James McDermott

THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK!

Health EN ↓ 239 episodes

Hosted by James McDermott, THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! is a podcast of interviews and solo shows on coaching and training. James (@jamesamcdermott) holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from SUNY Cortland. He is a multi-book author, L3 CrossFit Trainer, USA Weightlifting Level 2 Coach, and long-time Head Coach at Albany CrossFit. James's goals are to share the knowledge gained from the last 15 years of his career, learn from amazing guest, and motivate others to be better. Feedback = growth. Please send any comments or questions to James. If you like what you hear share the show!

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: podcasters.spotify.com

Author

James McDermott

Episodes

Ep. 116 | ADK Series Meet Recap 30.08.2026 1:30:46

On this episode, Miguel and James discuss the recent ADK Series weightlifting meet and transitioning from one training method to another.

Ep. 115 | Crystal Lake Triathlon Recap 16.08.2026 1:35:04

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss Miguel’s recent triathlon experience.

Ep. 114 | 2026 Shatter Slam Recap 09.08.2026 2:02:21

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the recent Shatter Slam event results.

Ep. 113 | As The Dust Settles 02.08.2026 2:37:03

In this episode, Miguel and James continue the discussion on the recent CrossFit Games and the overall 2026 season and the upcoming Shatter Slam event.

Ep. 112 | Run Through The Finish Line 26.07.2026 2:15:41

In this episode, Miguel and James the ongoing CrossFit Games, our newest Barbell Baby, James completing his UltraTrax race along with finally reaching the gates of Mordor.

Ep. 111 | Things Change 28.06.2026 2:20:54

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss how things once thought correct can change over time along with a bunch of random topics.

Ep. 110 | 2026 CrossFit Semifinals 21.06.2026 2:05:10

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the 2026 CrossFit Semifinals.

Ep. 109 | CNY Regional Open Recap 15.06.2026 1:54:50

In this episode, Miguel and James recap the 2026 CNY Regional Weightlifting Open.

Ep. 108 | It's Won't Always Be perfect 07.06.2026 1:26:18

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss evaluating your progress, building new routines around your weak points, coaching thoughts, and more!

Ep. 107 | The Enhanced Podcast 31.05.2026 2:06:23

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the recent Enhanced Games, Memorial Day Murph, setting standards in classes, and more!

Ep. 106 | Memorial Day Prep 17.05.2026 1:31:03

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday and the tradition of doing the Hero WOD Murph on that day.

Ep. 105 | Words of Wisdom 11.05.2026 1:30:38

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss recent big events on the barbell club and some words of wisdom from Louie Simmons.

Ep. 104 | 2026 ADK Regional Open Recap 04.05.2026 1:19:33

On this episode, Miguel and James discuss the recent ADK Regional Open and ACBC athlete results.

Ep. 103 | What's New In Weightlifting? 17.04.2026 2:10:43

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss all the things going on in the world of weightlifting.

Ep. 102 | Investigating Quarterfinals 29.03.2026 2:00:26

In this episode, Miguel and James take a look at the programming from the CrossFit Quarterfinals and discuss coaching some of the workouts.

Ep. 101 | Stronger, Smarter Athletes 22.03.2026 1:53:52

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the CrossFit article titled: Stronger, Smarter Athletes: Why Building CrossFit Athlete IQ Should Be Every Coach’s Priority By Morgan Mann Grant, CF-L3.https://www.crossfit.com/pro-coach/crossfit-stronger-smarter-athlete-iq

Ep. 100 | Recovering from Open WOD 26.3 15.03.2026 1:20:42

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss CrossFit Open WOD 26.3 with special guest Mike!

Ep. 99 | The Horrors of Open WOD 26.2 08.03.2026 2:16:19

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss CrossFit Open WOD 26.2!

Ep. 98 | Open WOD 26.1 Aftermath 01.03.2026 1:31:27

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the first workout from the 2026 CrossFit Open. They dive deep into their thoughts on the WOD, experiences from completing it, and thoughts on coaching. With special guests Shaaf & Mike.

Ep. 97 | Programming Our Own CrossFit Open 22.02.2026 2:01:31

In this episode, Miguel and James take a shot at programming their own CrossFit Open. They'll each program three workouts that would span three weeks of competition for the event.

Ep. 96 | Top 3 CrossFit Open Moments 15.02.2026 1:30:24

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss their top 3 moments that have come from the CrossFit Open. They answer the questions of how these moments inspired, motivated, or were just cool for them to see as athletes and coaches.

Ep. 95 | Why Fitness 08.02.2026 1:42:29

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the CrossFit Journal article titled "Why Fitness" by Greg Glassman. Article: https://media.crossfit.com/library/free/pdf/23_04_why_fitness.pdf

Ep. 94 | Does Core Work Transfer to Skills? 01.02.2026 2:06:53

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss an weightlifting philosophy and an article from Power Monkey titled "Why Core Work Doesn’t Always Transfer to Skills".

Ep. 93 | Finding the Sweet Spot 25.01.2026 2:18:32

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the CrossFit article titled: "Finding the Sweet Spot: Mastering CrossFit's Mechanics-Consistency-Intensity Hierarchy."

Ep. 92 | What About Recovery? 18.01.2026 2:20:42

In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the CrossFit Journal article titled "What About Recovery?" along with more on coaching and training.https://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/29_05_What_About_Recovery.pdf