The Art of Manliness

From Novice to Advanced — The Weightlifter's Journey

Aug 15, 2022

In this engaging discussion, Matt Reynolds, founder of Barbell Logic Online Coaching, shares his journey from novice to experienced weightlifter. He dives into the complexities of progressing through various lifting stages and the mental hurdles that come with slowed progress. Matt emphasizes reigniting motivation by finding new personal records and enjoying the training process. He also addresses balancing busy lives with consistent workouts and offers insights on navigating and recovering from common injuries, making this a must-listen for fitness enthusiasts.

56:58

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Episode guests

Matt Reynolds

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Barbell Training: From Novice to Strength

20min

Navigating Advanced Weightlifting Programming

3min

Redefining Personal Records in Weightlifting

9min

Balancing Bodybuilding and Barbell Training

9min

Navigating Weightlifting Injuries

9min

Overcoming Injury in Weightlifting

5min

I've been barbell lifting for seven years. In that time I've hit some personal records that I'm proud of: a 615-lb deadlift, 225 shoulder press, and 465 squat. The last couple years though, I haven't notched these kinds of big milestones for a combination of reasons, including dealing with injuries, having less time, and experiencing a shift in motivation.

A lot of lifters, as well as amateur athletes of all kinds, will follow a similar trajectory as they move from first starting out to getting deeper into their fitness journey. Here to walk us through the phases of that journey is my own strength coach, Matt Reynolds, who's the founder of Barbell Logic Online Coaching. Matt talks about how the things his lifters focus on change as they move from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced, and why it takes longer to get stronger the longer you've been lifting. We then discuss how to rediscover your motivation for training once progress in your one rep maxes slows down by finding new PRs to chase and learning to enjoy the process over the outcome. We also get into how to stay consistent with your workouts when life gets busier as you get older, as well as how to deal with common injuries — both the injuries themselves and the mental game of working through them.