Barbell Medicine Podcast

For decades, the health and fitness industry has blamed rising obesity rates on a lack of individual willpower and "poor choices." However, a landmark lawsuit in San Francisco argues that the modern food environment is a public nuisance engineered by food giants using a literal tobacco playbook. By manipulating "Bliss Points" and dismantling the natural food matrix, these companies...

A 23-year-old soldier presents with hypertensive urgency and acute kidney injury. He thought he was doing everything right for his health—so what caused his system to fail? Dr. Feigenbaum and Dr. Baraki break down the clinical evidence and the surprising lab results. Timestamps [00:00]  Introduction to the Case: The Fit Soldier’s Failure [01:07]  Welcome and Mystery Case Framework [02:05]  Patient...

Biohackers and longevity clinics claim peptides are a side-effect-free sniper rifle for fat loss and injury recovery, but the reality is often buried in failed clinical trials and regulatory bans. Many popular compounds like BPC-157 have never undergone a single randomized controlled trial in humans, despite their reputation for Wolverine-like healing. This episode dismantles the hype surrounding...

Experiencing a pins-and-needles sensation on a run or fearing the straight bar deadlift shouldn't be your fitness journey's bingo card. Many trainees abandon effective habits due to false narratives regarding physiological signals or myths regarding back safety. We break down the clinical reality of exercise-induced sensations, the ethics of modern metabolic medicine, and why your choice o...

Welcome to the Barbell Medicine Cholesterol Action Plan.  Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer globally. We just released a massive 6-part audio series and written guide to fix that. It covers ApoB vs LDL, the CAC score paradox, the P:S diet ratio, and Plaque Regression. The full series is available INSTANTLY for Barbell Medicine Plus subscribers. If you're not a subscriber, start here: htt...

The wellness industry wants you to believe that menopause renders you fragile, fasting creates "cortisol belly," and birth control is silently destroying your skeletal health. These claims aren't just scientifically inaccurate; they act as "nocebo" barriers that scare women away from effective training and healthcare. We brought in the heavy artillery—Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple,...

Bulletproof or Broken- Why 'Perfect Form' Is a Lie  Episode Summary In this comprehensive episode, we dismantle the pervasive myth that the human body is a fragile machine susceptible to catastrophic injury from minor technique flaws. This narrative, often perpetuated by social media influencers screaming "Snap City," creates widespread fear avoidance behavior (kinesiophobia) that...

Episode Summary: The Cardiometabolic Revolution of Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Beyond This episode provides a comprehensive, evidence-based update on  GLP-1 receptor agonists  (anti-obesity medications), featuring Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum, Dr. Austin Baraki, and Dr. Spencer Nadolsky. The hosts review the rapid evolution of these drugs—from short-acting injectables to potent multi-agonists like  Tir...

Cycle Syncing, Cardio Myths, and Iron Deficiency: A Barbell Medicine Review of Viral Claims Episode Summary: Debunking Women's Health Claims and Setting Optimal Targets In this in-depth episode, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum, joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple and Dr. Austin Baraki, breaks down the viral women's health claims made on a popular podcast, separating misleading mechanistic theory fro...

Episode Summary: Dynapenia, Motor Neurons, and the Firewall In this episode, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki redefine  sarcopenia , shifting the focus from simple  age-related muscle size loss  (atrophy) to the more critical loss of  muscle strength and power (dynapenia) , a process that starts in the 40s. They explain the profound  pathophysiology : sarcopenia is primarily a  neurolog...

Episode Summary This is a preview of our subscriber-only Ask Us Anything episode, where Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki tackle the most persistent problems in training and nutrition. Hear the science behind managing pain in the gym—determining the threshold for acceptable discomfort versus a true programming error. They also analyze why short-term study findings often fail in the real...

Barbell Medicine Q&A: Cholesterol, Hypertrophy Volume, and Training Efficiency Episode Summary In this Q&A session, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum addresses listener questions on optimizing training, managing health metrics, and navigating supplement use. Key topics include the latest evidence on cholesterol management (statins vs. PCSK9 inhibitors), why routine Vitamin D supplementation is usually...

 Mental Strategies: Neuroscience, Visualization, and Developing Resilience Episode Summary: Training Your Brain for Performance and Health Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum welcomes  Anne-Sophie Fluri , a neuroscientist with a background in experimental neuroscience and Parkinson's disease research, who now runs  Brain Wave , focusing on mental fitness and performance workshops. This episode leverages Ann...

🎙️ Q&A Deep Dive: The Critical Cutoff for Fat Loss, Safety, and Strength 📝 Episode Summary: BMI, Training Safety, and Evidence-Based Nutrition In this mini-sode, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum answers core questions on performance and health. The discussion centers on replacing arbitrary body fat percentages with clinical, evidence-based metrics for determining when a lifter should start a fat loss ph...

The Rundown: Deadlift Data, Intensity Science, and Semaglutide's Muscle Effect Episode Summary: Weighing Records, Efficiency, and Regulation In this episode of The Rundown, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki dive deep into the latest data and breaking news spanning strength, longevity, and health policy. They kick off the discussion by analyzing world record powerlifting data to disse...

Limits Challenged: 80-Year-Old Ironman, Golf Amateurism, and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance 🎙️ Episode Summary: Shattering Perceived Limits in Health, Sport, and Biology In this bonus episode, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum steps back from the deep technical dives to explore current, compelling stories from sports, medicine, and fitness—all united by a single thread: challenging perceived limitations . We...

Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum answers questions on supplements, training philosophy, and competition prep in this extended preview of the Barbell Medicine AMA! This episode debunks common myths and gives you the honest, evidence-based answers you need for better health and lifting. Become a Barbell Medicine Plus Member Today In this preview, we cover: Lead in Your Supplements? 🤯 The recent controversy an...

In this episode of the Barbell Medicine podcast, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki discuss a complex medical case involving a 38-year-old man presenting with severe chest pain and shortness of breath. Become a Barbell Medicine Plus Member Today   Resources Case: ​​ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3246164/   Podcast on smelling salts Powerbuilding 2 Resources Resources Page: http...

In this episode, Jordan hosts a live Q&A while watching Barbell Medicine coach Leah Lutz compete for (and win!) a bronze medal in Cape Town, South Africa This wide-ranging discussion covers common questions on programming, conditioning, and nutrition.  Become a Barbell Medicine Plus Member Today Timestamps (2:40) Q1: How do I know if my training stimulus is too low? (5:30) Q2: Why is my heart...

This episode features the full Q&A from our first live seminar in over a year, recorded at Watchdog Strength in San Antonio. We field questions from the audience on a wide range of topics in health and fitness. Listen in as we discuss the "optimal" metrics for strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition; whether osteoporosis can be reversed with exercise alone; and the ph...

This episode tackles major debates in health and performance! We resolve the question of whether your cholesterol (LDL/ApoB) can ever be "too low" by examining genetic and clinical trial evidence. We dive into the psychology of starting—explaining the "dread" before a task as psychological inertia—and offer actionable tips to overcome it. Finally, we cover optimizing time-limited c...

In this special episode of the Barbell Medicine Podcast, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum welcomes back friend of the show, Dr. Sohee Carpenter, PhD, to share her latest insights following the completion of her PhD in Sports Science from the Auckland University of Technology.  We dive deep into the research from her recently published paper in the  European Journal of Sports Science , exploring a highly rele...

In this episode, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum hosts a live "Ask Me Anything" session, tackling a wide range of questions on health, fitness, nutrition, and training philosophy. Become a Barbell Medicine Plus Member Today Timestamps: 0:32 How important are volume, intensity, and proximity to failure for hypertrophy? 3:46 Does muscle memory exist? 7:03 What is the reasoning behind the heavy "fa...

The old rules for blood pressure are changing. In this episode, we break down the critical 2025 updates that are reshaping how we diagnose and manage hypertension. We move beyond the simple 120/80 cutoff to explore a new risk-based approach, updated ACC/AHA guidelines pushing for lower targets, and new recommendations to screen for the "silent epidemic" of primary aldosteronism. Plus, we c...

In this episode of the Barbell Medicine Podcast, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki discuss various topics including a purported creatine overdose by golfer Ben Griffin, the implications of GLP-1 agonists on cancer risk, a new weight loss drug called MariTide, LeBron James doing silly exercises, and more. Become a Barbell Medicine Plus Member Today Timestamps: 00:45 Ben Griffin overdoses...