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!
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the Grease the Groove method by Pavel Tsatsouline. The information comes from an article featured on the Art of Manliness website and dives into the method and the concept of strength being a skill that can be trained.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss working toward goals even when the current situation isn't ideal, James's experiences at the Hudson Valley Regional Open, and recent events in classes.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the story of Ultra-marathon legend Cliff Young, current happenings in ACBC training, and news in the CrossFit and Weightlifting worlds.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss an article from Glenn Pendlay's book, American Weightlifting, titled "The Razor's Edge".
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss a big Sunday class, post meet ACBC Squat PRs, and Robert Kraft's 50 year running streak.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss James's second swim meet, wish ACBC a happy 11th birthday, and recap the events of the 2025 ADK Regional Open.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss how laying the groundwork for a solid foundation is key to success in planning for coaching classes, individual training, and day to day life.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the final workout of the CrossFit Open, coaching classes at Albany CrossFit, and more!
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss their experiences with the Open 25.2 WOD, could "severance" training work for weightlifting or CrossFit, and coaching stuff.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss Miguel's recent visit to a gym in Canada to stay on top of his training, the CrossFit Open 25.1 WOD, and more!
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss the upcoming CrossFit Open, what they think will come up in the programming, the Open coming to Albany, recent coaching experiences, and testing the snatch and clean and jerk in the barbell club.
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss texting strength maxes during the latest ACBC training cycle, James's experience taking a Fencing lesson, and an article from CrossFit titled "Hitting the Stimulus."
In this episode Miguel and James discuss Miguel's first time Snowboarding, James's 2025 Steps Challenge Update, and a recent article posted to CrossFit's website on January 29th, 2025 by Stephane Rochet titled "CrossFit for Health and Fitness vs. CrossFit for Points."Article: https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/crossfit-health-vs-competition
In this episode, Miguel and James discuss current events in the worlds of CrossFit and Weightlifting including The CrossFit Open & Games, The ADK Regional Open, The World Fitness Project, WZA, and changes to USAW's North American Open Series.
In this episode Miguel and James discuss recent experiences in doing the Grafton Lake Polar Plunge, taking a handgun shooting lesson, and review an article from "The Professional Coach" on the topic of "Empathizing with the Ego and Elevating your CrossFit Member's Experience. Thanks for listening!
In this episode, Miguel and James recap week 1 of the new ACBC training cycle, share their recent experiences with an archery lesson and a silks class, and discuss key considerations for coaches when introducing nutrition to athletes. Thanks for listening!
In this episode, Miguel an James share how the first few days of the New Year are shaping up. They dive into Miguel's recent PR while coaching Fran during the New Year's Day WOD and discuss a timely CrossFit Journal article that's perfect for starting the year strong. "Coaching the Mental Side of CrossFit", written by Greg Amundson, was posted on October 25, 2017 to the CrossFit Journal. You can read the article yourself here: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/coaching-the-mental-side-of-crossfit
In this episode, Miguel and James recap the aftermath of the 12 Days of ACBC workout followed by sharing their goals for 2025. Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss holiday training, the potential for the CrossFit Games to come to Albany, NY, and big plans for the ACBC programming in the New Year. Thanks for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss current events happening in the CrossFit and Weightlifting worlds. Thanks for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss planning and coaching holiday events and Hero WODs. Thanks for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss news in the CrossFit world, should athletes complete Open WODs multiple times, and more! Thanks for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James read and discuss the CrossFit Journal article titled "Five Habits of Highly Successful Eaters" written by Hilary Achauer and published on November 1, 2018. Click here to read the article yourself: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/habits-achauer Thank you for listening!
On this episode James and Miguel discuss James's experience at his first swim meet, Miguel taking on a Dmitry Klokov weightlifting complex, and more!
On this episode Frank Ford returns to the show! Frank and James catch up on all the usual topics of weightlifting, CrossFit, training, and coaching. Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss coaching CrossFit classes and weightlifting training sessions, ACBC off season programming, Miguel qualifying for the USAW American Open Finals, and more... Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss the recent 2024 New York State Weightlifting Championships and catch up on current events after some time off. Thank you for listening!
On this episode James and Miguel discuss Greg Glassman's "100 Words of Fitness", the Albany CrossFit Combine, Miguel's journey into Gymnastics, James's Swim meet, and being a multi-sport athlete.
On this episode James and Miguel discuss coaching CrossFit classes, weightlifting training, a recent Jon North & Donny Shankle seminar James attended, and the upcoming 2024 NYS Championships. Thanks for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James interview fellow Albany CrossFit members Abby McCann and Maria Baughn. Abby & Maria recently raced in the 2024 Crystal Lake Triathlon in Crystal Lake, NY and on the show we learn all about their experiences. Topics: : Abby & Maria Introductions. : Rapid Fire Questions : Starbucks or Dunkin? : Iced or Hot Cofee? : Whole Foods or Trader Joes? : Scary or Funny Movies? : Go to workout song? : Favorite barbell exercise? : Burpees or Assualt Bike? : Favorite type of workout? : Sports and training backgrounds before CrossFit. : Finding Albany CrossFit. : Lessons learned from CrossFit training? : Meaningful accomplishments. : What's a Triathlon and why do one? : Triathlon training. : Race day breakdown: the lead up, the swim, the bike, the run, and post race. : What's next? Thanks for listening!!
On this episode James and Miguel read and discuss part 2 of the CrossFit Journal article " Wait a Second: Perfecting the Jerk." Part 1 and 2 of the article was published on October 25th, 2016. It was written by Mike Warkentin based on an interview he did with Coach Mike Burgener - a longtime weightlifting coach and CrossFit Weightlifting subject matter expert. Click here to read Part 1: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/burg3-warkentin Click here to read Part 2: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/burg4-warkentin Click here to read "The Split Jerk: Start to Finish": http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_Jerk_Vaughn_FINAL.pdf Spinning Dancer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_dancer Lovchev CJ: https://www.instagram.com/p/-pXGveCkyy/?hl=en Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss and recap a lot of current events in the sporting world from the 2024 CrossFit Games to many sports in the 2024 Olympic Games.
On this episode Miguel and James discuss the 2024 Central New York Weightlifting Regional Open which took place on Saturday, August 3rd at the SONA gym with special guest Shaaf Syed and Frank Ford.
On this episode Miguel and James discuss the 2024 Olympic Games which started on Friday, July 26, 2024. Click here to view the weightlifting session guide: https://tinyurl.com/2024OLY Click here to view People's article on Olympic Sports and Zodiac signs: https://tinyurl.com/OLYZodiac
On this episode James and Miguel recap ACBC team performances from the ADK Series I weightlifting meet held by Aevitas Weightlifting in Roundlake, NY on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
On this episode James and Miguel read and discuss the CrossFit Journal article " Wait a Second: Perfecting the Jerk." Part 1 and 2 of the article was published on October 25th, 2016. It was written by Mike Warkentin based on an interview he did with Coach Mike Burgener - a longtime weightlifting coach and CrossFit Weightlifting subject matter expert. Click here to read Part 1: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/burg3-warkentin Click here to read Part 2: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/burg4-warkentin Click here to read "The Split Jerk: Start to Finish": http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_Jerk_Vaughn_FINAL.pdf Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss: - Competitive eating contest that went down over 4th of July weekend. - A social media experiment James is conducting. - The upcoming CrossFit and Olympic Games. - Thoughts on a fun meme involving sitting next to known CrossFit personalities during an 8 hour flight. Thanks for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James read and discuss the CrossFit Journal article titled "Training in the Heat" written by Bill Starr and published on May 1, 2018. Click here to read the article yourself: https://journal.crossfit.com/article/training-in-the-heat Additional Articles: Heat Acclimatization Study: https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/sse-153-heat-acclimatization-to-improve-athletic-performance-in-warm-hot-environments Benefits of Training in the Heat: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/surprising-benefits-training-heat/ Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James read and discuss the CrossFit Journal article titled "The Push-Up" written by Coach Greg Glassman and published on March 1, 2003. Click here to read the article yourself: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/07_03_Pushups.pdf Thank you for listening!
On this episode Miguel and James discuss their top 5 movie training scenes. Warning! Potential spoilers ahead!! Miguel's (@couldntbemiguel) Top 5: 1. Never Back Down. 2. Creed I & II. 3. Kung Fu Panda. 4. Hercules. 5. Mulan. James's (@jamesamcdermott) Top 5: 1. Heavyweights. 2. Ip Man. 3. Batman Begins. 4. Kill Bill Vol. 2. 5. The Empire Strikes Back. Thanks for listening!
On this episode James and Miguel discuss coaching classes and athletes. Topics Include: : Miguel coaching his biggest class yet. : Lesson planning vs. following a per-written plan. : Group management on complicated workouts. : Shaaf's 137 kg clean and jerk. : Having training goals vs. just going with the flow. : What's the hardest part of training? : Redlining in metcons. : Can training be too structured? : The pitfalls of "The CrossFit Open Mindset". : Asking vs. telling when coaching athletes. Follow Miguel: @couldntbemiguel Follow James: @jamesamcdermott Follow Albany CrossFit: @albanycrossfit Thanks for listening!
On this episode James and Miguel discuss their top 5 greatest sporting performances. Miguel's Top 5: Katie Ladecky's First Gold Medal Win: https://youtu.be/JHbNKX3VkIM?si Leon Edwards Becomes Champion: https://youtu.be/p_9G6qiKO5U?si Coco Gauff U.S. Open Win: https://youtu.be/PH6VpEfTMVQ?si= Yenny Alvarez 2022 World Championships: https://youtube.com/shorts/y_j59z60GxQ?si Kobe Bryant's Last Game: https://youtu.be/0uaQI7hMbxs?si James's Top 5: Olga Korbut's "Dead Loop" Routine: https://youtu.be/EDO3D_4ICVc?si Shane Hammond's 986 Pound Back Squat: https://youtu.be/rx-ZDam0eZw?si Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer 2008 Wimbledon: https://youtu.be/mHsg2M25PzY?si Illya Illin 2014 World Championships: https://youtu.be/va8Oxwg33TI?si Andre Agasso - U.S. Open Retirement: https://youtu.be/xqLfan0R0b8?si Follow Miguel: @couldntbemiguel Follow James: @jamesamcdermott Follow Albany CrossFit: @albanycrossfit Thanks for listening!
On this episode James and Miguel discuss coaching classes and athletes. Topics Include: : Recent coaching wins. : Recent coaching challenges. : Self-Analysis after coaching. : Being too hard on yourself vs. not hard enough in personal development. : Strategies for coaching busy classes. : Just for fun, sorting ACBC members into Harry Potter houses! Follow Miguel: @couldntbemiguel Follow James: @jamesamcdermott Follow Albany CrossFit: @albanycrossfit Thanks for listening!
On this episode James and Miguel discuss the upcoming Memorial Day Murph event that CrossFit gyms will be participating in all over the world. Topics Include: : An explanation of the workout. : The importance of Hero WODs. : Who's Murph? : Checking your ego and remembering the Why of the day and workout. : The events the lead to this annual CrossFit tradition. : Albany CrossFit's history with "Murph." : Training for Murph: Yes or No. : Scaling the workout. : Strategies for partitioning the reps. : Who should wear a weight vest? : Individual Murph experiences. : Advice on hydration, fueling, and preparing during the weekend. On Instagram: Follow Miguel: @couldntbemiguel Follow James: @jamesamcdermott Follow Albany CrossFit: @albanycrossfit Thanks for listening!
In this first episode to be posted to YouTube, James welcomes Caleb Nelson, host of the Naked Sunday Podcast, back to the show! Caleb discusses his new business: The Empowered Leader Project. He and James do a deep dive on the importance of communication in relationships, recognizing and overcoming burnout, rediscovering passion and purpose in life and fulfilling work, and spiritual fitness. Follow Caleb on Instagram: @lebinreallife. Follow Naked Sunday on Instagram: @nakedsundaystudios. Learn more about the Empowered Leader Project at www.nakedsundaystudios.com. Past episodes can be found Spotify & iTunes. Thank you for listening!
On this episode James introduces the show's first ever co-host, Albany CrossFit Barbell Club member, Miguel Porter! James and Miguel discuss the latest big competitions ACBC team members competing at the 2024 Arnold Classic (USAW NAO Series 1), the ADK Regional Open, and the ACBC 10 Year Anniversary. On Instagram: Follow Miguel: @couldntbemiguel Follow James: @jamesamcdermott Follow the Club: @albanycrossfitbarbellclub Follow the Show: @thebarbellstrikesback Thank you for listening!
On this episode James welcomes Renée Mihail back to the show! Renée is a member of the Albany CrossFit Barbell Club who is currently attending Yale Law School to become a lawyer. On the show Renée discusses pursuing her CrossFit Level 1 certificate, training in Denver, Colorado, her current major and goals while studying at Yale, the Sports Law class she took recently, the Ted Steven's Act and thoughts on how it applies to current events in weightlifting today, and many sports related cases and rulings that she's learned about. Follow Renée on Instagram: @rmmihail. Checkout Renée's lifting at @albanycrossfitbarbellclub. Thank you for listening! Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) | Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear | Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes | Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE
On this episode James welcomes Mike Micare back to the show! Mike is a member of the Albany CrossFit Barbell Club and on the show he discusses having surgery to correct his scoliosis, the recovery process from the surgery, getting jacked and super strong with his new back, his goals in weightlifting, bombing out at a competition, having a David Goggins mindset in life and weightlifting, his experiences traveling to the Philippines, his crazy diet, and much more! Listen to Mike's first appearance on the show: Spotify or Apple. Follow Mike on Instagram: @justmikestuff. Checkout Mike's lifting at @albanycrossfitbarbellclub. Thank you for listening! Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) | Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear | Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes | Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE
On this episode James welcomes Jennifer Howell-Clark to the show! Jennifer is a member of the Albany CrossFit Barbell Club and here we learn all about her and her insights into training. Jennifer discusses joining Albany CrossFit, switching from CrossFit to Weightlifting, staying motivated during hard training, her athletic history, competing vs. being a competitor, juggling a busy schedule and training, rowing on the water vs. an erg, advice she'd give herself if able to go back in time to day 1 of weightlifting, and much more! Follow Jennifer on Instagram: @micrograms_per_kilogram. Checkout Jennifer's lifting at @albanycrossfitbarbellclub. Thank you for listening! Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) | Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear | Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes | Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE
On this episode James welcomes Sara Soto to the show! Sara is an athlete rep for the New York WSO (Weightlifting State Organization), a member of the USA Weightlifting Board of Directors, and an IWF Category 2 Referee. Sara wears many hats in the sport of weightlifting and on the show she discusses: how she found the sport, volunteering and giving back to weightlifting, training and personal goals, WWE wrestling stories, favorite horror movies, the best advice she's been given, meaningful accomplishments in weightlifting, and so much more! Follow Sara on Instagram: @sarasotorep. Learn more about the NY WSO at www.nywso.com. Thank you for listening! Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) | Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear | Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes | Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE
On this episode James welcomes Josh Heller back to the show to continue their studying to prepare Josh for the CrossFit Level 3 examination. This time they discuss the CrossFit Journal article written by Greg Glassman titled "Fooling Around with Fran". James and Josh discuss this classic CrossFit benchmark workout and dive into some interesting calculations that can be done with benchmark data to figure out an athlete's power output along with some variations of Fran that might be interesting to take on at the gym. Read the article and join the study: Fooling Around with Fran. Level 3 Requirements & Handbook Level 3 Study Materials Thank you for listening! Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) | Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear | Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes | Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE
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