to help guide you through training? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

As Socrates counseled, know thyself, so those of us at Barbell Logic and SSOC evaluate (and re-evaluate) who we are as our audience and business grows. To that end, Matt and the staff at SSOC have developed a set of core values which spell out the identity of the company. Of course these values weren't selected in a vacuum, and they reflect more broadly the values of Matt and Scott.   SSOC and Barbell Logic's Core Values We believe in who we are: a company who endeavors to get anybody and everybody strong, to bring Starting Strength to a bigger audience. We choose what is right over everything else: even when the right thing means making less money, not growing as fast as we want, or admitting mistakes which might create bad press, we do it anyway. We strive to be the best at what we do: we want to be the best strength coaches in the world, the best online coaching company in the world, and, importantly, the best at everything we do, even outside of barbell coaching.  We want to "wow" our customers with outstanding service: which means underpromising and overdelivering. It also means admitting when we miss the mark, and figuring out how to constantly improve our customer service experience. We accept personal responsibility: we don't kick the can down the road, don't pass the buck. We take responsibility for what we do, and what happens on our watch. Even when things aren't our fault, we strive to figure out what part we played in creating an environment where a mistake is made.     Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.   Save 5% off any orderat Dominion Beltswith the discount code fahveoff.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

From everyone at Barbell Logic, Happy Thanksgiving! We hope your holiday is filled with much gluttony and intemperance... and we'll even forgive you for having a slice or two of pumpkin pie (just don't tell Scott).   Because Black Friday should be about family and experiences, not vapid consumerism, Starting Strength Online Coaching is hosting a MAJOR sale to bring you the gift of barbell training. With the discount code "turkeygains" you will get three months of online coaching, a sleek stainless steel Barbell Logic water bottle, an SSOC t-shirt, and a gift-wrapped card -- all for $499. Just go to Starting Strength Online Coaching and use the discount code to sign up.   The sale begins November 22nd at 12:00pm CST and ends November 25th at midnight CST, so don't miss it!   While you're at it, the Barbell Logic team published a couple articles in honor of the holidays: How to Dominate Your Holiday Workout Plan We Are Thankful for Strength Have fun, keep training hard, and enjoy your time with family and friends.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Coach D discusses a recent experience observing the "coaches" at a highly regarded (and premium priced) gym while training on the road. These coaches, while well-intentioned, often serve as little more than rep-counters and, essentially, babysitters for their clients, in the absence of a clear, logical training model, intelligent programming for their clients' goals, rigorous training, and plenty of experience of training themselves. So what makes a good coach? And what kind of qualities should you be looking for when you search for a coach?   Need a Coach? Starting Strength Online Coaching The Starting Strength Coach certification is the most rigorous in the world, and only the very best earn the credential. Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Matt and Scott answer your questions in Q&A #5. Listeners submitted questions via email and Instagram and the boys will tackle them over the course of several episodes.   This week they answer: What is your favorite cocktail right now? Scott keeps it simple: old fashioned, gin and tonic, maybe a gin martini. Matt has been enjoying bitter cocktails lately, especially cocktails with amaro. What new lifting equipment have you purchased recently? Scott and Matt just bought the Rep Fitness competition flat bench. It has a softer, more rubbery pad with good tack and the base at the foot-end of the bench is low profile so it doesn't interfere with narrow foot placement. Matt also bought a massage attachment for his jigsaw for pummeling his hips into submission. Scott is also eyeing a new pair of squat shoes with a taller 1" heel, considering either the Leistung or an old pair of Risto's. Do you sometimes put someone post-LP (intermediate or advanced lifter) back onto LP? What kind of gains could they expect? They do it all the time! And more often that not, the lifter sets a new 3x5 PR during the LP. More advanced lifters will periodically peak to test their heavy singles, tapering their volume as detailed in the Block Programming episode. Whether it's for a meet or just part of the training block, coming out of the peaking period LP can work well by exposing the lifter to more volume. It also works well for intermediates and advanced lifters coming off a long layoff. Who are your favorite SSOC clients?   More Q&A's to come in the future! Send us your questions at barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com or on Instagram @barbell_logic.   Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.   Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.    Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Coach D and Trent are back on the topic of back pain, this time tackling the treatment* of back pain. As discussed in previous episodes, many people experiencing back pain lack both strength in their back musculature and proper control over the motor patterns the back was designed to move through. Back pain can lead to nervous system changes in which the patient becomes hypersensitive to new sensations of pain, and it can lead to maladaptive behaviors, which in turn can lead to comorbidities. So, how do we pull someone out of this spiral?   Darin reaches for education first. Similar to how these back pain episodes are laid out, Darin first educates his patients about the anatomy and function of the spine, pain science, and the literature supporting the use of strength training for building muscle and regaining function. Next, he uses "exposure without danger" therapy to slowly and incrementally expose the person to greater range of motion and heavier loads. These steps help the person reframe their ideas about pain, and rewire their brain to reduce the fear response and perceived level of threat from movement. Now the person is ready to train in earnest, and begin the process of strengthening her back, regaining function, and reducing her pain.   In the following episode, they will discuss specific exercise recommendations and programming for back rehab. Stay tuned for the next installment!   In the meantime, here are some excellent resources for further reading on pain and pain science: https://bodyinmind.org https://www.painscience.com   *N.B. if a person has specific neuropathic pain of an acute or sub-acute nature associated with dermatonal changes like numbness or tingling, or myotomal changes such as drop foot, incontinence, or loss of reflexes, these are red flags that indicate consulting with a physician. If you are experiencing symptoms like these, discuss them with your doctor!   Starting Strength Online Coaching Interested in doing your first strength or powerlifting meet, but need a coach? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Matt and Scott answer your questions in Q&A #4. Listeners submitted questions via email and Instagram and the boys will tackle them over the course of several episodes.   This week they answer: Donald Kavanaugh asks: What makes you rage? For Scott, pretentious patrons at the local movie theater, apparently. Matt dodged the question. Andy Roth asks: What kind of data does Matt have on SSOC client progress during online coaching? Matt has hired a team of statisticians to review all the client data SSOC has been gathering, which will be published in the future on Starting Strength, but he offers one interesting tidbit: the average male SSOC client increases his squat almost 300% during the life of the training. From Starting Strength superfan Tyler Austin: When training the general population, do you prefer the Press 2.0 or the Classic Press (a la Bill Starr with layback)? Matt prefers a progression from strict press to 2.0, with intermediate steps if the client just can't get the timing of the hips down with the 2.0. Scott agrees, noting that unless his client is going to compete, he doesn't teach the Classic Press at all. Stan Belot asks: How do you manage training while on business or vacation, especially when you don't have your regular equipment? Scott says just get in the gym, do something as heavy as you can, and get out. The consistency is the important thing; you don't have to hit your numbers exactly. Matt adds that if you're on vacation and have been training regularly leading up to it, don't sweat it. One week of missed training is not going to hurt you. On the other hand, if you travel frequently for business, you need to figure out how to pack up your essentials and train wherever you can. Liquid chalk is your friend! What macro-friendly foods have you found lately? Scott likes the chicken kebab platter (double chicken), greek salad, and braised beans at Zoe's Kitchen. He likes the tsatiki sauce because it's pretty low fat. Matt likes greek-style yogurt in general as a replacement for fatty toppings such as sour cream, cream cheese, etc. Bobby asks: How do you manage toddlers/young children in the gym? Matt and Scott says let them in, set the safeties, teach them to avoid the platform, and set a good example by showing them that you work hard under the barbell to make your self harder to kill. Greg Boltman asks: What is your process as a coach and organization to drive continuous improvement in your coaching and training programs? The SSOC coaches communicate frequently via Slack, sharing case studies and strategies for managing various clients. Then there's reading. The most important thing, however, is seeing lots of reps on a regular basis. It's important to see different types of people too. Matt thinks that watching lots of reps gives the coach an edge which can be lost, so good coaches need to watch plenty of reps to keep their skills up.    More Q&A's to come in the future! Send us your questions at barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com or on Instagram @barbell_logic.   Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.     Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.    Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Competition is deeply woven into the fabric of our world. It drives the animal and plant kingdoms; it is the very beating heart of Nature. Removed as we are from physical competition in the modern world -- our survival needs long ago taken care of by industrialization -- it's easy to become disconnected from the essential drive to compete. Western culture, particularly American culture, complicates this urge by placing a high value on winning, often to such an extent that overshadows the merits of competition itself. For many Americans, the last physical competition they had occurred in high school sports, or perhaps college. Competition fades in adulthood, and often gets supplanted by a sedentary lifestyle.   As we outlined in earlier episodes, hard physical exertion is a necessary condition of life, whether we like it or not. We address this need through training, a logical process of stress, recovery, and adaptation to drive strength and conditioning gains. For many people, however, it is difficult to continue training ad naseum without the carrot of achievement, and for those people, competition is a great way to improve their training. Whether you are training with barbells (which you should be regardless of your goals), running, cycling, shooting baskets, swinging a golf club, or anything else, to continue improving at your chosen pursuit at some point you need to sign up for a competition. Competitions offer the chance for achievement, but more importantly they elevate your training in a number of ways: Accountability: signing up for the meet means you have a date on the calendar, and you'll have to perform on that date. If you've struggled with consistency in the gym, knowing that each workout is preparing you for an important event (that you've paid for!) can be a great motivator when you really don't want to train. Or perhaps you are great with making your workouts, but struggle with nutrition. Knowing you need the right mix of fuel to perform your best at a competition can give you a reason to start tracking your macros regularly and make better food choices in the moment. Execution: maintaining focus on technique and maintaining a high level of effort is difficult during long training cycles. Knowing that the quality of your preparation will influence your outcomes at the competition, training takes on a new level of importance. You will find your training improve, as you begin to take ownership of each piece of the process, instead of merely going through the motions. Confidence/Self-Worth: simply competing in a meet, a race, a tournament, even if you don't come close to placing or winning, provides a concrete accomplishment that you can build on. The last point is a profound one. Many Masters don't compete to win anything, they compete for themselves and the satisfaction of exceeding their previous PR's. And, from personal experience, almost all of the Masters sporting events are full of supportive people that cheer hard for all levels of athletes. Doing your best is what counts in these circles, not your time, or the weight on the bar.   The recent US Strengthlifting Federation meet at Westminster Gym in Maryland is a shining example of this. A young man named Miles competed in his first meet. Miles has cerebral palsy, and trained hard for months to prepare for this meet. He crushed it, going 9/9 and setting a PR on his deadlift. While Miles will likely never win his weight class at a strengthlifting meet, or the overall, it doesn't matter. He won the competition against himself, and became a better version of himself in the process. That's what it's all about!   You can watch a video of Miles' competition on YouTube. Watch his last press attempt, now that is an impressive grinder! A+ effort.   Starting Strength Online Coaching Interested in doing your first strength or powerlifting meet, but need a coach? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

One question received in the recent Q&A sessions deserved its own episode. A listener wrote in with the question (paraphrased): what kind of R&D are you working on as coaches? Matt explores the question by reflecting on the sheer number of Masters-aged lifters he and the other coaches at SSOC have coached over the past few years -- many hundreds and counting.   The relatively recent surge in popularity of strength training, especially for older people, means that for the first time, coaches have had the chance to build a knowledge base training Masters athletes. Most of the ink spilled about barbell training prior to Dr. Jonathon Sullivan's The Barbell Prescription had young, active trainees or competitive athletes in mind. Even Starting Strength was originally written for coaches, then revised with young athletes in mind, and, only recently with the 3rd edition, with a general population trainee as the target audience. Consequently the application of strength training for Masters lifters has heretofore been an intellectual exercise, an extrapolation of experiences with younger lifters. And for the most part it has worked -- Masters lifters respond to training and the SRA cycle too. However anyone who has coached Masters lifters for a length of time understands that there are certain factors that change when it comes to programming and executing the lifts.   Use the discount code LOGIC to save 10% off any order of Iron Joe.   Online Great Books is opening enrollment again on October 15th - October 30th, and seats will be filling up fast! Last enrollment, all spots were filled within 4 days. Barbell Logic listeners can use the discount count REASON to save 25% their first three months with Online Great Books.   Save 5% off any order at Dominion Belts with the discount code fahveoff.    Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

In Part 2 of the back pain miniseries, Coach D and Trent discuss the science of pain. The traditional pain model describes pain as pain messages (nociception) delivered to the brain as a noxious stimulus in response to tissue damage. While this model works well to describe acute pain, such as smashing your fingers in the car door, it does not adequately explain the great number of people who experience pain without tissue damage or other pathology. Likewise it fails to explain people with tissue damage who do not experience any pain. The emerging biopsychosocial model of pain, which describes pain as not only a physical experience but an emotional one, attempts to reconcile these gaps. While our understanding of pain is still developing, it is clear that pain is a complex experience.      Articles Referenced During the Episode Back Pain and Back Strength by Mark Rippetoe The Vertebral Column (Spine) on Wikipedia In the spine or in the brain? Recent advances in pain neuroscience applied in the intervention for low back pain by Nijs et al (no link)   Suggested Further Reading Aches and Pains by Austin Baraki, MD https://www.painscience.com   Starting Strength Online Coaching Need to strengthen your back, but don't have a good coach to help you get started? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

In Part 1 of a new miniseries on lower back pain, Coach D and Trent dive into the causes, treatment, and prevention of back pain, the most common form of pain reported by patients and trainees. First, however, they lay down the foundation for understanding back pain: the anatomy and function of the spine and the musculature and connective tissue of the trunk.   Simply put, the spine functions in two ways. First, it rotates, twists, and flexes to allow us to move and perform everyday functions and interact with our world. Generally these movements are performed with light weights, if any, and they constitute the majority of our use of the spine. Secondly, the spine can act as a rigid lever to allow us to transmit force from the powerful muscle groups in our posterior chain (the hips) through our hands; think about a lineman driving his opponent off the line of scrimmage, or a powerlifter performing a low bar back squat. In this case, with the help of the spinal erectors and other musculature of the back, the spine extends and becomes rigid while enduring a combination of compressive and tension force, depending on the movement. In real life training and athletics, many movements involve a combination of these two functions, but the distinction is useful when understanding the spine.    Articles Referenced During the Episode Back Pain and Back Strength by Mark Repute The Vertebral Column (Spine) on Wikipedia In the spine or in the brain? Recent advances in pain neuroscience applied in the intervention for low back pain by Nijs et al (no link)   Starting Strength Online Coaching Need to strengthen your back, but don't have a good coach to help you get started? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

There's a saying that goes "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Well if you don't sleep, you might be dead sooner than you like! We all know intuitively that sleep is very important, and this intuition has been reinforced by the volumes of data coming out of the science community emphasizing the importance of good quantity and quality of sleep. Yet so many of us struggle to sleep well, especially as we age. Coach D offers some tips for improving your sleep habits.   Here's a few interesting statistics according to the NIH: At least 40 million Americans have a chronic sleep disorder 20 million more have trouble sleeping Additionally, people with chronic sleep disorders have a: 15% decrease in testosterone 20% increase in driving accidents 30% increased risk of obesity 45% increased risk of heart attacks 2.5x increased risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome The exact numbers vary by study, but in general humans should get: Adults: 7-9hrs sleep/day Teens: 9-11hrs Children: 11-15hrs Darin's French Bulldog Dozer: 20+ hrs   Sleep is a critical process of human physiology. A number of important processes happen during sleep. Firstly, our blood pressure and body temperature drops significantly during the dormant phase of sleep. Growth hormones release and reach their maximum levels, promoting muscle repair, muscle protein synthesis, and other cellular repair. Our memories consolidate and brain's nerve cells rewire. The immune system ramps up to deal with the foreign bacteria encountered during the day. Simply put, without sleep, we could not recover and deal with stresses encountered during life, and we would die. It goes without saying that if you aren't adequately sleeping, you're missing one of the biggest components in a training program.   Interested in learning the barbell lifts, but don't have a good coach in your area? Visit our friends at Starting Strength Online Coaching to get paired with a top notch Starting Strength Coach who will coach you through all the barbell lifts and manage your programming on a daily basis. Use the discount code "40fit" at checkout to save $79 off your first month with SSOC.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Matt and Scott chat with SSOC client Sean Richardson, visiting the Reynolds' household from across the pond (Leicestershire, UK to be precise). Sean is a speech pathologist by trade, and an SSOC client of Scott's. He is a model client too, demonstrating consistency, patience, and coachability in his training life. Sean also enjoys a number of hobbies in life, so he doesn't just live to train... he trains to live. He is a great example of how strength training can fit into and improve an aready rich and varied life.   When it comes to our favorite (or at least Reynolds' favorite) phrase "voluntary hardship," Sean knows a thing or two. He trains outside, in his garden! He has a Rogue rack positioned across a slab of concrete, and he stores his plates in a "rubbish bin" (garbage can) when not in use. He puts the Rogue powder coat to the test, yet only reports slight rusting around the pin holes after over a year of use. Pretty impressive Rogue!   SSOC Coaching Academy Slots are filling up fast, reserve yours today!   SSOC Club Level Same great SSOC coaching and service, provided by interns. Only $99/mo!    

Scott and Matt interview Starting Strength Coach Michael Burgos about his transition from occupational therapy into the field of strength coaching. Burgos trained as an occupational therapist and certified hand specialist, but despite his dedication and commitment to helping his patients, he eventually became disenchanted with the relentless productivity culture in the field which demanded long hours -- 12hrs a day, often 6 or 7 days a week.   Nevertheless, having discovered strength training via his friend and mentor Danielle Rodier -- also a Starting Strength Coach -- Mike worked diligently through his LP. He fell in love with the process of acquiring strength, and coaching others to do the same, so when his request to reduce his OT hours slightly was denied, he decided to pursue coaching full-time. Burgos earned his SSC credential in 2016, and now coaches both in-person clients in Virginia and online clients for Starting Strength Online Coaching.   Connect with Mike Mike on Instagram Mike at SSOC   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com  

Matt and Scott interview the man behind the Starting Strength Instagram (and it's memes), coach Pete Troupos. Pete is a Starting Strength Coach currently based out of Dallas, TX. He is also an SSOC coach as well as the organizer for all Starting Strength lifting camps across the country, so he is well versed in the Starting Strength model and the variety of coaches in the organization.   Prior to becoming a coach, Pete had a long career in retail loss prevention, where he learned to recognize behavioral patterns that indicated theft in stores. He also learned about neuro-linguistics to read facial expressions and other behavioral tip-offs while investigating employee store theft. This training has served him well as a barbell coach, making him better aware of his lifters' struggles and able to recognize and correct negative movement patterns.   In addition to his coaching practice, Pete helps run the Barbell Coaching Academy on Facebook, a resource and community for aspiring Starting Strength Coaches to refine their coaching eye, discuss cues, learn about programming, and work on the myriad of other skills a good strength coach will need.   You can find Pete as a coach and team leader on Starting Strength Online Coaching, or on Instagram @troup_a_loop.   Of course, if you don't already you need to follow the official Starting Strength instagram @startingstrength.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Scientific literature and the pursuit of science has given mankind a vast amount of knowledge, but it has its shortcomings. As anyone who has attempted to teach, coach, or otherwise educate... humans are messy test subjects. They don't always do what they are supposed to, or they execute inconsistently, and they sometimes report incorrect data. Consequently, the study of humans and exercise science is controversial and fraught with potential problems. Intelligent trainees and coaches need to interpret these studies with a BIG grain of salt.   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.   Scott mentioned the twitter handle @realpeerreview, an account highlighting peer reviewed literature with blatant logical fallacies. It's a good follow for developing your critical reading eye, and unintentionally entertaining too. He also mentioned Rip's article on phenomenology in barbell training, which is a great read as well.   CJ has written a number of articles for SS.com and Breaking Muscle. He recently penned a great article about the problem of literature as it applies to coaching practice for the Friday Fahves newsletter, entitled The "Literature" and Coaching Practice. You can find CJ online as a coach at SSOC, or on Instagram @fareforewardtraining.   You can subscribe to the Friday Fahves newsletter by going to the Barbell Logic homepage and entering your name and email there.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

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). Generally, this means prescribing moderate carbs and low fat. While low-carb diets may be popular with those just trying to "lose weight," carbs are an important source of fuel for workouts. So dietary fat often needs to be cut to provide the caloric restriction necessary for bodyfat loss.   Macro discussion is great, but day to day eating habits are where the rubber meets the road. So Matt and Scott share their daily eating habits and the strategies they use to comply with their prescribed macros each day while maintaining flavor and the things they love to eat. Matt also talks about the struggles of hitting macros and eating healthy while traveling.   It's also important to realize that calorie restriction is a stressful event - essentially a "starvation" event for us human organisms. Anxiety, depression, and general stress goes up during calorie restriction, so it's important to play the long game. Santana will often program maintenance periods during which his lifters get increased macros and can relieve the stress of having to comply with calorie restricted diet. As Scott mentions, the process of "recomping" or losing bodyfat take a long time - months, not weeks, maybe even years - so patience and commitment to the process is important.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

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.   Joel discovered strength training first with the Stronglifts 5x5 program, but he found himself frequently injured due to poor lifting technique. He eventually looked into Starting Strength as a resource to fix his form, which led to signing up with Starting Strength Online Coaching as a client. Joel made excellent progress with SSOC, but unfortunately suffered a freak back injury when he fell off a ladder while doing handiwork around the house. He sustained multiple grade 3 herniations in his lumbar spine. He experienced severe back pain, lost sensation in his foot, and exhibited "foot drop." Joel went to the doctor for imaging and treatment; they told him to expect a lengthy rehab process with continuous pain, at least six months.   Undaunted, Joel soldiered on with his training, and after consulting another SSOC coach and DPT, Will Morris, he was able to creatively use partial pulls and other loaded movements to regain most of his strength, and in a much shorter time period than the doctor had advised. His experience with back injury recovery has informed his coaching practice and given him the confidence to overcome future setbacks in his training.   Joel now coaches out of his home in Adelaide as well as handling online clients at SSOC. You can contact him about coaching at jrasmussen@ssonlinecoaching.com   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

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.   Matt is an entrepreneur, running Starting Strength Online Coaching, as he frequently references in the show, and a former owner of STRONG Gym in Springfield, MO. SSOC has grown rapidly since launching in early 2017 and now generates over $1M in revenue. Matt frequently references Michael Gerber's The E-Myth and its role in shaping his business acumen. The E-Myth focuses on building systems and operating procedures to allow business owners to deliver consistent results to their customers and start working "on" their business, rather than in their business.   Scott has been an entrepreneur for most of his adult life -- as he described in Episode #36 Hambrick's Story -- although he prefers the term "business optimizer." Scott currently owns Data Storage, a company providing (you guessed it) records management, digitizing, and other data solutions for businesses. He also recently launched Online Great Books, an online education service guiding readers in small groups through the progression of Western thought as written by the Greeks, Romans, and others. Scott advocates a daily reading habit, starting with the finance and business portions (skip the human interest and politics) of The Wall Street Journal and The Economist.   Books referenced in the episode: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High by Patterson, Granny, McMillan, Switzler My Years at General Motors by Alfred P. Sloan Jr. Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles Munger The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger by Peter Bevelin Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Letters The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hshieh Harvard Business Review How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth by Brad Blanton For the New Intellectual: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Ayn Rand The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Matt and Scott close out the interviews recorded at StrengthCon I with returning guest Niki Sims. Niki is an SSC and a staff coach, as well as the Relationship Manager at Starting Strength Online Coaching. She joins the podcast today to talk about her unofficial title of Chin Up Queen and how to structure a successful chin up program for females.   Niki shares her vision for the future of SSOC and helping Starting Strength reach a broader audience. Of course, this being the Barbell Logic podcast, Matt and Scott press her for details on both her role as Relationships Manager and her personal relationships as well.   You can find Niki at the SSOC site or on Instagram @vera_nahce   There are a limited number of "Don't Touch My Bar" t-shirts still available in the SSOC store. Order now and avoid aggressive bench press spotting!   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com  

Matt and Scott interview SSOC clients Amber and Taylor Bruseke. Taylor is a surgeon specializing in pelvic floor issues. Amber is a former fitness instructor who discovered strength training after teaching Zumba, body pump, and other classes for years. She grew frustrated with her physique which, despite the years of teaching exercise classes, did not change much. After discovering Starting Strength via Mark Rippetoe's interview with Mike Matthews on the Muscle for Life Podcast, she got strong and developed the muscular yet feminine look she had been looking for.   Similarly, Taylor transformed his body after medical school by gaining over 40 pounds of muscular bodyweight and getting MUCH stronger in the process. He took his squat from around 70lbs to over 360lbs in about one year with SSOC. The increased strength improved his stamina during surgery, and also improved his confidence commanding the operating room. Interestingly, he also noticed improved motor skills during awkward surgical procedures.   Amber is very active on Instagram as @biceps.after.babies and now offers nutrition coaching for women at Biceps After Babies on Linktree.   Taylor is also on IG @muscle.after.medschool. Follow his lifting endeavors!   SSC of the Week Anna Marie Oakes-Joudy - homeschooling mom of 5 kids, a competitive powerlifter, and the Owner and Operator of AM_Strength in Gig Harbor, WA! Check her out on the IG at @am_strength. You can also email her at am.strength.SS@gmail.com   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Matt and Scott spoke with Bill Hannon, engineer and SSC, about his new role in developing coaching standards at SSOC, his recently launched Barbell Coaching Academy, and his athletic background as a rower. Bill is one smart dude, having worked for a decade and a half as an aerospace engineer and now serving as Operations Manager for SSOC, serving as an SSOC Team Leader, and running the Barbell Coaching Academy for aspiring strength coaches.   Bill also has an interest in indoor rowing, and offers some insights on training to improve power on the rower. In his pursuit of faster times, Bill has discovered that a great rower must have a combination of incredible strength as well as power, lactate clearance, and ability to tolerate the lactate threshold. Training for these adaptations requires careful programming of strength training, HIIT, and learning how to handle the mental stress of the rowing events.   You can find Bill working with online clients at SSOC, training clients at his home gym (check it out on FB), and moderating the Barbell Coaching Academy on Facebook.   Also follow Bill on Instagram @engineered_strength!   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Matt and Scott chatted with Rebekah Cygan in the luxurious presidential suite of the Baymont Inn in Wichita Falls, TX. There they discussed Rebekah's story of discovering strength training after questioning the efficacy of her traditional PT modalities. Rebekah trained as a physical therapist before discovering Starting Strength, and quickly embraced the model. Along with her husband Caleb Krieg -- also a Starting Strength Coach -- Rebekah earned her SSC credential and founded Krieg Strength and Conditioning in State College, PA to spread the message of strength training to a larger audience. Rebekah also works for SSOC as a coach and an administrator, handling various marketing and sales roles.   As a bonus, Rebekah answered some questions on causes and treatment for common aches and pains among lifters, including elbow pain (lateral/medial epicondylitis), rotator cuff problems, and back pain.   You can find Rebekah on the Krieg Strength & Conditioning website and follow her on Instagram @bekahandbarbells.   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com  

Matt and Scott catch up with Starting Strength Coach and general badass Niki Sims. Aside from being a veteran SS staff coach, Niki is a team leader at Starting Strength Online Coaching and, more recently, has become the Relationships Manager at SSOC. In today's episode Niki talks about her strength journey and growing as a coach from humble crossfit beginnings.   When she's not coaching at Atlanta Barbell, Niki Sims can be found on Instagram @vera_nahce or by email at niki@simsstrength.com   Niki's bibliography on StartingStrength.com: https://startingstrength.com/author/niki-sims   Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Starting Strength Online Coaching — Matt’s website Matt on Facebook Matt on Twitter Connect With Scott Scott on Instagram Silver Strength – Scott’s website Scott on Facebook Scott on Twitter Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com

Matt Reynolds has nearly 20 years of experience competing in strength sports and coaching barbell-based strength and conditioning. He first totaled “elite” in powerlifting in 2004, won his professional status in the sport of Strongman in 2006, and founded one of the strongest and largest pure-strength gyms in the country, STRONG Gym, (PowerliftingWatch Gym of the Year 2013 and 2014). Matt’s strength articles have been widely published since 1999, and he has been interviewed by some of the world’s most popular podcasts, including Art of Manliness, Order of Man, Art of Charm, Starting Strength, STRONG Life with Zach Even-Esh, Barbell Business, PT Prophet, and Power Athlete. Matt is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through NSCA, and holds his Starting Strength Certification. Since 2010, he traveled throughout the country serving as staff coach with Mark Rippetoe for Starting Seminars. He also has served as an adjunct professor for Exercise Science at Bryan University. Matt founded and owns Starting Strength Online Coaching, a company built on bringing premium strength coaching from Starting Strength Coaches to those who don’t have a Starting Strength Coach in their area. Although he now coaches almost exclusively online, he still loves coaching single-session, in-person, out-of-town clients each week. Matt also co-hosts the popular strength podcast, Barbell Logic, with fellow SSC Scott Hambrick where they systematically and progressively walk through the journey of strength with their 100k+ listeners each month   Some of the topics we discussed included: How did you come to your faith? How has your faith impacted your lifting/competition life? Barbell Logic - how did that start? What got you into powerlifting? What got you into Starting Strength? How is the Starting Strength Online Coaching company working? What are your and Rip’s thoughts on online vs face to face coaching? What other sports/strength sports have you done? What was it like founding and running STRONG Gym? What did you love most about it and what do you miss most? What are some of your pet peeves as a gym owner? What do you like most about not being a gym owner anymore? You hold many championships. What are some of the highlights from competing as a powerlifter and as a strongman athlete that stick out to you the most? You went pro in 2006- what was the process like of going from an amateur to a pro? As a professor for Exercise Science what are some of your thoughts of the online powerlifting community with the mix of bro-science and actual research that is being spread by those like Dr Israetel, Dr Baraki, the folks at JTS, RTS, and of course Starting Strength? Any interesting meet stories? Where is the coolest place you’ve competed? What do you enjoy more about a powerlifting meet vs a strongman competition? What are your best lifts? What programs do you recommend over others after a beginner has advanced through the Starting Strength program and can be considered an intermediate lifter? What counts as an intermediate lifter? Recovery - what is your personal go to for general recovery after training?

Kristen Berchtold and Belinda Young from the South Side Office of Concern  discuss the Richland Community Development Project with Tim Johnson and Stacy Borho. The SSOC has partnered with Greater Peoria LISC to revitalize the Richland neighborhood in East Peoria. The projects major components are a home repair program, resident engagement and neighborhood improvement and community engagement. Aug 18 and Sept 8 are big project days and they could use some help, especially from contractors, building materials and cash. ssocpeoria.org