Straight to the Bar

All Things Strength

HELPING YOU GET STRONGER SINCE 2004

How They Got Started : Matt Davidson
Written By : Scott Bird
The enigmatic Matt Davidson

The enigmatic Matt Davidson.
I love hearing everyones’ fitness backgrounds, it’s always fascinating to hear how someone got started. Here’s how Matt Davidson began his own training journey.
Scott


Hi, Scott. You said that you would like to hear about my workout past and my methods, so I’m finally getting back to you about that. I started working out in my early teens at the age of 13 or 14, using my dad’s old Sears Roebuck and Co. vinyl coated weight plates and standard barbell. I didn’t have access to a squat rack, so my leg training was always a little lacking. As far as goals, I wanted to build everything: speed, strength, stamina, power (once I learned that there was a difference between strength and power), and agility. As much as I wanted to build these different things, I mainly followed a basic body-building program. I was able to build my deadlift strength up to around 280 lb.

Unfortunately, I went for a period where I got out of my workouts routine and I lost some of my strength. Even now at the age of 20, I’m still struggling with staying consistent with my workouts. I recently purchased a Yoke, which doubles as a squat rack, so I can build my lower-body strength and power (I desperately need some lower-body strength. Since I’ve just start squatting I can only squat around 135 lbs, and I’m having to adjust to the crushing feeling of having a barbell across my shoulders). My goals are still focused on strength and athletic ability. In my workouts now, I utilize a lot of compound and complex training, while focusing on movement patterns. For example, for my squats, I’ll do a heavy 5-rep barbell squat, immediately doing five reps of an explosive leg movement such as speed skaters or squat jump, and then an isometric one-leg split squat, while holding a 25 lb. kettlebell. My thinking for this approach is along the lines of the theory behind compound training, that the heavy set will activate the muscle fibers, the lighter-weight, explosive movement will utilize the activated muscle, and then the isometric move (my own addition) will utilize the slow-twitch muscle fibers as the fast-twitch fibers tire out and the slow-twitch fibers begin to kick in. With my squats, I’ll also incorporate an overhead pressing complex, and a pull-up complex. I’m trying to incorporate as many exercise tools and methods as possible: barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, weight-sleds, medicine balls, a yoke, and resistance bands to substitute weighted cables. I also have my eye on several pieces of exercise equipment to also incorporate into my training so I can keep my workouts (and my body) versatile.

Thanks for taking an interest in my workouts and training methods. I hope you found this interesting, and that it may help someone else along and give them some ideas.
Keep lifting, Matt.

Cheers Matt, appreciated.

Over to you. Drop us a line on Twitter ( @scottbird ), or add a comment below.

Cheers.

 

NB : if you love talking about strength-training as much as I do, you might also like to check out the weekly newsletter. A regular dose of fitness-focussed discussions, absolutely free.

And if you'd like to check out any of the stuff mentioned above (or in the comments), swing by Amazon. Huge assortment of fitness gear.

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

What's This?

Straight to the Bar is the online home of fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

images of strength

'Napalm' Jedd Johnson.
Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.

Just Joined Us? Try These.

There are some incredible writers on the team here. To give you an idea, check these out :

If you enjoyed these, check out the complete ‘Best Of Straight to the Bar‘ list. Fantastic.

setting up a home gym?

If you’re getting ready to put together a solid Home Gym (fantastic thing), here’s how.

For more, swing by the full guide. Absolutely free.

And of course, you’ll find everything you need over in the SttB Strength Store. Massive range.

Ever Tried Kettlebells?

If you’ve seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.

Ready To Learn Even More?

I love learning new skills, and the many seminars & workshops available are a great way to do that. If you’re looking for a specific type of workshop nearby, check out the ones on Dragon Door. Great mix of kettlebell and calisthenics-based offerings.

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program.

If you’re a fitness professional and love the Precision Nutrition approach, check out their certification offering. To say it’s comprehensive is an understatement.

Wherever You Are, We Are.

In addition to the main site, you can share your strength-training passion with a like-minded community on :

Wherever you like to hang out, get your regular dose of strength. Straight to the Bar.

Written By Scott Bird
Scott is a long-time fitness enthusiast (Jan 2004!), writer and photographer living in Sydney, Australia. If you share the passion for spending a bit of time under a bar, welcome. Love hearing how everyone else trains. You can connect via X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook and the various networks listed in the sidebar.
Drawing of Scott Andrew Bird performing a deadlift. Artwork by Vince Palko.