# #490 Q Willey - Does Training With Barbells Cause More Injuries?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/490-q-willey-does-training-with-barbells-cause-more-injuries
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/490-q-willey-does-training-with-barbells-cause-more-injuries.md
Podcast: [Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates](https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220)
Published: 2026-07-28T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liftfreediethard/episodes/490-Q-Willey---Does-Training-With-Barbells-Cause-More-Injuries-e3mkp7a
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/4acb2b0/podcast/play/123413162/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-28%2F428740986-44100-2-2b12f5efb5622.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/episodes/490-q-willey-does-training-with-barbells-cause-more-injuries
Duration seconds: 3452

## Resource

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 Wra…

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