Does strength training actually make athletes faster?

In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson break down why strength training makes athletes faster and more powerful than agility drills alone. They discuss new research comparing strength training to sprint, plyometric, and "functional" training—and why the results continue to point to the same conclusion.

This episode explains the simple science behind athletic performance: muscles move bones, force production drives speed, and getting stronger is the most trainable way to improve sports performance. If you're an athlete, parent, or coach wondering how to train more effectively, this conversation connects the dots between strength, speed, and real-world athletic performance.

What You'll Learn In This Episode

• Why strength training makes athletes faster and more explosive

• The difference between force production and rate of force development

• Why agility drills alone can't maximize athletic performance

• The biggest misconceptions about lifting for young athletes

• How strength training improves sport practice and recovery

• Why simple, hard, effective training continues to outperform complicated programs

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email podcast@barbell-logic.com

For decades, Jenny Hicks felt like she was always on a diet.

Like many people, she tried everything—low carb plans, restrictive programs, packaged diet foods, and extreme calorie cuts. The weight would come off for a while, but it always came back. After years of repeating the same cycle, Jenny wanted something different.

In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk with Jenny about how she finally broke the diet cycle. Working with a Barbell Logic nutrition coach, she learned how to stop dieting start eating real food, prioritize protein, and build habits that actually fit into everyday life.

The results were significant. Jenny lost 30 pounds, kept it off, and built real strength along the way—including a 200-pound deadlift. Instead of chasing rapid weight loss, she shifted toward sustainable nutrition, strength training, and consistency.

The conversation explores what it looks like to move beyond decades of dieting, how small habit changes can make a big difference, and why accountability and coaching can help turn short-term progress into long-term health.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email podcast@barbell-logic.com

Sustainable fat loss isn't about perfect macro tracking, crash dieting, or extreme restriction. It's about building habits you can actually maintain when life gets busy.

In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson sit down with Barbell Logic coach Jeremiah Wicken to break down what sustainable fat loss really looks like from a coach's perspective. They discuss why most diets fail long term, how satiety and food quality matter more than macro obsession, and why simple, repeatable habits outperform rigid short-term plans.

If you've ever lost weight only to gain it back, this episode will help you understand why — and what to do differently.

You'll learn:
• Why sustainable fat loss is different from traditional dieting
• The role of protein, vegetables, and hydration in managing appetite
• How to reduce decision fatigue around food
• Why monitoring habits improves long-term weight maintenance
• How nutrition coaching builds systems that work under stress

Sustainable fat loss requires structure, awareness, and consistency — not perfection. This episode explains how to build a dietary pattern that supports performance, health, and long-term body composition change.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email podcast@barbell-logic.com