In this episode of Beast Over Burden, Niki Sims sits down with Barbell Logic coach Nikki Burman to unpack what it really looks like to train anyway—to stay consistent in strength and fitness through pregnancy, toddlers, homeschooling, deployment, and the unpredictable rhythm of real life. Nikki shares the mindset shifts, visualization practices, planning systems, and flexible training strategies that helped her stay grounded and capable during some of the most demanding seasons of her life.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that consistency doesn't come from perfection—it comes from realistic planning, compassionate self-talk, and building a training approach that supports your actual life, not your ideal one.
Whether you're a busy parent, a professional navigating stressful seasons, or someone who wants to keep training without burning out, this episode lays out a practical blueprint for designing workouts that work—even when life doesn't go according to plan.
If you've ever wondered how to maintain strength and fitness when you're exhausted, overwhelmed, or pulled in a hundred directions, Nikki's candid, thoughtful insights will help you reset your expectations, rethink your routines, and build a sustainable approach to training you can stick with.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
How visualization creates emotional buy-in and strengthens habits
Why realistic expectations matter more than perfect plans
How to adapt strength training during pregnancy, postpartum, and sleep-deprived phases
Strategies for overlapping lifts, shortening sessions, and staying consistent
How breath work and mindset shifts help you stay patient and resilient
The power of being kind to yourself when life gets messy
Why flexible training beats rigid programming in busy seasons
How to design a week of training that fits your real life, not your ideal life
The role of support systems—coaches, spouses, accountability—in staying on track
Why showing up, even imperfectly, is what builds long-term progress
How to train anyway when everything feels unpredictable
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Niki welcomes Coach Nikki Burman
01:45 – Why Nikki wanted to revisit her story after the previous episode
03:20 – Visualization: the starting point for lasting habits
07:10 – From aesthetics to capability: shifting the purpose of training
10:00 – How motherhood reshaped Nikki's approach to fitness
12:40 – Realistic planning vs. ideal planning
15:02 – Why Nikki committed to only two strength sessions a week
17:20 – Training during deployment: flexibility over rigidity
20:05 – Peloton, kids' screen time, and making cardio actually doable
23:30 – Mindset work: self-talk, breath work, and emotional regulation
26:48 – Avoiding the perfection trap in busy seasons
28:55 – Nutrition, mindfulness, and resetting old habits
31:15 – Designing a weekly plan you can actually follow
34:22 – Support systems: coaching, accountability, and home environment
37:10 – How to "trick yourself" into staying consistent
40:05 – The power of seeing busy seasons as temporary
42:30 – Teaching kids by example: modeling strength and capability
44:55 – Final strategies for staying consistent through real life
46:30 – How Barbell Logic experience calls help lifters visualize their path
48:00 – Closing thoughts
