Meet the Barbell Rehab Team
Dr. Michael Mash
DPT, CSCS, BRM, SFMA, FMS
Founder/Owner
Hi, I’m Dr. Michael! I’m a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the owner and founder of Barbell Rehab. I help fitness and rehab professionals improve the management of their clients dealing with pain. I received my Doctor of Physical Therapy from Duquesne University in 2016, Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Vincent College in 2014, and have been an NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS) since 2015 as well.
I spent the first three years of my career working with thousands of older adults, teaching them the benefits of multi-joint compound movements for strength, power, and longevity. I’ve taught more people over the age of 70 how to squat, deadlift, and landmine press than I can even count!
Through my expertise with prescribing and modifying compound exercises for older adults, and my experience helping barbell athletes overcome pain through my cash-based Physical Therapy business, I created the Barbell Rehab Method Certification, a 2-day live course that teaches fitness and rehab professionals a step-by-step approach for how to safely work with clients in pain.
Since September 2019, my team and I have taught over 140 of these live courses at various locations all through the United States, Canada, and Europe including world-class facilities like Kabuki Strength, Under Armour Global Headquarters, and Onnit Gym.
So far to date, over 2,800 fitness and rehab professionals have gone through our course and are now out there in the world helping their clients continue to safely train in the presence of pain. To learn more about Barbell Rehab and our mission, please click here.
Cristian Vasquez
PTA, BRM
Director of Media & Operations
Meet Cristian! Cristian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas Tech University and later became a Physical Therapist Assistant after graduating from Tarrant County College. His passion for rehabilitation was ignited during his time at a sports medicine clinic owned by the head physician of the Texas Rangers, where he gained invaluable experience and a deep interest in evidence-based treatment approaches. It was also there that he developed a newfound appreciation for strength training, recognizing its vital role in both rehabilitation and enhancing sports performance.
As part of the Barbell Rehab team, Cristian helps create and edit content for our social media channels, including managing the podcast. He also contributes to a variety of creative projects, including designing materials and handling background tasks for our live courses. On top of that, he's diving into videography to bring even more engaging content to life.
Outside of work, Cristian is a proud father to two energetic boys, just 18 months apart. They certainly keep him busy, but he loves creating fitness content with them by his side. His goal is for them to grow up seeing fitness as a fun, natural part of life, rather than something to be dreaded.
Looking ahead, Cristian plans to earn his Strength and Conditioning Certification in the near future, with big goals to continue blending his passions for rehab, lifting, and content creation.
Dr. Miles Nicholas
PT, DPT, CSCS, BRM
- BRM Course Instructor
- Co-creator of Principles of Musculoskeletal Management
Miles graduated from Northeastern University in 2019, earning both his Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Rehabilitation Science. During his undergraduate program he completed the Concentration in Sports, Strength and Conditioning in addition to dual-minors in Exercise Science and Psychology. He has held the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification (CSCS) through the NSCA since 2019, previously working as an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) between 2015-2018. He has undergone further education through Plus Plyos and the EXOS Performance Specialist (XPS) curriculum in order to better integrate coaching and programming of plyometrics, sprinting, and multi-directional speed. Miles is the co-creator of our Principles of Musculoskeletal Management online course.
Miles’ clinical interests include working with overhead athletes (baseball, tennis, volleyball etc.), field/court sport athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and active older adults. His treatment philosophy involves the utilization of education, activity modification, and goal-directed movement or exercise to assist each individual in achievement of meaningful goals. He incorporates strength and conditioning principles into each client's rehabilitation, as indicated, to ensure that each individual is physically prepared for the demands of their goal-activities. He makes every effort to treat each client holistically, with an evidence-based approach.
Outside of the clinic, Miles enjoys resistance training, skiing, hiking, running, and spending time with his wife, Lillie, and dog, Birdie.
Dr. Ben Geierman
PT, DPT, CSCS, BRM
- BRM Course Instructor
- Co-creator of Principles of Musculoskeletal Management
- Host of the Barbell Rehab Podcast
- Author of Research Roundup Email Newsletter
Dr. Benjamin Geierman graduated in 2019 with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Chatham University and in 2017 from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Exercise Science. He also earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the NSCA in 2017.
Ben is known by his peers as a passionate “pain nerd” and enjoys consuming a borderline irresponsible amount of literature on the dynamic and multifactorial experience of pain. He especially enjoys working with folks experiencing persistent spine and extremity pain along with guiding active individuals experiencing everyday aches and pains back to their valued activities. He is a long time hockey and fitness enthusiast and enjoys getting on the ice and in the gym recreationally as often as possible.
Along with Dr. Miles, Dr. Ben is the co-creator of Principles of Musculoskeletal Management and also the author of our Research Roundup Email Newsletter series.
Dr. Hays Estes
PT, DPT, MHA, OCS, USAW, BRM
- BRM Course Instructor
- Creator of Weightlifting Fundamentals Online Course
- Co-creator of The Barbell Rehab Weightlifting Certification
Dr. Hays graduated from the University of Florida in 2012 with his Doctorate of Physical Therapy, and he graduated longer ago than he cares to remember from The Pennsylvania State University with his B.S. in Biology. He is an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Additionally, he has been a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach since 2018 and previously held his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.
Hays is the owner of Premier Physical Therapy in Clearwater, FL, and his clinical interests are barbell athletes (CrossFitters and powerlifters) and high school athletes. One of Hays’s professors at UF was on the forefront of pain science education, so Hays finds a way to overcome fear of movement with his patients using concepts of graded exercise and exposure. His goal in the clinic is to get all of his athletes lifting a weight and back in the gym as soon as safely possible by incorporating their desired lifts in their rehabilitation.
Hays is the creator of Weightlifting Fundamentals, one of our CEU-approved self-paced online courses. He has competed in local amateur Strongman competitions and is an avid golfer, competing in local leagues. His goal is to provide an example of “lift for life” for his patients and his children.
Dr. Sophia Veiras
PT, DPT, BRM
- BRM Course Instructor
- Creator of Unique Considerations for the Female Barbell Athlete
Sophia graduated from Northeastern University in 2015, earning both her Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Rehabilitation Science with a minor in Psychology. Following graduation, Sophia continued her formal education through Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies, earning her Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
Since then, Sophia has continued to develop her knowledge through a variety of courses and seminars with emphasis on strength training, women’s health, and psychological aspects of injury, pain, and rehabilitation. With her expertise, Dr. Sophia created Unique Considerations for the Female Barbell Athlete, an online course that teaches how to safely strength train women through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond!
While pursuing her degree at Northeastern, Sophia participated on the NU club wrestling and club powerlifting teams. She achieved All-American honors within each sport, winning a national championship as a wrestler and world championship as a powerlifter. She continues to train, compete, coach, and volunteer within the sport of powerlifting at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Sophia’s clinical interests include working with strength athletes, females, and bridging the gap between injury and return to performance. Sophia’s treatment philosophy involves empowering individuals through education, activity modification, graded exposure and progressive loading to accomplish individual’s goals. She incorporates strength and conditioning principles as well as behavioral strategies to ensure that individuals are able to handle the physical and psychological constraints of their demands.
Dr. Susie Spirlock
PT, DPT, BRM
- BRM Course Instructor
Dr. Susie Spirlock is a coach, physical therapist, and movement optimist who brings an incredibly unique approach to both training and physical therapy practice. She believes that strength training IS rehab when it comes to treating pain and overcoming injury. Education and authenticity are at the center of what she does. People love her research-backed brain gains that they can confidently apply to their own training. Clients & colleagues love working with Susie, often describing her as quirky & fun, yet undeniably knowledgeable.
Susie earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2016 followed by her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University in 2020. She practiced in an outpatient orthopedic clinic for the first 3 years after DPT school, and then transitioned to all remote rehab and fitness coaching after launching her business, Move Your Bones LLC, in 2022. She has recreationally been lifting weights for the past 7 years with a training style incorporating powerlifting, bodybuilding, and multi-planar movements.
Within her education and certifications, Susie has developed particular expertise in human movement, training principles, and program design. She uses this knowledge to train clients online, helping hundreds of women get confident under the barbell, navigate injury, and fall in love with strength training.
When she’s not in the gym, you can find her snuggling or walking her two dogs, Winnie & Mowgli, watering her 37 houseplants, creating content for social media, or escaping to the mountains for a long hike!
Dr. Derick Luu
DC, BRM
- BRM Course Instructor
Dr. Derick Luu is a chiropractor, powerlifter, and passionate educator dedicated to helping clients unlock their fullest potential through education and strength training. With a personal journey of overcoming chronic low back pain, Derick empowers his clients by blending research-backed knowledge with practical applications to manage pain and enhance performance.
Derick earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from York University, followed by his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. He is currently pursuing a research-based Master’s in Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. His experience includes working with interdisciplinary rehab teams in hospital settings and running an online practice that specializes in pain management for powerlifters.
In addition to his clinical expertise, Derick brings impressive lifting achievements to the table. He won 1st place at the 2023 Canadian National Powerlifting Championships and represented Team Canada at the 2023 IPF World Classic Championships in Malta. His best competition lifts include a 491 lbs squat, 358 lbs bench press, and 585 lbs deadlift at a bodyweight of just 145 lbs.
Outside of the clinic and the gym, Derick has a love for specialty coffee brewing. His current favorite? A washed Columbia Granja Pariso 92 by Wilton Bentinez. We’re thrilled to have Dr. Derick Luu as our first-ever Canadian instructor, and we can’t wait to see him take our Canadian courses to the next level!
Dr. Jessie Czarnecki
PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, USAW-L1, CF-L2
- Co-creator of The Barbell Rehab Weightlifting Certification
Dr. Jessie Czarnecki is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with extensive expertise in CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting. She also holds her CF-L2 and USAW-L1 certifications. Having sustained numerous injuries herself, Jessie’s personal and professional journey fuels her unwavering commitment to helping athletes of all levels reclaim a life of boundless athletic potential.
With a background in both coaching and competing, Jessie has witnessed firsthand how the limitations of the medical model can hinder an athlete’s empowerment to return to weightlifting. She believes that as coaches and providers, we hold a unique opportunity to guide athletes beyond pain, rebuild resilience, and help them achieve success in strength sports. Athletes need someone in their corner who not only understands the complexities of returning to high-intensity training and weightlifting but also empowers them every step of the way.
Jessie is the creator of the Barbell Rehab Weightlifting Certification, a course designed to equip coaches and clinicians with effective strategies to help manage pain in athletes who train weightlifting movements. The course focuses on improving mechanical efficiency, restoring strength and mobility, and guiding athletes back to the sport they love with confidence.
When she’s not coaching or teaching, you’ll find Jessie inspiring others with her passion for fitness and her dedication to helping athletes unlock their true potential. She is thrilled to bring this certification to life and empower professionals to guide their athletes to unparalleled success.
Our Mission
Dr. Michael discovered the power of barbell training long before becoming a physical therapist. At just 18, he competed in his first powerlifting competition, only to face shoulder surgery shortly after due to a lingering baseball injury. Experiencing the physical and emotional toll of injury firsthand ignited his passion to help others recover, optimize their programming, and refine their technique to overcome setbacks and achieve their full potential. But how could he make the biggest impact? By equipping the coaches and clinicians who work with these individuals every day.
At Barbell Rehab, our mission is simple yet powerful: to unite fitness and rehab professionals to better manage clients dealing with pain or discomfort. Too often, healthcare providers hesitate to refer their patients to personal trainers post-rehabilitation, fearing their progress might be “undone.” Meanwhile, fitness professionals can feel uneasy referring clients to healthcare providers, worried they’ll be told to stop lifting altogether. We’re here to bridge that gap. By fostering collaboration between rehab and fitness pros, we aim to reduce overmedicalization and prevent unnecessary surgeries, empowering clients to stay active and strong.
Currently, only 23% of U.S. adults meet the physical activity guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Musculoskeletal pain is one of the biggest barriers to physical activity and strength training. Many people mistakenly believe that pain means they should stop moving and rest completely. While older approaches may have encouraged rest, research now shows that movement and exercise are some of the best tools we have for managing pain. Pain doesn’t always indicate damage, and understanding this shift in perspective is crucial for helping people stay active.
This is where Barbell Rehab comes in. Through our live and online continuing education courses, we teach fitness and healthcare professionals how to coach and modify barbell exercises for clients with pain. These professionals—personal trainers, strength coaches, physical therapists, and athletic trainers—play a vital role in promoting lifelong strength training. By empowering them to make exercises more accessible and comfortable, we can help keep more people moving, lifting, and thriving for life.
We are also committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all professionals and clients. At Barbell Rehab, everyone deserves access to movement and strength, regardless of background, identity, or ability. Our Inclusivity & Anti-Discrimination Policy outlines our commitment to creating a welcoming space where fitness and rehab professionals can learn and grow together, free from discrimination or bias.