Coach Spotlight: Matt Moore

Coach Matt Moore

What do your parents or spouse call you when you are in trouble?

Wife: Just stares at me 

Mom: Matthew Henry Moore 

Dad: WINGNUT

Do you have any embarrassing nicknames? What are they?

Fortunately, nothing too embarrassing to report. 

What actor or actress would you like to play you in a movie?

Adam Baldwin from 10 years ago. 

How long have you been coaching?

3 years or so intentionally with barbells. Longer if you count various subject matters and disciplines.

Have you had other careers, or currently work in another field? What are they?

Currently employed as an Analyst with the DoD.

Who’s your favorite BLOC client? (JK, don’t answer that.)

All of them. 

Who’s your least favorite BLOC client? (JK, again.)

All of them. Cuz. If all are my favorite by definition none can be a least favorite.

If you could time travel back to when you first started coaching, what advice would you give yourself?

Don’t try and force your expectations onto your clients. Pay attention to what they value and lead them beyond where they thought they could go. 

What are some of your favorite things to do when you’re not working or training?

Making stuff. Learning stuff. Outdoor stuff. Shooting stuff. All in the name of self-improvement. I love taking an idea and turning it into something tangible that makes life/hobbies better: woodworking, welding, small electronics, home improvement, shooting, backpacking, land navigation, preparedness, etc.

“Rust in Peace!” Here’s an article from Matt about how to restore a rusty barbell. (Click for article)

What is your favorite lift?

Deadlift

Where do you live?

King George, Va

What is your favorite animal print?

Snake

Gym cat, dog or something else?

dog

How long have you been training?

off and on for almost 13 years now. 

What is the most embarrassing moment from any dark days of “lifting” that you may have had?

CrossFit is a heck of a drug and bodybuilding splits are a waste of time. 

What do you love about training? 

It’s a constant for me. No matter how I feel or how much I try, iron levels the playing field. Struggling against gravity is humbling and training alone in my garage gives me space for self-reflection and meditation 

What do you love about coaching? 

I LOVE shepherding folks towards getting the best out of themselves. Helping people achieve things they never thought they could on their own is some of the most rewarding work on the planet.

What lifting achievement are you most proud of?

My most recent 555×3 deadlift! Once I pull 600+ It’ll be that. 

**UPDATE: Matt crushed 600!!! (Video)

Would you rather magically increase each of your PRs by 20%, or magically increase one of your lifts by 100%?

Magically increase each of my PRs by 20%.

Would you rather not have to eat food and have your ideal body composition, or get to eat 6,000 calories per day and have your ideal body composition?

Get to eat 6,000 calories per day and have my ideal body composition.

How many lifting-related shirts do you own? 

0-10

What or who gets you to train when your motivation is really low?

The rage monster needs room to roam. 

Pre-workout of choice

Folgers

What are some of your go-to lifting songs?

Can’t hear anything during the set anyway, but pandora alt-rock station is good background noise. 

What is the most embarrassing song you like?

Bad Guy – Billie Eilish

What’s one of your personal lifting superstitions?

A quick outburst of yelling (almost like a bark) helps “off gas” some anxiety before a big lift and puts me in the right head space to get to work. If I’m wearing a hat, a stallone-esque over the top turn of the hat makes for an effective “flipping the switch” to get me in the right headspace. 

What are some of your lifting-related goals for this year? 

600+ deadlift. 250+ press would be nice, but life has been crazy and the DL is the only thing that hasn’t fallen apart yet. 

Read about getting started with strongman competitions from Coach Moore. (Click for article)

Do you plan on competing in a meet this year? If so, what are your goals?

USSF online meet.

Fall classic if I have time. 

What have you learned about yourself from barbell training?

Motivation to succeed is not enough. I have to show up EVERY day to prepare and methodically approach a problem if I want to succeed. I can gut through more than I think I can – the suck only lasts but so long. 

Who is someone you’d love to try barbell training and why?

Clint Eastwood. He’s crusty and old school and I think he’d be fun to hang out with

Do you have a role model? Who is it and why?

Jesus Christ. He’s my Lord and savior and I don’t always succeed but I try to be more like him and emulate him the best I can. Might be a cop out answer, but honest-to-goodness his love for us, his example, and his word written to us is the best role model I could ever ask for. 

Dead or alive, who would you love to lift with?

George Washington. Dude had a back shaped like a Dorito chip. 

If BLOC made a yearbook, which do you think you’d most likely win?

Most likely to lift covered in sawdust. 

How much do you love to eat? 1 – It’s a chore … 5 – What are we eating next???

5

What’s your favorite meal? Please use as much detail as possible.

That’s a very difficult question. My favorite meal would likely be a combination of all my favorite foods. Sushi, pizza, burgers, pulled pork, and a metric ton of cornbread. 

What was your favorite childhood TV show?

Can’t remember. Probably Doug

What is a movie that you have watched over and over and over again?

The Avengers (2012)

Tell us your best dad joke. 

I waited up all night wondering where the sun had gone…..until it dawned on me. 

What advice do you have for a new lifter? Or a lifter who’s been doing this a while? 

For a new lifter, enjoy the ride. Take every workout as a chance to learn something and don’t buy every piece of gear right away. You’ll know when you need better gear.

For those who’ve been doing this a while, find out what motivation is internal to you and come up with a sustainable life-long lifting plan. You’ll have season where lifting will take a higher priority, but for when it doesn’t find something about training that brings you value and focus on that. 

Anything else you would like to share with your BLOC brethren and sistren? 

Some of these questions were legit hard to answer. Like my favorite movie. No way I can pick.