Baker Barbell Podcast

In today's episode Coach Andy Baker discusses the most common injuries he sees in barbell training and his strategies for reducing the likelihood of their occurence. The key word in the title is "mitigating" injuries, not preventing them! If you train hard for years, chances are you will deal with an injury at one point or another. While barbell training is a very safe activity, injuries do happen, regardless of how good your technique, programming, and recovery are. That said, with some preparation and attention to detail, you can reduce your chance of injury during trainign and maintain longer, sustained periods of productive training.   Andy focuses on a few key areas of injury mitigaton: technique, programming, and recovery. Technique is important, and Andy breaks down the most common technique errors he sees that can potentially lead to injury. Many injuries can't be traced to a technique issue, however, and are more likely the result of poor programming -- accmulating too much fatigue for too long with no strategies for adjusting the exercise selection, load, and volume during high stress times. Likewise, recovery can play a huge role in the time it takes to recover from heavy bouts of training, and inattention to quality food, sleep, and outside stressors can increase the chance for injury.   No one likes to talk about injuries, but they are a reality for people engaged in hard physical training. Armed with a little knowledge, however, you can minimize your chances for injuries, and down-time, significantly.   Andy Baker Web: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40

At some point in a lifter's career, typically after the novice or early intermediate phase, the most reliable way to get stronger is to become more muscular, i.e. build muscle mass. To that end, the term "powerbuilding" has emerged to describe a hybrid approach of training the main barbell lifts (like a powerlifter) alongside a selection of supplemental lifts done for higher reps aimed at increasing muscular size (like a bodybuilder). While some people knock powerbuilding as a merely a clever marketing term, but a suboptimal way to train, the fact is that many of the strongest powerlifters of all time have trained with this approach: Ed Coan, Dan Green, Kirk Karwoski, and many others. In today's episode, Andy lays out his "KSC Method for Powerbuilding" using an 8/5/2 scheme for progressing the main lifts in the context of a five day body part split.   KSC Method for Powerbuilding Program: https://www.andybaker.com/product/the-ksc-method-for-power-building/   Kirk Karwoski squats 600x8 (beltless!) https://youtu.be/-hd8mN765KQ?si=kITPibMEylwqZAvE   Louie Simmons podcast with Dan Green: https://youtu.be/4e7LxkyR010?si=42N135_VFSiemGFi   Andy Baker Web: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40

In today's episide, show producer Trent Jones chats with Andy about his wide array of coaching and programming services. If it wasn't obvious from the variety of topics on the podcast thus far, Andy has a wide range of interests in fitness and he draws from a deep well of knowledge and practical experience when writing his programs. Whether you are looking for general strength and fitness, chasing numbers on the big barbell lifts, or building the best physique you can, Andy has a program for you, and a service level to fit your needs: Detailed training templates, with everything you need to build a program Affordable online group coaching (only $27/mo), with access to three training tracks and access to Andy through a private Facebook group and forum.  Basic Barbell Track, for pure strength development with minimal gym equipment (all you need is a rack and a barbell) Conjugate Training Track, based on the Westisde principles of max effort and dynamic effort days Bodybuilding/Phyisque Track, a comprehensive body part split designed to maximize muscular development with short, intense, and easy to recover from workouts Intensive 1-on-1 online coaching, where Andy delivers tailored programming to you weekly and you have unlimited access to ask questions   You can find details of all the training options on Andy's website: https://www.andybaker.com   Andy Baker Web: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40

As the pendulum swings in the fitness world, the body part split or "bro split" has gone through it's ups and downs. For many years it was accepted as a classic way to train for physique, with many notable golden-era bodybuilders splitting up their weekly workload into various body part specific days. Then as evidence-based training came into vogue, the idea came under attack, with proponents going back and forth on whether the bro split was effective or a suboptimal waste of time. Various alternate ideas were proposed such as timing your workouts around the muscle protein synthesis window, spread loading stress on body parts, high frequency full body training, and so on, but over time as the research evolved the bro split has regained its status in the evidence based world. Many questions about it remain, however, and Andy wades through the controversy in today's episode.   Andy Baker Web: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40

The pendulum swings on in the fitness industry, and right now "hypertrophy" is the hot topic (or as Andy likes to call it, bodybulding with a small "b"). Many people who got into powerlifting over the last decade and half, and subsequently retired from competition, have started looking for ways to train hard beyond the squat, bench, and deadlift, and bodybuilding is a natural progression. Influencers on YouTube and social media have jumped in, detailing their transition from powerlifting and basic strength training programs to more advacned bodybuilding routines. While these routines may be a good fit for the developed strength athlete, the constant shift in attention from the leading fitness influencers has left many newer trainees confused.   So what's the big deal about hypertrophy? Andy outlines three main factors that drive strength development. One of those is hypertrophy. Once a trainee has acquired sufficeint technique and inter/intramuscular coordination, adding more muscle mass is the most reliable way to get stronger. As Andy notes, many of the successful powerlifters today are the most muscular ones. Not necessarily the heaviest, but the most muscular (for their height and weight class).   Andy explains how he evaluates new trainees by identifying their biggest gaps and weaknesses, and working on that. Many youth athletes spend a lot of time practicing, and therefore display high levels of cooridination and skill in their sport, but they are small and light. For these athletes, strength and size are a clear weakness, and they need to devote a lot of time to getting big and strong. A college level sprinter, on the other hand, weighing 185-215lbs and squatting in the 400-500's, probably needs to devote the most time toward technique, not driving his squat up.   Before you choose your next program, think about where your own weaknesses lie. Answering that question makes programming decisions a lot clearer, and will give you a faster path to progress.     Andy Baker Web: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40  

Continuing the discussion from last week, Andy interviews Starting Strength Coach and nutrititonist Robert Santana about the effect of low carb diets on training and fat loss. They also discuss the role of insulin sensitivity in training, particularly for endormorphic body types, and how carb intake can be manipulated to keep energy in the gym while producing weight loss for "hard losers."   Weights & Plates Podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weights-and-plates-podcast/id1557830248 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ChDOVS5Hmm9Uu0hOiEp3i?si=350bb32050e443b4   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana Articles and Videos for Starting Strength: https://startingstrength.com/author/robert-santana     Join the Baker Barbell Club Online for just $27/mo: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning

This week we're flipping things around and inviting Dr. Robert Santana, Starting Strength Coach and PhD Nutrition, onto the show to talk about all things nutrition, diet, and macros as they relate to training for strength and physique. In addition to his extensive academic training, Dr. Santana has spent over twenty years in the weight room and over a decade as a strength coach.  Thousands of hours of practical experience getting people strong, muscular, and lean have given him a unique perspective on the things that actually work for average, natural (no steroids or other PEDs) lifters as well as the limitations of scientific research.   This interview is broken into two parts. In Part One, Dr. Santana answers the age old question: how much protein do we really need? He breaks down the thinking behind the standard one gram per pound of bodyweight protein recommendation, and discusses whether protein timing is important for optimizing muscle mass. He also discusses the role of carbohydrates in fueling performance and building muscle.   You can follow Dr. Santana and the Weights & Plates Podcast here:   Weights & Plates Podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weights-and-plates-podcast/id1557830248 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ChDOVS5Hmm9Uu0hOiEp3i?si=350bb32050e443b4   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana     Join the Baker Barbell Club Online for just $27/mo: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning

Today's show is a simulcast with the Weights and Plates podcast. Andy was recently a guest on the Weights and Plates show, and as part of a podcast swap, we are airing Andy's interview from the show on both Weights and Plates and Baker Barbell Podcast. In the coming weeks, Andy will invite Dr. Robert Santana on the Baker Barbell Podcast to discuss nutrition issues related to training.   In the interview Andy addresses the difference between strength training and hypertrophy training, a frequent point of contention amongst powerlifters, bodybuilders, and the "gym bro" crowd. He explains how strength and physique are the products of performance-based training, lays out his keys to hypertrophy, and shares some of his favorite movements for growing the upper body.     Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40  

Coaching can be a fun and highly rewarding profession, because you get to help people become better versions of themselves, gain confidence, and build more resilient bodies. One of the quickest ways to burn out from the profession, however, is to make financial mistakes. There are a number of financial pitfalls young coaches fall into when leaving their W-2 jobs and going into business for themselves, including saving for quarterly taxes, managing bank accounts, and setting aside money for retirement.   In this episode, Andy Baker offers simple and practical advice for young coaches (or people going into business for themselves for the first time) to avoid the most common money mistakes. He lays out a strategy to set aside money from every payment for taxes and retirement savings, and explains how you can use multiple bank accounts to ensure you always have enough money to cover quarterly tax payments and unforeseen business expenses that may come up as you grow your income.   Want to work with Andy one-on-one to solve your business problems? Book a consulation at https://www.andybaker.com/phone-consultations-training-or-business/     Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40  

After a brief hiatus, Andy is back! Today he breaks down the training program he used to help 71 year old powerlifter Shelly Stettner win the 2022 IPF World Championship in the Masters 4 division, 63kg weight class. Shelly has an unusual background for an elite powerlifter, first discovering the barbell at age 65. Despite her late start, she has trained diligently and consistently, setting regular PR's for years, including Master's World Records in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and total. Andy attributes her athletic success to good genetics, determination, consistency, and attention to detail. After all, you don't become champion without the mindset of a champion, as Andy points out. Shelly has continually looked for ways to push her limits, while also staying on script with the training program. She also watches her nutrition closely, adhering to a custom nutrition plan from Nathan Payton, nutritionist to a number of elite strongmen and powerlifters.   Andy's programming certainly didn't hurt either! Andy breaks down his programming approach for Shelly, which consisted of a typical 4-day split albeit customized over the years to Shelly's individual needs. He discusses how he varied exercise selection to keep Shelly's joints happy and manage lingering arthritis issues, and how they modified her lifting technique to work around some tweaks late in her prep for Worlds.   Andy also details their attempt selection strategy at the meet. While Shelly did not set any PR's on individual lifts at the meet, she did PR her total and set World Records on each lift, which was part of the strategy. Shelly also chose to waive her third squat attempt to preserve her energy for the deadlift, where she knew she could pick up more pounds for her total than she could by taking a third squat attempt (and thus risk missing a bigger third attempt deadlift due to fatigue). This was another conscious decision, Andy explains, and one that he often makes for lifters during a meet.   You can follow Shelly and her training on Instagram: @shelly_ann_28     Join the Baker Barbell Club Online for just $27/mo: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce -- Get One Free When You Buy Three! https://coxsaucebbqsauce.com   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40  

Andy fields questions from his inbox and his private Facebook group, ranging from how to effectively program running and strength training at the same time, how to incorporate hypertrophy movements in a home gym with limited equipment, and more.   Join the Baker Barbell Club Online for just $27/mo: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce -- Get One Free When You Buy Three! https://coxsaucebbqsauce.com   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com  

Andy invites Starting Strength Coach, Barbell Logic coach, and entrepreneur Cameron Cox to the show to talk about the coaching business, the importance of soft skills as a coach, why being called a personal trainer is not a bad thing, and how the gym shutdowns of 2020 drove him to produce Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce commercially.   Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce -- Get One Free When You Buy Three! https://coxsaucebbqsauce.com   Cameron Cox IG: @coachcamcox   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com  

It's a common complaint for lifters becoming more and more advanced -- my workouts are taking too long! For lifters coming out of a Starting Strength style LP, for instance, and starting the Texas Method or some other popular 5x5 programs, they soon realize that doing five sets of five squats across takes a LONG time, and can be quite fatiguing too. And let's be honest, most of us have lives with higher priorities than training. So training needs to fit in a reasonable time frame, and leave us with enough energy to get on with the rest of our lives.   Andy lays out ten ways you can shorten your workouts, decrease your fatigue, and enjoy training more.   Lower your training volume — especially if you’re pushing the two hour mark on your workouts. You probably don't need as much volume as you think you do to progress.   Ditch your phone during the workout — let's be honest, it’s a major distraction device.   Plan your workouts — have your sets, reps, and weights planned beforehand if possible. This way you'll walk into the gym focused on what you need to do, and probably have a more productive workout as a result.   Practice logistical efficiency — try to pick exercises that "fit" together, that is, that you can load and unload efficiently without excessive setup and tear down time.   Use supersets and circuits for accessory/assistance lifts   Warm up your next lift during the rest time for your current lift   Increase your training frequency for shorter sessions   Incorporate rest pause sets   Use the dynamic effort method for volume based strength work   Improve your conditioning so you can do more work in less time (increase your work capacity)     Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce -- Get One Free When You Buy Three! https://coxsaucebbqsauce.com   Join the Baker Barbell Club Online: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com

Andy is running solo today, and sharing one of his favorite methods for building muscle in short, focused, and intense workouts. Many people, especially in the barbell trainign and powerlifting world, immediately associate bodybuilding with light weights, high rep sets and a lot of them. Andy has spoken in previous episodes about why bodybuilding requires progressive overload, via reps or weight, and why it doesn't even need to be high volume. A big influence on Andy's own programming methodology is Dante Trudel, a master bodybuilding coach who preached this approach as far back as the 1990's with his "Dog Crap" training (or DC Training for short).   Dante postulated that competitive bodybuilders could get better muscle growth with less volume in the gym (which causes greater fatigue that must be recovered from) and, importantly, fewer drugs (which were needed to recover from all the volume), if they focused on lower volume but more stimulative movements. This means chosing movements that produce more mechanical tension in the target muscles, and working those movements at a high relative intensity. This was accomplished using tops sets, backoff sets, and rest-pause sets.   Dante's methods were groundbreaking at the time, and remain relevant today in the sport of bodybuilding. As Andy notes, they work well for the non-competitive bodybuilder just looking to put more muscle on his frame, since they focus on short, intense workouts.   Follow Dante Trudel on Instagram: @dante_trudel   Baker Barbell Club Online: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce -- Get One Free When You Buy Three! https://coxsaucebbqsauce.com   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com  

Andy and Dan return to programming, today tackling the big picture behind advanced programming. Essentially, advanced programming picks up when linear progress has ended -- the novice sets daily, then biweekly intensity PR's (the weight on the bar), the intermediate sets weekly PR's. The advanced lifter hopefully still sets PR's on a regular basis, albeit on a longer timeline, but even then intensity PR's are not a sure thing every training cycle.   As Andy points out, PR's for the advanced lifter come in many forms -- volume PR's, PR's for new rep ranges, intensity and volume PR's for supplemental lifts, etc -- and all of these PR's are important drivers of progress on the lifts that count on competition day. Andy and Dan lay out some simple models for programming the advanced lifter, and how they are typically organized tweaked for different personalities and body types.   Building Training Volume for the Advanced Strength Athlete https://www.andybaker.com/building-training-volume-for-the-advanced-strength-athlete/   Cox Sauce BBQ Sauce -- Get One Free When You Buy Three! https://coxsaucebbqsauce.com   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com

Andy and Dan take a break from programming and nutrition talk to chat about the business of coaching. Whether you're a professional trainer or coach, or exploring the idea, you'll need a good grasp of marketing fundamentals. Andy walks through some mistakes he made early on in his career, as well as mistakes he sees other coaches and gym owners make consistently, and some strategies to avoid them. These include identifying your target clientele, following the three "M's" of marketing, and creating organized processes for marketing and sales.   Interesting in consulting with Andy on your gym or coaching business? Andy offers phone consultations via his website: https://www.andybaker.com/phone-consultations-training-or-business/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com

Not everyone wants to be a powerlifter, or a strength athlete, or, frankly, even to lift heavy weights past a certain point. If that's you, or someone you're working with, then it's important to understand that traditional strength programs like the Novice Linear Progression probably aren't a good fit. That doesn't mean that this population, the so-called "general fitness" population, can't get stronger and build a better physique. It just means their training needs to be structured in a way that hits on a wide variety of physical adapations -- strength, conditioning, hypertrophy, etc -- while staying fun.   Andy and Dan share their strategies on programming for these clients, without compromsing on their core principles of strength and progressive overload.   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com

Andy and Dan discuss how to organize your program during a cut. Whether you have a lot of weight to lose or just a little body fat to trim off, you will be operating in a caloric deficit, meaning your recovery resources won't be optimal for strength training. Consequently you have to throw out the idea of making linear strength gains (unless you are a rank novice) and instead focus on preserving as much muscle mass as possible.   Strength gains are still possible, but they are no longer the focus during a cut. Instead, the strategy is to train in slightly higher rep ranges (Andy prefers the 5-8 rep range), to avoid the tweaks and injuries that tend to happen on heavy singles, doubles, and triples, and incorporate cardio that will increase your calorie burn without burning too much glyocgen in the process.   The Rotating Linear Progression: https://www.andybaker.com/what-is-a-rotating-linear-progression/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com

Andy and Dan discuss a perenially popular topic for lifters and trainees everywhere -- how do I do cardio? When, how much, what kind... it's a question that comes up for coaches all the time, and it's worth exploring the various ways it can be approached. As Andy points out, people train for a variety of reasons, but only a small percentage of the trainees at any given gym are serious strength athletes or sport athletes. Most people are training to be generally healthy, so a good coach should incorporate some amount of conditioning into his programs. Of course, for the competitive athletes, the conditoning must be very specific to the sport, if not just sport training itself.   For the majority, however, Andy says the best cardio is the cardio you will actually do. There's no getting around the fact that cardio is boring. Despite whatever novelty you introduce at the beginning, it eventually gets boring. So, the best way to stick with your cardio and get the benefits -- whether its fat loss, heart health, or general preparedness for life activities -- is to remove as many obstacles to doing it as you can. Do your cardio right after your lifting, while you're still at the gym. Don't wait to do it later, because odds are you won't. Don't choose exercises or implements that require a lot of setup, like strongman carries or tire flips, because that extra time spent setting up will eventually dissuade you from doing it altogether.   The best cardio for most people is something simple, that you enjoy... or at least don't hate.   Cardio article on Andy Baker's website: https://www.andybaker.com/what-type-of-cardio-should-you-do/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com

The goal of physique training, or hypertrophy training, is pretty simple -- get bigger. Increase the size of the muscle bellies. Measuring progress is a trickier proposition, however. Muscle growth takes time, and you cannot expect to see the measuring tape on your biceps going up on a weekly, or even monthly basis. So how DO you measure progress and know if you are getting anywhere?   Similar to strength training, setting PR's consistently over time is an excellent predictor of progress. Just like driving up your accessory lifts over time can lead to increases in your 1RM, increasing the amount of weight and/or reps you can do on a well-chosen selection of exercises will lead to muscle growth over time. To that end, Andy recommends all physique athletes closely track their progress on every exercise, preferably keeping a written log and tracking PR's.    Check out Andy's Upper/Lower Hypertrophy Split Program here: https://www.andybaker.com/product/the-baker-barbell-upper-lower-hypertrophy/     Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym: https://www.skaneatelesstrength.com