Beast over Burden powered by Barbell Logic

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

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• 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.

• 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.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• 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

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• 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.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• 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.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email [email protected]

PS - Begin your strength training journey FOR FREE RIGHT HERE.

Most people know they should exercise, eat better, move more, and take better care of themselves. The problem is turning that knowledge into consistent action.

A meaningful quest can give your training a reason beyond simply checking off another workout. It might be getting stronger, losing weight, improving your health, preparing for a physical challenge, or simply becoming someone who is proud of the way they take care of their body.

Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss why action often has to come before identity, why motivation is unreliable, and how a clear vision of the person you want to become can help guide what you do today.

They also explore:

• Why training needs a meaningful purpose

• The difference between a goal and a quest

• Why motivation often follows action

• How social media can distort your definition of progress

• Why real transformation usually comes from boring, repeatable actions

• How to turn a future vision into something you can do today

You do not need to transform your entire life at once. Find a quest worth pursuing, identify the next action, and start acting like you care about your body.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email [email protected]

PS - Begin your strength training journey FOR FREE RIGHT HERE.

"I can't afford it" is one of the most common reasons people give for not hiring a coach, joining a gym, or investing in their health.

Sometimes that's completely true. But sometimes what we really mean is, "I'm choosing to spend my money somewhere else."

Niki and Andrew talk about the relationship between money, time, value, and priorities—and why thinking of coaching as just another monthly expense can cause you to miss the bigger picture.

They also dig into the long-term cost of not investing in your strength, the difference between saying you value something and actually prioritizing it, and why being more honest about where your time and money go can lead to better decisions.

You don't have to hire a coach to start getting stronger. But if strength and health matter to you, it's worth asking whether "I can't afford it" is really the whole story.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email [email protected]

PS - Begin your strength training journey FOR FREE RIGHT HERE.

Training feels too complicated. You don't have enough time. You're tired, busy, and you keep telling yourself you'll get back to it when everything lines up.

In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson talk about why the answer may not be more discipline, more optimization, or a harder program. Sometimes you need to do less.

They discuss how unrealistic expectations can create resistance to training, why even a short workout can be worthwhile, and how overly complicated programs can leave you feeling run down and unmotivated. They also share why "minimum effective dose" training can help you stay consistent when life gets busy.

If your training has started to feel like too much, this episode will help you simplify it, lower the barrier to getting started, and keep showing up.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email [email protected]

PS - LEARN HOW COACHING & ACCOUNTABILITY COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE HERE.

"I need to get in shape before I start working out."

It sounds reasonable, but it gets the process backwards. Training is how you build strength, confidence, work capacity, and the ability to do more.

Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson discuss why people feel they need to lose weight, improve their fitness, or look like they belong in the gym before they begin. They also explore the deeper issue behind that hesitation: the fear of looking inexperienced, doing something wrong, or being the only beginner in the room.

They explain why everyone has to go through day one, how strength improves your life outside the gym, and how a coach can help you start at the right level without expecting perfection.

You do not need to become fit enough to start training. You need to start training in a way that fits your current ability.

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email [email protected]

PS - LEARN HOW COACHING & ACCOUNTABILITY COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE HERE.

You know training matters. You may even want to train. But work, family, travel, fatigue, and everything else competing for your attention keep pushing it out of the week.

In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims and Andrew Jackson examine one of the most common reasons people stop exercising: "I don't have time."

Sometimes life really does make training difficult. But often, being too busy means training has not been given a clear place among your other priorities. Niki and Andrew discuss how to examine that honestly without pretending your responsibilities do not matter.

They also explain why training does not need to be perfect to remain productive. A shorter workout, fewer exercises, reduced volume, or a temporary maintenance phase can preserve strength and consistency during demanding seasons.

You'll learn:

Why waiting for spare time usually fails How your calendar reveals your real priorities Why a reduced workout is better than abandoning training How to lower the friction that makes exercise easier to skip Why motivation is less reliable than a repeatable routine How to adjust training around work, family, travel, and limited recovery Why protecting a minimum level of training can prevent months of inactivity

You may not have time for your ideal program right now. But that does not necessarily mean you have no time to train.

The better question is: What useful training can you consistently complete within the life you actually have?

• Niki on Instagram
• Andrew on Instagram

• Barbell Logic on Instagram
• Podcast Webpage
• Barbell Logic on Facebook
• Or email [email protected]

PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.