Mondays with Matt

How the Westside Barbell program really works, and why most lifters aren't ready for it.
Matt Reynolds explains Louie Simmons' Westside system, how to set it up, and where it fits in your training. He also tells how Westside got him into powerlifting.
In this episode:
Why the Westside atmosphere mattered as much as the program

The four-day split: max effort and speed days

Picking max effort lifts to fix your weak spot

Speed day sets, reps, rest and bar weight

Bands vs chains for raw lifters

Where Westside fits: after 5/3/1, around block and DUP

Who should wait, and why

Matt's Links
Website: https://ryanmattreynolds.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynoldsstrong/?hl=en 
PS - Busy dad wanting to coach yourself, but not sure which program to run. Get a digital log book that tracks your PRs and has all Matt's programs in it! https://barbell-logic.com/unspotted/

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.

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.

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.

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.