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 physiological downsides of "grazing" (constant eating) on muscle protein synthesis and insulin resistance.

We also dive into how GLP-1 agonist medications interact with diet and exercise, practical strategies for learning motivational interviewing , how to navigate challenging clients who present with "learned helplessness", and the critical distinction between knowing enough to coach movement versus giving dangerous medical advice. Finally, we tackle the complex discussion around "race-based" medicine and how it applies to waist circumference and BMI cut-offs.

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Timestamps:

• (00:40) Q1: Is there an optimum balance of strength, cardio capacity, and body composition?
• (07:46) Q2: Can older adults reverse bone loss (osteoporosis) with exercise alone?
• (13:05) Q3: Why is "grazing" (frequent eating) bad?
• (22:31) Q5: How do you teach a coach motivational interviewing (MI)?
• (30:59) Q6: How do you handle clients with "learned helplessness" or a "diagnosis identity"?
• (35:42) Q7: When do I "know enough" to start coaching others?
• (40:49) Q8: How long does someone need to be in the "maintenance phase" until their risk of relapse is eliminated?
• (44:46) Q9: How should we view "race-based" differences in waist circumference cutoffs?

Resources

Resources Page: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/resources/

Template Quiz: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/template-quiz/

Got pain and need a professional who understands you lift? Or, do you need an experienced coach to help you get the most out of your training? Contact us at support@barbellmedicine.com

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 cardio with high-intensity strategies.

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Timestamps

2:43 | Is there such a thing as too low of a cholesterol level (specifically LDL and ApoB)?

27:45:00 Is it normal to not feel motivated to do a task before doing it, but get the inclination after starting?

32:00 :How to improve cardio when you have limited time (two 30-minute sessions/week)?

Resources

LDL/ApoB

• https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/a-basic-guide-to-cholesterol/
• https://www.escardio.org/static-file/Escardio/Guidelines/publications/DYSLIPguidelines-dyslipidemias-FT.pdf
• Consultations

Starting something new

• https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-psych-020223-012208?crawler=true
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01328/full
• Do Hard Things- Steve Magness

Cardio

• https://www.barbellmedicine.com/resources/max-heart-rate-and-zone-calculator/
• https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/hiit-high-intensity-interval-training/
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63475-2
• https://pacompendium.com/adult-compendium/

Resources Page: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/resources/

Template Quiz: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/template-quiz/

Got pain and need a professional who understands you lift? Or, do you need an experienced coach to help you get the most out of your training? Contact us at support@barbellmedicine.com

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 relevant question for strength athletes and the general population alike: How do high-intensity circuit training (HICT) and traditional strength training compare?

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Key Topics Covered:

• PhD Research Deep Dive: Dr. Carpenter breaks down her study, which compared HICT against traditional resistance training in trained women over an eight-week period. The groups performed the same exercises, sets, and reps, and pushed to similar proximity to failure, with the key difference being the rest periods.
• The Results: Find out the surprising, yet encouraging, findings regarding strength gains and muscle growth between the two popular training modalities. The results suggest that for many, personal preference, time constraints, and gym logistics should be the deciding factors for training style—as long as you push close to technical failure.
• Circuit Training & Time Efficiency: We discuss why circuit training is a popular option for time efficiency—her study's circuit group completed their sessions in approximately 50-55 minutes, compared to 70-75 minutes for the traditional group.
• Coaching Loved Ones: Dr. Carpenter shares her personal experience and advice on training her 64-year-old mother. We cover how she successfully addressed barriers like accountability and self-efficacy, starting with short, positive sessions (initially only 20 minutes) and gradually progressing to longer, more challenging workouts.

Resources:

• Original podcast
• Effects of High Intensity Circuit versus Traditional Strength Training on Physiological Responses in Trained Women in the European Journal of Sports Science.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Background

05:02 Research Focus: Circuit Training vs. Traditional Resistance Training

10:00 Study Design and Methodology

14:58 Findings and Implications of the Study

21:36 Optimizing Group Workouts

30:21 Training Family: A Personal Journey

39:40 The Challenge of Progression in Strength Training

41:57 Individual Differences in Training and Motivation

46:00 Overcoming Barriers to Exercise for Older Adults

50:00 Encouraging Loved Ones to Start Exercising

Find Dr. Sohee Carpenter:

• Instagram/Social Media: @Soheefit
• Website: https://soheefit.com/

Resources Page: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/resources/

Template Quiz: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/template-quiz/

Got pain and need a professional who understands you lift? Or, do you need an experienced coach to help you get the most out of your training? Contact us at support@barbellmedicine.com