#388 Charlie Weingroff - Physical Therapy, Pain, Emotion, and MRIs

#388 Charlie Weingroff - Physical Therapy, Pain, Emotion, and MRIs

Author: Andrew Coates August 7, 2025 Duration: 57:57

Charlie Weingroff is a legendary Physical Therapist and Strength Coach who joins me to share his thoughts on:


-Issues with high volume physical therapy business models

-Helping people who have been told by a doctor not to lift weights due to pain and injury

-How to talk to people about their pain

-How pain is tied to emotion

-How pain works in the nervous system

-What ““We know that MRI’s don’t lie but they don’t always tell the whole story” means

-What is the interference effect and does it matter to your training?

-The prevalence of high level athletes who compete with some degree of manageable injury

-And much more

01:21 Discussion on Physical Therapy Practices

01:45 Critique of Commercial Physical Therapy

04:54 Importance of Effort in Physical Therapy

10:05 Strength and Conditioning in Physical Therapy

12:19 Approach to Back Pain and MRI

22:04 Empathy and Communication in Therapy

27:56 Understanding Pain Perception

29:27 The Role of Knowledge in Pain

30:32 Cultural and Environmental Influences on Pain

32:02 The Impact of Diagnosis and Communication

33:12 Pain Management Strategies

44:36 The Interference Effect in Training

I’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into making these new episodes valuable for you. You can help me get these great guests and their knowledge in front of more people by:

-Subscribing and checking out more episodes

-Sharing on your social media (please tag me - I promise I’ll respond)

-Sharing with the friend you think of who needs this episode

Follow Andrew Coates:Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@andrewcoatesfitness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join My Email List:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.andrewcoatesfitness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get the RP App at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rpstrength.com/coates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use the code COATESRP

Use Code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS to save 10% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://justbitememeals.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Use MacrosFirst for tracking nutrition ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.macrosfirst.com/⁠⁠

Go to www.knkg.com/Andrew59676 for 15% off your KNKG bag.


Andrew Coates hosts Lift Free And Diet Hard, a conversation grounded in the belief that strength and wellness are built on more than just routines. This podcast moves beyond quick fixes to examine the principles and personal stories that shape a sustainable, intentional life. You’ll hear from a variety of inspiring guests who share not only their expertise but also the real-world challenges and triumphs they’ve faced. The discussions naturally weave together the science of fitness with the practicalities of daily choices, offering a nuanced look at what it means to truly care for your physical and mental health. Each episode is designed to provide actionable insights you can use to navigate your own path, fostering resilience and confidence whether you're in the gym or the kitchen. By focusing on informed decision-making over dogma, the Lift Free And Diet Hard podcast becomes a resource for anyone looking to cut through the noise of wellness culture. Andrew facilitates these explorations with a focus on empowerment, ensuring every conversation adds a layer of understanding to the complex journey of building a strong, healthy life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates
Podcast Episodes
#452 Elizabeth Davies - Training For Your Old Lady Body [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:29
Elizabeth Davies is the author of Training For Your Old Lady Body and famous for the quote:“Training for my summer body? Fuck no. I’m training for my old lady body. Dense bones, strong muscles, a healthy heart, good bala…
#451 Sheridan Skye - Is Resistance Training Safe During Pregnancy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:45
Sheridan Skye is a pre-and postnatal coaching specialist and educator and joins me to share her expertise about:Is resistance training safe for pregnant womenDo mom and baby have better outcomes when the mother works out…
#449 Gareth Sapstead - How To Transform Your Physique and Your Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:58
Gareth Sapstead, my long time T-Nation writing peer joins me to talk about his new book (which I contributed to) and share wisdom and experience about:-Where to start if you look in the mirror and you’re not happy with w…
#445 Susan Niebergall - Strong Instead of Skinny [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:41
Susan Niebergall - author and one of the most visible female fitness authorities in the industry - returns to share her wisdom on aging, strength, recovery, metabolism, and redefining what women should strive for physica…
#444 Nick Shaw - Where “Science Based Lifting” Went Wrong [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:39
Nick Shaw — CEO of RP Strength, author, and IFBB Pro Bodybuilder — returns to the show to discuss how the “science-based lifting” space evolved from education into competing ideologies.In this episode, Nick and Andrew br…