Fix Your Kitchen Setup So You Stop Mindless Snacking

The problem isn't the one cookie. It's what you do after it. Niki Sims talks with Dan Shell about 36 years of yo-yo dieting, the logging habit that finally made calories and protein usable, and how eating well became part of his identity instead of another plan he had to restart. They cover the weekend-and-Thanksgiving test, food noise, leading vs lagging metrics, and why a coach's most useful question is often just "why did you do that?" - The spiral after one off-plan food - Weighing and measuring without perfection - Identity over another diet - Leading metrics that aren't macros - It's possible with a job, school, and kids Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the guest Dan on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

Your kitchen may be winning the snack war. Barbell Logic Director of Nutrition Brittany Snyder talks with Niki Sims about the firehouse Girl Scout cookie test, simple kitchen setup changes, and why two or three habits beat a diet overhaul. Clear snacks off the counter Use closed bins in a closed pantry Put protein at the front of the fridge Eat one serving from a bowl Pack lunch and plan the week Keep a backup protein snack in your bag Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the guest Brittany on Instagram GET LEAN with Barbell Logic Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson use the Nick Saban documentary to show why focusing on the next six seconds, not the outcome, keeps you getting stronger, and why PRs chased for validation feel empty. Success is momentary, not a continuum. Niki and Andrew take lessons from the Saban documentary and apply them to lifting. They cover why focusing on the process beats chasing the scoreboard, why Andrew's numbers climbed once he stopped chasing them, and how sleep, grocery delivery and a good coach set you up to win. What we cover: Focusing on the next six seconds, one set at a time Why milestones chased for validation feel empty Andrew's goal: feel better at the end of the session than at the start AI workout programs vs a human coach Small setups that make success easier Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

Feeling tired, foggy, bloated, or weak in the gym usually has a cause. The trick is knowing how far back to look. In this episode of the "Acting Like You Care About Your Body" series, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson explain the short-, medium-, and long-term signals your body sends, and how to use them to make better decisions. In this episode: Within 24 hours: hydration, caffeine, salty meals, skipped meals, and one bad night of sleep Why a salty meal on the scale doesn't mean "everything's ruined" Eating carbs 60 to 90 minutes before training so you're ready to go Creatine and the extra willingness to grind out a rep 48 to 72 hours: alcohol, high-volume training, and a high heart rate that may mean you're getting sick How chronic sleep loss and frequent travel can pass for "just getting older" Why consistency makes it easier to see what's working, and how long to stick with a nutrition plan (usually 2 to 4 weeks) before changing it Andrew's rule: zoom out for perspective, zoom in for action Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

Barbell Logic founder Matt Reynolds has cut body fat for nine straight months with no cardio. He shares how walking, lifting, quitting alcohol, and simple meals did the work. You can lose fat without cardio. Barbell Logic founder Matt Reynolds has cut his body fat for nine straight months without any dedicated cardio. In this episode, Andrew Jackson and Matt walk through exactly what he does each day, from his walks and his training plan to the meals he eats almost every day. In this episode: Why fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, not time on a treadmill How Matt walks twice a day to hit 10,000 to 12,000 steps Why quitting alcohol was his first big change, and how to cut back in steps if quitting feels like too much Matt's simple, high-protein meals, plus how he added fiber and uses low-calorie sauces for flavor His six-day push, pull, legs plan, and why he eats to fuel training instead of training to burn calories How he tracks progress with a smart scale and lab work, and why this plan doesn't feel like a diet Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

Andrew Conrad has plenty of reasons not to train. He was born with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, or RDEB, a rare skin disorder that makes his skin extremely fragile. Friction and pressure can cause blisters, wounds, and scar tissue. Even normal activities can require extra care. But Andrew has spent his life finding ways to stay active. He grew up playing baseball and competitive tennis. He later trained CrossFit, ran a half marathon, tried OrangeTheory, and eventually found his way to Barbell Logic. Today, he trains four days per week and continues to chase strength goals. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk with Andrew about growing up with RDEB, learning to manage physical limitations, and adapting his training instead of giving it up. Andrew explains how he has modified exercises, equipment, sets, and reps around his condition. That has included gloves, tape, neoprene protection, straps, safety squat bars, different squat variations, and changes to how he deadlifts and benches. The bigger lesson applies far beyond Andrew's rare condition. Your training does not have to look like somebody else's training to work. Injuries, age, health conditions, recovery, and other limitations may change how you train. They do not always have to mean that you stop. Good strength training starts with the person in front of you. In this episode: • Andrew's experience growing up with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa   • Staying active despite a condition that makes friction and pressure difficult   • His background in baseball, tennis, CrossFit, running, and OrangeTheory   • Why he eventually moved to Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

Sleep affects your mood, focus, training, recovery, and almost everything else you do. But getting better sleep does not require a perfect nighttime routine or an endless list of sleep hacks. Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk about practical ways to improve sleep while accepting that real life will never be perfectly optimized. They discuss consistent bedtimes and wake times, evening routines, meal timing, caffeine, alcohol, naps, room temperature, waking up during the night, and using sleep trackers without becoming obsessed with the data. They also explain why poor sleep can make the same training feel much harder, how short naps can improve focus, and why your evening routine may begin much earlier than bedtime. The goal is not perfect sleep. The goal is to build a few habits that consistently move you toward better rest, better recovery, and better performance. In this episode: Why good sleep changes your mood and training Sleep debt and physical performance Consistent wake times and bedtimes Building an evening routine Meal timing and sleep Caffeine and alcohol Cooler, darker bedrooms Short naps and power naps Waking up during the night Sleep trackers and heart rate Why consistency beats optimization Beast Over Burden is a Barbell Logic podcast about becoming stronger without making fitness another burden in your life. Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Busy mom strugging to take care of your own health with all your other responsibilities!? Get our free Strength for the Life You Love guide and start getting healthier in the life you already have. 

What happens when you remember being athletic, strong, and in shape—but that version of yourself feels decades away? For former athletes and people who used to train, getting back in shape can come with a unique kind of frustration. You remember what you used to be able to do, but your life, schedule, recovery, and body are different now. That comparison can leave you stuck: either you decide there's no point in trying, or you go all-in, do too much too quickly, and burn yourself out. Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss why getting back in shape requires more than motivation. It requires learning to care about yourself without lowering your standards, rebuilding trust in yourself through small actions, and accepting that you do not need to become your 20-year-old self again. They also explain why former athletes often struggle to start over, how self-trust is built through ability, integrity, and benevolence, why taking care of your health is ultimately an act of care for your family, and why simple strength training can be one of the best places to begin. You may not be able to go back to who you were—but six months from now, you can be much stronger than you are today. In this episode: Why former athletes can struggle more with starting over The danger of comparing yourself to your younger self Why caring about yourself does not mean lowering your standards How to rebuild trust in yourself Avoiding the all-or-nothing fitness comeback Why strength training gives you a simple place to start How your health affects the people closest to you What consistent training can accomplish in six months Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Ready to start strength training? Download Barbell Logic's free Novice Linear Progression guide for a simple, proven approach to getting stronger with barbells.

Pain can make it feel like the safest option is to stop training completely. But for many common aches and pains, doing nothing may actually make it harder to get back to moving, lifting, and feeling capable. Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson continue the Act Like You Care About Your Body series by talking about how to approach back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and other nagging issues without falling into either extreme: ignoring pain and pushing through everything, or treating every painful sensation like proof that something is broken. They discuss why pain is better treated as a data point, how to adjust load, volume, exercise selection, and range of motion, and why the goal is often to keep training while giving your body the stress and recovery it needs. They also explain how a good coach can help you train around limitations, rebuild confidence, and gradually work back toward full movement and heavier loading. Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - If back pain has kept you from strength training, download the free Beast of Back Pain guide for practical principles, video tutorials, and a sample program. 

You're busy. You have work, family, chores, responsibilities, and a dozen screens competing for your attention. So when someone tells you to exercise more, the obvious response might be: "When am I supposed to find the time?" In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson continue the "Act Like You Care About Your Body" series by tackling one of the most common obstacles to consistent training: feeling like you don't have enough time. Andrew explains how the same principles used to audit workflows and eliminate waste in manufacturing can be applied to your own schedule. A simple time audit can reveal where your hours are actually going, where low-value tasks are expanding, and where things like screen time, unnecessary decisions, and "productive procrastination" may be consuming more of your day than you realize. They also discuss why training may require far less time than you think. You don't need hours in the gym every day. Thirty focused minutes three or four times per week can be enough to make meaningful progress—especially when you reduce friction by training close to home, following a clear program, and eliminating unnecessary decisions. You'll learn how to examine your schedule honestly, identify activities that drain rather than restore you, make your training more efficient, and become more intentional about what actually deserves your time. If you keep telling yourself you're too busy to train, start by auditing your time. You may discover you already have the time—you just need to decide how you want to use it. Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] PS - Begin your strength training journey FOR FREE RIGHT HERE.