Jordan Feigenbaum, Founder of Barbell Medicine, has an academic background including a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Master of Science in Anatomy and Physiology, and Doctor of Medicine. Jordan also holds accreditations from many professional training organizations including the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting, CrossFit, and is a former Starting Strength coach and staff member. He’s been coaching folks from all over the world for over a decade through Barbell Medicine. As a competitive powerlifter, Jordan has competition best lifts of a 640lb squat, 430lb bench press, 275lb overhead press, and 725lb deadlift as a 198lb raw lifter.
This article is based on a real clinical case and is designed to help active individuals understand how to interpret abnormal liver enzyme results in the context of exercise. The Short Answer If you exercise regularly and your routine blood test shows elevated liver enzymes — specifically ALT and AST — there is a significant […]
Whether you’ve been working out for years or are just starting, you’ve likely seen the term “progressive overload” billed as a foundational concept in exercise. It’s the magic bullet, the secret sauce, the one universal truth that every coach and trainer agrees is necessary for making progress. What they don’t agree on, however, is what […]
“3, 2, 1, Go!” The crowd erupts as the athletes get to work for the final event consisting of 40 deadlifts, 20 kettlebell clean and jerks, and 5 bar muscle-ups. Normally, this workout would be an all-out sprint for you, but you feel a bit sluggish from the other 4 workouts you’ve done in the […]
People start working out for all sorts of different reasons, but weight loss is one of the most common. Despite being billed as necessary for weight loss, the effects of exercise on body weight are nuanced. For example, an exercise program that includes both lifting weights and conditioning improves the body composition. In individuals who […]
Collagen is the most common structural protein in the human body, making up about 25% of the body’s total protein content. Its primary role is to provide structural support to connective tissues like ligaments, tendons, bone, cartilage, and skin, though it is found in virtually every tissue, including teeth, eyes, blood vessels, and more. There […]
Over a lifetime, the average human will consume enough energy to fly a Boeing 747 jet from Los Angeles to New York just over 50 times. That’s an enormous amount of fuel to be sure, which speaks to how much nutrition plays a role in not only powering our daily activities, but also our well-being. […]
Introduction How strong should you be? Many lifters search for strength standards to compare their squat, bench press, and deadlift numbers. A quick search online reveals countless charts ranking lifters as novice, intermediate, advanced, or elite based on bodyweight and barbell performance. While these charts can provide some context, they are often misunderstood. Strength does […]
Strength training plateaus are a normal and expected part of long-term strength development. At some point, most lifters experience periods where strength no longer increases despite continued training. A plateau does not mean that further progress is impossible. Instead, it usually indicates a mismatch between the training stimulus, recovery, and the individual’s current capacity. Understanding […]
Strength training programming is the process of organizing training variables over time to produce specific fitness adaptations while managing fatigue and recovery. A program includes the structured physical activity an individual performs over a given period of time, including exercise selection, intensity, volume, frequency, and effort. Programming is not the same as periodization. Programming refers […]
Creatine is one of the most widely consumed dietary supplements globally, accounting for an estimated $520 million dollars-a-year market by 2024. [1] On top of that, dietary supplements are quite popular, with approximately 75% of Americans reported taking at least one in the previous year. [2] Despite its popularity, many questions remain about supplemental creatine […]