Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic

Latest Episodes:

S2Ep5 - Technique Series: The Press Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

Though its prominence has increased due largely to the increased popularity of CrossFit and StrongMan, the press remains an undervalued and underperformed lift.

If you haven't included presses in your program--or if you want to improve your press--learn about the importance of the press to a well-rounded strength program and how to correctly perform the press.

How much do you press?

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Want to try online coaching for FREE? Email experience@barbell-logic.com for a free trial of Barbell Logic Online Coaching. You'll get feedback on your technique and programming from a Barbell Logic coach, and see what the fuss is all about!

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

S2Ep4 - Technique Series: Diagnosing Back Angles in the Squat Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

A more horizontal back angle characterizes the low bar squat compared to other squat variants. The back angle throughout the squat provides important information about whether the squat is being performed correctly or not.

During the descent, the back angle should set somewhere before halfway down the squat. Once the back angle sets, the back angle should stay nearly constant during the rest of the descent and coming up out of the bottom.

Two common errors occur on the ascent of the squat. Both involve an excessive change in back angle out of the bottom--the back becomes too horizontal or more vertical coming up out of the hole. Both involve a joint--either the knees or hips respectively--extending without much of contribution to the bar going up.

Explore these common squat errors, why they matter, and how to correct them as a lifter or coach.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

S2Ep3 - Technique Series: The Knee Out Cue - Fixing Knee Cave and Slide in the Squat Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

Certain form issues pop up regularly with lifters. Common cues arise to address these issues. "Knees out" remains a staple cue for coaches looking to fix errors in the squat, including knee cave and knee slide.

As a lifter descends in a correctly performed squat, the muscles lengthen under load, and the lifter should feel an increased tightness as she approaches the bottom. This provides a stretch reflex that assists the successful completion of the lift. Knees caving in and knees sliding forward alleviate the tightness in the bottom, increasing the comfort in the bottom but decreasing the mechanical efficiency of the squat.

Learn the intricacies of knee slide and knee cave, how the "knees out" cue helps the knees stay out and reduce or eliminate knee cave and knee slide, and how this causes a more efficient squat.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

S2Ep2 - Technique Series: The Squat Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

The squat builds strength, adds muscle, and increases mental toughness. The squat begins each training session at the beginning of a lifter's linear progression and often requires the most work from the coach and lifter to correct form issues. The squat deserves its nickname, "the king of the lifts."

Learn how to squat, which cues help lifters get in the correct position, and why we advocate for a low bar squat. Whether you're a lifter or coach, this episode will help you begin squatting or get your client squatting correctly.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

S2Ep1 - Technique Series: Programming is Secondary Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

Figures in the fitness industry debate issues such as using RPE, including power cleans in linear progression, programming for older people, and prioritizing intensity or volume. Some argue whether a certain program provides better results than another program. While coaches may enjoy debating the finer points of programming, form and consistency--more than programming--determine how fast you progress toward your goals.

Improved, consistent form allows lifters to lift weights more efficiently. Consistent form also allows lifters to focus on driving the bar up. Novice lifters learning the lifts spend much mental energy working to improve their form.

Much of the early work for coaches and lifters involves improving form. Although a tiny minority seem to be able to improve their form without a coach, a coach greatly aids lifters in their ability to lift more efficiently and get stronger.

Consistency leads to long term progress, as it enables the lifter to receive the regular stress from which he can recover, adapt, and get stronger. The goal for early lifters should not be specific numbers on the bar but rather completing all assigned workouts.

Programming matters, but programming is secondary to form and consistency.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

#340 - Which Deadlift Track Works Best for You? Aug 17, 2020

Show notes

Coach Matt and Coach Niki outline three different deadlift programming "tracks" for lifters, based on their sex, age, size, level of training advancement, and long-term goals as a lifter. Over time, Matt and Niki have observed that, depending on these factors, most lifters will thrive in one of three tracks, or programming models.

Very high intensity / very low frequency with lots of supplemental lifts
A block style model with moderate to high intensity and moderate volume
A DUP style model with moderate intensity, high frequency, and moderate volume.

Track 1 tends to work best for large, strong (600+) male lifters, who struggle to recover after heavy deadlift workouts. Popularized by Westside barbell, this track calls for a heavy day of max effort deadlifts in a low rep range, followed by one or more (depending on level of advancement) speed days, which primarily consist of deadlift variations tailored for the lifter's individual weak points. The variations may be a deficit deadlift, rack pull, RDL, conventional deadlift pulled with accommodating resistance, etc.

Track 2 works for the majority of (male) lifters, the middle of the bell curve. Most of these lifters are not strong enough to drive strength adaptation long term with very infrequent heavy pulling, so in this track they will follow a block model in which they transitno from higher volume, moderate intensity deadlifts to low volume, high intensity deadlifts over the course of a training cycle, perhaps peaking with a meet at the end. Matt notes that, typically, deadlift volume will mirror squat volume but most lifters will end up pulling one fewer set of deadlifts than they squat (if the lifter squats 3x5, he will likely program 2x5 deadlifts).

Track 3 tends to work best for women, smaller men (under 200lbs), and younger athletes with high recovery capacity. This track calls for high frequency (3-5 slots per week) pulling with moderate volume and moderate intensity. Matt notes that even very strong deadlifters of smaller stature (think 600lbs pullers weighing 200lbs) tend to tolerate the higher frequency in this type of training better than their larger, heavier counterparts.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

#339 - Rethinking Hip Drive: Fixing the Dreaded Good Morning Squat Aug 10, 2020

Show notes

Recently Matt and Niki have been dealing with a prominent issue among their late intermediate and advanced lifters (some of them very strong too!). These lifters will descend beautifully into the hole on a squat, then while driving up allow their knees to shoot back, causing their hip angle to close and their backs to become more horizontal as more of their body mass travels behind the midline. This is a phenomenon they have experienced primarily with more experienced lifters, who perhaps have internalized the chest down/lean over/hips back/hip drive cues TOO well.

While the concept of hip drive is important for a novice lifter to understand and practice, it is really a sort of over-cue, an exaggeration of what happens in a proper squat during the concentric, or ascent. Novice lifters commonly struggle with staying too vertical in the squat, or lifting their chest (and thus becoming more vertical) during the drive up, so the hip drive cue is useful in teaching them to assume and hold a more horizontal back angle than they are used to during the movement.

However, as a lifter progresses and even becomes quite strong, it's common to see new problems emerge, such as knee slide, knees shooting back during the ascent (as described above), and knee valgus. Knees shooting back indicate that the knees are extending without causing the bar to move, and Matt theorizes that it results from a misunderstanding of hip drive. What we want when a lifter drives up out of the bottom is for the bar to start moving immediately, without a change in back angle. This can only happen if the knees extend first, because if the hips extend first, then the back angle will immediately become more horizontal. So, lifters struggling with this problem, or it's sister problems -- knee valgus and slide -- need to focus on cues that get them to extend their knees first out of the bottom.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

#338 - Why You Should Be Pausing Your Bench Press Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

Coach Matt and Niki explore a common issue with the bench press -- losing tightness at the bottom of the eccentric portion of the lift. This error presents in a number of ways, such as the elbows flaring out or "chicken winging" on the way up, the chest and/or sternum sinking during the eccentric portion, or the bar visibly bouncing or rebounding off the chest.

Matt and Niki first attempt to fix this problem by having the lifter slow down the eccentric or lowering part of the movement, bringing attention to where exactly the lifter is touching the bar on his or her chest, elbow position, and encouraging the lifter to exert conscious control over the speed of the bar (which is closely tied to how tight they can keep their shoulders pinned together during the lift). Sometimes slowing down the lift is not enough, however, at which point they ask the lifter to pause the lift at the chest for a second or two before driving up.

The pause forces the lifter to use his lats to maintain shoulder position, and brings attention to leg drive, as both will suffer if the lifter has been relying on rebound to initiate the concentric, upward movement of the lift. As Niki points out, the shoulder is a ball and socket joint with a large range of motion, meaning the bar path has a lot of room for error if the lifter cannot consciously control his shoulder position.

So, if you're struggling with losing tightness during the bench press, with your arms doing the "chicken wing" while driving up, then start pausing your bench press reps and working on establishing tight, retracted shoulder blades, solid leg drive to reinforce the arch, and a controlled descent speed.

BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

S1 BONUS - The Founders of Dominion Strength and Microgainz Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

In separate interviews, Matt and Scott sat down with Blake and Katie, the founders of Dominion Strength, and Mike Reed, the founder of Microgainz, both successful small businesses that filled a niche in the strength community with innovative, high quality products and excellent customer service. In two interviews, Blake, Katie, and Mike talk about how they came up with the idea for their businesses and how they have grown them from humble beginnings into flourishing businesses.

Discounts on Dominion and Microgainz!

https://barbell-logic.com/offers/

Connect With Matt

Connect With the Show

S1 BONUS - The Whiskeys of the Week Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Matt and Scott present their favorite whiskeys (or whatever happens to be in front of them at the time of recording) from the first episodes of Barbell Logic.

Visit https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ to find the latest deals on strength and nutrition coaching at Barbell Logic Online Coaching, training equipment from the show sponsors, and more!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected