Matt Reynolds: pro strongman, elite powerlifter, gym owner, strength coach...

[Matt Reynolds]

I was asked to set up a training log here, so let me give some background info...

I am a 31 year old lifter. I started training with weights/barbells in 1997 and have consistently lifted ever since. In 2001, I discovered Westside powerlifting through reading articles on Testosterone by Dave Tate and then scoured the internet for everything that Louie I could find. Those early days of powerlifting for me turned into a never ending passion to educate myself on the ways of training, athletic prep, nutrition, etc. I was lucky to meet and talk to some incredibly smart people along the way, including Glenn Pendlay, Rip, made treks to Westside, Big Iron, Ironsport, Metal Militia, etc. and was also fortunate to train with people who were like-minded in ther search for knowledge, such as Dave and Kyle Gulledge, Jon Gold, and Derek Binford.

In 2004, I became the strength coach at a large high school in southwest missouri, where I am lucky enough to get paid to train kids from 8th grade through their senior year of HS. Being able to coach the sheer numbers of kids (approx 200 every year) has allowed me to greatly hone my coaching skills, specifically in teaching the lifts and in programming for novices (hence my admiration for Rip).

In 2005, after totaling elite in the 242 class in powerlifting, I turned my attention to strongman, and in 2006 I won my pro card in that sport. I competed as a pro all through 2007 and 2008, and just recently made my comeback in 2010 in that sport.

I also stepped on the platform in powerlifting for the first time in several years last month, where I deadlifted 725, fairly easily, which puts me at number 10 on the powerlifting watch rankings.

In 2008, I opened an amazing strength training facility called STRONG, in Springfield, MO. Its a hardcore, basic black iron gym with 5 platforms and racks, including a monolift, a super heavy duty bench, bumper plates, nice power bars, glute ham raise, pro reverse hyper, cambered bars, safety squat bars, axles, logs, swiss/football bar, 300lbs of chain, at least a couple sets of every jumpstretch band, etc. We also have every piece of strongman equipment you'd ever want including 7 tires from 300lbs-930lbs, kegs, stones, sandbags, farmers, yoke, pro prowler, sleds, etc, etc.

I am really proud of my gym and what we have accomplished in just a couple of years (and really, only 8 months in a legitimate location/business model). We have 13 guys who bench press over 400 raw, I believe 17 who deadlift over 600 (and 5 over 700), a handful of 600lb raw squatters, 3 700lb raw squatters, 2 800lb raw squatters, and a 1000+ lb squatter in a squat suit. We have a large group of guys who compete at powerlifting or strongman or football and even a few non-douchy bodybuilders and fitness girls. But better than all of that, is that no one at our gym has an ego. Everyone is just cool and willing to help no matter how strong or how weak. The atmosphere is very competitive but very encouraging and I'm proud to call it home.

So that's me. I hope I can be of some help here.

My best lifts are:
600lb full squat raw
800lb box squat in briefs
450lb bench press
300lb strict axle military
377lb push press
725lb deadlift

My bodyweight is around 265 or so.

[homerj742]

Matt, it's great to have someone as advanced/knowledgeable as you keeping an online log. And your gym sounds awesome. Looking forward to future entries...

[Paul Sousa]

Thanks again Matt. It really is an awesome time where we have so much access to quality trainers and info.

[kittenSmash]

Some very impressive stats Matt. Welcome to the board.

[Grant Mccaulley]

Hi Matt

My name is Grant, I have a log on here too, I was wondering if you would be responsive to questions regarding gym start up, I am interested in beginning something similar to what you have going as far as a warehouse gym situation. I am in Moline, IL which is not too far from Springfield, wondering if I could come there and pick your brain at some point. You can write in my log if you want to.

Thanks
Grant

[Matt Reynolds]

Just a note on my training this summer...

I have hit a fair amount of solid numbers, specifically in the deadlift recently. I hit most of my deadlift PRs early in the summer in a loose pair of briefs and belt and am now trying to get close to those numbers, or beat them ala Konstantin - no belt and no gear whatsoever.

Here are some numbers from the summer...

Bench Numbers:
335x2 plus traingle "tripled" mini bands
425x3 2 board
385x3 floor press
505x1 reverse band (medium bands in a very low rack) press
Axle bench press: 405x3
Regular bench press: 430lbs, 315x14

Military Press:
300x1 axle military, 225x9

Deadlifts:
- 500+210lbs chain w brief and belt, then last week 500+200lbs chain no belt or briefs
- 785 reverse band briefs + belt, then 3 weeks ago 750 no belt or briefs
- 650x3 briefs and belt
- 725x1 competition deadlift
- 600x3 3" deficit deadlift (briefs and belt)
- Low rack pull (weights 3" off ground): 545+quaded minis (briefs+belt), then yesterday hit 550+quaded minis no belt or briefs

As for squats, I'm also squatting without gear - but I have horrible hips so the exercises and numbers are a bit odd, but for example I hit a parallel box squat a couple weeks ago with no gear with 455lbs + 280lbs chain fully loaded at the top (735 at the top).

I also did an 800lb yoke run 50 feet in 13 seconds and 700lbs in 10 sec.

That should give you guys some idea of where I'm at.

[Matt Reynolds]

8-12-10:

Upper:

"Speed Bench" with triangle "tripled" minis: bar x10, 135x10, 135x6, 185x4, 225x3, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1 (PR), 275x10

Standing strict football/swiss bar military press: after bar warm ups, 135x8 medium grip, 135x8 wide grip, 185x5 medium grip, 225x4 wide grip (awful), 225x3 wide grip - even worse. I was passing out on the completion of the fina rep in each of my heavier sets - this almost never happens and not sure why today - other than the fact that is was 99 degrees in the gym and I was damn near having a heat stroke.

By this time the heat was really taking it out of me and my training partner...

Pullups: x10 wide grip, x10 neutral grip

Hammer curls: 2 sets of 12 x 45lb dumbells, supersetted with banded tricep pushdowns

Reverse axle barbell curl, then reg grip axle barbell curl: (did ten reps reverse curl, then 10 reps regular): 65lbs, 85lbs, 105lbs

Definitely hit a wall with the heat - I could totally relate to Starr's article on training in the heat. I changed my shirt twice during the session and really didn't drink enough (32oz gatorade and 32oz water).

Came home and drank 96oz of gatorade, and a large protein shake w creatine and all the fixins in it. Then took a cold shower, made a turkey sandwhich and continued drinking my gatorade while enjoying the 68 degrees my house is set on.

Not the best training session, but it will have to do in 100 degree heat. I couldn't even get in my truck when it wasd time the leave - the leather seats were unbearable - had to turn the truck on and let the ac run for ten min before I could get in it.

What kind of moron trains from 11am - 1:30pm on August 12th?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Matt,

You made a comment in one of your other posts on here about training Westside; but training how they used to train, when everyone trained raw.

What were/are the main differences between then and now as you see it? Just the overemphasis on all the top end lock out strength?

[Matt Reynolds]

Matt,

You made a comment in one of your other posts on here about training Westside; but training how they used to train, when everyone trained raw.

What were/are the main differences between then and now as you see it? Just the overemphasis on all the top end lock out strength?

Correct. I don't see a need for extreme band tension for any of the lifts. I like the way the guys at Lexen train now (from what I've read, cause I certainly haven't sat down with Chuck V over tea and discussed it) as well as the crew at Big Iron - these two gyms - even though they train powerlifting gear still do more reverse band tension, heavy bar weight work, occasional heavier band tension but it does not make up a significant amount of their overall training volume.

The guys at Lexen, especially, seem to train heavy and raw often as well.

The other thing I'd go back to is a heavier "speed" day where weights in the 60-70% range are used as opposed to speed work in the 30-40% range. In reality, speed work would be best if used with a tendo unit and the work sets were done at the weight where the most force is produced.

On a side note, some of my closest friends are strength coached at Mizzou and they switched the majority of their cleans to working with the tendo unit in the range where they produced the most force rather than pushing up their absolute max strength in the clean. What they found was a dramatic increase in the vertical jumps of the athletes with no other change in training.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Ya, for me this is always the hardest thing about speed work. Mentally, I could never get comfortable and confident with the weight selections. Fast always seemed too light, and heavy always felt too slow. With the traditional shit its easier....5x5 with 410 is always better than 5x5 with 405. With speed work it was never clear to me how to pick the weights. You can read Louie's articles and get recommendations from 40% to 85%.

I guess the main thing to use as your indicator of the effectiveness of the dynamic effort day is your performance on the max effort day work. If your singles keep going up then your volume work is doing its job.