Mondays with Matt

Barbell Logic
  • 4.9 (33)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Weekly

Are you trying to get stronger, become a coach, or build a coaching business that actually lasts? Mondays with Matt is a weekly short-form podcast from Barbell Logic founder Matt Reynolds, delivering practical lessons on strength training, coaching, and business you can apply immediately. Each episode blends real stories, clear takeaways, and simple actions you can take this week to move forward with confidence. New episodes every Monday.

  1. 6d ago

    DUP: The Hardest Program You'll Ever Run

    What comes after block training? The toughest program on the path. Matt Reynolds breaks down daily undulating periodization (DUP), where you train power, strength and muscle in the same week so you stay close to peak all the time. He compares it to block training and Westside conjugate, and explains why most lifters need a few easier weeks afterward. What to do after a block peak Westside conjugate, speed work and rate of force development Matt's 4-day DUP layout, with the sets, reps and percentages How long to run DUP (about 8 to 14 weeks) and how to pick your peak DUP vs. Renaissance Periodization Check out Unspotted to use TurnKey Coach for your training, free the first month: https://barbell-logic.com/unspotted/  Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en  PS - Busy dad looking to take control of your health and fitness. Check out our free resource to ditch the dad bod here.

  2. Oct 21

    Block Programming: What Comes After 5/3/1

    When your lifts stall on 5/3/1, the next step is block programming. Matt Reynolds explains how one three-week block grows into a 9–16 week program built on three phases: accumulation, transmutation, and peaking. In this episode: Micro, meso, and macro cycles, simply explained Accumulation: about 20–25 working reps at 75–79% to build work capacity Transmutation: moderate volume, rising intensity, and why it's supposed to feel hard Peaking: low volume, heavy singles, and new PRs Picking supplemental and accessory lifts for each block Adjustments for lifters over 40, short sleepers, and lifters who've just turned 60 Skipping the peak if you don't compete Block training's biggest drawback, and a preview of DUP next week Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Busy dad looking to take control of your health and fitness. Check out our free resource to ditch the dad bod here.

  3. Oct 14

    Intermediate Strength Program: What to Run Next

    Did your beginner program stop working? Good news: you don't need a brand new program. You need the next small change. In this episode of Mondays with Matt, Matt Reynolds walks through the intermediate strength program he uses with busy men over 40. It starts with a simple 4-day upper/lower split. Then it moves forward one minimum effective dose step at a time, from linear progression all the way to 5/3/1, block training, and DUP. You'll learn: • Why a 4-day upper/lower split works better than 3 full-body days for most lifters • How to go from adding weight every workout to setting PRs every week with a heavy day and a volume day • How a 5s/3s/1s wave and a simple deload keep you progressing for months, or even years • How to swap in a lift variation, like a pause squat or close-grip bench, to attack a weak point • When to try a 6-day push/pull/legs split, and how to train with only 30 minutes or just dumbbells at home Minimum effective dose doesn't stop working. You just have to make the right next change. Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Busy dad looking to take control of your health and fitness. Check out our free resource to ditch the dad bod here.

  4. Oct 7

    12 Rules to Go From Dad Bod to Superhero | My Coaching Philosophy for Men Over 40

    Matt Reynolds has spent nearly 30 years and more than 30,000 hours coaching people to get stronger. But today, his definition of successful coaching goes far beyond adding weight to the bar. For busy dads in their 40s, 50s, and beyond, strength should serve what matters most. In this episode, Matt lays out his current coaching philosophy built around three principles: Ordered Strength, Useful Strain, and Steady Persistence. The goal isn't to make fitness the center of your life. It's to build enough strength, muscle, cardiovascular fitness, health, and physical capacity to better handle everything outside the gym—your family, career, responsibilities, travel, recreation, and eventually your grandkids. Matt also breaks the philosophy down into 12 practical actions a busy dad can begin using right now to dramatically improve his strength, body composition, health, and physical capacity over the next year. You'll learn why Matt emphasizes minimum effective action for maximum return, why harder isn't always better, why consistency matters more than the perfect program, and how to build your training and nutrition around the life you actually have. Matt's 12 recommendations include: Eat enough protein every day Establish a simple calorie target Plan your food ahead of time Eliminate alcohol Strength train 3–4 days per week Walk 10,000+ steps per day Take creatine consistently Make sleep a priority Know your important health and fitness numbers Train your cardiovascular system Hire a great coach Plan for the life you actually have The objective isn't strength for its own sake. It's to be strong at 50, capable at 60, and independent at 80. Order gives strain its purpose. Persistence gives strain its payoff. Strength is the result, and greater capacity is the return. Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Busy dad looking to take control of your health and fitness. Check out our free resource to ditch the dad bod here.

  5. Sep 30

    The Best Weight Loss Tech: What's Actually Worth Your Money?

    What weight loss technology is actually worth buying — and what's just expensive noise? Matt Reynolds walks through the fitness, nutrition, health, and recovery tech he personally uses to lose fat, track progress, and make better decisions about his health. From smart scales and blood testing to Apple Watch, WHOOP, Oura Ring, continuous glucose monitors, macro tracking apps, sleep technology, and even the kitchen tools that make eating well easier, Matt breaks down his personal weight loss tech stack and explains which tools provide the most value. He covers: Hume Body Pod and smart scales for tracking weight and body composition Rhythm Health and SiPhox Health for at-home blood testing Blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring Continuous glucose monitors like Dexcom, Stelo, and Abbott Lingo Apple Watch, WHOOP, Oura Ring, Garmin, Fitbit, and Strava Why increasing daily steps matters more than obsessing over calorie-burn estimates MacrosFirst and nutrition tracking Sous vide, air fryers, and other tools that make healthy eating easier Sleep tracking, CPAP, Eight Sleep, sleep masks, white noise, and other recovery tools How TurnKey Coach brings training, nutrition, recovery, and health data together Why objective data can help keep you accountable without becoming the goal itself You do not need to spend thousands of dollars on fitness gadgets to lose weight. The goal is to identify the tools that give you the best return on investment, help you stay consistent, and make it easier to measure real progress over time. Matt also explains why the fundamentals still come first: strength train, eat intelligently, move more, sleep well, and consistently do the work. Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Busy dad looking to take control of your health and fitness. Check out our free resource to ditch the dad bod here.

  6. Sep 23

    How to Train for Weight Loss Without Losing Strength

    If weight loss is your main goal, should you lift lighter weights, do more reps, or spend more time doing cardio? Not necessarily. In this episode of Mondays with Matt, Matt Reynolds explains how men can lose body fat while maintaining strength and muscle—without completely changing the way they train. Matt breaks down how his own training has changed as he's gotten older and lost weight, and why he still prioritizes heavy barbell training even when fat loss is the goal. You'll learn: • Why your strength training doesn't need to change dramatically when you're trying to lose weight • How to keep lifting heavy while reducing training volume • Why accessory exercises can help you build muscle without beating up your joints • How walking and daily activity support sustainable weight loss • Why nutrition matters far more for fat loss than trying to burn calories in the gym • How much protein to eat when you want to lose fat and maintain muscle • Why crash diets often cause unnecessary muscle loss • How to use body weight, waist measurements, and gym performance to track progress • How training should change as you move through your 40s, 50s, and beyond The goal isn't simply to weigh less. It's to lose body fat while keeping as much muscle, strength, and physical capability as possible. If you're a busy man who wants to get leaner, stronger, healthier, and more capable without making fitness your entire life, this episode gives you a simple approach you can sustain long term. Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Ditch the dad bod HERE.

  7. Sep 16

    How to Warm Up Properly for Strength Training

    Most lifters either overcomplicate their warm-up or barely warm up at all. In this episode of Mondays with Matt, Matt Reynolds explains how to warm up properly for strength training without wasting time or turning your warm-up into a workout. The purpose of a warm-up is simple: prepare your body for the working weights and movements you're about to perform. Matt breaks down how to warm up for squats, bench press, overhead press, and deadlifts, including how many warm-up sets to perform, how to choose weight jumps, how many reps to do, and how long to rest between sets. He also explains why accessory exercises usually need only one activation set and why bodyweight movements like chin-ups and dips often require no separate warm-up at all. You'll also learn how to adjust your warm-up when training in a cold garage gym, whether you should stretch before lifting, and how to handle cranky knees, elbows, tendon issues, and other aches with targeted warm-up work. The key: get warm, reinforce good technique, progressively prepare for heavier weight, and then get to your work sets. Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Get your home gym started HERE.

  8. Sep 9

    What to Do When Your Beginner Strength Program Stops Working

    What should you do when your beginner strength program stops working? When linear progression stalls, the answer usually isn't to throw out your entire program and jump into something dramatically more complicated. Instead, make the smallest effective change that allows you to keep progressing. In this episode of Mondays with Matt, Matt Reynolds explains how he transitions lifters beyond beginner linear progression using the Minimum Effective Dose approach. Matt covers: Why linear progression eventually stops working Why progress can still be "linear" even when it no longer happens every workout How to separate intensity and volume When to move from 3 sets of 5 to 5 sets of 3 How to use top sets and back-off sets How a 5/3/1-style progression can extend strength gains When to introduce supplemental squat, bench press, deadlift, and press variations How to use accessory exercises without turning training into a two-hour workout How circuits and myo-reps can efficiently add hypertrophy and conditioning work When to move from three full-body training days to an upper/lower split Why most lifters should not jump straight from novice programming into highly complex advanced programs The goal isn't to make your training more complicated. It's to keep doing enough to force adaptation while making only the changes that are actually necessary. If you've hit a plateau and want help figuring out what's holding back your training, talk to a Barbell Logic coach for free at barbell-logic.com/experience. Want Matt Reynolds as your personal coach? Visit barbell-logic.com/plans and request Matt. Matt's Links Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en PS - Talk to one of our coaches about how to keep or start progressing HERE.

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4.9
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

Are you trying to get stronger, become a coach, or build a coaching business that actually lasts? Mondays with Matt is a weekly short-form podcast from Barbell Logic founder Matt Reynolds, delivering practical lessons on strength training, coaching, and business you can apply immediately. Each episode blends real stories, clear takeaways, and simple actions you can take this week to move forward with confidence. New episodes every Monday.

Information

  • Creator
    Barbell Logic
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    164
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Mondays with Matt

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