
#490 Q Willey - Does Training With Barbells Cause More Injuries?
Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew CoatesShow Notes
Q Willey is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach who joins me to discuss barbell training, back pain, injury risk, metabolic health, rehabilitation, and the way strength training is often portrayed online.
Q joins me to discuss:
• Why no existing studies show that squats or deadlifts cause back pain • Whether barbell lifts are inherently riskier than other forms of exercise • How the loadability of barbells can get some lifters into trouble • Why training systems matter more than individual exercises • Load management, fatigue, and individual capacity • Why pain can feel random even when contributing factors exist • How sensational injury stories shape public perceptions of lifting • The self-driving-car metaphor for anecdotes about barbell injuries • Why lifting is often demonized more than other physical activities • What imaging can and cannot tell us about back pain • Spine surgery, structural findings, and pain • The value of physical therapy beyond simply “fixing” injuries • The relationship between metabolic health, obesity, pain, and rehabilitation outcomes • How to discuss body weight respectfully in a clinical setting • GLP-1 medications and a physical therapist’s professional scope • And much more
Follow Q on Instagram:
@coach_q_physio
CHAPTERS
00:19 Meet Coach Q 01:08 Do Squats Hurt Your Back? 02:48 Load Management Basics 06:57 Why Pain Can Feel Random 10:45 Sensational Stories About Injury Risk 13:24 Spine Surgery and Medical Imaging 17:43 Why Lifting Gets Demonized 20:21 Barbells Versus Training Systems 30:37 The Value of Physical Therapy Beyond Fixes 37:22 Metabolic Health and Pain 42:38 Discussing Body Weight Respectfully 51:33 GLP-1 Medications and Professional Scope 55:33 Where to Find Q 56:54 Final Thanks and Wrap-Up
SUPPORT THE SHOW
If this episode helped you think differently about barbells, injury risk, pain, or rehabilitation:
• Subscribe and check out more episodes • Share the episode on social media and tag @andrewcoatesfitness • Send it to someone who is afraid that squats or deadlifts will automatically damage their back
FOLLOW ANDREW COATES
Instagram: @andrewcoatesfitness
https://www.andrewcoatesfitness.com
PARTNERS AND RESOURCES
RP STRENGTH APP
Use code COATESRP:
https://www.rpstrength.com/coates
JUST BITE ME MEALS
Use code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS for 10% off:
MACROSFIRST — FREE PREMIUM TRIAL
• Download MacrosFirst • Begin setting up your account • When asked, “How did you hear about us?” enter: ANDREW
KNKG BAGS — 15% OFF
https://www.knkg.com/Andrew59676
VERSA GRIPPS
https://www.versagripps.com/andrewcoates
TRAINHEROIC — FREE 90-DAY TRIAL
• Visit: https://www.trainheroic.com/liftfree • Reply to the email you receive or email [email protected] • Let them know Andrew sent you
L1 BIOMECHANICS AND ASSESSMENT COURSE
Use code COATES:
https://pro.activelifeprofessional.com/assessmentworkshopevents
More from Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates
James Krieger is one of the most trusted figures in the fitness industry and exercise-science research.
Luka Hocevar returns to discuss what it takes to build a successful career in fitness as automation, AI, algorithms, and information become increasingly abundant.
Steven Sahyoun coaches performance and rehabilitation, helping people move from injury back toward the demands of training and sport.
Stuart McMillan is one of the world’s most respected and decorated sprint coaches.He joins me to share his expertise on speed, sprinting, skipping, movement quality, youth development, coaching, and the balance between complexity and simplicity.We discuss:• Why adults tend to stop moving fast and powerfully• Why speed and intensity variability may matter as we age• Whether everyone actually needs to sprint• How to move fast in ways appropriate for your ability• Why movement variability matters• Why Stuart believes more adults should skip• Hip extension and the fundamentals behind skipping• How to progressively introduce skipping• How beginners can start sprint training• Managing sprint-related injury risk• Why consistency and gradual exposure matter• Coordination as a limiting factor• Why adults need to stop worrying about how movement looks to other people• Sprinting and speed development for young athletes• Why youth training should emphasize coordination and skill• Strength versus skill when thinking about injury risk• Why movement quality deserves more attention• Stuart’s six-part framework for assessing movement quality• Whether movement is effective, efficient, stable, adaptable, authentic, and aesthetic• Balancing art and science in coaching• How Stuart thinks about systems• Complexity versus simplicity• Why good coaching often becomes simpler with experience• “Safe to fail” experiments in coaching• Why mastery often involves subtraction• And much moreFollow Stuart:@fingermashCHAPTERS00:16 Why Adults Stop Sprinting02:10 Intensity Variability and Aging04:45 It’s Never Too Late to Train Speed05:45 Move Fast Your Way07:22 Why Stuart Loves Skipping08:48 Hip Extension Fundamentals12:08 Progressive Skipping Practice15:07 Beginner Sprint Progression18:40 Injury Risk and Consistency20:30 Coordination as a Skill Barrier21:51 Stop Caring How It Looks22:19 Coaching Kids to Move Fast25:07 Youth Coordination Over Strength26:26 Strength vs. Skill and Injuries27:50 Coordination Over Capacity29:49 Defining Movement Quality33:37 The Six-Word Movement Framework35:33 Authentic and Aesthetic Movement39:37 Balancing Art and Science42:33 Systems Thinking Basics48:18 Safe-to-Fail Coaching49:36 Simplicity After Complexity52:28 Mastery Through Subtraction55:18 Final Thoughts and Where to Follow StuartSUPPORT THE SHOW• Subscribe and check out more episodes• Share the episode and tag @andrewcoatesfitness• Send this to someone who hasn’t moved fast in yearsFOLLOW ANDREW COATESInstagram: @andrewcoatesfitnesshttps://www.andrewcoatesfitness.comPARTNERS AND RESOURCESANDREW COATES’ 13-WEEK ONLINE GROUP STRENGTH PROGRAMSJoin my Men’s or Women’s 13-Week Online Group Strength Programs.Choose between:• Gym Upper/Lower• Home Upper/Lower• Full BodyGet full access to me with prompt responses.Use code SEPTEMBER10 to save 10%.www.foreverstrength.ca/join-now/Questions?https://www.instagram.com/andrewcoatesfitness/?hl=enI would love to coach you.RP STRENGTH APPUse code COATESRP:https://www.rpstrength.com/coatesJUST BITE ME MEALSUse code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS for 10% off:https://justbitememeals.comMACROSFIRST — FREE PREMIUM TRIALDownload MacrosFirst and enter ANDREW when asked how you heard about the app.KNKG BAGS — 15% OFFhttps://www.knkg.com/Andrew59676VERSA GRIPPShttps://www.versagripps.com/andrewcoatesTRAINHEROIC — FREE 90-DAY TRIALhttps://www.trainheroic.com/liftfreeReply to the email you receive or email [email protected] and tell them Andrew sent you.L1 BIOMECHANICS AND ASSESSMENT COURSEUse code COATES:https://pro.activelifeprofessional.com/assessmentworkshopevents
Pete Dupuis is an icon of gym ownership, business development, and mentorship within the fitness industry.