In classic Iron Culture throwback style, it’s just Omar and Dr. Helms on this one, while the leader of Trex-topia is away at a conference. Omar and Eric give you the classic banter you love, go over reviews, and even engage in an off-the-cuff discussion of the health at every size movement. Then, they get to the meat of the conversation, a recent paper published on whether or not a lumbopelvic movement screen can predict back pain in powerlifters. What can this study teach us about the links between pain, injury, and movement in powerlifting? Tune in to find out! 00:00 Intro to Omar’s bulk and Eric’s end-stage recovery 02:30 The power hour duo episode and reviewing reviews 12:00 The obesity epidemic Iron Culture Ep. 146- What The Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About The Obesity Epidemic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfAbKeiAuII  Iron Culture Ep. 147- What The Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About The Obesity Epidemic Pt 2 (ft. Spencer Nadolsky) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ1uXpyuu94  30:20 On to the topic: paradigm shifts in pain science Iron Culture Ep. 33- Pain Science, Injury & Rehab (Barbell Medicine/Clinical Athlete/3DMJ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-S8nThxpqY  Pomarensky 2022 Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Through a Biopsychosocial Lens https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35439311/  Kamper 2014 Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25180773/  42:00 Breaking down the study: the chicken or the egg? Larsson 2024 Lumbopelvic movement control in powerlifters with and without low back pain https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38070289/   Luomajoki 2008 Movement control tests of the low back; evaluation of the difference between patients with low back pain and healthy controls https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19108735/ Weyrauch 2015 Association between rotation-related impairments and activity type in people with and without low back pain https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25933914/  Spence 2023 Range of Motion Predicts Performance in National-Level New Zealand Male Powerlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36515597/  58:34 The end of the first power hour and Eric’s final thoughts

You’ve seen Iron Culture MASScasts before, but none quite like this.   In this very special episode of Iron Culture, we’re co-publishing the most recent episode of MASS Office Hours, which is a live podcast run by the good people over at the MASS Research Review (Dr. Eric Trexler, Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Mike Zourdos, and soon-to-be-doctor Lauren Colenso-Semple). The MASS crew does this live (and totally free) Q&A every Wednesday night on YouTube. They also offer episodes to all major podcast platforms so you can catch the replay at your convenience.   In this episode of MASS Office Hours, Dr. Eric Trexler and Dr. Mike Zourdos answer questions submitted by listeners and viewers in the live chat. Topics include response variation, individualizing training, movement screens, rest days, protein intake recommendations and consistency across the week, the interference effect, exercise variation and joint pain, muscle and strength loss during deloads, volume cycling and “resensitization,” the effects of alcohol on metabolism and body composition, the pros and cons of caffeine, and much more.   If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to their channel on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform!     Time stamps:    0:00 Introduction 6:32 Response variation and individualizing training prescriptions. 27:36 Using movement screens to assess capability or injury risk 34:23 Doing a little bit of exercise on a “rest” day 39:10 Protein intake recommendations and consistency across the week. 51:23 Rucking and the interference effect 57:37 Exercise variation and joint pain 1:07:06 Muscle and strength loss during deloads 1:12:25 Volume cycling and “resensitization” 1:22:31 Effects of alcohol on metabolism and body composition. 1:27:42 Recommendations from Eric’s bookshelf 1:30:49 The pros and cons of caffeine

The trinity is reunited for the first time in 2024, with the Erics joining Omar for what is absolutely a monster episode. We tackle head-on the rise of antiscience in lifting. Currently, attacking exercise or nutrition science in your title or reel is an easy clickbait win for content creators, and you’ll get bonus points via likes, shares, subscriptions, follows and positive comments if you also manage an appeal to what serious lifters “have always known”. Why is this occurring? Is this even a problem? Is it a good thing because those in the exercise and nutrition science ivory towers are so out of touch? If it is a problem, does it lie with science itself, how science communication occurs, or perhaps the expectations put on science? In this episode we discuss all this and more, and it gets spicy! 00:00 Erics… The benefits of living in New Zealand and reading two monster reviews 12:32 Clickbait titles and the anti-exercise science brigade 25:08 The historical perspective 32:26 A monster monster episode: common knowledge of today and where this understanding has come from 45:16 Defining the exercise science field and the origins of sport and exercise science 49:15 The replication crisis 52:06 Science communication and misinformation 1:02:23 Improvements in science: accounting for variables and variation 1:09:21 The gravitation towards short-form content and how science has evolved to address its limitations 1:15:08 The scientist and the consumer: the need for science communication and what needs to be done 1:32:31 The bad actors in science communicators and how scientists apply the research 1:40:54 Takeaways for the listener/consumer  Iron Culture Ep. 256- The Challenge of Science Communication (ft. Layne Norton) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wKS3n_6TgY 1:48:47 It’s a personality thing… and the one hour vacation for Helms

In our third interview following the 2023 natural bodybuilding season, we sit down with another historic champion with a truly outlier series of performances. This time, Australian phenom Beccy Pateman joined the Erics on Iron Culture to discuss her season, which culminated not only in her winning her WNBF pro card in both Figure and Fit Body, but also winning the WNBF pro world fit body title. As we’ve discussed, for an athlete to turn pro in the WNBF and win a pro world title in the same season is incredibly rare. Further, the weekend prior to WNBF worlds, Beccy won the Professional Natual Olympia Figure title in the INBA/PNBA. Winning two world titles, relatively early in one’s career, in two different federations, and in two different divisions nonetheless, is an even more incredible feat, which only a handful of athletes have ever done in the history of natural bodybuilding. Indeed, the athletes who have done so have, in most cases, gone on to become legends of natural bodybuilding. How did Beccy do it? What did it take for her to get to this point in her career and what is in store for her? Join us to find out!

Layne Norton and Eric Helms have some similarities in their areas of interest and expertise as well as their career paths. However, they have different personalities and distinct approaches to science communication. That’s what makes this one on one discussion between Eric and Layne interesting and relevant. Each approach has its pros and cons in terms of reach, impact, and effectiveness. Dr Layne Norton joins Iron Culture for the first time in this episode to candidly discuss the importance and challenges of science communication in the modern age where good information is abundant, but good interpretation is sparse. There is a lot to think about in this interview for both content creators and consumers, so make sure to tune in!

Natalie Hays did what no natural bodybuilder has ever done before. Not only did she win her OCB pro card, to then go on and win the Yorton Cup pro title, but she also then won the Ms. America pro title, and then the WNBF Amateur World title to secure her WNBF pro card…but not satisfied, the next day she competed in the WNBF Pro Worlds, and won the professional women’s bodybuilding title as well. Without any qualifiers, this series of wins at the biggest shows in natural bodybuilding is unprecedented and downright incredible. But, consider that she did this in her very first season competing! In this episode the Erics sit down with Natalie to talk through her historic competitive season and learn just how unique she is, both in her psychology and relentless dedication to her craft, but also in her physiology. Further, like other young champions of late, we learn how she was patient in her decision to eventually step on stage, and was awarded immensely. This is not one to miss for bodybuilding fans! 00:00 We got the intro right and introducing Natalie Iron Culture Ep. 253- 2023 Lightweight WNBF Pro World Champion Dirk Emmerich https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGapMQFeznA 05:39 Natalie’s prep and first show experience 22:34 Moving into the natural circuit 27:05 Judging criteria and expectations 36:51 Comparing the atmosphere of shows  50:14 Finishing the season and obsessing over bodybuilding 1:00:01 Reflecting on the moments 1:09:14 WNBF Worlds 1:17:56 Self-coaching 1:23:36 Being ready to compete and embracing the lifestyle 1:38:30 Getting on-stage and knowing if bodybuilding is for you 1:42:48 Competing in the Natural Olympia, what’s next for Natalie and where to find her Instagram: @nph_fit https://www.instagram.com/nph_fit YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@nataliehays5037

Happy Holidays cultists! We sincerely thank you all for joining us every week to explore the history, science and culture of the iron and we look forward to doing it more in 2024! In this episode, Omar and Helms discuss fat burners: supplements that supposedly enhance fat loss either by increasing energy expenditure and/or by blunting hunger and reducing energy intake. You’ve probably seen dozens marketed over the years if you’ve been around the fitness industry for any decent length of time, but do they actually work? In this episode we discuss the science of fat burners. A recent study coming out of none other than Dr. Grant Tinsley’s lab showed that a commercially available thermogenesis fat burner did seem to do something, but how meaningful it was and whether it actually would lead to fat loss is up for debate. Finally, we discuss where the data lies broadly on this whole class of supplements. 00:00 Not off to the best start… Fuelling conspiracy theories and reviewing reviews 11:31 Getting into the topic of fat burners Siedler 2023 Chronic Thermogenic Dietary Supplement Consumption: Effects on Body Composition, Anthropometrics, and Metabolism https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38004200/ 22:05 The ingredients in the “matrix” and individual variation in energy expenditure 33:02 The curious Eric Helms case: REE, BF%, and fat burners during prep 41:00 Other fat burners on the market and the effects of caffeine Panek-Shirely 2018 Caffeine Transiently Affects Food Intake at Breakfast https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30033159/ Tabrizi 2019 The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30335479/ 52:07 Interpreting meta-analyses in the area  Golzarand 2018 Effect of green tea, caffeine and capsaicin supplements on the anthropometric indices: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618301415  Clark 2021 Comparing effectiveness of fat burners and thermogenic supplements to diet and exercise for weight loss and cardiometabolic health: Systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33427571/ 1:01:41 Closing out with some take homes Ludy 2012 The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-analyses of Studies in Humans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22038945/

We are joined today by pro natural bodybuilding world champion Dirk Emmerich. Dirk is one of the many emerging stars of the newest era of competitive natural bodybuilding. In 2021, in his very first bodybuilding season, he made history. He won his WNBF pro card in the most impressive way possible, by not only winning his class at WNBF Worlds but then - as a bantamweight - he won the WNBF world overall amateur bodybuilding title, the first bantamweight ever in the then 32-year history of WNBF Worlds to do so. This year, Dirk made just as much of an impact in his pro debut as he did in his bodybuilding debut, as he medalled in multiple pro shows, including winning the pro lightweight WNBF Valhalla title. Finally, his season culminated in winning the WNBF Pro Worlds Lightweight title in the largest lightweight pro class in history, consisting of 16 competitors. How did he do it? What type of planning, mentality, talent, and coaching does it take to be so successful in your debut seasons as an amateur and professional bodybuilder? Join us to learn what went into these historic rookie seasons.

The Great Competition, 1901, Royal Albert Hall, London…this was the birthplace of modern bodybuilding. The one and only Eugen Sandow managed to persevere through multiple years of war, logistical setbacks, and a political and cultural climate that viewed physique displays as potentially indecent, sometimes immoral, and at worst, as illegal pornography, to host the first championship bodybuilding show to find the “best built man in Britain and Ireland”. To even compete, entrants had to place top three in a full series of regional qualifiers where hundreds upon hundreds of athletes battled against one another in the years prior. Further, to even enter these regional qualifiers, entrants had to send in their pictures to Eugen Sandow’s magazine for initial screening. The eventual championship in 1901 was truly a spectacle. Nearly ten thousand attendees packed Royal Albert Hall to the brim, an astonishing number that rivals the attendance of any modern bodybuilding competition…even the Olympia. Indeed, this historic event reverberates into the modern era, as modern Olympia winners receive “the Sandow”, a replica of the trophy given to the third-place winner of The Great Competition. In this episode, we’re joined by Marcus Kment, a filmmaker, physical culturist, and amateur historian, who recently produced an excellent documentary on the Great Competition and the athletes who competed in it to discuss its significance and their story. Additionally, he’s joined by our very own Dr. Conor Heffernan who consulted on this project. Join us to learn about this jaw-dropping history, as once again, history proves stranger than fiction! Barbell Films YouTube & IG: @barbellfilms

We’re back. We’re so back (except for Dr. Trexler, he’s sick …but he will be so back). Omar is getting his body composition tested in July and he has publicly guaranteed that he’s going to have increased his lean mass by then. Likewise, Dr. Helms just publicly announced his monogamous commitment to bodybuilding and his push to become a pro champion now that he’s turned pro. How are these not-so-spring chickens going to do it? More importantly for you dear listener, how are you going to do it if you’ve been in the game a while? It’s a complex question, requiring us to define what advanced even means, to understand whether there actually is such a thing as a “natural limit”, both technically and functionally, and to understand the complexity of such an assessment. Does it apply to your whole physique, or is it body part specific? Is there a limit on your muscle mass that is universal, or does it differ at various levels of body fat? More so, one must figure out what tools we even have to assess one’s proximity to your natural potential and also how to assess diagnosis, and ultimately overcome plateaus. It’s a lot! But don’t worry, we get into all of it!

The good Doctors Eric are still figuring out how to start episodes without Omar, and let’s just say it’s off to a rough start. But to their credit, they went on to deliver a monster episode even if Omar wasn’t there to officially dub it so. In this conversation, Dr. Helms recaps the amazing battles and historic performances that took place at WNBF Worlds on Nov 18-19, where he participated as both a coach and athlete. Then, Dr. Trexler and he cover a couple of relevant and interesting research papers, the first, covered by Dr. Helms explores the “whys” underlying the motivations competitive bodybuilders have to live the life they lead. The second, covered by Dr. Trexler, explores the often-repeated claim that when you diet, you’ll lose ~25% of your weight as lean mass. Is this true? And if it is, for whom and in what circumstances?

It’s hard to explain to those who haven’t competed what it is about bodybuilding that can grip people and transform them. The near-spiritual experiences that some physique athletes gain through prep and competition are something shared regardless of division, federation, natural, or enhanced. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mike Israetel, not to talk sports science like you're used to, but to talk about what lies at the heart of the sport. Mike has been pushing forward through multiple seasons in his attempt to become an IFBB pro bodybuilder, an incredibly challenging feat that requires tremendous sacrifice and drive. What fuels a journey like that? What does a competitor experience - highs and lows? What do they learn, and how do they change? You might be surprised as well, that despite the different paths Dr. Helms and Dr. Israetel took as competitors, that at the heart of their experience lie many similar threads. Join us in this episode as they discuss the spirit of bodybuilding.

Leucine had a good run. It’s been nearly two decades at the top, with the result being that even a casually aware meat head can explain that the muscle building quality of a protein source is tied, at least in part, to its leucine content and that you should probably consume protein sources with high leucine content and spread protein feedings evenly throughout your day. Further, if you just so happen to run into a full blown evidence-based meat head in the wild, be ready for them to start throwing phrases at you at like “muscle protein synthesis”, “leucine trigger”, and “refractory period.” But, times are changing. A recent meta-analysis is casting doubt on the relationship between leucine and muscle protein synthesis in lifters. Now they’re saying leucine is done, saying leucine has no chance. Is that true? Join us in this episode as we do a deep dive on this new paper, what it means, and how to reconcile mechanistic and applied data when they seem to diverge. 00:00 Sexual health (and reading reviews) with the Erics Iron Culture Ep. 246- Why Bulking Is NOT The Answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeEAH9X-cV0 MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/  09:52 A comprehensive break down of the leucine research  Wilkinson 2023 Association of postprandial postexercise muscle protein synthesis rates with dietary leucine: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37537134/ 33:26 Interpretating and applying mechanistic and applied research Pikosky 2008 Increased protein maintains nitrogen balance during exercise-induced energy deficit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18379214/ 44:30 The current protein landscape in social media fitness and shifting the consensus in the community 52:31 Exploring the boundaries of “optimal” (the two meal per day vegan diet) 58:41 Boundaries of interpretation: the final takeaway

This episode almost didn’t happen. With Omar away, the Erics left to figure out how to do an episode of Iron Culture on their own, and nearly got stuck waiting forever for someone to say “Eric.” But, cooler heads prevailed and they found their way into a thoughtful, introspective, and nostalgic conversation. While both Trexler and Helms ended up taking very similar paths in life when you look at the outcome - competitive bodybuilders with PhDs in exercise related fields who communicate science, their motivations and perspectives are actually quite unique. In this episode you’ll learn to how someone can find themself competing in the wacky sport/art we call bodybuilding, and what that experience can become, in terms of a cathartic outlet, a personal identity, a career, or even a science experiment. The meaning, in something as odd as flexing in posing trunks on stage, can be quite impactful, and quite personal. So tune in to this episode to learn about the personal history of and the meaning found in both Erics’ competitive journeys.

“Gotta eat big to get big brother!” “It’s the off-season man, I’m on that SEE-food diet, heheh ya feel me?!!” It’s been like this for decades in the muscle building world, and there’s a ton of anecdotes that you gotta eat enough to grow. Certainly, we can’t build muscle out of thin air. But given the modern understanding that body recomposition - at least in novice and early stage intermediate lifters who aren’t too lean - is actually quite normal, how much do you really have to eat? In this episode Omar interviews Eric Helms who just published a study on this very topic with surprising results. Is it really true that eating at maintenance is just as good as a small and large surplus for strength and muscle gain? Tune in to find out. 00:00 …It happened (intro to a power episode) The Truth About Getting Lean: It's Not JUST About Calories (ft. Eric Helms) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnTHQafSh7A  https://raskolapparel.com/ 8:38 The weight gain study: breaking down the methods Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372871560_Effect_of_Small_and_Large_Energy_Surpluses_on_Strength_Muscle_and_Skinfold_Thickness (link and title will be updated upon publication) 19:06 The findings and its interpretation 28:40 Applications for coaches Schoenfeld 2017 Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/  Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645/ Iron Culture Ep. 229- Is Failure More Important Than Volume For Hypertrophy (ft. Dr. Zourdos & Zac Robinson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C_48z5Cplg Robinson 2023 https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/295  40:40 Skinfold thickness vs muscle thickness changes Garthe Effect of nutritional intervention on body composition and performance in elite athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23679146/  48:53 Assessing an individual’s genetic potential Rozenek 2002 Effects of high-calorie supplements on body composition and muscular strength following resistance training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12094125/  Smith 2021 Predicting Adaptations to Resistance Training Plus Overfeeding Using Bayesian Regression: A Preliminary Investigation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33919267/ 58:53 Adjusting your training and Eric’s reflections 1:05:39 Conclusions from the study and closing out (we are interdimensional) 

It’s Eric-ception folks. Today, we put to bed two controversies. Not only the controversy as to whether or not Eric Trexler is vat-grown, as he seems to have at least SOME pop-culture knowledge, but also the controversy of whether or not Eric Trexler and Eric Helms are actually the same person. The last two episodes renewed this conspiracy theory due to the occurrence of the “new” host Eric Trexler being on the last two episodes, while Eric Helms conveniently could not be on at the same time. Well folks, this episode, both Erics are here, and boy do they deliver. Dr. Trexler does a deep dive on the topic of BMI, which has come under substantial fire in recent times due to its shortcomings as a useful clinical metric. But should we abandon it completely? What can BMI tell us? What can’t it tell us? And, how should it be used, if at all, moving forward? And, where do we find the middle ground between advocacy and scientific accuracy? Tune in to find out! 00:00 Introduction to the holy trifecta and Eric’s return 21:20 The background of BMI and metabolically healthy obesity https://massresearchreview.com/ Marcus 2023 Metabolically Healthy Obesity Is a Misnomer: Components of the Metabolic Syndrome Linearly Increase with BMI as a Function of Age and Gender https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37237531/ 40:00 The value of this research from a sociological lens 46:43 Limitations and criticisms of BMI Xu 2018 Association of Obesity With Mortality Over 24 Years of Weight History: Findings From the Framingham Heart Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646366/ Iron Culture Ep. 146- What The Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About The Obesity Epidemic  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfAbKeiAuII 1:04:55 Goal orientation: changing health behaviours vs reducing BMI Oscarsson 2020 A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33296385/ 1:25:36 Closing out another monster episode Omar @omarisuf https://www.instagram.com/omarisuf/ www.raskolapparel.com Helms @helms3dmj https://www.instagram.com/helms3dmj/ https://3dmusclejourney.com/  Trexler @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/ https://trexlerfitness.com/

The new co-host of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler, is back with another (monster) episode. In this episode we take a look at everyone's favorite hormone, testosterone.  Specially, Dr. Trexler examines the role of maconutrient changes on testosterone levels. How does fat & carbohydrate intake impact a person's testosterone? We also explore body composition differences and how this can have an even larger impact on one's testosterone. Lastly after sharing the not so pleasant realities of dieting and experiencing low testosterone symptoms, Eric shares key points for maintaining a healthy level of testosterone. 00:00 Reading comments: the people know what they like (Eric) Iron Culture Ep. 243- It's Not JUST About Calories (ft. Eric Trexler) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrDV1yADIiQ  10:07 Dietary/macronutrient modifications to support or boost testosterone levels Whittaker 2021 Low-fat diets and testosterone in men: Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33741447/ Whittaker 2022 Low-carbohydrate diets and men's cortisol and testosterone: Systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35254136/ Smith 2022 Examining the effects of calorie restriction on testosterone concentrations in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34613412/ 24:53 Interpreting the effects of protein on testosterone during carbohydrate restriction 32:34 Relationship between adiposity and testosterone 41:19 When does testosterone start to drop? Keys 1952 Biology of Human Starvation https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Biology-of-Human-Starvation-Widdowson/6f38ee886f39daa656b1ac9ceb8a3c0785e100eb 54:22 Muscle hypertrophy and testosterone 1:06:38 The effect of changes in body fat levels MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/  Helms 2023 Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3184470/v1 1:19:34 Other factors which may influence testosterone levels Kerksick 2018 ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30068354/ 1:34:37 The Trex lore 1:42:28 Wrapping up Instagram @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/?hl=en Website https://trexlerfitness.com/  MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/  MASS YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@MASSResearchReview 

This is a monster episode. Newly added co-host Eric Trexler details his impressive credentials, groundbreaking new line of research and perhaps most importantly, the best way to effectively execute a single leg take-down on an unsuspecting person.  His new appointment at Duke University will be looking in part at the topic of today, exercise energy compensation. It turns out that calories in, calories out is a little more complicated than most would assume. Made famous by Dr. Herman Pontzer and his book Burn, Dr. Trexler explores what exactly this phrase means, the utility of doubly labelled water and the future of research in this field.

Fresh off his historic performance at USAPL Mega Nationals 2023, Austin Perkins joins Iron Culture to share his story of how in just two short years he exceeded Taylor Atwood’s 2021 record performance which many thought would stand for years to come. Austin Perkins totalled 851kg in the under 75kg raw men’s division, totalling more than the 82.5kg winner, and importantly 12.5kg more than Taylor Atwood’s 2021 record of 838.5kg, which importantly, resulted in Taylor beating Austin by 68.5kg. What’s the story behind Austin’s rise, and is he the new pound for pound king of raw, tested powerlifting? Join us on Iron Culture for the full story! 00:00 Introducing Austin Perkins (a top-tier hunk) to Iron Culture and his dominant performance at USAPL Mega Nats Iron Culture Ep. 241- The End of Iron Culture (As You Know It) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ckvqnB-Ueg 12:18 The younger generation of powerlifters and long-term progression 17:25 Austin’s backstory 25:43 The Austin Perkins story continued  Iron Culture Ep. 82- Becoming A Respected Strength Coach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E9hM_jyOLs 44:56 The road to 800kg 59:35 “Ya’ll think you’re close, but you have no idea” - Austin’s comeback from injury and breaking records 1:33:03 The USAPL split and the battle for Worlds 1:42:47 Thanking and showing our respect for Austin Instagram @the75kg https://www.instagram.com/the75kg/?img_index=1 YouTube @Perkthe75kg https://www.youtube.com/@Perkthe75kg  TikTok @the75kg https://www.tiktok.com/@the75kg  Online Coaching https://www.gamedaybarbell.com/online-coaching

It’s been a while since the duo atop the pyramid just sat down for a good one-on-one chat, as we’ve had awesome guests on for the past 6 episodes. But what did we talk about as the two of us sat atop the pyramid? Believe it or not, ending our relationship as Eve known it, by bringing a third host on top of the pyramid with us…and not atop the adjacent obelisk, and not on the one step below us, but on top, as part of an iron thrupple. Tune in to learn about this monumental change in our relationship status. In addition, we recapped some incredible performances at the recent USAPL Mega Nationals, and we also discussed the shifting winds in the social media space from a focus on strength and powerlifting, to bodybuilding.

The Iron Culture alumni tour continues with the four year anniversary of the last appearance of Cliff Wilson, who returns to Iron Culture after another four years in the trenches to share his perspectives on coaching. Simply put, Cliff probably has the most impressive coaching resume of any physique coach in the game. Most interestingly, he sees himself as an evidence-based coach. But that’s not necessarily a win for #science, if anything, it’s a wake up call for people to have a better understanding of what it actually means to blend experience, scientific findings and individual differences together into the art of effective coaching. Join us as we sit down to discuss the topic with one of the most decorated coaches in the game. 00:00 Introduction: the return of Omar Isuf to YouTube Science vs Broscience: What Will Actually Build More Muscle!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHmceMSIrxg  05:42 Welcoming Cliff (and his polo) back to Iron Culture Iron Culture Ep. 36- How To Look Your Absolute Best: Peaking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShi00QoSTY 12:16 Science vs broscience 19:43 Having an ego and changing your position 24:30 Cliff’s communication strategies with clients 36:25 Navigating the psychology of people who compete in physique sport 44:10 Cliff’s coaching journey and success 52:02 The evidence-based coach, and anecdotal and scientific evidence 1:13:30 Being wrong, the limitations of science, and retrospective framing  1:17:44 Closing out and driving forward the sport of bodybuilding Where to find Cliff Instagram @cwteamwilson https://www.instagram.com/cwteamwilson/?hl=en Team Wilson https://www.teamwilsonbb.com/ Unrivaled Coaching https://www.unrivaledcoach.com/

The duo’s recent pilgrimage to Texas ended with a trip to the state-of-the-art Texas Tech University body composition lab led by Dr. Grant Tinsley. Eric and Omar went through a battery of body composition assessments and had their RMR tested there, and Eric’s second epic duel with the Bod Pod went down. This duel resulted in only partial redemption for Eric, and we also learned just how “headstrong” Omar truly is. In this episode Grant joins Iron Culture to discuss the findings of the trip and all the nuances of body composition testing to help us understand the sometimes non-intuitive results the team got, and more broadly the pros, cons, strengths and weaknesses of the various body composition tests that are available.

It’s the four-year anniversary of the last appearance of then MR. Alex Kolliari-Turner, now DR. Alex Kolliari-Turner, who returns to Iron Culture to share the results of his now-completed Ph.D. research on the long-term performance-enhancing effects of anabolic steroids (if any). A lot has changed in this burgeoning area of research, as it hinges on a theory of muscle physiology: myonuclear domain theory. Our understanding of the mechanisms of “muscle memory” leads to the possibility of anabolic steroid use providing permanent long-term effects…but what if myonuclear domain theory comes under scrutiny? That’s exactly where the science is at the moment. As new mechanisms of muscle memory are being explored and the first human data emerges, the picture becomes more complicated. Join us in this fascinating episode as we explore the intersection of muscle physiology, performance-enhancing drug mechanisms, and anti-doping! 00:00 Introduction to an anabolic episode of Iron Culture and Dr Kolliari-Turner Iron Culture Ep. 29- The Science & History of Steroids (And Drug Testing) https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=XN7u4-ckZK8  Kolliari-Turner 2023 An observational human study investigating the effect of anabolic androgenic steroid use on the transcriptome of skeletal muscle and whole blood using RNA-Seq https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37138349/  Kolliari-Turner 2021 Analysis of Anti-Doping Rule Violations That Have Impacted Medal Results at the Summer Olympic Games 1968-2012 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33835351/  Kolliari-Turner 2021 Doping practices in international weightlifting: analysis of sanctioned athletes/support personnel from 2008 to 2019 and retesting of samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33415428/  07:42 Myonuclear permanency  Gundersen 2016 Muscle memory and a new cellular model for muscle atrophy and hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26792335/  Snijders 2020 The concept of skeletal muscle memory: Evidence from animal and human studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32175681/ Yu 2020 Potential effects of long-term abuse of anabolic androgen steroids on human skeletal muscle https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32343079/  24:42 Myonuclear domain flexibility? Murach 2018 Myonuclear Domain Flexibility Challenges Rigid Assumptions on Satellite Cell Contribution to Skeletal Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29896117/ Bagley 2023 The myonuclear domain in adult skeletal muscle fibres: past, present and future https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36629254/ 31:04 Myonuclear domain theory 36:31 Dr Kolliari-Turner’s research Doctoral Thesis Anabolic Androgenic Steroid doping in Weightlifting and the Summer Olympic Games alongside their impact on muscle memory and the human transcriptome https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/anabolic-androgenic-steroid-doping-in-weightlifting-and-the-summe Lima 2023 The MMAAS Project: An Observational Human Study Investigating the Effect of Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Use on Gene Expression and the Molecular Mechanism of Muscle Memory https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35533133/ Smit 2021 Positive and negative side effects of androgen abuse. The HAARLEM study: A one-year prospective cohort study in 100 men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33038020/ 57:05 Other research on past-AAS use and higher myonuclei density Nielsen 2023 Higher myonuclei density in muscle fibers persists among former users of anabolic androgenic steroids https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37466198/ Eriksson Doctoral Thesis 2006 Strength training and anabolic steroids: a comparative study of the trapezius, a shoulder muscle and the vastus lateralis, a thigh muscle, of strength trained athletes http://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A144813&dswid=-2747 1:04:45 The challenges of being enhanced 1:16:14 Closing out the natural podcast

The MASScast Iron Culture episodes are back! Today Dr. Eric Trexler joins us to answer the murky question: “What is an evidence-based guideline for a minimum dietary fat intake?” It’s easy to find guidelines and minimums for various circumstances and goals for protein, and while there is some debate, the same could be said for carbohydrate. However, a minimum intake for fat has been elusive. Fortunately, Dr. Trexler has been thinking deeply about this topic and wrote an extensive article on the topic in our upcoming issue of The MASS Research Review, and he’s here to discuss his conclusions in depth with the CULT. Make sure to tune in, as this information can inform best practices in various situations, as the answer isn’t a simple black and white one.

Dr. Andy Galpin, world leading muscle fiber researcher, is back on Iron Culture! Dr. Galpin is not only a researcher, but a sports scientist and coach working with some of the most prominent elite athletes in the world, and an excellent science communicator. So, it was a privilege to have him on to talk Muscle fiber typing; because everyone talks about it, but very few people get it right when they do. Should you train differently if you’re predominantly a fast or slow twitch lifter? Can slow and fast fibers convert into one another? How do we measure the fiber composition of muscles? Are fast twitch fibers stronger than slow twitch? Can you produce fiber-type specific hypertrophy? Why are exercise science classes still teaching things about muscle fiber types that were shown to be wrong decades ago? What is on the horizon in this area of research? All of these questions are answered in this highly educational episode! 00:00 Welcoming back Dr Andy Galpin to the Iron Culture Joe Rogan experience and the muscle biopsy procedure 10:14 History of the muscle biopsy 14:03 (re)Introducing Dr Andy Galpin Iron Culture Ep. 20 – The Problem With #Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHf0QG1Nw_0&t=1s 19:14 The different function of muscles and fiber types 30:50 Fiber type profiling and the methodological limitations 39:21 Science communication and the defensible and indefensible reasons for the perpetuation of muscle fiber myths 52:22 The multinucleated cell and limitations of current research methods 1:09:44 The history of fiber typing and new methods 1:31:46 Practical takeaways for coaches   1:44:15 Andy’s coaching philosophy and determinants of performance 1:52:08 Closing out and where to find Andy Website https://www.andygalpin.com/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@drandygalpin Instagram @drandygalpin https://www.instagram.com/drandygalpin/?hl=en ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew-Galpin 

Laurin Conlin is back on Iron Culture after a long hiatus! For those who missed her first appearance, Laurin Conlin, MS is a coach and high-level competitor, having competed as an IFBB Pro Bikini athlete from 2014-2018. She recently visited Eric before they flew to Melbourne to present at the annual Ultimate Evidence Based Conference at JPS Health & Fitness. In her and Eric’s conversations in and around the event, they discussed “the competitor trap”; the unique atmosphere and culture in the NPC and IFBB that seems to encourage bikini competitors specifically to compete annually, stay lean, and in many cases work with coaching teams with bad reputations. Why does this happen, and what are the consequences? Tune in to find out! 00:00 Laurin’s New Zealand journey and travel tips with Eric 05:43 Reintroducing Laurin Conlin 2021 Flexible vs. rigid dieting in resistance-trained individuals seeking to optimize their physiques: A randomized controlled trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187492/ Iron Culture Ep. 38- Flexible Dieting, Meal Plans & Nutrition (Ft. Laurin Conlin) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKPXHb0v_Xs  09:26 The regular competition cycles of Bikini competitors 20:05 The appeal of competing in Bikini 35:32 The popularity, incentives, and pressures of competing in Bikini 46:23 The issues that competitors face Washington Post Article https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/investigations/exploited-for-decades-female-bodybuilders-speak-out/2022/10/25/a93a60ff-b70a-42de-8cf6-7ed5f808f403_video.html 1:07:35 The changes that need to be made 1:17:33 Educating others and the pushback 1:23:33 Social media influencers and the algorithm 1:34:27 Where can you find Laurin? Instagram @laurinconlin https://www.instagram.com/laurinconlin/?hl=en Team LoCoFit https://www.teamlocofit.com/ 

Last week we dropped the bombshell that we were going to have the opportunity to interview icon and 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, this week, we recap how it went. This episode was recorded while we were still in Texas, after returning to Austin following our road trip to the original Metroflex in Arlington. We not only got to interview Ronnie while there but also Brian Dobson, the founder of Metroflex and the man who shepherded Ronnie into competitive bodybuilding. The story of Metroflex and the philosophy it’s based on is just as important as Ronnie’s story, as it helps us understand the environment where this champion formed. We also had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing Big J, who we are eternally grateful to as he was the one who set up our interview with big Ron. He shared his experiences as the training partner of Ronnie and as a long-time member of Metroflex. You’ll learn a lot of interesting things in this episode, like: what was the Texas bodybuilding scene like decades ago? What were Ronnie’s early competitive experiences like? Who were Ronnie’s inspirations? What was Metroflex like at that time and how did its culture form? You don’t want to miss this one if you’re a fan of contemporary bodybuilding! 00:00 Yeah buddy! (intro) 06:57 Conor and Eric’s experiences of Metroflex Iron Culture Ep 234 We Met Ronnie Coleman- The Recap (feat. Conor Heffernan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIRZnkzsLlk 16:10 Metroflex and gym cultures 29:26 The community of intensity and the importance of environment 38:36 Defining a “hardcore” gym 48:10 Meeting Ronnie 1:06:14 Dogma vs intensity 1:20:12 Training, motivation, and how it fits into your life 1:24:15 Brian Dobson, lunges, and muscular glutes 1:31:00 Closing out a hardcore Iron Culture episode

Yup, it’s confirmed. We’re going to interview living legend, 8-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman at the one and only Metroflex in Arlington Texas, in person, along with its founder Brian Dobson, and long-time training partner of The King, Big J. This is huge news and a big part of our Iron Culture documentary filming in Texas. Eric, Omar, and Conor recorded this episode just days before heading to Metroflex after confirmation of the interview. They discuss the cultural and historical impact of Ronnie Coleman on bodybuilding, and beyond, tune in, because the next episode will be the recap! 00:00 The Road to Ronnie and a rundown of the history of bodybuilding 12:18 The historical context of the Olympia at the time 21:00 The mass monster era 31:19 The impact of Ronnie’s reign 44:17 Ronnie’s training environment 47:32 Closing out

With both hosts traveling to Texas, this is one of the rare weeks in which you get only Eric. Even more tragic (or perhaps a relief), you only get him for 10 minutes. But, it’s an exciting 10 minutes as you’ll learn exactly why the duo is headed to Texas: to from the holy hunk trinity by meeting up with Dr. Conor Heffernan for the second filming location of the Iron Culture Documentary. We’ll be there with cameraman and audio editor extraordinaire Brandon Wells, to do it live. Where exactly are we filming? What exactly are we filming, and what are the future plans for the doc? Tune in to find out and we’ll all see you next week, in person, in full!

In this MASScast episode Dr. Helms shares his recent experience cutting down to and competing in the 83kg category - a weight class lower than his typical - in the midst of his bodybuilding contest prep, and how he maintained the vast majority of strength from the start to the finish of this process. Then, he does a deep dive on the topic of muscle fiber-type specific hypertrophy, with a focus on a new systematic review that asked the question of whether blood flow restriction training can cause it. For more MASS science-based content check out https://massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/) 00:00 They said he couldn’t do it… but first, reviewing (non-AI) reviews 16:12 Eric’s meet recap 30:40 Weight cuts for Powerlifting 37:49 Discovering what weight class to compete in 47:22 The timeline of moving down a weight class and explaining coefficients 1:05:01 Fiber-type specific hypertrophy and some applications  Schoenfeld 2023 Fiber-Type-Specific Hypertrophy with the Use of Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Training: A Systematic Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10204387/  Bjørnsen 2019 Type 1 Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy after Blood Flow-restricted Training in Powerlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30188363/  Grgic 2020 The Effects of Low-Load Vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy: A Meta-Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7706639/  1:22:21 Contrasting results   Hansen 2020 Effects of alternating blood flow restricted training and heavy-load resistance training on myofiber morphology and mechanical muscle function https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32324471/  Davids 2021 Acute cellular and molecular responses and chronic adaptations to low-load blood flow restriction and high-load resistance exercise in trained individuals https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34554017/ Sieljacks 2019 Six Weeks of Low-Load Blood Flow Restricted and High-Load Resistance Exercise Training Produce Similar Increases in Cumulative Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis and Ribosomal Biogenesis in Healthy Males https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6548815/ Bjørnsen 2019 Delayed myonuclear addition, myofiber hypertrophy, and increases in strength with high-frequency low-load blood flow restricted training to volitional failure. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543499/ Bjørnsen 2021 Frequent blood flow restricted training not to failure and to failure induces similar gains in myonuclei and muscle mass.  1:33:17 Applications of BFR for trained individuals 1:42:43 Closing out another monster MASScast Episode

We are joined by Panagiotis “Pana” Tarinidis, the now two-time 66kg IPF unequipped World Champion fresh off his win at the 2023 world championships in Malta. His story is one of redemption, as despite winning Worlds in 2021, he placed 5th at Worlds last year, and bombed out of the European Championship in November. But more importantly, we learn what fuels Pana, his connection with his father, what this win meant to him and his family, and how important community is for a growing sport like powerlifting. Take notice that France tied the US women’s team and placed second to the men’s team at worlds, something no one predicted just a few years ago. France is definitely on the rise and a key aspect of that growth is the sense of and commitment to community among French powerlifters, that Pana embodies. 00:00 Introducing Pana and his cinematic arc 13:32 Pana’s difficult 2022 31:52 Eric’s analysis on Pana’s potential as a natural bodybuilder 34:45 The growth of Powerlifting in France and the importance of community 1:03:21 The America apology tour and increasing the popularity of Powerlifting 1:11:42 What’s next for Pana 1:17:40 Pana’s weight and water cuts to make the 66kg weight class 1:26:10 One final question for Pana and closing out Where to find Pana: Instagram @thepanash https://www.instagram.com/thepanash/?hl=en YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1ZlR9h035btvu0t6qFWYg  The Panash Training App https://thepanash.app/

In this MASScast episode, we’re joined not only by MASScast fellow host Dr. Mike Zourdos but also Ph.D. candidate Zac Robinson of Data Driven Strength, both of whom are co-authors on a pre-print that is making a lot of waves in the evidence-based community. Their series of meta-regressions has shown that perhaps the impact of failure is more substantial than previously believed, at least for hypertrophy. But is it that simple? Also, is this paper a “game changer” when it comes to the understanding how volume and effort relate to hypertrophy? Tune in to find out the details that almost everyone talking about this paper, besides the authors themselves, are getting wrong. For more MASS science-based content check out https://massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/) 00:00 A breakdown of what you are going to learn… in exactly one minute (and reintroducing the Dr Mike Zourdos and Zac Robinson) 4:38 Introducing the paper and how the data was analysed Robinson 2023 Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/295 Refalo 2023 Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334240/ 19:35 Estimating RIR from alternative set structures (cluster and rest redistribution sets) and velocity-based training Carroll 2019 Skeletal Muscle Fiber Adaptations Following Resistance Training Using Repetition Maximums or Relative Intensity https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31373325/  Lasevicius 2022 Muscle failure promotes greater muscle hypertrophy in low-load but not in high-load resistance training. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31895290/  30:05 What surprised Mike about the findings?  39:00 Going in-depth on the meta regression models and how resistance training variables interact with each other Schoenfeld 2017 Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/ Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645/  1:00:57 The relationship between volume and hypertrophy  1:15:33 The broader issues with resistance training research 1:34:34 Concluding summary of the paper and where to find our guests Zac Robinson Instagram @zac.datadrivenstrength and @datadrivenstrength  Data Driven Strength Podcast https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/datadrivenstrength ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zac-Robinson-2 Dr Mike Zourdos ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Zourdos-2

With Eric freshly back from coaching and commentating (how dare he) at IPF Classic Worlds 2023 - the largest, most competitive worlds to date - it only makes sense for a recap and discussion regarding the state of powerlifting. How have things changed after the recent Sheffield? Are the champions of today different than the champions of the past? How are things like judging changing with the advent of video replay, and how has the growth of powerlifting impacted the sport? With live-streaming of Worlds on the Olympics YouTube channel while also being televised on Eurosport, are we moving into a new era?

Let’s face it, going to school isn’t cheap. Moreso, you can learn almost anything online that you can learn in school. So is it worth it? How about for personal trainers? If it is worth it, for who and when? We’re joined on MASScast 3 by Lauren Colenso-Semple who is nearly finished with her PhD. Not only does she share her valuable perspective, but she also reviews some interesting new research on women’s rugby coaches, many of whom - despite holding a bachelor's or master's degree - don’t see the value in staying up with research, and prefer to get continued education from social media. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the same coaches also have some shocking misconceptions about female physiology… For more MASS science-based content check out https://massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/) 00:00 Welcoming Lauren back as a host of Iron Culture??!! 09:10 Continued education of coaches, trainers, and practitioners Nolan 2023 ‘There’s a perfect way to do things, and there’s a real way to do things’: Attitudes, beliefs and practices of strength and conditioning coaches in elite international women's rugby union https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17479541231169371 27:37 Barriers to entry and incentivising continued education 56:54 Busting myths vs creating actionable content: evaluating the quality of information 1:07:07 The educational structure in the personal training industry and considerations for your career  1:21:15 Practical applications (education makes you a worse personal trainer!?) 1:34:40 Considering specific and specialised education to improve your practice 1:41:40 Closing statement and where to find Lauren Instagram @laurencs1 https://www.instagram.com/laurencs1/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=  ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lauren-Colenso-Semple

Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis, AKA “Dr. Pak”, is back! In this episode we caught up with Dr. Pak while he was visiting Omar’s home turf in Toronto! There they trained together, and after a crappy training session where they failed PR attempts, they decided to have a completely unrelated episode on why strength is overrated. No, but seriously folks, this is a great discussion of specificity and transfer of strength. We discuss research that suggests maybe going from a 300lbs to a 400 or 500lbs deadlift won’t actually improve performance in most sports, or certainly activities of daily living. This leads into a discussion of how gaining strength at a novice or intermediate level may require different efforts and strategies, and may also be due to somewhat different adaptations. Tune in, this isn’t one to miss! 00:00 Functional fitness and re-introducing Dr Pak 4:46 Powerlifting, specificity, and low back strength Androulakis-Korakakis 2021 Comparison of Isolated Lumbar Extension Strength in Competitive and Noncompetitive Powerlifters, and Recreationally Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29979273/ Rossi 2018 Strength, body composition, and functional outcomes in the squat versus leg press exercises https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27735888/  22:53 Exploring adaptations to training, and the relationship between hypertrophy and strength Fisher 2013 A randomized trial to consider the effect of Romanian deadlift exercise on the development of lumbar extension strength https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23867152/  Steele 2020 Does increasing an athletes’ strength improve sports performance? A critical review with suggestions to help answer this, and other, causal questions in sport science https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/trainology/9/1/9_32/_article  Schoenfeld 2017 Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/  37:52 Practical examples of hypertrophy/weight gain and increased strength Latella 2023 Longitudinal growth modelling of strength adaptations in powerlifting athletes across ages in males and females https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/218 Iron Culture Ep. 196- How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Ft. Dr. Pak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ0Qp6spGQ  58:48 Closing out with some links (and where to find Dr Pak) Raskol Apparel https://raskolapparel.com/ MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ Instagram @dr__pak https://www.instagram.com/dr__pak/?hl=en ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Patroklos-Androulakis-Korakakis

We’re back with MASScast episode 2 and we’re joined by Dr. Mike Zourdos to discuss several things which can impact your strength performance right now. In this episode we discuss the effect of mental stress on lifting performance, the effect of social media use on lifting performance, and post-activation potentiation, which is a tool where you can potentiate your back off sets’ performance with a heavy top set. What constitutes mental stress? How do you minimise the negative effects of mental stress when it can’t be avoided? What type of social media usage might be a bad idea before training? How can you set up your top sets in such a way to improve your volume performance in back off sets the most? Join us as we answer all these questions! For more MASS science-based content check out https://massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/) 00:00 Welcoming back Dr Mike Zourdos to the Iron Culture and reviewing reviews. 08:24 What is mental fatigue, and how is it measured? Iron Culture Ep. 135- Lifting For Endurance Athletes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjOMuzSc1PM Gantois 2021 Mental Fatigue From Smartphone Use Reduces Volume-Load in Resistance Training: A Randomized, Single-Blinded Cross-Over Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34000894/ de Queiros 2021 Mental Fatigue Reduces Training Volume in Resistance Exercise: A Cross-Over and Randomized Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32962539/  17:51 The Stroop test vs. real world demands 29:40 How much mental fatigue is required to impair performance? Fortes 2022 Effects of social media on smartphone use before and during velocity-based resistance exercise on cognitive interference control and physiological measures in trained adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33372542/  Cook 2012 Changes in salivary testosterone concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance following the presentation of short video clips https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21983238/  Iron Culture Ep. 4- Periodization & Autoregulation Roundtable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIVw1OxvZUA Dallaway 2022 How am I doing? Performance feedback mitigates the effects of mental fatigue on endurance exercise performance https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029222000784 50:04 Dissipating mental fatigue and maximal strength performance Smith 2019 Comparing the Effects of Three Cognitive Tasks on Indicators of Mental Fatigue https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31188721/ Alix-Fages 2023 Mental Fatigue From Smartphone Use or Stroop Task Does Not Affect Bench Press Force-Velocity Profile, One-Repetition Maximum, or Vertical Jump Performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37024109/ Russell 2019 The application of mental fatigue research to elite team sport performance: New perspectives https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30606625/  Bartholomew 2008 Strength gains after resistance training: the effect of stressful, negative life events https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18545186/  1:10:20 What is post-activation potentiation (PAP)? And applications for Powerlifting de Freitas 2021 Postactivation Potentiation Improves Acute Resistance Exercise Performance and Muscular Force in Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30507733/ Alves 2021 Postactivation Potentiation Improves Performance in a Resistance Training Session in Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31567790/

Here at Iron Culture we’re overjoyed any time the legends of the game are remembered in the current age, and Mike Mentzer, one of the best-built proponents of HIT (High Intensity Training) - low volume, low frequency training to failure - is making a modern resurgence. Is it because he had a top tier golden age physique? Is it the appeal to hard work and masochism that we bodybuilders are always ready to eat up? Or is it the recent research in pre-print status that indicates going to failure might be better for hypertrophy? As you can expect, it’s probably a combination of these factors and there’s more than meets the eye to each. Join us this week as we go deep into this modern HIT resurgence.

We have an exciting announcement at Iron Culture, we are combining forces with MASS, Monthly Applications in Strength Sport to bring you regular “MASScast” episodes where we will be joined by one or more of the expert MASS reviewers to talk science. In this inaugural MASScast episode we’re joined by Dr. Eric Trexler to discuss surprising recent data that suggests basal metabolic rates have been decreasing at the population level over recent decades. Is this true? And if so, what’s causing it? In addition, we discuss the continuing confusion regarding high versus low-carb diets. Where is the cut-off for being high or low carb, and when is each a good or bad approach? Listen in to learn what the latest data indicates and how to apply it! For more MASS science-based content check out massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/) 00:00 Intro: expanding the Iron Culture pyramid Iron Culture Ep. 164- A Scientific Examination of the Carnivore Diet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K336B32efS0  9:58 Trexler’s background Iron Culture Ep. 30- The Science of Weight Loss (Metabolic Adaptation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeslRPi4VWI&t=18s 16:11 Why is everyone’s BMR dropping? Speakman 2023 Total daily energy expenditure has declined over the past three decades due to declining basal expenditure, not reduced activity expenditure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37100994/ 31:17 Some compelling theories on the topic 38:25 The conflicting conclusions from this paper 48:51 Where are these puzzling findings coming from? And their potential applications  Raskol Apparel https://raskolapparel.com/ 1:00:14 Where are we at with carbohydrates these days? Ribeiro 2023 The Effects of Carbohydrate Intake on Body Composition and Muscular Strength in Trained Men Undergoing a Progressive Resistance Training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37114196/ 1:18:10 Explaining the conflicting anecdotes and evidence Hokken 2021 Subcellular localization- and fibre type-dependent utilization of muscle glycogen during heavy resistance exercise in elite power and Olympic weightlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32961628/ Vargas-Molina 2020 Effects of a ketogenic diet on body composition and strength in trained women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32276630/ Vargas-Molina 2021 Effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on health parameters in resistance-trained women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34003364/ King 2022 The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35809162/ 1:30:14 Shoutout to the Pancreas Duke and one final question on the Ribeiro study 1:35:14 Closing out another MONSTER episode and where to find Trexler Instagram @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/ Monthly Applications in Strength Sport https://massresearchreview.com/?fbclid=IwAR3FD1QAV8OsU0eE1E2a0VZll8EB5uzAJrjJD03B_wWujzhiSXc7zCTZbY8

In this episode, we discuss two topics, when and how to address fringe topics in the fitness space and the growing data in support of long muscle length partials for hypertrophy. In the former discussion, we discuss how science communicators are often in a difficult position when addressing such fringe ideas. When these beliefs are believed by small segments of the population - especially if they are potentially harmful - simply addressing them can potentially give them more legitimacy if not done right. Then we dive into “lengthened partials”, which only a couple of years ago would have been lumped in with the more common short muscle length partials you roll your eyes at in the gym all the time (think half squats). While formerly a fringe idea, the data continues to elucidate that this approach may have merit for hypertrophy. 00:00 Reviewing reviews: addressing the carnivore diet. Iron Culture Ep. 164- A Scientific Examination of the Carnivore Diet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K336B32efS0 40:15 Stretch-mediated hypertrophy and lengthened partials Ep. 189- Stretching & Range of Motion for Strength and Hypertrophy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFrO2UQoIBg Monthly Applications In Strength Sport http://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/  Warneke 2023 Comparison of the effects of long-lasting static stretching and hypertrophy training on maximal strength, muscle thickness and flexibility in the plantar flexors https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37029826/ Kassiano 2023 Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37015016/ Schoenfeld 2020 Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32030125/ Maeo 2021 Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009197/ Goto 2019 Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31034463/ Werkhausen 2021 Adaptations to explosive resistance training with partial range of motion are not inferior to full range of motion https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33465838/  Pedrosa 2022 Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33977835/ Wolf 2023 Partial Vs Full Range of Motion Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/182 59:24 Applications of full RoM vs partials 1:16:26 How to standardize RoM in lengthened partials 1:26:58 Applicability to strength Kitai 1989 Specificity of joint angle in isometric training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2737195/ 1:39:32 Eric’s conclusions and closing out

In this episode, we’re joined by Mitchell Hooper fresh off his 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) win. In addition to winning the 2023 WSM, he also won the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. He is among only four competitors to have won these two titles in the same year, and he is the youngest ever to do so, now sitting among living legends Brian Shaw, Žydrūnas Savickas, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. In our conversation we discuss how Mitchell seemingly burst onto the scene out of nowhere, what it’s like competing in the WSM, his future, the future of strongman and the WSM in the modern era, and his perspective on being a champion and ambassador. Finally, we discuss how Mitchell’s education - having a master's degree in exercise physiology - influenced his training approach, which is surprisingly simple and seemingly non-traditional. As a relative newcomer to the sport, his approach hasn’t been influenced by typical strongman “dogma” and thus, his entrance onto the scene may have a revolutionary impact on how athletes train for strongman and strongwoman in the modern era.

You’ve probably heard of the famous, ancient lifting stones in Iceland and Scotland, some of which are even replicated and used in strongman competitions. But did you know that over 20 stones (and still counting) have been uncovered just in the last few years in Ireland, many of them heavier than the stones in Iceland and Scotland, by primarily one man? That man, Kettlebell Sport World Champion and amateur historian David Keohan (affectionately called “Indiana Stones”) joins us in this episode to discuss the incredible stories of how these stones were unearthed. You’ll hear about these ancient stones and their rich cultural significance and connections to mythology. While we often think of history as something in the past, when you tune in you’ll learn how some history is still being uncovered in real time! 00:00 Paying respects to a ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ review 3:20 Introducing David Keohan and lifting stones in Ireland Rogue Fitness documentaries Stoneland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhQlNwxn5oo Fullsterkur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Tcsg2Yac8 Levantadores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vck32S27RmM 19:53 Researching the stones 32:18 The process of finding the stones and recording the findings 37:24 Promoting the (oral) history of the stones 52:26 Significance of the symbolism of the stones  1:05:45 Closing out and where to find David  Instagram: @_indiana_stones_ https://www.instagram.com/_indiana_stones_/

Coaches in the evidence-based community are often up to date with the latest in periodization and sports nutrition, but many are not even aware that there is a tremendous amount of research on coaching itself. What makes a good coach? Hint: it’s not simply being up to date with science, as that would mean that every coach prior to the modern era is a bad coach. So, what is it to be a good coach? As the title implies, it’s not about you, it’s about being athlete-centered. But what does that mean? Join in to find out!

We recently visited Dr. James Steele, Dr. “Pak”, and Milo Wolf at Solent University to film some of their research methods and interview them about the innovative, high-quality approaches they take. These guys aren’t just any group of muscle nerds though, they are actively working to improve how sports science is conducted, using and promoting the tools of open science. What is open science you ask? Make sure to tune in to learn, as you might be surprised that despite science being the best tool we have to answer life’s questions, it has many systemic issues from peer review, to the publishing process, to the reward systems in academia, to the gaps in training that sports scientists often have.

Dr. Conor Heffernan is back to discuss our recent trip to Ireland where he introduced us to Ireland’s reigning strongest woman Ayshea Ullah, David Keohan a kettlebell sport world champion dubbed “Indiana Stones”, and the many members of Europe’s oldest continually open gym Hercules Club, in Dublin. On our trip we learned about the only recently uncovered history of Irish stone lifting that goes back centuries, and got to watch as the current physical culturists of modern Ireland physically connected with the past pioneers of strength, and we also sat down with the old and new members of Herc’s in Dublin to learn just how special their community is. Join us in this episode as we reflect on these incredible experiences. 00:00 The fellowship of the stone is back (with a limerick) SBD Road to Sheffield 2023 Series YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL85JoAo_KTFuKlOWLRY_-gHj362gYTBOm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbdapparel/reels/ 13:33 The history of the stones that we lifted in Ireland 30:04 The historical and cultural significance of lifting the natural stones 45:22 The origin of Hercules gym and its importance 57:22 Eric and Conor’s experiences of training at Hercules gym 1:26:01 Closing out with the unofficial third member of the Iron Culture establishment

Last week was the first time in our history that we left you without an episode, but don’t worry this painful experience was for good reason. Omar and Eric were in fact, both together in person, with Dr. Conor Heffernan at the SBD Sheffield. Eric was on stage coaching Jessica Buettner, and Conor and Omar were in the audience filming with the help of the newest member of the fellowship, Jonathan Akagha, the strongest cameraman in Europe. The Sheffield was perhaps the most significant meet in raw tested powerlifting, and for the two days leading up to it, the day of, and the day following, we filmed and interviewed the athletes and hosts to capture the experience. In this episode Omar, Eric and Conor sit down to discuss the Sheffield in retrospect: what was it like behind the scenes as a participant, what was it like in the audience, what did it mean for powerlifting, how will it change the future of the sport, and how will it evolve? Tune in as we answer these questions and more!   00:00 Intro to our first in-person podcast in four years… and addressing the bed situation 3:00 Reintroducing Dr Conor Heffernan and discussing the unique spectatorship of the Sheffield 2023 Powerlifting Championships 13:33 The Sheffield backstage environment, running coaching adjustments, and challenging lifts Iron Culture Ep. 214- You Don't Know Powerlifting Coaching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiq6lvhkN5s 42:20 Framing the leader board for the audience to improve engagement with such a historically significant event 57:39 The history and cultural significance of Sheffield and improving future events 1:19:37 Sustaining global interest and participation in Powerlifting 1:39:54 Our highlights and favourite moments at Sheffield 1:48:39 Final words and closing out

Look no further than the comment section of this post/video and you’ll find knee-jerk answers to the question posed in this title driven by emotional reactions, that are justified after the fact by a poorly thought-out argument that is logically inconsistent. In the philosophy of sport, however, you go the opposite direction. You put forth a logically consistent case, based on established information, within the constraints of the argument. In this episode we chat with philosophy Ph.D. candidate at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain Adrian Kind, who recently collaborated on the article: “Is Bodybuilding a Sport?” with Eric. It is currently in peer review, but available as a pre-print for all to read. This philosophy of sport article by Kind and Helms is a rebuttal to another philosophy of sport article by Aranyosi (2018), where Aranyosi claims competitive Bodybuilding is not a sport, but rather an artistic presentation with sport-like elements. While Adrian and Eric didn’t prove Bodybuilding is a sport in their paper, they refuted the argument as presented. Tune in to learn about the specifics of this debate, and how a conversation typically reserved for Reddit plays out in academia, and why philosophy is actually at the root of all science. 00:00 Intro to the one (another monster episode) … and introducing Adrian Aranyosi 2017 Body, skill, and look: is bodybuilding a sport? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-017-9513-3 Kind & Helms 2023 Is Bodybuilding a Sport? https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/270/539  10:44 Discussing the Aranyosi paper: what makes an “activity”, a sport? 26:25 The rebuttal to the takes on posing 41:55 The physical skill component of bodybuilding 1:01:13 The Art vs. Sport spectrum argument Iron Culture Ep. 84- The Original Iron Sport: Gymnastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_n5AiQvLzQ 1:24:00 Conceding that the physical skill involved in bodybuilding is displaying the body 1:33:40 Why is the categorisation of bodybuilding as a sport perceived as contemptuous? 1:49:03 Do you even lift? Future topics to discuss and closing out Iron Culture Ep. 19- The Science of Hypertrophy (Roundtable) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw1LDc7_Hrc

Matt Gary is back on Iron Culture after being on way back in episode 16! This time he discusses nuances most people don’t know about game day powerlifting coaching, including even most powerlifters! With the explosion of participants in the sport, there are some weight classes where as many as five individuals could be a world champion depending on how their cards are played. Truly, it’s no longer a question of just who is the strongest, but who is the best powerlifter, which requires coaches to truly know “the game”. In this episode, one of the most decorated platform coaches in the sport’s history, Matt Gary, breaks down what those cards are, all four aces and the joker. Tune in, as this man literally wrote the book on game day coaching (which we’d recommend you read!)   Game Day Coaching Manual: A Powerlifting Coach’s Guide to Maximising Game Day Performance By Matt Gary https://www.supremesportspt.com/gameday-coaching-manual  00:00 An introduction to a very Canadian Eric and Matt Gary Iron Culture Ep. 16- The Art of Coaching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1aGoBMPgYs 10:39 An overview of Matt’s coaching career  18:26 Matt’s strength and conditioning background 25:10 The ins and outs of gameday coaching 35:08 Taking a trip to the ATM and challenging the jury 43:14 Powerlifting technical jargon and application to some Sheffield match-ups 1:05:43 How Matt uses data to inform his practice 1:15:39 Determining the second attempt 1:25:17 Matt’s best advice for coaches  1:40:45 Closing out and where to find Matt Supreme Sports Performance & Training https://www.supremesportspt.com/ Instagram @mlgary72 https://www.instagram.com/mlgary72/?hl=en 

Cult, we’ve been working on this one for weeks. We’ve got Desmond Butler on this episode, the lead journalist who wrote the recent Washington Post series on the corruption, exploitation, and health and safety controversies in the NPC/IFBB pro league. We previously discussed this article series both in a duo episode as well as with Dr. Guillermo Escalante, and now, we’re privileged to sit down and hear it from the source (or rather the man with the sources). In this episode, you’ll learn how Desmond’s father directed the cult classic (pun intended) Pumping Iron, and then how years later he’d go on to revisit bodybuilding from a very different perspective. You’ll also learn just how much research went into the Post articles, and how many people they spoke to. This was a monster episode for sure folks and an eye-opening exposé.

The boys are reunited, don’t worry cult, and yes, reunited atop the pyramid. After catching up on what’s been going on for Omar that took him away from us last week, the boys get down to powerlifting talk. This is a big year for powerlifting, with COVID behind us and the Sheffield ahead, and epic battles to come in both the 93 and 76kg divisions at multiple international competitions. Eric discusses how different it can be to coach athletes at the highest level in powerlifting, where scouting, chips, lot numbers, attempt changes, and other subtle aspects of coaching that normally don’t come into play, make a big difference as only kilos separate world champions from runner ups. Then, Omar asks Eric about his own competitive aspirations as he’s just started his 2023 contest prep, where he plans to go all the way to INBF/WNBF worlds in November, while also competing in his first masters powerlifting meet, as he turns 40 this year.

Dear listener, we just can’t let go. Even though we told you in 2023 we wouldn’t be able to stick to the weekly schedule, we are trying our best to do so anyway. This week, to maintain our codependent relationship with you, we have a solo episode from Mr. Dr. Eric Helms. Unfortunately, Omar had to travel for Raskol and couldn’t join him, but the Cult lives on in a weekly format for a little longer. No, you won’t hear Omar say “Eric” to kick things off, no you won’t have a half-hour of banter, nor will you hear Omar call this a “monster episode” or find some way to reference Yngwie Malmsteen, but you will get a whole lot of science. In this episode, Eric goes in on the topic of specificity for powerlifting and also covers a new diet break study that was just published. 00:00 An intro to a very different Iron Culture episode… Eric’s affiliate link to the NASM Physique and Bodybuilding Coach Specialization https://shop.nasm.org/n/nasmredirecttocart?products=PBC301K%7CCEU164K&coupons=HELMS50 12:12 Topic One: Specificity and Coexisting Principles of Exercise Science Chua 2019 Practice variability promotes an external focus of attention and enhances motor skill learning https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30831389/ Williams 2017 Comparison of Periodized and Non-Periodized Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-Analysis https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0734-y Fonseca 2014 Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24832974/ Rossi 2018 Strength, body composition, and functional outcomes in the squat versus leg press exercises https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27735888/ Lima 2018 Planned Load Reduction Versus Fixed Load: A Strategy to Reduce the Perception of Effort With Similar Improvements in Hypertrophy and Strength https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29584518/ Ralston 2017 The Effect of Weekly Set Volume on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5684266/ Androulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8435792/ Iron Culture Ep. 196- How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Ft. Dr. Pak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ0Qp6spGQ González-Badillo 2006 Moderate volume of high relative training intensity produces greater strength gains compared with low and high volumes in competitive weightlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16503695/ Stronger By Science Size Vs. Strength: How Important Is Muscle Growth For Strength Gains? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/size-vs-strength/ Schoenfeld 2016 Differential Effects of Heavy Versus Moderate Loads on Measures of Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27928218/  Mangine 2015 The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.14814/phy2.12472 Schoenfeld 2014 Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714538/ Keogh 2017 The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27328853/ 54:33 Practical Applications of Specificity 59:35 Topic Two: New Diet Break Study

We are joined by Ryan Lapadat on this episode, host of the King of the Lifts podcast, and arguably the best and most prolific powerlifting commentator, despite his relatively recent emergence onto the scene. How did Ryan find himself in the position he’s in today, and how has he contributed to the increased interest and popularity in powerlifting that’s occurred in the last decade? Ryan will be commentating at the Sheffield next month, and there is a bright future for the legitimization of powerlifting if things continue in the direction they’re headed. Join us in this episode as we learn the some aspects of how powerlifting got to be perceived as it is today, the value of narrative in making fans care, and what the future holds for the sport. 00:00 Reviewing reviews with Ryan – Cultural beliefs surrounding women in lifting Iron Culture Ep. 177- Jessica Buettner: 2x IPF World Champion Powerlifter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-M4XAlOa90 Iron Culture Ep. 103- The History Of Women's Bodybuilding              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL-2qymV73k Iron Culture Ep. 7- The Rise Of Women In Powerlifting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNd4XCKLcMQ 13:16 Balancing entertainment and knowledge in Ryan’s commentary 27:00 Leaning into storylines to bring excitement 43:41 Growth of powerlifting and IPF 50:41 IPF Sheffield 2023 hype up 58:33 Getting “out angled” by Jess Buettner and the revenge 1:06:05 The Masculinity in Crisis Tour and the angle game 1:19:26 The future and growth of powerlifting  1:44:50 An update on Eric’s previous Street Fighter tournament SuperLoreBoys YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/SuperLoreBoys  1:50:06 Closing out and where to find Ryan Instagram: @6packlapadat https://www.instagram.com/6packlapadat/?hl=en and                   @kingofthelifts https://www.instagram.com/kingofthelifts/?hl=en King of the lifts podcast: https://linktr.ee/KOTL

Stretch-mediated hypertrophy is all the rave at the moment, and much of the enthusiasm is based on a single study out of a specific lab, but, there are actually many other studies that this lab has recently published that give further insights into the topic. Ultimately, what the cult wants to know, is whether stretching-induced gains are complementary or redundant to resistance training-induced gains. In this episode, we discuss not only these possibilities, but also a recent study on SuperCreatine (TM) indicating it might not be so super, but also, that gives us insight as to whether creatine loading is even necessary.

It’s episode 208 and yes, you’re right, that means it’s been four years of episodes coming out weekly, every single . And guess what? In typical iron culture fashion, we completely forgot it was our 4 year anniversary while we recorded this episode. But, dear listener, that’s because we were totally focused on YOU, bringing you the latest news in the iron game, from the final Sheffield roster now that the wildcard picks are complete, to the recent USPA controversy, to a new study published on physique contest preparation. Next week, we’ll have our belated 4 year anniversary, but this week you get to enjoy another MONSTER episode. 00:00 Intro: what is it? Reviewing reviews 07:50 Revisiting/clarifying menstrual cycle-based approach to training Iron Culture Ep. 207 - Is Menstrual Cycle Periodization Evidence-Based? (ft. Lauren Colenso-Semple) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esHslB5IOQA 16:32 Back to the reviews 24:00 A detailed IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships 2023 summary and update 52:04 The bad news in Powerlifting…  1:02:57 Intermission with another 5-star review 1:05:26 THE STUDY: Physiological adaptations during contest preparation Helms Isola 2023 Weight loss induces changes in adaptive thermogenesis in female and male physique athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36645885/ Eric’s ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Helms-2 1:24:00 What Eric would like to see in this area of research de Moraes 2019 Carbohydrate Loading Practice in Bodybuilders: Effects on Muscle Thickness, Photo Silhouette Scores, Mood States and Gastrointestinal Symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31827362/ 1:31:48 Closing out

We were joined by McMaster University PhD. candidate Lauren Colenso-Semple who is studying the influence of exercise, nutrition, and hormones on skeletal muscle, specifically as they relate to the menstrual cycle. She has an extensive background not only in academia, having worked with a veritable “who’s who” of exercise science researchers in her journey to her PhD studies, but she also is an experienced personal trainer. In this episode she helps us understand whether “menstrual-cycle phase based training” is truly based on firm evidence, or if in some cases, the popular guidance sometimes extends beyond what we currently know (and what makes sense from a physiological perspective). Make sure to tune in to learn what we do and don’t know on this fascinating topic.

If comparison is the thief of joy, then what hope do competitive bodybuilders have for happiness? In a sport where you stand before a panel of strangers who numerically rate your nearly nude body in comparison to others, you’d think it’d be impossible. But is it? What happens to bodybuilders’ body image over time? Is it true that whether they place 3rd at the all-valley “championships” or 1st at worlds, they still feel small? If it’s not true, why not, to what degree, and in what circumstances? In this episode, we explore whether or not it’s true that the day you start lifting is the day you become forever small, and how this mindset can manifest, change, and differ between groups and individuals. 00:00 An update on the Iron Culture documentary and the frequency of episodes 04:50 Self-perception in the social media fitness space Omar’s YouTube video will be linked here when it is published! 11:00 Mental and physiological distress in physique athletes Helms 2019 Towards a Sustainable Nutrition Paradigm in Physique Sport: A Narrative Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315180/ 19:29 The marketing of bodybuilders and the “desirable” physique 37:21 The motivation to become a bodybuilder and physique (dis)satisfaction  Jankauskiene 2007 Muscle size satisfaction and predisposition for a health harmful practice in bodybuilders and recreational gymnasium users https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17485962/ 1:00:55 The stressors and influence of the fitness industrial complex  Iron Culture Ep. 28- The Problem With The Fitness Industry (with Chip Conrad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2rtKZ3AnXM 1:17:25 Tethering your expectations to people who can provide you with constructive criticism 1:26:23 Closing out: the internet is terrible but listen to our podcast (on the internet)  

After our recent episode with Dr. Guillermo Escalante discussing the potential contributing causes and possibly what could be done about the recent deaths of a number of high profile enhanced bodybuilders, we wanted to follow up. As you recall, this conversation came about because of a Washington Post article series that not only discussed these tragedies, but also exploitation and corruption at the heart of the biggest bodybuilding organization: the NPC/IFBB pro league. Omar made an eye opening YouTube video summarizing these articles, and we discussed them in further depth today, not for controversy’s sake, but rather because we both truly want a better future for the sport and art of bodybuilding. In addition, in the latter half of this episode we discussed the challenges of predicting hypertrophy from proxy measures, and where we are at scientifically in this regard, and what it means for practice.   00:00 Revisiting the bodybuilding controversy Iron Culture Ep. 203 Can Enhanced Bodybuilding Be Safer? (Ft. Dr. Guillermo Escalante) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G_c1umHswE Washington Post Investigation https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/investigating-the-sport-my-dad-made-famous/ Omar Isuf Why I Don't Support BODYBUILDING (And Neither Should You) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwpolgBBeI 22:18 Experiential knowledge: how coaches can guide and empower athletes 25:44 The inherent risks of PEDs and taking responsibility for your actions 46:35 Regional hypertrophy and optimising exercise selection Is Regional Hypertrophy Predictable? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/regional-hypertrophy/ Albarello 2022 Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334406/ Chaves 2020 Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32922646/ Iron Culture Ep. 163- All About EMG and Hypertrophy (ft. Andrew Vigotsky) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIccFeOknew 1:00:05 Reaching conclusions with assumptions embedded in (proxy) measurements 1:10:10 Applying this information: considerations for exercise selection (and the limits to our knowledge) 1:22:06 Closing out    

It’s 2023, and the boys just can’t be denied. Four years strong and they’ve weathered cyber attacks from a bearded AI, fended off an Irish serial killer, and somehow, managed not to get themselves cancelled. In the new year we have big plans, but before we focus on our plans, we want to focus on yours dear listener. First, we know you’re still recovering from staying up late for New Year’s Eve, and let’s be honest, for many of you it wasn’t your only late night. How much does getting less sleep than normal impact your training and what can you do about it? After we tackle this practical question, we have an in depth discussion on how to identify the snakes in the garden - the less obvious, shiftier influencers you currently think are helping you, but are just waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of your trust. 00:00 Introduction to a brave new world (and a happy new year!) 14:12 The effect of sleep loss on lifting performance Craven 2022 Effects of Acute Sleep Loss on Physical Performance: A Systematic and Meta-Analytical Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35708888/ Blumert 2007 The acute effects of twenty-four hours of sleep loss on the performance of national-caliber male collegiate weightlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18076267/ Knowles 2022 Sustained Sleep Restriction Reduces Resistance Exercise Quality and Quantity in Females https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36136596/ 28:45 Strategies to circumvent acute sleep loss Hsouna 2019 Effect of different nap opportunity durations on short-term maximal performance, attention, feelings, muscle soreness, fatigue, stress and sleep https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31491444/ Petit 2014 A 20-min nap in athletes changes subsequent sleep architecture but does not alter physical performances after normal sleep or 5-h phase-advance conditions https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24276580/ 45:33 Optimising sleep and training within the given constraints Sargent 2021 How Much Sleep Does an Elite Athlete Need? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34021090/ 59:59 Patterns of behaviour to guide who to follow and avoid 1:10:12 Leveraging trust to sell products 1:30:26 The motivation to create controversial content Stronger By Science: YOUR Drug-Free Muscle And Strength Potential by Greg Nuckols https://www.strongerbyscience.com/your-drug-free-muscle-and-strength-potential-part-1/ 1:41:41 The final takeaway and the masculinity in crisis tour

In a series of recent Washington Post investigative articles about bodybuilding in the NPC/IFBB pro league, Desmond Butler (the son of the producer of Pumping Iron) covered a series of controversial topics. Among them, were the seemingly increasing numbers of competitor deaths. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Guillermo Escalante, the Assistant Dean and a Professor of Kinesiology in the College of Natural Sciences at CSU San Bernardino, who is a competitive bodybuilder himself, as well as an athletic trainer (a sports medicine first responder). He was interviewed for these Washington Post articles because from 2012 to 2019 he spent many of his Saturdays in Southern California at shows, making himself available in case any athletes had medical emergencies. Dr. Escalante has also specifically published research examining the potential causes of death of enhanced pro bodybuilders. Needless to say, there are few people with more direct knowledge, experience, and perspective on the potential dangers of certain practices in enhanced physique sport, whether these risks can be reduced, and how.

Mr. Benjamin Franklin Esgro has the unique honor of being our first guest in our episodes numbered in the 200’s, as well as being on for his fifth, or maybe sixth time? We aren’t sure, but we like to have the man on! I’m this episode, he’s once again crusading against potential charlatans in the supplement industry. If you remember last time, Ben joined us to discuss the lacking evidence of a mechanism of action behind turkesterone and today, he’s back to give us a dose of reality on paraxanthine. What is paraxanthine you might ask? Well if you haven’t already heard of it, it’s supposedly the next big thing in the stimulant, nootropic and pre workout world. But, while this supplement is interesting and may have specific utility, should we really expect something truly groundbreaking considering it’s a metabolite of caffeine? Join us as we ask Ben Esgro to find out. 00:00 Intro 5:41 (Re)introducing Ben to kickstart another monster episode  19:24 An overview of paraxanthine Lelo 1986 Comparative pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its primary demethylated metabolites paraxanthine, theobromine and theophylline in man https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3756065/  Benowitz 1995 Sympathomimetic effects of paraxanthine and caffeine in humans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8529334/ 34:59 Selling the acute supplement sensation and experience 48:20 Marketing paraxanthine and comparisons with caffeine 1:03:40 Paraxanthine toxicity and bioengineering explained 1:14:55 Chasing the mythical unicorn of replacing banned supplements 1:23:17 Creating demand and producing the same subjective experience as paraxanthine? 1:32:38 Potency and derivatives of compounds 1:38:40 Dosages and densities of powdered supplements 1:43:45 What to expect from a paraxanthine supplement 1:48:38 Closing out with a (metaphorical) mic drop: the positive impact of the evidence-based lifting community Li 2022 Self-Reported Training and Supplementation Practices Between Performance-Enhancing Drug-User Bodybuilders Compared with Natural Bodybuilders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36165879/ 

It’s the start of a new era, as Omar and Eric sit down for episode 201. In this conversation, the two pick up where they left off from episode 200, tackling the Cult’s questions that were too good, and too deep to cover last week. Specifically, we discuss how to compare the potential effects of dissimilar variables on hypertrophy, such as sleep, protein, and creatine using research. Further, we field questions on how you measure progress and deal with plateaus, and whether higher frequency training can provide unique advantages. 00:00 Introduction to a new era of Iron Culture (and reading comments) 15:11 Start of Q&A. Effect sizes in sport science research (protein, creatine, and sleep) and their application to practice Tagawa 2020 Dose-response relationship between protein intake and muscle mass increase: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33300582/ Morton 2018 A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222/ Lanhers 2015 Creatine Supplementation and Lower Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25946994/ Lanhers 2017 Creatine Supplementation and Upper Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27328852/ Branch 2003 Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12945830/  Craven 2022 Effects of Acute Sleep Loss on Physical Performance: A Systematic and Meta-Analytical Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35708888/ 44:55 Advice for people who love the iron game but may not necessarily have the best genetics and life situation for it (reframing our view of strength standards that we compare ourselves to) 56:58 Which variable(s) to adjust when strength plateaus 1:05:03 How important is it to have a high volume for a specific muscle group in a single session vs across the week? Iron Culture Ep. 40- Training Frequency For Strength & Hypertrophy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDNvJaNeDw4&t=13s Iron Culture Ep. 152-Effort vs Exertion, Frequency, and Qualitative Research (Q&A) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCg_4tQzbC0 Greg Nuckols’ in-house Meta https://www.strongerbyscience.com/frequency-muscle/ James Krieger’s in-house Meta https://weightology.net/the-members-area/evidence-based-guides/set-volume-for-muscle-size-the-ultimate-evidence-based-bible/ Schoenfeld 2017 Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/ Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645/ 1:12:40 Closing out (and Iron Culture TikTok??)

We can’t believe it. 200 episodes. What else is there to say except thank you from the bottom of our hearts? It’s always a blast for us to hang out and chat, but it’s a huge bonus that so many people find value in our conversations. At the outset, we hoped we’d be able to provide both educational and entertainment value to our listeners, and it seems like we’ve succeeded. This episode is a bit of a celebration, as we reflect on what brought us here, and what it’s going to lead to. We have big plans dear listener, and I think you’re going to like them. Also, we squeeze in a little bit of genuine Q&A from the cult (we promise we didn’t make these questions up, seriously).   00:00 Intro: history of THE Iron Culture 3:12 🚨🔥Episode 200 🔥🚨 and a HUGE news reveal 16:25 The Helms review of the 2022 IPF Commonwealth Championships 31:30 The importance of the Sheffield Powerlifting Championships 44:15 What is Eric competing in next year? And starting some quickfire Q&As 49:02 How did Eric arrive at a minimum intake of 0.5g/kg/day for Fat? 52:29 What lift would you add to Powerlifting if you could? Iron Culture Ep. 91- Powerlifter vs Weightlifter vs Strongman...Who's The Strongest!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyYqQiaE9RA 1:01:55 The effect of creatine on cognition and brain function Iron Culture Ep. 142- Myths and Facts About Creatine (New Research ft. Dr. Darren Candow) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcfTuJYW374 1:05:27 What questions should you ask your strength sport athletes? Iron Culture Ep. 195- Overreaching, Deloads & Tapers: Nutrition Considerations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o4IOjihkTI 1:17:11 Moving forward in 2023

While technically correct, saying “protein is the most satiating macro” misses the point. We don’t actually eat macros, we eat foods that have a macronutrient profile, and two diets identical in their macronutrient profile may differ in their effects on hunger and satiety. In prior episodes, we’ve discussed protein in depth, but this is the first time we’ve had an in-depth discussion on how protein influences satiety. Further, we address misconceptions about fat gain on high-protein diets and the impact of high-protein diets on energy expenditure. Ultimately you’ll learn that when considering satiety, macros, foods, meals, and diets all need to be considered in context for an accurate picture.  00:00 Intro and reviewing reviews: social media fitness edition Iron Culture Ep. 20- The Problem With #Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHf0QG1Nw_0 Iron Culture Ep. 182 - How to call out B.S. and Pseudoscience https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckzuycwnRH8 Iron Culture Ep. 93- What's Wrong With The Fitness Industry (And How To Change It) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWYABSS9FlE Cyber Monday Sales  The Muscle and Strength Pyramidshttps://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/ MASS Research Review https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/ Elemental Formulations Prime Pre-workout https://eformulations.co/products/prime-pre-x-high-stim-pre-workout  13:50 Eric’s recap of WNBF Worlds and the typical age of high-level competitors Iron Culture Ep. 27- Natural Bodybuilding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0AEvN2L9zU Solberg 2019 Peak Age and Performance Progression in World-Class Weightlifting and Powerlifting Athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30958059/ 26:40 Is protein the most satiating macronutrient? Human hunger and eating behaviours Iron Culture Ep. 47- Everything You Wanted To Know About Protein (Timing, Amount, Frequency) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt0m6OFB7J8 Antonio Protein Trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24834017/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26500462/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26778925/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27807480/ Ben-Harchache 2021 The Impact of Protein Supplementation on Appetite and Energy Intake in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33037427/ Santesso 2012 Effects of higher- versus lower-protein diets on health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22510792/ Helms 2015 High-protein, low-fat, short-term diet results in less stress and fatigue than moderate-protein moderate-fat diet during weight loss in male weightlifters: a pilot study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25028958/ 42:50 Our current interpretation of the research  Roberts 2018 Satiating Effect of High Protein Diets on Resistance-Trained Subjects in Energy Deficit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30597865/

For many, research is taken to represent a framework for understanding concepts that can then be applied to their own training.  This can be taken too far when some hope to divine exact details that apply specifically to their own journey. Research isn’t meant to tell you (dear listener) how to train on a Tuesday.  What is the best way to properly utilize the current literature to better our own lifting journeys? Two hunks set out to explore this very topic. 00:00 Introducing another MONSTER episode (and reviewing reviews and continuing the feud with the macrofactor podcast) 06:56 How training to failure research is really conducted Warneke 2022 Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9174468/ Iron Culture Ep. 197: Training To Failure: A Comprehensive Overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa8Z-fUuiNU Halperin 2021 Accuracy in Predicting Repetitions to Task Failure in Resistance Exercise: A Scoping Review and Exploratory Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34542869/ 34:00 The death of the “expert” (and Mr Train-to-failure) 44:01 Study designs: disconfirming hypotheses vs proving something to be true Iron Culture Ep. 196- How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Ft. Dr. Pak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ0Qp6spGQ Bell 2022 “You can't shoot another bullet until you've reloaded the gun” https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/208 1:01:52 Barriers to research and the mistrust of science Monaghan 2001 Challenging medicine? Bodybuilding, drugs and risk https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9566.00180 Li 2022 Self-Reported Training and Supplementation Practices Between Performance-Enhancing Drug-User Bodybuilders Compared with Natural Bodybuilders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36165879/ 1:21:00 Appeal to swoleness: researchers in sport science and the application of findings 1:32:40 How science can change practice: the BCAA example Hackett 2013 Training practices and ergogenic aids used by male bodybuilders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22990567/ Iron Culture Ep. 182 - How to call out B.S. and Pseudoscience https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckzuycwnRH8  1:45:42 Concluding thoughts

In this episode we are excited to revisit an ever-controversial topic in bodybuilding, training to failure! Yes, we’ve discussed this before on Iron Culture, and yes, people have surprisingly (but maybe not so much when you dissect it…) strong feelings about training to failure. You may remember that one of the biggest limitations in the literature we previously discussed in our last episode was that there are different ways of defining failure. Should we be lumping together studies that use “momentary muscular failure” with studies that used “repetition maximums” or “voluntary failure”? Probably not. But great news, Martin Refalo a Ph.D. candidate at Deakin University specifically studying the effect of failure on hypertrophy joins us in this episode. Martin recently published a scoping review and a subsequent meta-analysis that specifically identified these differences in failure types and analyzed the literature based on these distinctions, as well as looking at velocity loss thresholds to provide new and important insights on this topic! Tune in to learn more!

We are delighted to have Dr Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis on Iron Culture! “Dr. Pak” is a researcher and lecturer at Solent University, coach at stronger by science, and finally, a lifting enthusiast himself. He did his PhD on powerlifting. Specifically, he conducted research to answer the question: “how much training do powerlifters need to do, to make meaningful increases in strength?” This question led him to conduct interviews and surveys with the best powerlifters and powerlifting coaches in the world to first understand what they consider “meaningful” strength gains to be, and then he conducted some of the very few longitudinal training studies on competing powerlifters to determine just how much work they need to do to get better. Join us in this fascinating look at the inner workings of his research, as well as some of the more recent research he’s currently involved with, bridging the gaps in terminology and application between science and practice.

"Should I cut my calories back during deloads?” This incredibly common question pops up all the time online, and there are a few things to consider when answering it. First, the purpose of a deload, technically, is to recover after an overreaching phase. What do we expect after an overreaching phase? Are these expectations compatible with a reduction in calories? Secondly, we need to consider the differences in total energy expenditure between a deload week, and the preceding training, which again, consisted of an overreaching phase. Finally, in this episode, we discuss other cases, for example “deloads” that don’t occur after overreaching, deloads following strength/intensity-based overreaching, tapers, and intro weeks. While the question is simple, the answer has a bit of nuance, so join us to learn these details! 00:00 Intro: addressing the “alliance” with Stronger ByScience 12:07 Eric’s damage control apology and appeal to the Iron Culture HR department 17:05 The effects of deloads on muscle hypertrophy: should you cut calories on a deload? Bjørnsen 2018 Delayed myonuclear addition, myofiber hypertrophy, and increases in strength with high-frequency low-load blood flow restricted training to volitional failurehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543499/ Vann 2022 Effects of High-Volume Versus High-Load Resistance Training on Skeletal Muscle Growth and Molecular Adaptationshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35360253/ 39:22 The differences between deloading and tapering for competition and Damas 2019 Myofibrillar protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy individualized responses to systematically changing resistance training variables in trained young menhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31268828/ Travis 2020 Preparing for a National Weightlifting Championship: A Case Serieshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31373973/ 53:55 Change in energy expenditure during deloads Lytle 2019 Predicting Energy Expenditure of an Acute Resistance Exercise Bout in Men and Womenhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30768553/ Iron Culture Ep. 66- Cardio for Lifters: Everything that Matters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjZCp6lX24 107:58 Closing out  

Mr Dr. Ben House is back on Iron Culture, but this time, he’s fully indoctrinated. That’s right, Ben is making a push to experience what it’s like to get into bodybuilding stage condition. He’s been collaborating with Eric in the process, learning to pose, reincorporating tracking after a long time away, and getting leaner than lean. When is he competing you ask? Believe it or not, he’s probably not going to! Ben decided to do this for a few reasons, first to support a friend who is a competitor, second to get the experience of what it’s like so he can be a better coach and also make more accurate representations in his content, and finally, he’s scientifically interested in exploring how to find one’s lower intervention point. Ben wants to know just how sustainable or unsustainable being in such a position is. Learn about not only his experience in this episode, and what he’s learned, but also how we integrate concepts like energy availability and body fat regulation in terms of practical application.  00:00 (Re)introducing Dr Ben House and how this episode came to be 9:26 Ben’s dieting journey Iron Culture Ep. 192- He's Not Just A Bodybuilder (ft. Mr. Universe Alberto Nunez) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kseqS8jFgbg 20:10 Ben’s experience of getting shredded 37:20 Getting to the summit and how it could affect your life Towards a Sustainable Nutrition Paradigm in Physique Sport: A Narrative Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315180/ 49:00 🚨❗️ Officially entering monster episode territory❗️🚨 52:46 The physiological effects of getting lean Trexler 2017 Physiological Changes Following Competition in Male and Female Physique Athletes: A Pilot Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28422530/ Longstrom 2020 Physiological, Psychological and Performance-Related Changes Following Physique Competition: A Case-Series https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33467243/ Iron Culture Ep. 14- Why Lifters Lose Motivation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMpLl106Vw 1:03:33 Framing energy availability and what is “healthy”? Can You Stay Shredded? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/stay-shredded/ Iron Culture Ep. 146- What The Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About The Obesity Epidemic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfAbKeiAuII 1:10:41 Individual differences in metabolic adaptation and the ability to live in low energy availability 1:23:30 Is Omar getting shredded!? 1:31:35 Closing out and where to find Mr Dr Ben House Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbenhouse/?hl=en Deconstruct Nutrition: https://www.deconstructnutrition.com/  

We’re back with another Q&A episode! Our first question is about the utility, if there is any, of doing singles at a low RPE. Basically, if singles are a specificity tool, why do them light? Great question, and often, the premise of a question needs to be addressed to get a more useful answer. Then, we address the question of whether gains are linear, especially in advanced lifters. Just what the heck is going on when we see an advanced lifter seemingly make a slew of progress after a long plateau (and no we aren’t talking about them jumping on gear)?   00:00 Intro: reviewing reviews and the obligatory banter 10:48 Giving everyone the boot: an update on Eric’s calf training Iron Culture Ep. 189 Stretching & Range of Motion for Strength and Hypertrophy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFrO2UQoIBg  Warneke 2022 Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.878955/full 17:50 Q&A #1 The function and utility of performing low(er) RPE singles Iron Culture Ep. 143 Everything You Need To Know About Velocity Based Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFLZz2k11D0&t=1983s 38:40 Q&A #2 Are gains linear or do they come in spurts in the advanced lifter? Bjørnsen 2018 Delayed myonuclear addition, myofiber hypertrophy, and increases in strength with high-frequency low-load blood flow restricted training to volitional failure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543499/  Bjørnsen 2019 Type 1 Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy after Blood Flow-restricted Training in Powerlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30188363/ MASS Research Review https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/ Iron Culture Ep. 109 Empiricism vs Rationalism: What Do We Really Know When It Comes To Fitness? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT3KPnTgO7M&t=492s 1:20:01 Q&A #3 How do you know if you have actually plateaued? https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/ 1:29:44 Closing out with some Blueberry Bis

Alberto Núñez is back on Iron Culture, but he’s changed. If you thought his prior appearances were him in his final form, you were wrong. He’s fresh off his WNBF Universe pro overall win, meaning he’s Mr. Universe. So forget the best bodybuilder on planet earth, or the best bodybuilder in the nearest 10 parsecs, or hell, the best bodybuilder in the Milky Way galaxy! No, this super Saiyan is the best in the universe. In this Big Bang of an episode, you won’t learn how to get freaky quads, a wide back, capped delts, or peeled to the socks like Berto, but you will learn lessons through his bodybuilding journey which apply to life in ways that would surprise you. Even the Watcher is mirin because Alberto is coming for the multiverse next!   0:00 Introducing Mr. Universe Team3DMJ YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8fhb7upVSZ0q-zK5snR9BA Iron Culture Ep. 191- Steroids, Staying Natural & The Tyranny of Progress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp30-AeTITQ Berto’s Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci-qBg_O6IB/ 19:40 Reflecting upon the journey of competing 27:41 Framing aging and the inevitable decline 42:29 Show day and the experience of being on stage Iron Culture Ep. 128- Book Bodybuilding & The Dog (ft. Ryan Doris) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Y93_jKSgU 53:44 Breaking down the competitors at the WNBF Pro Universe 1:11:20 The unique intricacies of bodybuilding and the motivations for competing 1:21:45 Berto finding satisfaction in his performances and the acknowledgment from his peers 1:25:28 The start of the 3DMJ community 1:35:02 Closing out   Where to find Mr. Universe Alberto Núñez Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nunez3dmj/ Team 3DMJ https://3dmusclejourney.com/

Intrinsic motivation: we talk about it’s importance, but let’s be honest, most people first step in the gym mostly or entirely for external reasons. That’s not always bad, but one thing is for sure, it needs to change over time, or at least be complemented by other forms of motivation, or inevitably lifters quit. Even when the shift is made to focusing on personal progress rather than external goals or standards, it can go wrong. Having something to continually improve upon or strive to achieve can provide a continuous staircase to personal improvement, but it can also be an overbearing presence invading every thought, making the inevitable plateaus experienced lifters face feel like failures. At these crossroads some lifters seek anabolic assistance, or quit. Sometimes one of these choices might be the right decision for an individual, but many times, both choices simply avoid the deeper issue. This deeper issue is also the reason some “noble” natties see themselves as morally superior to enhanced lifters, and why some spend so much time calling out those they believe to be fake. This is a deep one folks, well, once you get past the banter.  00:00 Intro: reacting to reviews Can You Stay Shredded by Greg Nuckols Eric Trexler Mike Zourdos Helms https://www.strongerbyscience.com/stay-shredded/ Iron Culture Ep. 109- Empiricism vs Rationalism: What Do We Really Know When It Comes To Fitness? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT3KPnTgO7M&t=492s 16:00 Natural or enhanced? The pressures of social media Iron Culture Ep. 188- Steroids, Aesthetics & Irresponsible Influencers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oF31sb3Db0 23:34 Intrinsic motivation, goals, and satisfaction tied to lifting What Is Strong? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/how-to-get-strong-what-is-strong/ 39:55 Comparing yourself to and living up to an ideal 49:38 The application of effort when enhanced and the psychological impact Health Science Explained Podcast Ep. 197- The path out of muscle dysmorphia https://open.spotify.com/episode/2CRNuQrn1MSmRpBdow2xwQ?si=a91fe465ed4c4712 1:14:04 The unintended consequences of our choices and the inherent issues of setting external goals 1:27:23 Being self-aware and the fragile social hierarchy in the lifting space 1:42:40 Wrapping up another monster episode 

For more than two decades Elite FTS has been a household name for powerlifting information, equipment, and a sense of community. The progenitor behind Elite FTS, Dave Tate, honoured us at Iron Culture by joining us to share his story, wisdom and experience. Tune in to learn about the history of Dave as an athlete, thinker, and entrepreneur. Also you’ll learn the history of Elite FTS, it’s future, and what paths weren’t traveled and why. Finally, we hear what lessons Dave’s learned from decades under the bar, not only for lifting itself but also how he’s applied it to business and life.   00:00 Introducing Dave 05:08 Demographics and the changing of the guard in the fitness industry 11:25 Dave’s journey 23:05 Joining Westside Barbell   34:49 EliteFTS as a content creator in the social media era 50:01 “Evidence-based”, being open-minded and continuing to learn 1:01:25 Dave’s powerlifting experience and the double-edged sword of the going all in mentality 1:19:19 EliteFTS in the business world 1:32:55 Playing the long game: using numbers to learn and grow 1:42:33 Providing a service for your consumer 1:53:55 The future of EliteFTS Where to find Dave and EliteFTS Dave Tate  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/underthebar/ Podcast: Dave Tate’s Table Talk https://www.elitefts.com/content/table-talk/ EliteFTS Website: https://www.elitefts.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elitefts/

Full ROM is king, right? Well, more or less. But why? And are there any types of partials that are worthwhile? What if your goal is strength? What if your goal is hypertrophy? In this episode we’re joined by two academics who helped answer these questions: Dr. Alyssa Joy Spence, an international grade powerlifter, powerlifting coach with TSA and lecturer at AUT who did her PhD thesis on the effects of stretching on powerlifting performance, as well as Milo Wolf, a strength and physique athlete and coach with stronger by science and PhD candidate at Solent University studying the effects of different ranges of motion on hypertrophy.  00:00 The banter podcast and introducing Milo and Alyssa 9:45 Discussing “Range of Motion” in the context of hypertrophy  Milo’s new Meta will be linked here when it’s out! 21:00 What we know about stretching for hypertrophy and strength Warneke 2022 Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35694390/ 30:32 When and how to implement stretching to improve performance 45:45 Strength-specific ROM: partials for sticking points, injuries, and psychology? 1:00:14 Resistance and strength curves 1:07:51 Is there such a thing as being too stretched? 1:15:48 Training at long muscle lengths: biarticular and monoarticular muscles  Maeo 2021 Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009197/ Maeo 2022 Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35819335/ Stasinaki 2018 Triceps Brachii Muscle Strength and Architectural Adaptations with Resistance Training Exercises at Short or Long Fascicle Length https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/3/2/28      Pedrosa 2022 Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33977835/ McMahon 2014 Muscular adaptations and insulin-like growth factor-1 responses to resistance training are stretch-mediated https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23625461/ Sato 2021 Elbow Joint Angles in Elbow Flexor Unilateral Resistance Exercise Training Determine Its Effects on Muscle Strength and Thickness of Trained and Non-trained Arms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34616309/ 1:27:30 Touching on regional hypertrophy 1:31:39: How does stretching work and do we actually know? 1:33:51 Closing out and where to find Milo and Alyssa Milo : Instagram @wolfcoach_ https://www.instagram.com/wolfcoach_/?hl=en Muscle & Feels Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfLkHRHcMxbdcZDWXfrLkBQ Coaching https://wolfcoaching.net/ Research Output https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Milo-Wolf-2\ Alyssa: Instagram @alyssajoyable https://www.instagram.com/alyssajoyable/?hl=en  

What does it mean to be “aesthetic”, and is it possible to have an objective or universal definition of it? Obviously, there are attempts to do so in physique sport, but in society, as they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. In fact, even in physique sports aesthetic standards change constantly and new competitive divisions regularly pop up, judging standards change, and people frequently disagree. Moving beyond the possibility of an agreed-upon definition or standard, would having them even be a good thing? How do external beauty standards and pressure impact us as humans who crave social acceptance in the social media age? How can you pursue aesthetic goals and get positive outcomes? There are no easy answers, but we welcome you to join us as we discuss!   00:00 Intro: reviewing reviews 11:10 In the pursuit of aesthetics Can you Stay Shredded? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/stay-shredded/ MASS Research Review https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/ 17:55 Defining the concept of aesthetics 24:27 Discussing anabolic steroids in the fitness industry 40:35 Societal influences on aesthetic standards and the impact of your personal experiences 51:40 TRT and the pressures of obtaining and maintaining a certain aesthetic Zhou 2020 Trends and Patterns of Testosterone Therapy among U.S. Male Medicare Beneficiaries, 1999 to 2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31928462/ 57:29 Social media algorithms and other influences on decision making Bhasin 2018 Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/103/5/1715/4939465 1:03:05 The importance of your definition of success and underlying motivations in the pursuit of your aesthetic goals Helms 2019 Towards a Sustainable Nutrition Paradigm in Physique Sport: A Narrative Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315180/ 1:17:07 The impacts of improving health and performance on aesthetics Iron Culture Episode 95: Old School Bodybuilding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2m11U_7JmU 1:21:44 Different physique sport divisions and desired aesthetics 1:33:20 Beyond surface-level motivations for lifting  1:46:20 Closing out

Sigma nutrition radio has been a staple for evidence-based nutrition podcasting for the better part of a decade. But truly, even among other similar podcasts, it’s in a league of its own. The guest list is essentially the who’s who of nutrition academia, with interviews digging into the nuance of research coming directly from the sources, covering an incredibly broad span of nutrition topics. Danny Lennon started this endeavor on his own, but in more recent years, it’s expanded to include Dr. Alan Flanagan and Dr. Niamh Aspell. As Alan, Danny and Eric were recently at a conference together, Iron Culture took the opportunity to sit down with them and learn about what they’ve learned as one of the longest-running science-based nutrition podcasts.  00:00 Intro Danny’s Peachboi Shorts https://raskolapparel.com/collections/shorts Sigma Nutrition Radio Ep. 442: Are Vegetables Detrimental to Health? https://open.spotify.com/episode/59oVF6ffJpQlNnPuJ0Ha3N?si=9abf0e4d4ede4a2e 10:22 The inception of Sigma Nutrition Radio and hosting podcasts 26:10: Staying up to date with the latest evidence in your guest’s area of expertise (both academics and practitioners) Iron Culture Ep. 182: How to call out B.S. and Pseudoscience https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckzuycwnRH8 31:50 Appraising and presenting evidence 44:10 Maintaining listenership while covering a broad range of topics and reaching a large audience 51:32 Areas of misinformation that require further inspection and scrutiny 59:12 Expanding and advancing Sigma Nutrition: holding epistemic humility and speaking within your area of expertise 1:21:35 Limits of domain-specific expertise 1:40:55 Challenging ill-informed perceptions and beliefs 1:50:29 The future of Sigma Nutrition and where to find them Sigma Nutrition: https://sigmanutrition.com/ Alinea Nutrition: https://www.alineanutrition.com/ Instagram: @dannylennon_sigma & @thenutritional_advocate

What happens when your passion becomes your career? From the outside, lifting as an occupation would be an enviable position for any lifting enthusiast. There are hidden drawbacks however as things such as financial incentives shroud over a once pure pursuit.  How do you keep the fire lit after over a decade of lifting when seemingly all stones have been overturned? If you're a member of the Cult, perhaps one of the two Hunks atop the Pyramid, you turn on your penlight and you begin navigating the encroaching darkness.

“Evidence-based” bodybuilding peaking is somewhat of a misnomer, at least for all aspects of peaking at this stage of the game. Being able to construct a hypothesis based on physiology, is not the same as testing it. While we have empirical support that carb loading likely does enhance muscle size and appearance, the so-called “drying out” process that many bodybuilders partake in hasn’t been studied, until recently. Join us in this episode as we discuss recent studies that assess the relationship between body water and bodybuilding success, and actually draw into question some traditional narratives.” 00:00 Intro MASS Research Review https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/ Iron Culture Episode 184: Breaking A World Record After A Catastrophic Injury with Joe Sullivan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnScTvfgdEw 9:31 Bodybuilding Peak Week in Science Barakat 2022 Can Bodybuilding Peak Week Manipulations Favorably Affect Muscle Size, Subcutaneous Thickness, and Related Body Composition Variables? A Case Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35878117/ 16:26 Opposing “Evidence-based” Peak Week Hypotheses Iron Culture Episode 109: Empiricism vs Rationalism: What Do We Really Know When It Comes To Fitness? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT3KPnTgO7M 22:21 Carbohydrate-loading Research Iron Culture Episode 36: How To Look Your Absolute Best: Peaking with Cliff Wilson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShi00QoSTY de Moraes 2019 Carbohydrate Loading Practice in Bodybuilders: Effects on Muscle Thickness, Photo Silhouette Scores, Mood States and Gastrointestinal Symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31827362/ Nunes 2022 Changes in Intra-to-Extra-Cellular Water Ratio and Bioelectrical Parameters from Day-Before to Day-Of Competition in Bodybuilders: A Pilot Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35202062/ Bamman 1993 Changes in body composition, diet, and strength of bodybuilders during the 12 weeks prior to competition https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8035587/ Chappell 2018 Nutritional Peak Week and Competition Day Strategies of Competitive Natural Bodybuilders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30352979/ 27:01 Natural vs Enhanced Peaking Johansson 2005 Independent and combined effects of testosterone and growth hormone on extracellular water in hypopituitary men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15827107/ McVeigh 2016 2,4-Dinitrophenol, the inferno drug: a netnographic study of user experiences in the quest for leanness https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/14659891.2016.1149238 37:35: Reviewing the Nunes and Barakat Studies 46:51 Intracellular & Extracellular ≠ Intramuscular & Subcutaneous 53:10 Breaking down Chris’ Peaking Strategy and the 3DMJ Strategy Barakat 2022 Kendall’s Tau Figure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35878117/#&gid=article-figures&pid=figure-1-uid-0 58:25 The Relationship Between Muscle Glycogen and Water

Joe Sullivan has been powerlifting for more than half his life. Starting as a young teen, Joe has been in and amongst the culture, starting with the USAPL, and eventually migrating to the untested side of the sport where he’s made his mark for the better part of the last decade. Most recently he set the all-time world record squat in the 100kg class at an astonishing 380kg, but it was a long road to get here. He’s overcome catastrophic injury, mental hurdles, and adversity that tie him deeply to powerlifting, and we were honored to have him on Iron Culture to share his candid perspective. He came from an era where raw powerlifting wasn’t the default, and when raw lifters identified with one another first and foremost, rather than with their federation. So sit back and enjoy this conversation where you get an insider’s viewpoint on the rapidly changing sport we know and love.  0:00 Introducing Joe Jeremey Hamilton record-breaking meet @220lb/100kg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHkMYQhoOVE Iron Culture Episode 180: Cultural Shifts in Lifting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRvaakZ4y6A 13:10 The rapid turnover and rise in raw/tested powerlifting 24:05 Joe’s perspectives on changes in competition judging standards 33:32 Powerlifter stereotypes from a decade ago and Joe’s shift to untested competition 39:53 Joe’s journey and lifting career 1:01:08 Joe’s comeback from injury and breaking squat records – “Adapt and Overcome” Joe’s bar bending squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neYyq_ubavg 1:24:42 Reframing your mindset through your journey and separating yourself from where you once were 1:27:55 Where can you find Joe? https://www.theaodcollective.com/ https://www.instagram.com/joesullivan_aod/

What is the difference between a lifter who takes a hit, and keeps on lifting and the lifter who “used to bench 315 in high school?” Is it always that the former is harder working, more resilient, more committed lifter? How plastic are these traits? And are all “hits” the same? For some, when it rains it pours, and for others, they are lucky enough to get dolled out life’s curveballs at a pace they can handle. Ultimately in this episode, we acknowledge that when viewing advanced lifters who’ve been at it for a long time, we are to some degree seeing survivorship bias. Further, we discuss how self-efficacy can be best built, and how to deal with what is, and what isn’t in your locus or control. No matter what though, Iron Culture will continue to persist, demonstrating ultimate resilience, never missing a Monday release (and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). 0:00 - Intro  10:55 - Instagram reacts: revisiting misinformation/disinformation Marton 2020 Science, advocacy, and quackery in nutritional books https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-0415-6 Iron Culture episode 132: Where does Bro Science come from? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFv5BkEp9mY Vigotsky 2020 Improbable data patterns in the work of Barbalho et al. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343051741_Improbable_data_patterns_in_the_work_of_Barbalho_et_al 35:30 - Question: “Why do some people get derailed when their routines get thrown while other people show resilience to unexpected challenges?” Transtheoretical model of behavior change https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transtheoretical_model 41:45 - Adversity builds self-efficacy. Dealing with what is and isn’t in your locus of control 48:30 - Just-world fallacy and extreme ownership. “Maximise given the constraints” Iron Culture episode 27: Natural Bodybuilding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0AEvN2L9zU 58:20 - Practical applications for building self-efficacy and Eric’s experiences Iron Culture episode 83: You Are NOT An Advanced Lifter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9cwQsABQ98 1:15:15 - Responses to fight or flight signals and tips for coaches 1:28:24 - Framing and calibration of adversity and resilience in your journey 1:34:49 - Delayed gratification of lifting and the power of your environment Iron Culture episode 173: What is the Best Training Environment? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEIUIiL9z5Q 1:46:02 - Wrapping it up

Myth busting is a favorite past time of the “evidence based fitness community”, and pwning noobs with copious “um actually”s is just part of the job, right? Well, yes and no. While it’s more important than ever to combat mis and disinformation, it’s arguably just as, if not more important, to do so in the right way…which, spoiler alert doesn’t involve pwning said noobs. In fact, while those who use science to “dunk on the bros” do get more follows, props, and recognition, it likely comes from people already within the evidence based community, rather than without. So how does one make a true impact and change hearts and minds, rather than just preach to the choir? Join us to find out! https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-022-01702-2

What started out as a Q&A episode quickly evolved into an in-depth conversation surrounding the future of natural bodybuilding. To some inside the space, there are alarming signs of stagnation within the sport and in this episode, the hunks set out to examine if this really is the case. Drawing upon personal experience, a healthy dose of history and broad observations of general socioeconomic trends, the picture painted might not be so grim. There will always be an appetite for hunks being hunky. Oh and they also discuss carbohydrates before training.

The lifting community is more siloed than it used to be, and it is larger, so it’s understandable why today we have a broad and varied cultural landscape. It’s also more complex now in the modern age, and you can find parallel communities in the same lifting discipline with very little crossover. Further, in each community, the changing of the guards seems to be happening at an increasingly accelerated rate. The lifters, coaches, voices, and perspectives of today in any given subculture, don’t seem to be the ones of yesterday. More so, the time between “today” and “yesterday” feels like it’s getting shorter. Why is that? What role does social media play? Should we be concerned? Most importantly, what is the things that don’t change? How do we use this information to avoid a “dark age”? Join us today on this episode of Iron Culture as we discuss the wild world of lifting, from an almost anthropological perspective, ultimately coming away with a deeper understanding of what unifies and what also persists beyond any single person.

Getting really really lean is something a lot of people do, from physique athletes to fitness models, to serious lifters with a lifting-related bucket list. But staying really really lean, is something very few people ever achieve, despite most who get shredded wondering at least once,  “could I maintain this?” Why is it the case that most people struggle to stay shredded? Indeed, there are the few who seemingly can walk around shredded 24/7, and if you believe your Instagram feed, or are involved with specific sports at an elite level, you might think it’s a relatively innocuous achievement. Regardless of where you sit in terms of your observations, if you want to know what physiological, psychological, and environmental factors influence how lean you can stay, this is the episode for you.

Examine is arguably one of the most important resources to the supplement consumer in existence. Haven’t heard of it? Imagine a third-party, expert-informed, wiki page on human research on nearly every supplement in existence, organized in a clear, logical, and informative manner, and you’ve imagined Examine. Today, we sat down with one of its founders, Sol Orwell, to learn about how and why it started, and where its future lies. Given people are still falling for insincere supplement marketing today, this is a conversation that’s just as important as ever.

We are joined by the reigning 76kg world champion and now the strongest deadlifter on the women's side of the IPF, fresh after returning from the 2022 IPF worlds in South Africa. Jessica came away with a squat and deadlift world record, the latter of which she had to pull in order to win, tying the equipped IPF champion Agata Sitko, beating her on bodyweight, who had thrown her hat into the ring at classic worlds. What did Jess’s build-up look like? How was the cut? How did nearly two days of travel impact her performance? How do Eric and Jess operate as coach and athlete? And how did having two of her protein bars stolen by monkeys impact her mental state? Join us to learn all of the above!

Sometimes you just gotta shoot the s**t and talk some s**t. In this episode of Iron Culture, we discuss some of the recent insane competitions in the world of powerlifting. If you live under a bridge, you might not be aware that a ton of ridiculous numbers were put up across almost every weight class at IPF classic worlds as well as USAPL mega nationals. In addition to this, we both had some things to get off our chests. Omar shares that some of the snake oil, aka turkesterone, being sold online…get this…doesn’t even contain very actual much snake oil (aka actual turkesterone). Additionally, Eric lets off some steam about some bothersome trends in sports science...that’s right tune in for some serious nerd drama! This isn’t one to miss folks, what better way to spend your Monday than listening to us bitch and moan on a variety of topics!

Motivation is for the weak, commitment is for the REAL lifers! Right! Right? Well maybe not so much. Join us on an existential journey into what motivation really means. What are our motives to train, how does this relate to our identity, and self determination? In this episode we comment on our observations of long-time lifters’ motivation to train in the public eye, and how that intersects with the research on motivation, identity and meaning. You might just come away with a better understanding of the meaning of lift.

In this Q&A episode, we address a few great questions, the first of which, on how does periodization for hypertrophy works, resulted in a deep dive by Mr. Dr. Eric Helms on the topic. You’ll learn about the definition of periodization, how it applies to hypertrophy goals, the rationale for periodizing specific variables, and what gaps we have on this topic. Finally, we discuss what we do know, and logically what’s reasonable to periodize and how. To wrap up, we answered questions on what gym equipment Omar is planning to get for his home gym, and also how NSAIDs impact gains. 

Your training environment, it’s a variable we all acknowledge as being relevant and important, but it’s rarely discussed in depth. In this episode, we give this topic the attention it deserves. What are the pros and cons of commercial gyms of various types? What are the pros and cons of home gyms? Collectively, we’ve both been personal trainers in multiple gym and studio environments, and personally, we ourselves have trained in a wide array of commercial, boutique, hardcore, specialty, military, and community gyms. In this episode we do a deep dive on how to find and cultivate the best training environment possible for one’s personality and goals. 

Saturated fat, it gets a lot of attention, but there’s not much consensus in this attention…at least in influencer conversations. However, the research on the health impacts of saturated fat are reasonably consistent in terms of scientific consensus. Beyond the impact of saturated fat on health, often in bodybuilding circles discussions on the effects of saturated fat focus on testosterone. However, does saturated fat have a meaningful effect on testosterone? In this episode we’re joined by returning guests Alan Flanagan, and Spencer Nadolsky, both experts in the topic, to discuss. 

This week we are joined by new IPF super heavyweight 2021 world champion and 2x US national champion Jesus Olivares. We’re all familiar with Ray Williams, one of the most impressive lifters of all time, who holds the highest IPF total currently at 1112.5kg, which he put up in 2019 at the age of 32. Amazingly, Jesus put up an 1110kg total just recently at Powerlifting America nationals at the tender age of 23. He’s only a few weeks out from Worlds and we were fortunate enough to sit down and learn about his history, his mindset, and his training. Are we on the cusp of a new era in the IPF super heavyweight division?

Training, it’s the most fun thing we all do in our mundane lives, and we’re ok with that! But unfortunately, it’s only about 4-8 hours of the week and typically not every day. So, what’s an easy way to improve our quality of life? Train twice a day! In this episode, we actually discuss the intriguing research on two a day training for lifting. While it’s not something that makes sense in most cases, that isn’t to say it’s a universally bad idea, depending on your goal and your situation. In this episode, we discuss the context and also the research on this topic for how it can apply in a variety of situations. 

We’re back with another Q&A episode, with just one trendy commercial break. That’s right, we had to shill the 5-year MASS anniversary sale going on until May 3rd because let’s face it, no corporation except one we’re a partial owner of would sponsor us. But we do cover a range of questions in this episode, the first being how to address lagging body parts and setup muscle group specialization cycles…oh and 3DMJ has a new course for this…OK, so just one commercial break AND one integrated ad, BUT THAT’S IT (we gotta eat folks)! In addition, we also discuss other important topics, like body recomp, minimalist training, and the verifiable fact that Iron Culture Podcast started before the Stronger By Science Podcast (not that you’ve heard of it). [MASS Research Review] https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/ [3DMJ Lagging Body Parts]  https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip

The world of rehab is full of assessments and treatments. Some are legitimate, others less so, but the confusing part is that some of these assessments have a logical basis, connecting movement to function, can be improved with an treatment, and this coincides with the natural time course of healing. But was the assessment actually measuring the dysfunction or injury in some way, and did the treatment actually positively impact recovery beyond the placebo effect? To answer these hard questions we’re joined by Iron Culture regular, Dr. Nick Licameli, an experienced physical therapist who works with the general populace as well as 3DMJ athletes, and his colleagues Dr. Jared Maynard of Unbreakable Strength and John Flagg of Rebuild Stronger, a physical therapist and a certified athletic trainer, respectively, who both work with strength athletes.

Mike Tuchscherer has been on Iron Culture multiple times to speak as a thinker and coach, but this time we brought him on as an athlete. For those who don’t know, Mike has been competing since 2003 and has competed at the highest level. He is a two-time single-ply junior national champion, a single-ply collegiate national champion, a two-time single-ply open national champion, a four-time open raw national champion, a single-ply junior world champion, and to top it off, he’s a world games gold medalist, the highest honors a powerlifter can win. Over nearly 20 years of competing, his mentality has understandably and necessarily changed over the years. Most recently, he came back after a 6-year injury induced hiatus to beat his last competition total by nearly 80kg, with room to grow. Join us to learn how this story unfolded and what you can learn from it.  

Powerlifting has exploded in popularity over the last decade within the lifting community. From deadlifts being frowned upon at commercial gyms to your favourite fitness influencer now entering a local powerlifting meet for clout, the rise of powerlifting has been well documented. However, beneath this meteoric rise has been some signs that this rapid expansion within the community might be coming to a halt. Why did powerlifting become popular in the first place? If powerlifting IS regressing popularity, what are the likely factors? And ultimately what does the future hold for this beloved sport? Two hunks seek to uncover the full scoop in the latest sizzling episode of Iron Culture.

Combine enough truisms that lack precision and nuance and people get confused. This is exactly what happens in typical discussions of hypertrophy training while dieting. When a deficit is framed as a “state” rather than the cumulative effects of long term (body comp) and short term (acute energy balance) energy availability, and tropes like “volume is the primary driver of hypertrophy”, “intensity is more important than volume” and “dieting is catabolic” are stated without nuance, logic disconnects from physiology. In this episode we discuss the nature of caloric deficits, the effects they have in the long and short term, why and how you lose muscle while dieting, and the role of training for muscle retention in this context. 

The Carnivore Diet has exploded in popularity over the last several years thanks in large part to some very bold claims made by leading advocates. From the harmfulness of plants to the uselessness of fiber, these assertions are certainly bold. In this sizzling episode, Iron Culture hosts Omar Isuf and Eric Trexler investigate the validity of these claims, thoroughly examining and dispelling many incorrect beliefs commonly parroted by some aspects of the community. Surely this will be the least controversial episode they've done to date. References: Smajis et al 2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31796953/ Ingestion of a high dose of fructose for 8 wk was not associated with relevant metabolic consequences - lean, healthy, weight-stable individuals consuming 150 g (!!!) of fructose daily Nick Hiebert https://www.the-nutrivore.com/post/a-comprehensive-rebuttal-to-seed-oil-sophistry Mullie at al, 2021 Vitamin C in East-Greenland traditional nutrition: a reanalysis of the Høygaard nutritional data (1936-1937)     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8266228/ Anderson et al, 2009 Barber et al, 2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19335713/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7589116/ If you want good info on diet, blood lipids, and cardiovascular risk, check out the three-part series by Alan Flanagan of Sigma Nutrition:https://sigmanutrition.com/diet-cvd/ The Pattern of Fatty Acids Displaced by EPA and DHA Following 12 Months Supplementation Varies between Blood Cell and Plasma Fractions https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555124/ Increasing dietary linoleic acid does not increase tissue arachidonic acid content in adults consuming Western-type diets: a systematic review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132704/ The omega-6/omega-3 ratio and cardiovascular disease risk: uses and abuses https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17045070/ https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/96/5/1193S/4577160

EMG studies, they’re the classic “evidence-based” tool to “Um actually” all the bros about what the perfect exercises they should have chosen for every muscle group. Or are they? Today we’re joined by returning guest, Ph.D. candidate Andrew Vigotsky, who’s published some of the most influential papers on the limitations and the best practice guidance for EMG research. In this episode, we learn what EMG data can and can’t tell us, what types of evidence we should rely on to inform exercise selection, and what research we should perform in the future to move the field forward. Ultimately, we unfortunately learn that the good old days of T-Nation articles might be sadly behind us.

As you all know, we at Iron Culture have succeeded in becoming lifting cult leaders, which basically means we’ve failed at our previous attempts at having respectable jobs  (sorry mom). However, the good news is that we are experts on failure because of this. In this episode we do a deep dive on failure in resistance training, building on prior episodes to help you understand why this seemingly straightforward concept is so murky, and why there is so much disagreement in the literature on proximity to failure. Further, before we even get to the topic du jour, we have a delicious appetizer discussion on expert creep and how not all sources of misinformation are necessarily perpetrated by sell-outs trying to trick you, and how to respond accordingly. 

We’re back with another completely legit Q&A episode from 100% real listeners. Once again, thank you, Tommy, Tanya, and Tyrone. Omar was the highlight of this one, as the second question was specifically about using “questionable” marketing tactics, but in the name of good, to distribute evidence-based information, and whether doing so was ultimately helping people, or discouraging critical thinking. Sandwiching Omar’s fantastic answer, Eric addressed two science-based questions in this episode, the first being about when is it best to be process-focused versus outcome-focused, and the second is about how periodization operates with respect to other types of athletes and how much S&C should mimic the movements of the sport. Tune in for some great discussions on these topics in this episode!

Recently, the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of autoregulation on strength and hypertrophy was published. In this episode we explore why this publication almost sent Eric into a proverbial dark cave without a pen light, never to return, and what realizations helped him find his way out. In this episode, we discuss that the promise of autoregulation is really Individualization. With that discovery, we explore how it succeeds, and fails, at least in its current limited form, what research on autoregulation can and canto capture, and what will be needed in the future for autoregulation to truly become the game changer it theoretically could be. 

The hype around Vitamin D supplementation has waxed and waned over the years in the lifting community, but has overall, landed in a place where it’s more or less universally seen as a positive supplement. But what is the state of the data? What can you expect as a lifter out of vitamin D supplementation? How do you measure vitamin D status, how reliable are these measures, and should we even be measuring it? The answer probably differs at the population and individual levels. We’re joined by Dr. Niamh Aspell of Sigma Nutrition who did her Ph.D. on Vitamin D as well as Austin Baraki, MD from barbell medicine who deals with this on a clinical level on a regular basis to answer these questions.

Turkesterone and ecdysterone have garnered a lot a of interest as of late, and a number of notable folks in the evidence based community have done a great job pointing out the lack of evidence supporting their efficacy. For newer lifters, you might not be aware, but this isn’t the first time these compounds have been hyped up beyond the evidence. Is this hope and hype founded? In this episode we’re joined by Ben Esgro, who uses his pharmacological knowledge to explain that it probably isn’t. Join us as he goes through a mechanistic evaluation of how these compounds works, and why we probably shouldn’t expect much out of them. 

Exercise selection, a multi-layered piece of cake that you don’t have to eat all of to benefit from, but really, who eats just part of a slice of cake (weirdo)? For hypertrophy, it can be as simple as having a few compound exercises for each major muscle group, a few isolation exercises to round them, smaller muscle groups out, and training through a full ROM. But, what about the folks who tell you compounds are all you need? And what about all those bodybuilders who swear by (certain types) of partials? Well, the former folks may have not considered the functional anatomy of specific muscles, or how biarticular muscles function in compound exercises, and more importantly, they probably don’t care. Most of the time, these minimalists are actually answering a different question and have different goals from the competitive or non-competitive physique athlete, but on the internet, this gets lost. Likewise, those IFBB pros training through a partial range of motion…is it just steroid-induced ego lifting? Or are they perhaps focusing on something you hadn’t considered? In this episode we go through each layer, helping you understand why the range of motion is an important variable, and how certain types of partials are actually fine, and maybe even beneficial, while others will short change your stimulus. Finally, we talk about why it’s a good idea to not just stick to compounds if your goal is hypertrophy, and which specific muscle groups and exercises you need to consider.

Watch the Episode Here: https://youtu.be/99e5iFWZwEQ Deloads, sometimes called unloads, light weeks, or simply incorporated as phases of a periodized plan, are frequently discussed in the evidence-based community, but they actually have very little direct research behind them. If that’s the case, why are these phases universally used? What principles are deloads based on? What sectors of research do we use to indirectly inform their structure? And most importantly, what options do you have for deloading, and how should you apply different approaches in different contexts? Join us in this episode of iron culture to find out! 

In this episode of Iron Culture, we’re joined by Alex Tilinca. Alex is a young competitive physique athlete with an already impressive amateur career thus far, seeking to get nationally qualified this year and hopefully compete at the national level in the NPC in the Classic Physique division. He’s also a prep coach at Scooby Prep, the well-known prep coaching company started and led by Jason Theobald. What makes Alex’s journey unique, is that he was born female, and is the first transgender man to compete in the classic physique division. His goal is to become the first transgender IFBB Classic Pro and one day, to become an Olympian. Join us in this episode as he shares his story, his experiences, the unique aspects of contest prep he’s discovered along the way, and how he helps other similar lifters navigate their goals through his experiences.  Alex Tilinca https://www.instagram.com/alextilinca https://www.selfmademan.shop/ Coaching: alex@scoobyprep.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsXl9txLLFtO71fg4wNKBw  

In this episode of Iron Culture, we do a deep dive on the topic of pre-workout carbohydrate intake. While the data on endurance training is relatively consistent in showing a beneficial effect on performance, it’s more complex for resistance training. For strength and power, what you eat prior to training is probably less important, but when assessing the ability to perform volume, the data indicate that eating prior to training can in some contexts make a difference. This then leads to a discussion on time-restricted feeding (AKA intermittent fasting), as many adherents don’t consume a meal before training. Specifically, we discuss a new year-long study on time-restricted feeding, the longest to date, to see how these two lines of investigation converge.

Watch Episode 1 Here: https://youtu.be/VHBTMm94yeM In this episode, we lean heavily into the history and culture side of Iron Culture and discuss ancient history, specifically, ancient warfare and its accompanying physical culture. For those who don’t know, Omar teamed up with the History Channel to host a series that just launched on the History Channel’s YouTube and streaming service titled “Ancient Workouts”. You can catch the first episode which is already out now, and in this episode, we discuss some of the coolest aspects of the show. Specifically, we evaluate the various tropes we have in modern times about the physicality, training, and diets of Vikings, Spartans, Gladiators, and others, and dissect how these tropes compare to actual historical evidence. If you didn’t know, Omar is actually somewhat of an amateur historian, so you’ll get the rare experience of hearing him go in on a topic, while Eric listens and learns.

We’re kicking off 2022 by listening to the people. We, your humble cult leaders, are benevolent theocratic overlords, who want your voice to be heard (so long as you say and ask things that we approve of beforehand). That’s right, we’re back with another question and answer episode! In this episode, we discuss the differences between effort and exertion, what the latest data on frequency suggests, and what the limitations of the extant frequency data are, and finally, we discuss the role and importance and qualitative research in a field dominated by quantitative data. Enjoy!

As it’s said, truth is stranger than fiction. On Iron Culture we’ve pointed out multiple fantastical, claims backed by pseudoscience that were just gimmicks designed to make you buy something. But sometimes, things that sound gimmicky are actually legit. In this episode, we cover a number of them, like the surprising effects of visualization (AKA motor imagery) training on strength, the effects of compression garments on recovery, and also the positive and negative effects of cold therapy.

Can you believe it’s been nearly 3 years of running the cult? By this point, most people in our shoes would have had their final Kool-Aid party, ran out of followers after inaccurately predicting the apocalypse too many times, or simply had the law catch up with them after too much credit card fraud and polygamy. But nay! We still stand (err sit) before you, preaching the gospel THEY don’t want you to hear. That’s right, this pirate radio station isn’t going anywhere (at least until one of the big corporations we hit up for an ad partnership on the daily finally responds)! Join us for this 150th anniversary Iron culture reflections episode…and thank you for listening!

We get questions all the time like “is squatting more than twice a week overtraining?” Or, “how much volume is overtraining?” But what is the actual scientific definition of overtraining, do lifters actually experience it, and what does overtraining result in? In this episode we do a deep dive on the topic of insufficient recovery, some of which falls under the umbrella of overtraining, and some of which falls under the umbrella of under-eating. Ultimately, by the end of this episode you’ll walk away with a true understanding of what overtraining syndrome, functional and non functional overreaching, mechanical overtraining, and low energy availability are, which should be on your radar, and what to do about them. 

Chad Landers has over 30 years of experience as a personal trainer. He started as a young trainer, working for others as an employee or a contractor, as most trainers do, but eventually became a gym owner. More importantly, his gym has survived in LA, an incredibly saturated and competitive market, through both the mid-2000’s financial crisis as well as the recent COVID epidemic. He’s prioritized value-based teamwork, developing relationships, evidence-based knowledge, understanding of history, good communication with a client-centered, individualized approach, and coupled that with a strong foundation of basic financial knowledge and planning. Because of this approach, he’s had the fortune of working with clients long term, had the experience of working with high profile clients, helped other trainers develop their careers, and he is essentially the model of how to make personal training a long term, feasible, and rewarding vocation. Chad Landers, the 2018 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year, joins Iron Culture to share his knowledge in this enlightening episode. 

We’re back with Part 2 of our discussion on “What the Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About Obesity”, this time we move from a discussion about the divide between the diet and anti-diet narratives, and the role of the coach, and bring on a clinician. Dr. Spencer Nadolsky AKA “the doc who lifts” is an obesity and lipid specialist physician who works in the real world, on a day-to-day basis with his patients with obesity. He has to assess with each patient the potential risk and benefits of attempts at weight loss, what approach to use, and when medical interventions should be considered. Join us to learn how he has changed his opinions over time, the current state of the evidence, and how he constantly evolves his approach of communicating with his audience in order to hopefully educate, without doing harm. You don’t want to miss this episode of Iron Culture!

Returning guests Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro and Dr. Ben House discuss how the divide in the nutrition community spurred by the “diet” and “anti-diet” debates can potentially lead to inaction and subsequent unaddressed problems. When there is a passionate debate across a moral divide, data often goes by the wayside. This occurs when obesity-focused practitioners and researchers don’t acknowledge pathways to improved health other than weight loss, or the potential harm from weight loss attempts which are often unsuccessful. Further, it can occur when weight-neutral-focused practitioners and researchers don’t acknowledge that in some cases, weight loss is the outcome with the largest potential to positively impact health, or that multidisciplinary evidence-based approaches result in successful weight loss maintenance much more often than other approaches. In the middle is the trainer or nutrition practitioner who is aware of all the problems, but unsure of what tools will solve them, and is also worried that some of the tools have the potential for doing harm. In this conversation, we hope to equip you with the understanding of what tools are best in which situations, so you can become a part of the solution. [Further Information] https://www.deconstructnutrition.com/is-weight-loss-healthy/ [Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro] https://www.instagram.com/vitaminphd https://www.vitaminphdnutrition.com/ [Dr. Ben House] https://www.instagram.com/drbenhouse https://www.deconstructnutrition.com/

Are you useful? I don’t know, but we’ve got the author of this amazing book back on! That’s right, none other than physical culture revivalist Chip Conrad. This time, it’s storytime as we catch up with Chip after our last chat way back in July of 2019. Learn how he used to spend weekends at Mel Siff’s house talking exercise science in the sauna, how he interviewed all the strongmen champions competing at the Arnold Classic, how he has a more recent book that he wishes Omar and I would promote instead of his older one, and why he’s currently traveling across the US to train in the wilderness. 

Another duo episode? Some say it’s because we’ve burned every bridge with every guest we’ve ever had on, but the truth is we just can’t get enough of each other. In this episode we discuss how mental fatigue can impact training, based on some interesting research on the topic, and how being distracted in certain ways can potentially help skill acquisition. After this brief research review, we dive into the main course, which is to discuss the following questions: when is it the right move to take your foot off the gas? How do you know when to be content with moving into a maintenance phase? Do people normally take their foot off the gas before they actually hit their peak? What type of mentality is needed to keep pushing and break plateaus as an advanced lifter? Join us as we discuss these challenging topics that eventually all serious advanced lifters struggle with. 

Velocity-based training, you’ve probably heard of it and have a vague understanding of what it is, but don’t fully grasp it. That’s about to change with this episode as we bring two experts on to discuss it, both of who are literally doing their Ph.D.’s on topics related to it. Landyn Hickmott, MS is a powerlifting coach, semi-pro hockey player, creator of RTS’s new velocity-based training course, and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Saskatchewan. He joins Ivan Jukic, MS a strength and conditioning coach and Ph.D. candidate at Auckland University of Technology, actually studying under Eric, on iron culture today to talk through everything velocity based training from the concept, to how it works, it’s weaknesses, strengths, limitations, and unique applications like monitoring, feedback, and both load and volume auto regulation.

The creatine kingpin, Dr. Darren Candow is back to update us on what’s happening in the world of creatine research and explain the many myths that still prevail despite decades of published studies. How can creatine both dehydrate you and cause water retention? Does creatine really cause hair loss? Do you need to load creatine? Does it matter if you take it pre or post-workout? And is the optimal dosage for bone health and other clinical uses the same as it is for performance and body composition? Find out the answers to these questions and more on this comprehensive creatine update with professor Candow! 

In this episode of Iron Culture, we address the questions “How long can I keep progressing or maintain my peak as I get older? and "What can I do to stay at my best for as long as possible?” After our previous metabolism myths episode, where we discussed how many age related effects come much later than most think, we wanted to do a follow up to focus specifically on performance, recovery, and how long strength and physique athletes should expect to still be at their best. Tune in, as you might be surprised just how long an athlete can be at their peak.

We’ve had medical doctors and physical therapists who specialize in lifting to dispel exercise-specific fears and myths around risk, outdated treatments, and reductionist narratives multiple times on Iron Culture. But, do you ever wonder why they have to dispel these myths in the first place? In this episode, Dr. Conor Heffernan, the strength historian, is back to teach us about the origins of these beliefs, narratives, and fears. Where did the Snap City fears of modern YouTube comments on deadlift and squat videos originate from? Why do some personal trainers, even in the modern era, fear deep squats or your knees passing your toes? Join us in this episode as we go way back, many decades before the majority of us were born to learn how these ideas were born!

Hard work is undeniably an essential element of success in the iron game and life. Yet, while that is true, just like telling someone who is depressed to “cheer up”, telling someone struggling with their progress to “try harder” doesn’t help. Despite that, so much of our signaling on social media, our shared community values, and our identities as lifters come down to expressing, celebrating, and worshipping that exact sentiment. In this episode, we explore why this happens, and the rare cases when telling someone to simply try harder actually might be helpful, in what context, for whom, and also discussing all the times this advice falls flat at best, or at worst, is actually harmful. Get ready to dive deep on this one folks, as we take a hard look at the motivations of the lifter.

It’s all downhill when you hit years old!” is one of the most heard phrases by not yet middle-aged lifters at family events. But is that true? In this episode we address “metabolic myths” related to energy expenditure changes over the lifespan, so-called “differences” between the sexes, and also cover some crazy realities like the true extent of individual differences in energy expenditure, and how things change (or don’t change) during pregnancy. Make sure to tune in to this episode of Iron Culture so you can start more sentences with “umm actually…” at family gatherings.

We are back with another question and answer episode! This one includes a deep dive into exercise selection, execution, and ways to maximize time efficiency as it relates to exercise selection, covering both strength and physique goals, those who have both goals, and other nuances on these topics that people often don’t consider. Further, we discuss what competitive natural bodybuilding could do to improve the experience of both competitors and fans alike. And finally, we talk about frequency of training and recent shifts in our perspective on the topic.

Testosterone. The obsession of the lifting world. Previously on Iron Culture, we’ve had Roundtables on PEDs (taking supraphysiological levels of testosterone, synthetic testosterone, and other performance-enhancing drugs), and we’ve had experts on to discuss the history of PEDs, their long term effects, and how they are tested for in sport. But today, we have Dr. Ben House back on the podcast to talk specifically about testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in a clinical setting…and well, the *wink wink nudge nudge* common practice of not so clinical usage of TRT. It’s hard to get good information on this topic, some claim TRT is just as innocuous as taking creatine, and the number of men who hop on TRT in middle and old age has skyrocketed in recent times. But do you know what also has skyrocketed? The number of men who stop taking TRT within a year of starting. Some studies suggest 8-9 out of 10 men will cease TRT, despite claims it’s a fountain of youth without side effects. But why? Join us today for a deep dive on this topic to learn what really seems to be going on.

For better or worse we committed to the Iron Culture mission statement of being “for all lifters”…even for endurance athletes who lift. Yes, you heard that right, endurance athletes. In this episode we are joined by Professor Sara Mahoney, who has her Ph.D. in exercise physiology, researches nutrition for endurance athletes, is a runner herself, and coaches Division 1 and 2 cross country and track and field. She’s on to talk about how she uses resistance training to help her endurance athletes improve performance. Shockingly, she’s joined in this episode by one of her clients, none other than Dr. Mike Zourdos. Yes that Zourdos, Dr. DUP, Dr daily max squat, who in this episode breaks the silence on the earth-shattering secret that, in fact, he now only lifts occasionally, and when he does, it’s supplementary to his running.

Natty limits, genetic potential, everyone talks about these concepts, but most people truly get it wrong. You’ve heard the tropes, “you reach 80% of your muscular potential in your first X years of effective training.” It sounds great in theory, but it is the exception rather than the rule when it plays out this way in the real world. How often do people start off with effective training? How does regular dieting, either for competition or for the likes impact this timeline? What about injuries, time off, school, kids? How about simply figuring out what works best for you after years of being unable to? Despite the “rule” being so volatile and highly variable due to these factors (and others), it’s surprisingly common to hear people use this “logic” to justify anything from slacking off on training, to hopping on anabolics, to even supposedly identifying fake natty's. Join us in this episode as we talk about the not-so-linear timeline of approaching the asymptote that is your potential.

Dr. Conor Heffernan, the Strength historian, and Ben Esgro, the dual-masters degreed sports nutrition/pharmaceutical chemistry formulation artiste are both back on Iron Culture for this monster episode on the history of the supplement industry. Learn what it was like in the days of Sandow’s cocoa and how at one point in America’s history, every lifter had a little Bob Hoffman in them…literally. Contrast and compare that history with the contemporary experiences Ben has had in the supplement industry for over a decade, and you’ll see what has and hasn’t changed in this insider’s view into the world of powder and pills.

This episode will hit your ears like a sonic boom, changing your perspective on “broscience” in a flash. Where do lifting myths come from? Locker room convos between Chad Broseph and Chance Halfsquat? Sometimes. But more often than not, the myths of today were the scientific truths of yesterday. So how do we pursue truth when faced with the reality that some of what we think we know today is incorrect? Well, we must avoid over concluding on the limited evidence we have, seeking to evaluate not only what that evidence can tell us, but also what it can’t. Tune into this episode to learn more about this process.

If you don’t train to failure, you’ll be a failure. It not only sounds good, but it also appeals to the hardcore inner masochist in every serious lifter that’s just waiting to strike in the comments section. But, is the saying true? In this episode, we’re joined by Zac Robinson from Data Driven Strength to find out. He’s a powerlifting coach who did his master's degree specifically on the effects of training to and short of failure on hypertrophy and strength with Dr. Mike Zourdos at Florida Atlantic University. You’ll learn that there are in fact pros and cons to training to failure, and there are times, exercises, goals, and situations that may warrant training to failure, or *GASP*….quite far from it! So as you tune in, prepare your inner hardcore masochist for jimmy-rustling, feather-ruffling, and maybe even some gear-grinding.

The cornerstone of scientific thinking is updating your beliefs based on the available evidence. Unfortunately this conflicts with the cornerstone of being a cult of personality guru leader, which requires doubling down and never admitting fault or when you’re wrong. In this episode we break the fourth wall, coming down off the top of the pyramid to have a non-canon discussion about all the times we’ve changed our minds and updated our beliefs. Not only is each instance an opportunity to discuss how specific evidence has changed over time and the nuances of a given topic, but the entire episode serves as a meta-discussion on continually learning. Make sure to tune into this one to hear all the times we’ve been wrong, but then quickly forget about it because Omar and I are never wrong.

2021 USAPL nationals was just back after a year off due to COVID. So, emotions were high, the competition was fierce and as always, USAPL nationals didn’t disappoint. This episode we host the “winner’s circle”, joined by multiple time national champions Heather Connor, Jonathan Cayco, and Sam Calhoun. Not only do we learn about each of their two-year journeys to nationals, but also about the current challenges facing athletes due to the current conflict between the USAPL and the IPF.

This episode of Iron Culture was a classic. You want lifting-specific introspection which will resonate with anyone in the culture of lifting? Look no further! In this episode the one and only Ryan Doris, pro natural bodybuilding champion, elite powerlifter, and deep thinker joins the cult. In this episode we discuss the nature of what makes athletes tick, and how to balance “Book Bodybuilding and The Dog”. Don’t miss this one folks, you’re guaranteed to have some “ah ha” moments and to come away with a better perspective on your journey with the iron.

Ben Esgro is back on Iron Culture to do another deep dive. This time, we discuss all things stimulants. What are stimulants, exactly? What makes a stimulant stimulating? Which stimulants are most potent? Why do some products use stimulants you’ve never heard of while others just use caffeine? Why can your experiences with the same stimulant, and even the same dose sometimes differ? Why do some products combine stimulants? Tune into this episode as we cover everything from physiological mechanisms, to formulation strategy, to legal and regulatory changes of stimulants.

Does being a competitor require a competitive mindset? In some sports, yes. But in powerlifting, you arguably could just focus on yourself, progressing, and show up on game day ignorant to your competition, put up the best total you can, and see where you place. Indeed, some world-class competitors do just that. With that said, athletes are human. Some thrive off a competitive mindset and feel it drives them to athletic heights they couldn’t achieve on their own. Others, however, feel like this provides pressure, self-judgment, and saps the joy from powerlifting without adding any benefit. Ultimately there isn’t a right or wrong answer. Each person has to figure out what is most facilitative to improved performance for them individually. On this episode we’re joined by Bryce Lewis and Ashton Rouska, the top two 105kg IPF lifters in the world currently who’ve battled it out at USAPL nationals twice now, with Bryce coming away as the 2019 National champ and Ashton the 2021 National champ. They have a candid conversation where you’ll learn how they each approach competition, what they’ve learned, and how it can apply to you.

What do the 2015 USAPL Junior National title, the 2017 Yorton Cup Pro Figure Tall title, and the 2017 WNBF Pro Figure Overall title have in common? They were all won by our guest on this episode of Iron Culture: Katie Anne Rutherford. Competing and simply being competent in both strength and physique sport simultaneously is a challenge that few people can overcome, but achieving truly elite performance in both is something truly extraordinary. In this episode, Katie shared her trials, tribulations, perspectives, history, and advice across multiple physical and mental domains as someone who has not only walked the walk but been incredibly successful doing so. Make sure to tune in as there is a lot of insight in this episode!

Omar and Eric are back with another Q&A episode! This time, they go IN on the topic of not just being skeptical but also being rational when thinking about the likelihood of someone being drug-free. As you are probably aware, skepticism abounds on this topic online, which is fine, but the question is: what do you base that skepticism on? Since most of the information on this topic consists of sweeping generalizations that simply don’t generalize outside of a specific context, is purposely clickbaity and controversial, and is heavily biased, we do our best to present things logically, from multiple angles, and considering different contexts in this episode.

Sam Okunola has been at the top echelon of the natural bodybuilding competitive circuit for over a decade. Winning his pro card in his first sanctioned show in 2009, he’s gone on to win multiple pro shows, culminating in winning the 2017 IPE Overall World title, even NPC regional shows in the classic division, and he’s also placed 2nd at the 2012 IFPA Yorton Cup and 2017 and 2019 WNBF worlds. What kind of mindset does an elite natural bodybuilder like Sam have? How does he stay focused on improving? How have his military background, upbringing, and his experience as a coach influenced him? Join us on this episode of Iron Culture to learn the answer to these questions and more!

What goes into making a YouTube channel dedicated to educating people about lifting, nutrition, getting stronger, and bodybuilding? We asked Jeff Nippard just that on this episode of Iron Culture where he was kind enough to join us to share his experience. But, not before Eric engaged him in probably one of the most important discussions we’ve had to date, who should have won the 2007 Mr. Olympia? In this episode, you’ll learn what goes into content creation, and which bodybuilder got robbed 14 years ago. 

Nutrition is not just about comparing methods, macro breakdowns, or foods. Navigating nutritional changes that support your goals is a skill set that needs to be actively developed over time. What are the common sources of error when someone “should” be losing or gaining weight based on their activity, body mass, and reported intake? How do you correct those errors? Did you ever think that even as a “macro coach” using client-created meal plans might be a game-changer for teaching someone how to manipulate their nutrition, while also individualizing it? Developing nutrition competence is an often overlooked aspect in the “evidence-based” community where we often focus on quantitative science and neglect qualitative experience. In this episode, learn how to avoid overlooking this key aspect of nutrition. 

Principle of specificity bro, everybody knows that? But do they? What’s more specific to a squat 1RM, a leg press 1RM, or doing a set of 10 on squats? Why does squatting have just as good of transference to leg press strength as it does to squatting, but not the other way around? Why won’t training tricep pushdowns in the 6-8 rep range improve your lockout on bench press more effectively than tricep pushdowns in the 15-20 rep range? The answers to these questions, and more, are covered in this episode of Iron Culture. 

On this episode of Iron Culture, we are joined by the strongest of them all: Amanda Lawrence. She currently tops the ranks of drug-tested raw powerlifting by coefficient using multiple formulae and is just weeks out from USAPL raw nationals where she hopes to further improve on her already mind-blowing total of 646kg at under 84kg. Join us as we discuss how she got into the sport, what she loves about the sport, her future in powerlifting, her experiences coaching and competing, and who she is outside of the gym. Also, listen in to find out who she calls out for a post-nationals posedown on Daytona Beach!

We’re back with round 2 of our question and answer episodes on Iron Culture! We begin with the dumpster fire that is the “Natty or Not” debate, hopefully providing some unique insights, and then we get into some useful advice on both accurately identifying, and potentially, when appropriate, addressing “lagging” muscle groups. The real gem of this episode though, is answering the question “when is the right time to compete?” We address both strength and physique sport and truly get to the heart of what holds most people back, but what probably shouldn’t. Finally, we cover how to use the right types and balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to ensure continual progress. 

Dr. Ben House is back on Iron Culture! This time he’s here to explain why not only is exercise not pointless for weight loss, but indeed may be the most effective and low-risk tool we have to arrest the obesity epidemic. In this episode, we discuss why “exercise nihilism” for weight loss stems from an overly reductionist view of activity, purely as a means of increasing energy expenditure. We also discuss how activity can have profound effects on the metabolic response to meals, and can better regulate energy intake. We juxtapose the likely-to-fail strategies based on purposeful, lifelong diet restraint, with a focus on activity and exercise which may better regulate passive energy intake. Finally, we do a bit of ranting about our love affair with “willpower” that leads people astray when the diet is over. 

Can you believe it’s episode 116 and we haven’t yet done a deep dive specifically on “flexible dieting”? Well, we couldn’t either, so in this episode, we did just that. You’ll learn what the origins of flexible dieting are in the research and also the fitness industry and how they diverged to the point they became wholly separate. You’ll learn why IIFYM is not always flexible, what the data on flexible dieting suggests, and where the research stands today as newer concepts like intuitive eating have emerged.

This week, Dr. Hayden Pritchard joins Iron Culture. Hayden did his Ph.D. specifically on tapering for maximal strength enhancement, which included surveying top powerlifters to see what they do in practice prior to competition. Since his Ph.D. he’s gone on to survey strongmen/women, CrossFit competitors and weightlifters as well. No stranger to maximal strength himself, Hayden Pritchard is also a national-level weightlifter, and a world-level powerlifter, having represented New Zealand at IPF Worlds in the 93kg class. As you know, we value nepotism here at Iron Culture, as you’ll find out that Eric and Hayden actually did their Ph.D.’s at AUT in the same time period, and competed with one another in powerlifting in 2013-2014 multiple times. Join us in this episode as you benefit from that nepotism and learn the science of how strength athletes set themselves up to PR on the platform. 

The diet is over...now what? Well, that depends. Are you someone looking to maintain your (hopefully reasonable amount of) weight loss? Or are you a competitor who’s purposely dieted to an unsustainable level of leanness and needs to recover physiologically and psychologically so you can have a productive offseason? Depending on who you are and your situation, the answer will differ. Further, there is considerable debate as to the best approach even if you have narrowed down your situation. Reverse diet, recovery diet, or something like else? Have no fear, Iron Culture is here to separate fact from fiction, and clarify the physiology, psychology, and strategies we have that are relevant to the topic. 

Iron Culture gets back to its roots in this episode, meaning, hunks. WNBF Pro Natural bodybuilder and 2x World Pro Champion in the lightweight and bantamweight classes Brett Freeman joins us today to talk about his competitive journey with bodybuilding. Getting into the sport early, he’s now spent half his life in a tumultuous relationship with the sport. Like Icarus, he flew too close initially, burned out, and took three years completely off training and competing. As you’ll hear, while these were dark times for Brett, they allowed him to return to the sport with a renewed, healthier perspective towards competition, ironically resulting in his most successful competitive outcomes.

Infographics, YouTubers, podcasters, and blogs, oh my! It ain’t easy being a content creator in these hyper-speed feed times. In this episode, the hosts reflect on the challenging balance of producing meaningful, high-quality content that will help, while also staying relevant in the social media age, and somehow managing to pay the bills. Listen and you'll learn how and why Instagram makes it harder for Eric to read and review research, why Omar is one of the few surviving YouTubers who started their channel before the twenty-teens, and also the host's combined insights in how to stay afloat, and hopefully make a difference as a content creator. 

In this episode, three of the most talented lifters in the IPF discuss their training, the state of powerlifting and their lifting careers during COVID, and the future. We are joined by Jessica Buettner, multi-time raw Canadian national champion, World Classic Junior Champion, Commonwealth champion, and World Classic Open podium finisher, in addition to Bryce Krawczyk, multi-time Canadian raw and equipped national champion, World Classic podium finisher, and North American Powerlifting champion, and Taylor Atwood, six-time US raw national champion, and two-time World Classic Champion, to reveal how despite their mind-blowing totals, they are human like the rest of us. How have they fared in the last year? How has powerlifting fared, and what can we expect for the future of the sport? Join us to find out! 

It’s been just about a year since the first COVID gym lockdowns, and for many, they are still happening. Some have been unable to train in the way they were accustomed to for the majority of that time, almost everyone has had to adjust, and the social dynamics of training are absent when training alone, at home. Some have had to ask the question “who am I without lifting?”, coming up with as many different answers as there are lifters. In this episode, we reflect on the road behind us, how we’ve coped, the reasons we lift, and the meaning we make when our pursuit doesn’t go as planned. Join us, while it’s dark sometimes, we know there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

We often throw around terms like “rational skepticism” or “empirical evidence” without knowing the specific definitions of what they mean beyond a general sense of them indicating some aspect of scientific thought or inquiry. What is rationalism? What is empiricism? How do we actually evaluate the evidence to make conclusions when viewed from the perspective of each? In this episode, the whole MASS crew chats on Iron Culture to discuss how we form a rational theory based on logical reasoning, and evaluate actual empirical evidence to come to conclusions. How do you evaluate the strength of a rational argument? How do you use empirical evidence and rational thought in a complementary way to answer questions? Tune in to this episode and strengthen your critical thinking skills so you aren’t simply a victim to the blowing winds of #science on social media. 

You got questions? We got answers. In fact, we have THE answers. In this episode Omar and Eric take a step in a bold direction, doing what no other podcasts or fitness content creators have previously done, and answer questions from our subscribers. No, it’s never been done before, yes it’s a wild idea never previously considered (and if someone claims they’ve done it or thought it already, trust us, they actually stole it from us). But ever the bold innovators, Iron Culture steps into the breach. No need to thank us. 

Citrulline Malate, an emerging supplement in the scientific literature with an overall positive publishing record. More and more these days, you’ll see it alongside the more scientifically established usual suspects like creatine and caffeine in multi-ingredient mixes. But what exactly is it? What’s Citrulline? What’s malate? What do they do? How do they work? What do we know, and what is yet to be determined? In this episode, we're joined by returning guests Ben Esgro and Eric Trexler to answer these questions. Ben is a registered dietitian with two master's degrees, one in sports nutrition and one in pharmaceutical chemistry, and he’s been a supplement formulator and supplement company owner for over a decade. Dr. Eric Trexler actually did his Ph.D. dissertation on Citrulline, so it’s safe to say we have probably the most informed duo on the topic in podcast history. So sit back, learn, and enjoy!

Black and white Animal Pak posters, a mid-set roar lunk alarm be damned, a willingness to sacrifice, and a middle finger to the concept of “balance”. Most people would agree these are “hardcore” archetypes. Many of us have lived it, some do currently, some call on it when needed, some respect it but aren’t about that life, and others judge them for not being about it. Ultimately, it’s a subjective mindsight that can have positive and negative effects on your life and even your goals. Also, from some perspectives, it’s actually the easy way out. In this episode of Iron Culture, our hosts ponder the question “what does it mean to be hardcore?”

Opening a community gym in the middle of a pandemic: crazy, or if done safely, sorely needed? That’s exactly what Mike Farr (Silent Mike) and Jim McDonald did. These Nor Cal natives return from their previous episode alongside Alan Thrall and Eric Helms where we discussed what the heck is in the water in Sacramento that produces so many iconic lifting groups. They join us today to talk about their experience of pulling the trigger on their dream of opening a gym in Sacramento, despite the challenges of COVID. Philosophically, they have the outlook that you can only put your dreams on hold for so long, and that there will always be a reason not to do something. Ethically, these two didn’t cut any corners in pursuit of their dreams. They realise that for folks like us, lifting has to find a way, because it’s something we need. Learn how they provide their members the space as an outlet, while protecting their health, and not going bankrupt in this episode.

Ahhh, the eternal question: should I bulk or cut? It seems like everyone at some point asks this question. In this episode, we tackle what seems like a simple question, but to do so we have to traverse concepts like P-ratios, body recomposition, the spectrum of novice to advanced lifter, rates of weight gain and loss, psychology and the impact of social media, setting appropriate expectations and more.

The women’s bodybuilding division has arguably changed more than any other division in physique sport. It’s gone through periods of existence, non-existence, change, challenge, popularity, obscurity, and reemergence. While many focus on the physical differences of say, Cory Everson, and Iris Kyle, many don’t realize the changing pressures uniquely placed on female bodybuilders in the IFBB. In this episode, Dr. Conor Heffernan returns to recount the history of this division and juxtapose it to the male bodybuilding division. Further, we are rejoined by powerlifting champions Jessica Buettner and Natalie Hanson to juxtapose this historical perspective with their experience in powerlifting in the modern era, as women. As we say here at Iron Culture, the goal is to unite all lifters and to do that well we must put ourselves in the shoes of those we share the love of the iron with. We hope you enjoy the opportunity to do so in this episode!

Without constraints, it’s hard to know what direction to go in. But on the other hand, if you’re too constrained it’s hard to change direction in any meaningful way. This paradigm exists in many domains of life, but today we’re discussing how it operates in training. You could conceptualise this as “top down” vs “bottom up” programming styles, but ultimately, the questions are: where do I begin and how do I adjust if it doesn’t work? If you’re an athlete, knowing the answer is how you make it to the next level, and if you’re a coach, having a system to answer both questions is the cornerstone of your success. In this episode we tackle these questions, starting philosophically, and eventually getting down to specifics and providing examples and details. Dry your eye dear listener if you haven’t hit a PR in months, today might be the start of something beautiful.

Literally, time to strap in for this one folks! Blood Flow Restriction training: hypertrophy training with light weights made as just effective as heavier weights by putting a wrap or cuff around an arm or leg! It sounds like a gimmick, but there are actually two decades of published research looking into this intervention. We’re joined by returning guest and physical therapist Dr. Nick Licameli and Dr. Nick Rolnick, a first-timer Iron Culture guest who has not only published peer-reviewed articles on BFR for bodybuilding but also uses it extensively in his practice as a physical therapist. Not only do we learn about BFR in this episode, and its implications for mechanisms of hypertrophy among other things, but it serves as a foil to better understand gimmicks vs the real deal in fitness. 

100 episodes, wow. We just want to say thank you, dear listener. What began as an excuse for us to hang out more often than our friends and families thought was healthy, turned into a bonified opportunity for us to learn about all the various permutations the iron can take, the interesting, cutting edge science related to it all, and the history of what came before. We hope you learned as much as we have, and that your connection to the iron has deepened, and become more multifaceted. In this episode, it’s just us, reflecting on the journey thus far, and our favorite episodes out of the 100 we’ve had. Sit back and enjoy, because you were a part of making this happen.

Still unsure if they need to get lawyers, our heroes emerge victorious from their mission to make the big leagues by being on with the one and only Joe Rogan. It only took breaking in, barricading the door, and hours of threats, but our hosts know when someone is just playing hard to get. While Joe has never released the episode, we’re confidently waiting, and until then, enjoy these highlights. You’ll notice there is still more work to be done, however. Our attempts to emphasize science and nuance were met with interesting tangents on DMT, wolves, grass-fed butter honey toast, and general frustration with research, but we know our boy Mr. Rogaine will come around eventually!

Jeff Alberts has been training longer than most Iron Culture listeners have been alive and competing in bodybuilding longer than some as well. As a natural bodybuilder, he’s steadily climbed the ranks from amateur to professional, to winning pro shows, to placing top 5 at WNBF Pro Worlds. While these are impressive feats for any bodybuilder, what’s incredible is that he’s turning 50 this year, still at his peak, and is in the midst of contest preparation for the 2021 season. This résumé alone would warrant any smart bodybuilder to listen closely and take notes, but on top of his personal experience, Jeff has coached over 1000 individuals, recreational and competitive, from amateur to professional champion. This isn’t one to miss folks, so sit back and take in the wealth of experience of Jeff Alberts.

Danny Lennon still isn’t returning our phone calls, but that’s ok because his Sigma Nutrition Radio Co-host Alan Flanagan is! Alan is not only a Ph.D. candidate at Surrey University studying nutrition but was also a former practicing lawyer (and of course most importantly a powerlifter). This means he has not only a solid understanding of nutrition science but also logic and how to construct an argument. This combination makes him not only a potent communicator of nutrition science but also science at a meta-level. He joins us this episode to discuss how heuristics can become falsehoods, how evidence-based “rules” can masquerade as dogma, and why an RCT doesn’t always trump epidemiology. This one is for the nerd’s nerd, so strap in to expand your critical thinking skills (and if not just continue to put your blind faith in Iron CULTure).

Despite the potato-famine controversy in our last episode with him, Dr. Conor Heffernan the strength historian is back dropping more gems from the past on iron culture. This time we address the ever-repeating cycle of the “machines vs free weights” argument from a historical perspective. From Sandow to Arthur Jones to the modern “functional fitness” era, this episode has it all!

Intermittent energy restriction, intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding, refeeds, diet breaks, nonlinear dieting, and chrononutrition, oh my! You’re not in Kansas anymore, it’s a wide world of meal frequencies and eating patterns dear cultists, but don’t worry we’ve assembled the avengers on these topics! Teaching us the terminology in the lay vs scientific community, the theories, the state of the evidence, and ultimately, the practical application, are three guests: Danny Lennon MSc of Sigma Nutrition, science communicator well versed in chrononutrition, and Dr. Grant Tinsley of Texas Tech University, a leading researcher in the area of time-restricted feeding return! Also, joining us is a first-time guest, Ph.D. candidate Jackson Peos, who is doing his Ph.D. on diet breaks in athletes. Sit back, grab your popcorn (but only eat it in the 8-hour window while the sun is out on your refeed day or diet break week), and enjoy!

History, Science, Culture. As a CULTist, that’s what you signed up for and we’ve been lax delivering the first: history. But no more! We are joined by Dr. Conor Heffernan, Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sport Studies at the University of Texas at Austin to discuss how vaudeville circus acts became the iron game as we know it. Learn how Eugen Sandow literally ripped off his suit to enter the world stage and reshaped the view of what strongmen looked like. Learn how bodybuilding was born of this history and what the very first shows were like. We look back with reverence, but without rose-tinted glasses, exploring surprising aspects of this history, like the legal battles and money-making schemes that look surprisingly like the fit teas of today. Know your history, or repeat the mistakes of the past dear cult.

You’re hitting those sets of five on triceps pushdowns because you want maximum transfer to bench. Or maybe, you’re doing sets of 8-12 on the big 3, because you want to be strong and big. But damnit, your elbows and hips hate you. Are you doing something wrong? Is this really the best way to train for strength and size? Are you actually being specific in a useful way? In this episode, we discuss not only these topics, but also how they apply when you’ve been away from the gym, like many of us have been due to COVID, and you’re regaining strength you previously had.

The stories often used in the fitness and nutrition space, but which certainly aren’t restricted to it, can suck us in, bleed our wallets, and turn us into zealots. “I used to think X but I was wrong! Look at this obscure mechanism (which I probably don’t understand and you definitely don’t understand), and look at this anecdote! This is why I now think Y! Everything we thought we knew was wrong and THEY don’t want you to know! You’re unknowingly missing out on gains/unhealthy, so we need to eat/train like Z now!” We are joined by Ben House, who has his PhD in nutrition and has been an educator in the lifting world for years helping people to think critically, learn nuance and get better. Today he joins us to pull back the curtain on the stories that pull us in with an emotional response, prey on them, and subvert our critical thinking. Moreso, he also asks the challenging question, is this always bad? Is this natural and how can elements of these approaches be used positively?

The majority of personal training clients are women, and the majority of women will be pregnant at least once in their life. Yet, resistance training and nutrition during and following pregnancy are not topics most trainers are well versed in. Join Omar and Eric in this episode to watch these two flawed protagonists find redemption. They previously used the documentary “Junior” starring Saint Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito as their sole information source on pregnancy, but now they are enlightened. Join them on their knowledge-seeking journey in this episode. They learn all about lifting and nutrition during and following pregnancy with guests Molly Galbraith, CSCS, a world-leading evidence-based educator for women’s health and fitness through her work as the owner of Girls Gone Strong, and Marika Hart, an experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapist completing her post-graduate education incontinence and pelvic health. Molly is Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and co-founder and owner of Girls Gone Strong, a global movement dedicated to helping women feel strong, confident, and empowered in their lives and bodies through industry-leading education materials, certification programs, and coaching — all focused on women.  Molly is also the creator of the Girls Gone Strong Academy, the world's first online academy housing multiple evidence-based, interdisciplinary, women-specific certifications for health and fitness professionals. Marika is a postgraduate trained physiotherapist, pilates instructor, and mother-of-two. She is super passionate about helping women feel fit, strong, and healthy during pregnancy and beyond. https://herasphere.net/about/ For More Information: Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification Info Page GGS Coaching & Training Women Closed Facebook Group Free 5-Day Course: Exercises To Do & Avoid During & After Pregnancy Free 5-Day Course: The Ultimate Guide To Coaching & Training Postpartum Clients

We’ve all been in 5th grade...many of us wish it never ended. In this episode we take you back to that magical time by transposing our most important questions from that era like: “who would in a fight, Superman or Godzilla?” or “Could a silverback defeat a grizzly bear?” and the important follow up “what if they had swords?”, onto strength sports. Today we ask, who are the strongest: Powerlifters, Weightlifters, or Strongmen/women? We discuss what ways we could legitimately test strength across disciplines to answer this question and each guests “picks a character” as a champion of their sport in this thought experiment. To tackle these important questions the guests are thankful to be joined by returning guests and strength aficionados, Alan Thrall, Jonnie Candito and Max Aita. Strap up your Velcro’s, hop on the school bus, grab your bag lunch from mom and get ready to argue during recess in this episode of iron culture!

Everything you thought you knew about body composition is WRONG. Ok, that’s absolutely not true, but this episode will deepen your understanding of the composition of muscle, the composition of fat, the tools we use to estimate (notice I didn’t say measure) body composition, and what this means for understanding how the human body changes in response to training and nutrition. We guarantee you’ll have some eye-opening moments listening in to this conversation as the hosts are joined by Dr. Cody Haun, who carries out cutting edge research on skeletal muscle anatomy, and Dr. Grant Tinsley who is a leading researcher in body composition assessment. More importantly, though, Cody has ridiculous pec development, and Grant can deadlift over 500lbs.

As a hardcore Iron CULTure listener, you’re already drinking the cool-aid. But, did you know that a large majority of adults are already drinking another addictive drug? You guessed it, caffeine is consumed in one form or another ubiquitously across the globe. In this episode, the man himself, Registered Dietitian Ben Esgro becomes a three-peat Iron Culture guest. He unholsters his dual master's degrees in sports nutrition and pharmaceutical chemistry and comes in blazing in this episode to teach you everything about caffeine. From its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to its mechanisms of action, performance-enhancing effects, side effects, withdrawal, dependence, and the other nutraceuticals which can modify its effects, this monster episode of iron culture could easily replace your morning cup-a-Joe!

Elite sprinters don’t run sub-10s year-round, elite powerlifters aren’t always ready to total new personal bests, and physique athletes aren’t shredded in the offseason. Why is this? Are they doing something wrong the rest of the year, or are they doing something right when they’re at their peak performance? In this episode, we explore what Omar always says “you may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like.” In the end, you’ll learn whether or not you should continue to freak out and change your program each time you can’t lift more weight or do more reps than last time. 

You might be just one of the many chosen of the Cult, vacillating between Draperism and Paimon, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t a unique snowflake. Today we discuss just what makes you unique, and how with that understanding, you can unlock your potential and get so smoking hot that the heat threatens your own existence as a snowflake. That’s right Cultists, today we explore the intricacies of individual differences and the fundamental nature of why frequentist statistics will never dominate evidence-based practice...all in the service of the most important goal of all: becoming really, really, ridiculously good looking.

Today we explore iron game disciplines with deep historical and cultural roots with Kyle Lillie. We discuss Highland games, a 1000-year-old sport, and throwing, which dates back to ancient civilization. Kyle is a professional Highland games competitor and Division 1 throws coach at Sacramento State University. Before Highland games, he threw for Arizona State at the national championship level and was a National Junior College Athletic Association champion before that. Shortly after his start in Highland games, he became a 2-time amateur world champion before turning pro in his now burgeoning professional career. Tune in to learn about the most functional activity of all, throwing stones, spears, discs, hammers, and yes,  even trees at your enemies.

Chris Barakat MS, ATC, CSCS is a natural bodybuilder, coach, and researcher studying body composition manipulation at the University of Tampa. In “evidence-based” circles, we like to think we’re immune to the echo chamber effect because what we say is based on data. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. The statement “gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time is impossible unless you’re on drugs, high in body fat or a novice” is often repeated without a thorough understanding of the underlying science. Chris recently authored a publication titled “Body Recomposition: Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?” which challenges this belief. Join us in this episode as he breaks down the science for our understanding.

Before there was powerlifting, bodybuilding, weightlifting, and strongman, there was the iron game, and it all overlapped. Before that, there was the physical culture movement. During this era, you couldn’t find a strongman or woman who didn’t do hand balancing, calisthenics, or tumbling as a part of their training. Gymnastics has a long history, but today it is its own sport and embedded in some national sport systems to build a foundation for young athletes‘ careers. Further, it’s a major component of CrossFit. Finally, you ever see the delts on a gymnast?? In today’s episode, we explore these relationships, roles, the history of Gymnastics, and the new evolution of sports science within it. To do so we’re joined by Eric’s 3DMJ teammate Andrea Valdez, a former gymnastics coach and young gymnast who has returned to the sport as an adult, and Dr. Dave Tilley who is leading the modern, evidence-based charge in the sport.

“Advanced lifter” - what comes to mind when you hear this phrase? Strong, muscular, elite, clearly doing things right? Perhaps, and that’s why many people emulate advanced lifters. Everyone wants the athleticism, strength, and physiques that advanced lifters have, and thankfully, these days novices and intermediates are coming to understand that those outcomes take time. But what they don’t often realize is that the processes that result in those outcomes take time to engrain as well. Trying to change your nutritional, sleep, recovery, training, and mindset habits all simultaneously fails to acknowledge that it’s not only the advanced outcomes but also the advanced processes that take time to master.

Kedric Kwan of The Strength Guys, Jim Elli of Reactive Training Systems and Joe Stanek of The Strength Athlete all have something in common: they started as young online powerlifting coaches who were given a chance to learn the ropes under the guidance of some of the biggest and most respected online coaching teams. Today, we host a reflective discussion with them to understand their journey; where they started, what they expected, what they’ve learned, how they’ve grown, and what expectations and judgments, external, internal, real, and imagined they faced. It’s a brave new world and in 2020 a young fitness professional trying to make it online might not know where to start. In this episode, you can learn what the process might look like.

In another era, bodybuilding was considered as much as an art as it was a pseudo-sport. A decade ago one could argue that its artistic element was at an all-time low, but things have changed in the last few years. In the IFBB specifically, the creation of the classic physique division is arguably resulting in the cultural revival of these artistic elements. Today, Iron Culture hosts a fantastic ambassador of the art of bodybuilding, Terence Ruffin. Not only has he won multiple pro titles and recently finished second at the Arnold Classic, but he was also the youngest IFBB pro card winner when he attainted pro status as a lightweight at the 2014 NPC nationals at the age of 21. His impressive physique stands on its own; however, his ability to displaying it is amongst the best in the game and his posing routines leave lasting impressions on all who view them.

The World Natural Bodybuilding Federation was founded in 1989, and since its inception led the way in professionalism for drug-free bodybuilding. We have the pleasure of speaking to one of the heads, Bob Bell, who started as a WNBF competitor, became a promoter, and now sits at the helm with Tina Smith and Nancy Andrews. The story of this progression is an intriguing one that gives insight into the complexities of keeping a sporting organization alive and flourishing. Further, just how do you decide winners in a fair and consistent way in a subjective sport? Tune into this episode to learn the answer and hear the story of the WNBF.

Previously in Episode 33, Iron Culture hosted a roundtable on Pain Science as it relates to lifting. It was in that episode that the hosts learned Dalton from Road House was right all along; pain doesn't hurt much. Building on top of this episode, the CULT returns to the topic of injury, getting "hurt" and what you can do about it. The hosts are joined by 3 DPTs in Nick Licameli of 3DMJ, Quinn Henoch of Clinical Athlete, and Sam Spinelli. This episode is full of practical takeaways, useful tips, and Quinn's baritone voice letting you know that even if you are feeling beat up, it's going to be OK.

Things happen fast on the interwebs these days kids. You might have only recently learned what intuitive eating actually means. In the course of that, you might have come across the terms “diet culture” and “anti-diet culture”. If you didn’t know what the former was, then you certainly weren’t aware of the definition or possibly even the existence of the latter. In this episode returning guest, Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro helps us understand the roots, definitions, misunderstandings of, and the arguments between these “camps”. As is often the case when people don’t see eye to eye, there is typically something lost in translation. In this episode, we wade into that gap with Dr. Fundaro, who’s been working to bridge it. Brene Brown's Ted Talk on Shame Brene Brown's book on women and shame, I Thought It Was Just Me     Helen Veit's book Modern Food, Moral Food   Christy Harrison's book Anti-Diet   Bridging the Gap Article Series

Evie Corrigan began lifting just over four years ago and started Powerlifting shortly after. This was truly her first introduction to competitive sport, yet within two years, and in her first international competition, she got to represent her home country of New Zealand and became a Junior World Champion. How did her motivations to lift change once she became an overnight champion? What pressures did she experience? Fast forward to earlier this year, she was one of the few IPF lifters invited to compete in the now-canceled Sheffield. Join us in this episode of Iron Culture where we get to take a look into the experience of a world champion who never saw it coming. Trust me, there is a lot of wisdom in this episode, and we were grateful Evie shared it with us!

The recent explosion of washed-up lifters getting in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has sparked some introspection within the CULT. To discover their chances of becoming a mixed martial legend, Eric & Omar bring in notable Strength & Conditioning coaches Phil Daru and Seth Lenetsky to discuss what it is liked getting punched in the face. Phil has coached many top lifters at ATT (American Top Team) and Seth is one of the few published researchers on the subject of MMA, with his Ph.D. being in "Punchology" as he puts it. Find out how fighters train to improve their performance and discover a tender moment when Omar puts forth his pride and joy, Eric, as the soon to be undisputed King of the Cage. 

This episode is sure to create a lot of future apologies for the co-owners. In this far-ranging interview with IPF royalty and powerlifting phenom Jessica Buettner, the hosts immediately mispronounce her last name. Gracious in victory as well as in hearing butchered variations of her last name, Jessica has ascended to the tippity top of drug-tested powerlifting in only a few short years. Beyond the junior world championship and world records however is an insightful story of a lifter overcoming the odds, redefining what strength means and becoming an ambassador of all things heavy lifting. 

This is the episode where the two hosts sell out. You knew it was going to happen. Inside you'll find Eric's top tips in order to become the biggest dancing sensation on TikTok and Omar explains how there really is no moral conundrum with selling photos of your calves on OnlyFans. Somewhere between those two sizzling topics, the hosts manage to give a sneak peek at the content creation process at Iron Culture. Many Iron CULT members have noted enjoying the diversity and depth of the discussions; it is high time the hosts explain the guiding principles of the Iron CULT. Instructive not only for aspiring personal trainers, educators, and lifting enthusiasts, underneath the thick banter you might just discover some guiding principles to leading a fulfilling life. Or learn a sick dance move from Eric. The man can move.

Have you noticed that more and more of the new crop of elite powerlifters were high-level athletes before hitting the platform? Powerlifting participation has grown greatly, and with it comes a greater talent pool. But what is talent? Is it just “genetics”? Or might it also be that powerlifting’s recent popularity, and later age-peak for performance attracts former athletes? If so, are these athletes succeeding purely because they’ve got “genetics”, or is there a mindset that comes from years of sport that fuels success? Tune in to this episode with world champions LS McClain and Taylor Atwood to get the perspective from two individuals who were competing long before they got their first squat command.

Training volume has a relationship with rates of hypertrophy in research. But how do you quantify volume? Further, just because a group doing more volume often grows more than a group doing less, does that mean your volume needs to increase? When should volume increase? Are there times volume increases are counterproductive? What are the fundamental differences between increasing load or reps, and number of sets? In this episode we break down hypertrophy, progressive overload, progression, and volume from a first principles perspective, ultimately helping you understand the answers to all of these questions.

It is time to talk about the new old school in powerlifting. We aren't referring to Larry Pacifico, Don Reinhoudt, or Ed Coan. We're talking about the rise of drug-tested powerlifting in the last decade with two of the biggest voices leading the way, Jonnie Candito and Russel Orhii. The number of participants in the IPF (and USAPL) has grown immensely over the last decade in no small part due to individuals being able to share their journey online. Jonnie Candito (of CanditoTrainingHQ) pioneered the informative strength video on YouTube, leading to many of his contemporaries trying out powerlifting. This in turned inspired individuals like Russel Orhii to get into powerlifting. Russel is one of the most popular powerlifters today with his 2019 IPF Championship win accumulating more views than any other IPF related video. What has led to this explosive growth? Why are squats suddenly cool? And is there any point in training other than getting ridiculously aesthetic? The hosts find out in today's episode.

A few years ago, the supplement industry was in such a state that simply putting effective ingredients at their proper dosage on a label, without a proprietary blend was revolutionary. Fortunately, today there are a handful of “evidence-based” companies that do this and do it well. However, in a competitive market, where do you go from here? What is the process? In this episode, we’re rejoined by a registered dietician and DeNovo Supps founder and formulator, Ben Esgro. He has two masters, one in Sports Nutrition, the other in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. He gives a behind the scenes look at formulation and development. Also, Eric Trexler, Ph.D., a researcher with experience conducting and reviewing studies on supplements is back to give us insight into the research process of supplement science.

Weightlifting is the filet Mignon to the ground chuck of powerlifting and bodybuilding, the First Class to our coach seats on the Iron Game Express. Most people can lift weights, but weightlifting requires power, range of motion, and coordination that squatting or curling in the squat rack simply can’t compare to. In this episode of Iron Culture, we’re joined by Amy and Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics, former champions in American Weightlifting, and now some of the most prominent coaches and content creators in the sport. Also, Max Aita returns, also a prominent coach working with Juggernaut Training Systems, who competed at a high level in both weightlifting and powerlifting. In this episode of Iron Culture, we explore the unique aspects, history, athletic demands, experience, and training philosophies of weightlifting, and compare and contrast them with the rest of the iron game.

In a perfect world, we would never need to rest between sets, because we would never need to stop lifting. Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world, and we do have to consider rest. How long should we rest between sets? Why? What is the nature of fatigue? How do we reconcile research suggesting longer rest periods enhance hypertrophy, and other research suggesting rest-pause and drop sets can be just as if not more effective for hypertrophy? Join us in this duo episode as we get into the weeds and answer these questions.

Biomechanics is the understanding of the body’s structure, function, and motion with physics to describe what we experience. As lifters, most of what biomechanics explains mathematically, we understand intuitively. But, in a complex dynamic system like the human body, sometimes what we experience, or our assumptions based on a limited understanding of biomechanics, can be counterintuitive and misleading. To clear up the confusion and address the popular tropes, we’re joined by Megan Bryanton-Jones, PhD, the powerlifting biomechanist behind Kinetic Advantage. She joins us alongside returning guest, the PhD candidate and intellectual entity known as Andrew Vigotsky, on this episode of Iron Culture.

Around these parts, cardio has a bad reputation. Sure, in the greater fitness community, cardio (a fancy way of saying running, usually on a treadmill) has long been one of the cornerstones of any fitness regime. Want to lose weight? Do "cardio"! Have stubborn fat to lose? Do (slow) or (really fast) "cardio"! Whatever body composition problems you faced, cardio was seen as an essential tool. This has largely fallen by the wayside over the last decade, with its importance now seen as being grossly overstated for body composition. Some go so far as to call it useless and utter waste of time. Is this truly the case? In this episode, two men with grossly irrational fears of aerobic activity struggle to unravel the mystery behind the ever-elusive cardio question. Just kidding, they completely nail it.

In the lifting community, two words are often used interchangeably: periodization and programming. Are they, in fact, the same thing? As you will learn in this episode featuring special guest Dr. Mike Zourdos, they are surprisingly not synonyms. What develops from the conversation is a more thorough understanding of the two which will yield a better perspective on your training. Find out in what context both periodization and programming are useful and why Bulgarian style training sounds fun until you actually try to execute it. Don't say we didn't warn you.

If you’re a long time listener of Iron Culture, you’ve been exposed to calisthenics, CrossFit, powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman/woman, and more! Maybe, just maybe, it’s influenced you to pursue multiple avenues of strength? If so, you might have had some head-scratching moments or found yourself struggling to juggle multiple goals simultaneously. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Stefi Cohen and Max Aita, impressive multi-sport strength athletes in their own right, who have made careers out of helping lifters make simultaneous progress in multiple disciplines of strength. Join us in today’s discussion as we learn how that balancing act is performed.

From lifting calibrated plates on competition spec bars in approved knee sleeves through the same three movement patterns to moving uncalibrated humans through a near-infinite combination of vectors and forces while covered in your shared sweat and blood in a half-off Gi. How did such an unexpected turn occur? It seems like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has taken the strength world by storm. Instagram feeds once populated by squats, bench presses and deadlifts are now populated by rolls, holds, and throws. Just what is going on here? Join us we sit down with two individuals who know a fair bit about BJJ: none other than Chad Wesley Smith and Dr. Melissa Davis, as we explore this recent iron game cultural shift.

Dig if you will this picture, of you inside with the kids. This is what it sounds like when gains die. At this point, it has been four weeks without access to gyms for most individuals. Exacerbating the painful absence of the gym is the abundance of free time at our disposal, leading many to struggle with their nutrition. Fear not because in this episode today, Iron Culture co-owners (and current hosts) Eric Helms and Omar Isuf overview what you can do to stay on track with your nutrition. Eric delves into what the literature shows when it comes to activity levels and hunger cues. A robust helpful framework is established to arm you with the tools necessary to better adhere to your nutrition paradigm. We're all going to make it, one deliciously grilled chicken breast and a steamed cup of broccoli at a time. http://www.nutritioncoachingglobal.com

“Nihilism: the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value; used to explain the general mood of despair at a perceived pointlessness of existence.” We’ve all been there folks, and many of the iron cult are without the iron and struggling. In this episode rife with coping-motivated banter and sarcasm, we dig deep and discover that the iron is in fact, always with us. Join us in this iron-forge side chat as we discuss how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones and find a will, and thus a way forward. What can science and history tell us about training in our current time? The hosts explore this question in today’s episode.

From the 1900s when Eugen Sandow promoted “Plasmon” and his “Health and Strength Cocoa”, the supplement industry has been rife with dubious claims. Since, like a game of limbo, the bar for quality, and scientific accuracy has only lowered. Rather than bending under the low bar, a few individuals vaulted right over by doing the unthinkable: starting companies that sell science-backed products, educate consumers, and use no-nonsense marketing. This week, Eric hosts a roundtable consisting of Ben Esgro, the biochemical-artist behind De Novo Nutrition, Mike Matthews of Legion Athletics, and our very own Omar Isuf, founder of Ouroboros. Learn the challenges they face as iconoclasts in the supplement industry and how they overcame them in this episode.

Ten years ago, any supposedly knowledgeable PT would be making judicious use of the friendly blue foam roller with clients. Ten years later, the blue idol has fallen out of fashion and we've seen a trend towards minimalism. Stretching is overrated. Doing a squat will prepare you to squat and that is the end of the story. Or is it? Co-owners Eric Helms & Omar Isuf are joined by veteran personal trainer and gym owner Dean Somerset. Dean has been successfully navigating the realm beyond simply counting 3 sets of 10 for almost 20 years and his approach is an exemplary model for aspiring trainers to follow. By the end of this episode, you will learn that the blue cylinder is neither friend nor foe but a tool whose utility depends upon the context of use. Spoiler Alert.

Rewind the clock. The year is 2009, Lady Gaga is all the rage, MySpace is THE social media platform and if you eat carbs after 6 pm, you are sabotaging your gains. Enjoy this episode of co-hosts Eric Helms and Omar Isuf reminiscing on their early days as lifting enthusiasts. You'll learn about the most anabolic chili, how far Eric is willing to go to get his protein intake and why adding 5lb per week to the bar doesn't work forever. You'll probably find yourself nodding along relating to many of the anecdotes...and probably being horrified by several others.

What is aesthetic? While the hosts agree on what they consider aesthetic in a physique (except for the importance of calves), individual opinions vary drastically. Despite the variety of opinions, physique sport judges have the difficult task of ranking competitors in multiple divisions. In this episode, we are joined by first-time guests Chris Bumstead, the current Classic Physique Mr. Olympia, and Pro Natural Men’s Physique Champion and Coach, Paul Revelia, to explore aesthetics in and out of physique competition.

Omar and Eric realized that if they maintained their current totals, and cut to the 59kg class, they’d rank among the top 10 raw drug-free powerlifters in the world. In this episode, they bring on three researchers/coaches/athletes: Kedric Kwan, David Nolan, and Arthur Lynch, experts who in the course of their ongoing PhDs have published the only peer-reviewed research in existence on this topic. Ultimately, Omar and Eric’s dreams of becoming elite 59kg lifters are crushed, but the listeners come away with valuable knowledge.

Dr. Melissa Davis is a Renaissance Periodization consultant and coach with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, who specializes in behavior change. She is also no stranger to setting and achieving difficult goals as a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu who is a multi-time masters world champion. Join us this week on Iron Culture as we explore the science and practical application of behavior change with Dr. Mel Davis.

Brett Gibbs is one of the current icons of IPF powerlifting. Having placed 1st or 2nd in the 83kg class every year since 2014 at IPF Worlds, competing sometimes in both equipped and raw divisions, he’s elite among even other elite lifters. However, what is perhaps most interesting, is how his outlook on the sport and his outlook on winning has changed over time. Join us this week as we delve into the mind of a champion, as we discuss the journey of Brett Gibbs as a lifter.

Eric & Omar are joined once again by guests Gabrielle Fundaro and Mike Tuchscherer to discuss a seemingly taboo concept in the "evidence-based" fitness community: intuition. Find out how intuitive eating & autoregulation are related and why listening to biological feedback has a high degree of utility. Our subjective experiences can provide useful inputs for how we shape our decision making. Intuition need not be relegated to the background of our choices and fortunately, Gabrielle & Mike emphatically explain why.

This week Omar and Eric sit down with Greg Nuckols and Sohee Lee. Both are fantastic science communicators in the world of fitness, but specifically, they both have expertise in sex differences among lifters. Greg did his master's thesis specifically looking at sex differences in inter-set recovery during resistance training, while Sohee is in the early stages of her Ph.D. in which she’s planning to examine how circuit vs traditional resistance training may impact female lifters. What differences are there between men and women, different modalities of lifting, and why? Join us this week to find out!

Periodization in and of itself tends to be a confusing and hotly debated topic, heavy on opinions but light on evidence. But periodization for hypertrophy alone is an even greater unknown. Join Omar and Eric this week as they explore this nebulous topic by discussing the scant, and not perfectly applicable research on the topic, periodization theory, and mechanisms of hypertrophy. In the end, this speculative discussion sheds a bit of light on what elements of periodization, if any, might be applicable for hypertrophy training and how they could be applied.

At last, the long-standing feud between Iron CULTure, free speech and Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition comes to a close. The co-owners, Eric and Omar, interview the very friendly (there is not even a remote possibility that he is a serial killer) Danny Lennon on chrononutrition, the intersection of circadian rhythms and nutrition. Learn about your master clock, why it appears those who eat the majority of their calories earlier in the day lose more weight and dietary considerations for every individual.

Bryce Lewis, elite powerlifter and founder of The Strength Athlete is back on Iron Culture fresh off his 2019 USAPL Raw Nationals 105kg Open win. Now a 3-time national champion, his 902.5kg total is an unofficial world record and ranks him #1 in the world for tested raw 105kg lifters. His eyes are on IPF Classic Worlds 2020 to secure a 2nd World title, but 2020 also marks his 10 year anniversary of working with Eric as his coach. In this episode Omar grudgingly puts aside jealousy to interview Eric and Bryce, getting to the heart of what makes an effective coaching relationship long term.

Four words to describe this podcast would be authentic, vulnerable, and being real. Or something like that. We are joined by Jordan Syatt, a personal trainer who has grown an online presence by doing everything you shouldn't. You'll find almost no video or photo of him lifting, showing off abs, or "exposing" other practitioners. Instead, he delivers on a consistent basis practical, insightful, and useful fitness information. Explore with co-owners Eric Helms & Omar Isuf as they define what qualities make a good personal trainer and how to succeed in the online fitness space without selling your (immortal) soul.

It’s a new year, it’s a new decade, and it’s a year in review for Iron Culture. Join our hosts...or rather owners, as they reflect on the first year of Iron Culture and discuss their plans for 2020 in this tongue and cheek bonus episode.  Bonus: Eric tries to expand the Culture’s demographics into Mukbang territory. Bonus Bonus: And apparently ASMR. We apologize.

In one of our previous duo episodes, Omar went on a deep dive with Eric into autoregulation, the topic of his Ph.D. In this episode, Omar sits down with Eric and asks him to rewind the academic clock even further, to his first foray into academia and research, his masters. In this episode, the hosts not only discuss the roots of how Eric’s career as a trainer and online coach forked into becoming a researcher, but they also dive into the nitty-gritty of his master’s thesis, which was done on everyone’s favorite macronutrient: protein!

Mike Tuchscherer and Natalie Hanson return to Iron Culture in this obscenely strong episode. These world champions and top tier powerlifting coaches are joined by first-time Cult member, Canadian champ Bryce Krawczyk, also an elite lifter and coach. Uniquely, each has competed at the highest level in both raw, and equipped powerlifting and has experience coaching both types of lifters. We cover the short history of supportive equipment, how the sport went from its raw roots to being dominated by equipment, to now in modern times seeing raw re-emerge as the common expression of the sport. The three guests discuss the similarities and differences of equipped to raw lifting, the experience of equipped lifting, bust myths surrounding this side of the sport, and share how you can get started if you want to give it a try. 

Accused of being "Aesthetic Boys" that just care about muscular men, the hosts decide to pivot and talk about the next best thing; Strongmen/women. The hosts are joined by Strongman competitors Joey Szatmary & Alan Thrall. Joey is the recent USS National Strongman champion and Alan has been competing in Strongman for almost a decade. The two provide informative content on YouTube, helping to spread the knowledge and awareness of Strongman/woman. The hosts explore the interesting origin of Strongman/woman, its recent rise in popularity, and how to get involved. 

Dr. Bill Campbell is a full professor at the University of South Florida where he runs the “Physique Lab”, a unique place in the world of sports science. At his lab, Dr. Campbell and his students and volunteers specifically conduct research on practical strategies to improve body composition that are both sustainable and evidence-based. Interestingly enough, he often consults with leading coaches in the bodybuilding community, specifically to ask them what questions they want answered, what approaches they use which haven’t been validated empirically, and what methods they employ that should be compared to one another. In this episode of Iron Culture, he joins us so we can learn the story behind the physique lab and what cutting edge methods are being studied.

“Documentaries” have changed the game (pun intended) when it comes to nutrition. Unfortunately, this has not been for the better, as misinformation, bias, and conflicts of interest have polluted available knowledge. However, there is always the consummate guardian against confusion: logic. In this episode, Omar and Eric discuss these changes in the latest chapter of the diet wars, and how you can arm yourself against the propaganda of any type. In addition, Omar and Eric continue their meta-discussion of a theme across Iron Culture, the meaning and significance of moderation.

Coach Ian Pyka has more history than fits in an episode. While currently an instructor of kinesiology, biomechanics and strength and conditioning at Florida Atlantic University, Coach Pyka has done it all. He was a 3 time NCAA All American Shot Putter and made the 1980 Olympic team as an alternate. He completed his MS in Ex Phys at The University of Tennessee in 1984 and got his CSCS in 1986. Since then, he’s worked at all levels as an S&C coach. As the former head S&C of the University of Massachusetts, Tulane University, the New England Patriots, the Florida Panthers, and in his own S&C company, he‘s accumulated an incredible depth of experience that we were privileged to discuss on Iron Culture.

It is no secret that co-host Omar Isuf has had a long and difficult relationship with Creatine Monohydrate. Today's episode is about facing your addictions head-on as the hosts bring leading Creatine researcher Dr. Darren Candow on to discuss the potent white powder. The talk extends beyond the normal discussions on Creatine, examining not only the performance benefits but the cognitive perks as well. Even if you are a fellow Creatine enthusiast like one of the hosts, we're positive you'll walk away with a few new insights on everyone's favorite PES (Performance Enhancing Supplement).  

Humans try to reduce answers to binary outcomes: yes or no, black or white, or often as is the case in fitness, good or bad. Unfortunately, this is often to our own detriment as few fitness questions have binary answers. Training frequency is no different. While there is a recent perception that higher frequency is better, full stop, in many cases it is no different and if improperly implemented has the potential to be worse. In this episode join the cult leaders as they discuss frequency conceptually. Listeners will leave with tools rather than a false binary answer.

John Berardi has been a voice of evidence-based nutrition for decades. A competitive bodybuilder in his youth he went on to pursue his Ph.D. and became one of the first well-known voices advocating for a scientific approach to performance nutrition. Before social media, he became a well-known writer on topics related to nutrient timing, macronutrient breakdown, and nutrition for enhancing fat loss and muscle gain, and was one of the first writers on T-Nation. Since, he started Precision Nutrition which became a wildly successful personal trainer education company helping professionals learn nutrition to aid clients in achieving weight loss, wellness and performance goals. We were very fortunate to sit down with Dr. Berardi to discuss the long road that took him from being a young bodybuilder to a successful fitness entrepreneur. Dr. Berardi's new book -- Change Maker -- is being called the health and fitness industry’s #1 career guide. And, for a short time, he’s making the first few chapters (plus other bonuses) available to Iron Culture listeners.   ===> Check out the free chapters + bonuses now: ===> https://www.changemakeracademy.com/chapter/   If you decide you like what you're reading and want to order the book, you can pre-order and save 10%.   ===> In the USA? Click here to to save 10%: ===> https://www.amazon.com/Change-Maker-Passion-Powerful-Successful/dp/1948836556 ===> Coupon code to use at checkout: 10GNCM (expires November 4th)   ===> In Canada or International? Click here to save 10% and get free shipping: ===> https://www.bookdepository.com/Change-Maker-John-Berardi/9781948836555 ===> Coupon code: none required

If you've been in the fitness industry long enough, you've undoubtedly heard of flexible dieting. Depending upon who you ask, flexible dieting is either a liberating way of quantifying the food you consume or needlessly obsessive. The question becomes, what is the best approach for an individual looking to get into their best shape? Today, the hosts are joined by accomplished coach Laurin Conlin (MSc in Exercise Science) who's Masters research focused on how different dieting strategies affect weight loss and weight regain. Particularly, looking at a ‘flexible’ diet where no foods are excluded versus a meal plan, where foods were excluded. Her research was the first study to directly examine this relationship between these two diets. Join us for an in-depth conversation on nutrition.  

James Krieger has been putting out some of the best science-based information in the lifting community for over a decade. With expertise in nutrition, resistance training, statistics, and with personal experience in physique sport and with substantial coaching experience across a diverse spectrum from recreational lifters, to high-level competitors, he’s a voice of reason worth listening to. In this episode, James helps us understand the oft-misrepresented and frequently demonized hormone: insulin! Is it the cause of obesity? What role does it play in the body? How should we conceptualize it? If you’ve struggled with these questions, you won’t want to miss the episode where he joins Eric and Omar on Iron Culture.

Cliff Wilson is universally respected in the bodybuilding community, on both sides of the fence, by enhanced and natural athletes and coaches alike. He’s an example of a coach who is science-aware but informed by what works first and foremost. Never one to be trapped by how “it’s supposed to be”, his keen observations, attention to detail, and practices built through years of trial and error have resulted in the peak performance of many a competitor. Join us for this episode of Iron Culture as we discuss what peaking is for physique sport, and how the concept of there being a universal peaking formula is inherently flawed.  

In this episode of Iron Culture, you get to observe the emotional maturity of Omar as he realizes he’s in an open relationship with Eric. The original bodybuilding bromance is on display this week, as Alberto Nuñez joins Iron Culture so that he and Eric Helms can discuss the “lifestyle” of bodybuilding. While many take careful notes on the sets, reps, exercise selection, food choices and macros of physique competitors, most miss the deeply entrenched habits that are the true keys to their long term success.

We were joined by Dr. Mike Israetel to discuss Maximum Recoverable Volume...just kidding. Actually, we were moved to chat with Mike after his recent post where he went point-by-point through his self-perceived shortcomings as a science communicator. In an industry where “being right” is often valued more than being correct, and serving one’s ego comes before serving the greater good, we saw this as an opportunity to discuss the importance of critical self-evaluation, and how to prevent your ego from ruining your career, life, goal pursuits or reputation.

Everybody hurts, but what if pain don't hurt much?! The immortal bard Dalton from Roadhouse might have been onto something. This episode the hosts are joined by three experts in the field of performance, rehab, and pain science. Nick Licameli of 3DMJ (PT, DPT), Quinn Henoch of Clinical Athlete (DPT), and Jordan Feigenbaum of Barbell Medicine (MD, MS) discuss the current status of pain science, injury reduction, and managing setbacks. Further Information For Our Guests: Quinn Henoch (DPT): https://www.clinicalathlete.com/ @quinn.henochdpt Nick Licameli (PT, DPT): https://3dmusclejourney.com/ @nicklicameli Jordan Feigenbaum (MD, MS): https://www.barbellmedicine.com/ @jordan_barbellmedicine

Consider this episode a homecoming as co-host Eric Helms reminisces on Sacramento lifting culture. He is joined by fellow Sacramento natives Alan Thrall, Silent Mike, and Jim McDonald. A seemingly small city tucked away in Northern California, the soon to be infamous SacTown Boys explore the reasons why Sacramento has made such a strong impact inside the lifting community. From weightlifting legend Tommy Kono to Body Tribe in the present, Sacramento is home to a vibrant, diverse lifting community. The conversation also explores starting your own business, traversing the fitness industry and why Iron Culture is the world's friendliest Cult.

Over the last three decades, Randall Strossen was there for it all. World records in weightlifting at the Olympics and world championships, incredible performances at the Highland games world championships and the worlds strongest man; if he wasn’t behind the lens as a photographer, he might have been the commentator, or written about the performances in Milo magazine or in his sport psychology column in Ironman magazine which ran for 12 years. Randall has a Ph.D. in psychology, founded IronMind in 1988, and Milo magazine in 1993. Thousands of lifters have seen what level of IronMind Captains of Crush grippers they could close, most serious strength athletes from prior decades owned a copy of his book Super Squats, and he took every iconic picture that adorns the covers of Milo magazine, which ran for 25 years from until 2018. Sit back and marvel at the rich iron game experiences and personal insights that Dr. Strossen had to share with Omar and Eric on this episode of Iron Culture.

Is Iron Culture big enough for two pro natural bodybuilders with PhDs named Eric (or was it Derek)? The banter heats up as metabolisms cool down this week as the cult leaders are joined by Dr Eric Trexler to discuss metabolic adaptation. Why is weight loss difficult to sustain? What is adaptive thermogenesis, the phenomenon we call metabolic adaptation colloquially? Is it the cause of our fat loss woes, or are it’s effects overhyped? If it is overhyped, what really are the barriers to successful fat loss and fat loss maintenance? Join us on this episode as we discuss all of the above.

Doping: the topic every 19 year old in the YouTube comments section seems to be an expert on. Maybe it’s more complicated and nuanced than the local internet culture would have you believe? In this episode, we have Ph.D. candidate Alex Kolliari-Turner on Iron Culture. He is a true expert in this field, doing his Ph.D. research on the long term effects of anabolic steroids on muscle. His research examining the impacts of steroids on anabolic signaling pathways and potential permanent retention of myonuclei may have wide-reaching impacts on how we view doping, doping detection, and the concept of being “drug-free”. In addition to the hard science, Eric and Omar discuss with Alex advancements in anti-doping, how retrospective testing is changing the face of elite sport, and how different sports cultures, societies, and governmental structures impact how commonplace doping is, the reason and pressures behind the decision to dope, the source of doping, and its sophistication.    Email: A.Kolliari-Turner@brighton.ac.uk Advertisement on Instagram: alex_k_t Advertisement on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217450912977043&set=a.1014102405124&type=3&theater The papers he used in the discussion of the Podcast:  Hoffman et al 2009 Position stand on androgen and human growth hormone use Kanayama & Pope 2018 History and epidemiology of anabolic androgens in athletes and non-athletes

In this episode, Eric & Omar are joined by firebrand Chip Conrad. A true physical culture enthusiast, Chip has been involved with seminal figures in our culture (Mel Siff, Tommy Kono, Jan Todd and Dan John to name but a few).  Chip's unique approach to training stands in stark contrast to the modern fitness industrial complex. Combining aspects of different disciplines from strongman to yoga, Chip is a rare thinker and teacher. Listen to how he redefines what strength means, what the point of lifting is and the merit of early Van Halen. PS www.chipconrad.com (it'll be a real thing soon, we promise)

In this episode, Eric and Omar are joined by one of the most celebrated, revered, and respected pro natural bodybuilders, Brian Whitacre. Brian is a legendary figure, historically being the first to win both the WNBF Worlds and Yorton Cup Overalls the same year in 2015. The hosts discuss natural bodybuilding, economics, and what it takes to be a champion. Listen up, you might be surprised.

Brian Minor, MS, pro natural bodybuilder and national level USAPL raw powerlifter, is not only an impressive dual-sport strength and physique athlete, but he’s also top of the bodybuilding and Powerlifting coaching game. As a thought leader in the evidence-based strength and physique community, he does an excellent job putting context and application to theory to help move practice forward. Join us in this episode as we get into the nitty-gritty of what progressive overload really means with Brian, and how it’s often misunderstood.

At the edges of scientific understanding, pseudoscience is bred and born. When a topic is studied, but not yet understood, marketers plant the seeds of hype to suck you in. “This one weird trick”, “doctors hate him”, “the herb the FDA doesn’t want you to have”. The emerging field of gut health is an arena rife with such quackery. Fortunately, we have Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro as a guiding light. She has a Ph.D. in human nutrition, is a competitive strength and physique athlete, and was a professor at Georgia Gwinnett College before joining Renaissance Periodization as a coach and science communicator. As a gut health researcher and professional, she joins Omar and Eric to uncover the myths and truths, and to discuss how pseudoscience forms.

In this episode of Iron Culture, Omar leads a discussion looking inward to the academic journey of Eric Helms through his Ph.D. As we explore the science, history, and culture of lifting, it’s important to not only consume the outcome of scientific research but to consider it in the context of the human experience of the researchers who dedicate years of their lives to sometimes uncovering ludicrously simple answers through intense and complicated study. Like lifting itself, exercise and nutrition research is a marathon not a sprint, and a labor of love. In this episode learn not only about autoregulation, the topic of Eric’s Ph.D. but also about the experience of the academic pursuit of knowledge.

Iron Culture hosts a Roundtable discussion on strength development and the relationship between hypertrophy and it’s relationship to a one-repetition maximum. We’re joined by researcher Andrew Vigotsky who is currently pursuing his Ph.D., and also we bring back the ever jolly Greg Nuckols of Stronger by Science. Between them, they have not only personal experience with the iron, but more importantly, they’ve published academic peer-reviewed papers specifically on the multi-component factors that go into strength expression, from neuromuscular, to biomechanical, to technical and morphological contributing factors, including hypertrophy. Tune in to this episode for a deep dive on strength.

Dr. Jake Linardon is a researcher at Deakin University in Melbourne Australia where he is leading the charge with a flurry of new research on the causes of, contributors to, associations with and the effectiveness of treatments for eating disorders. Additionally, he’s one of the few researchers exploring surprising similarities between rigid and flexible dieting approaches. In this episode, we explore how eating disorders manifest, especially in lifters and physique athletes, what might be at their root, what we know, what we don’t know, and discuss exploratory steps towards solutions.

Modern social media has an abundance of choices. Look up any particular topic and you’ll find a plethora of options. An abundance of choice does not mean an abundance of quality, however. In this episode, Eric & Omar explore the role of the evidence-based practitioner, contrasting it with the rise of the “guru”. In this podcast, you might not find easy answers but you will find deeper meaning.

“Evidence-based” is said without questioning its meaning. While science popularisation in the iron game is a net win, we must learn the difference between #science and evidence-based practice. To understand what differentiates the two and why the distinction is critical, we‘re joined by two researchers, science communicator, practitioners, Drs. Andy Galpin and Brad Dieter. Andy is a former competitive weightlifter, consults with athletes, and is a professor studying muscle fiber responses to training at Cal State Fullerton. Brad researches exercise and nutrition to improve health and human performance and is an author at Science-Driven Nutrition and the Chief Scientific Officer at Eat to Perform. Join them as we strive to understand the role of evidence-based practice in lifting.

At Iron Culture we ask important questions, for example: “what meaning do you make in life?” But in this episode, we are joined by Drs. Brad Schoenfeld, Brandon Roberts, and Juha Hulmi to ask THE most important question: “why and how do muscles grow?” Each guest in this episode is such an avid devotee to the iron that not only are they a dedicated lifter, but dedicated to the scientific study of muscle. Brad is one of the foremost experts on the mechanisms and applied training variables of muscle hypertrophy, Juha is renowned for his work on muscle wasting and anabolic genetic signaling, and Brandon is an expert in molecular signaling of hypertrophy. If you’ve ever wanted to learn the complexities of muscle growth, then join us this episode for a deep dive into the science of size.

In 2019 technology is not only a part of life, but a part of fitness. Whether you wear a heart rate monitor, track your steps, scan the barcodes of foods to track their calories, or watch videos of your lifts to assess form, you’ve experienced this intersection first hand. We take these things for granted, but we miss the behind he scenes hard work, success, failures, struggles, ingenuity, creativity, setbacks and triumphs of the fitness-tech developers who make the augmented fitness world we live in possible. In this episode Iron Culture welcomes the founders of three lifter-specific apps, Obi Anachebe of FitGenie, Eric Wagner of Gravitus and Nidhi Kulkarni of Spitfire and Gravitus to give us a peak behind the curtain.

Omar and Eric are joined by two experts in psychology, Dr Kori Propst and Amanda Rizo, MS, who are not only therapists, but are both lifters themselves. Dr Kori Propst was a elite level natural physique athlete and has worked with the Diet Doc alongside Dr Joe for a decade as a world leader in bodybuilding psychology. Likewise, Amanda Rizo, MS is a licensed therapist and the Team 3DMJ mental health consultant. Join us for an in depth discussion of what goes on in the minds of physique competitors.

This is a Podcast you'll want to listen to from start to finish. Selected by hosts Eric Helms & Omar Isuf as one of their favourites (look, they can do that), this Podcast delves deep into the art of coaching. The hosts are joined by Sioux-z Hartwig-Gary, Matt Gary and Dan John; three veteran coaches at the top of their respective fields. Coaching is so much more than giving someone a spreadsheet or telling them their macros. Learn insights from these three who have spent decades honing their craft. Whether your goal is to become a better coach or just be more introspective as a lifter, this episode has something for everything.

In this episode, the hosts learn about the brief but interesting history of CrossFit, both as a fitness movement and competitive sport. They are joined by James Fitzgerald, the first CrossFit Games champion, who transitioned from athlete to coach, to a coach of coaches as the sport has evolved. A highly influential leader and thinker in the high-intensity functional fitness arena, he has watched CrossFit change and morph over time. Also, they are joined by Marcus Filly, a prolific athlete having competed at the games six times while CrossFit only became more competitive. He is also a coach, and pioneering thought leader using rational approaches to combining high-intensity functional fitness training with other modalities such as bodybuilding.

The reality of lifting is that most individuals do not make it a lifelong pursuit. For a variety of reasons people start lifting and somewhere along the way, they stop. Why? In this episode, Eric & Omar explore motivation and take a look at the outcome vs the process of any activity. How can we frame lifting in such a way that we stick with it forever?

For a long time in the fitness industry, it was said that scientific information wasn't sexy. If you wanted to attract an audience, go with a captivating headline and tell people what they want to hear. One weird trick to lose weight. And for a long time, this was the norm. However, two individuals in the last several years have completely disproved this theory. Greg Nuckols & Jeff Nippard have grown sizeable audiences while actually increasing the complexity of science in their fitness information. How do you effectively communicate information so it reaches a large audience? How do you avoid clickbait? What can we learn from marketing? Hosts Eric Helms & Omar Isuf explore these questions and more in this extended podcast!

The hosts are joined by 3DMJ, a group of extremely knowledgeable coaches aimed at providing science based strategies for the natural lifting community. In this episode, the coaches share war stories from their competitive days. You might think you know what dieting is like but it is a whole different animal when you are preparing for a bodybuilding show.

Today the hosts are joined by two elite Powerlifters, Bryce Lewis & Isabella von Weissenberg. Both athletes have achieved tremendous success in the sport of powerlifting, as well as being internationally recognized coaches. However both have had to come to terms with using social media as a tool for business and their athlete profiles. Is social media all that it is cracked up to be? What are some of the potential pitfalls? We explore these questions and more in today’s episode.

Eric & Omar are joined by Dr. Joe Klemczewski, the pioneer of modern natural bodybuilding coaching. Many practices taken for granted today, including tapering for a proper peak week, were first utilized by Dr. Joe. He is the OG evidence based natural bodybuilding coach.  He also was one of the first successful coaches to transition into online coaching. The hosts discuss his successes in a multitude of business ventures and learn tips applicable for aspiring fitness entrepreneurs.

Eric and Omar are joined again by Dr. Dominic Morais, Physical Culture and Sport Studies scholar, to discuss the emergence of the “Iron Game” in the early to mid 1900’s. We learn what it was like to be a lifter when Muscle Magazines emerged. Communities formed around shared experiences created by the stories told in magazine columns. This contemporary history would be the first battle grounds between magazine owners, athlete icons, “gurus” and training philosophies. During this era Olympic Lifting underwent changes, bodybuilding became a legitimate separate endeavour and powerlifting would also formalize. Further Resources: 1. https://www.starkcenter.org/ 2. https://www.mbpowercenter.com/powerprof Dominic (@brainybrawn)

In this episode, the hosts are joined by calisthenics competitor and filmmaker Rain Bennett. His documentary Raise Up illuminates the recent explosion of calisthenics (body weight training) around the world. Chronicling the rise in Brooklyn in New York and drawing parallels with the rise in Russia, Rain explains the fundamental appeal and utility of calisthenics.

For the longest time, powerlifting was a male dominated sport. Recently there has been a seismic shift as more women train and compete in the sport of powerlifting. Reports indicate approximately 38% of competitors are female, a stark contrast from just a decade ago. What happened? In this episode we are fortunate to have three women at the top of their respective categories, share their insights. For raw classic powerlifting, we have the OG, Jen Thompson who has broken over 60 world records in the IPF. For equipped powerlifting, we have 2x IPF Open World Champion Natalie Hanson. Last we have the unstoppable Stefi Cohen, who continues to shatter world records in the untested powerlifting division. These three women offer an inside look at their experiences, struggles and triumphs in this episode.

Eric and Omar sit down with Danny Lennon and Cliff Harvey for a non-dogmatic discussion of the ins and outs of carbohydrate manipulation, ketogenic diets, and the context of when one might use various carbohydrate intakes in various situations. Cliff Harvey is a registered clinical nutritionist, author and researcher in the final stages of his PhD at the Auckland University of Technology. He has extensive experience working with athletes, the lay public and clinical populations and is a published researcher in the field of ketogenic diet induction and low carbohydrate diets. Danny Lennon is the founder of Sigma Nutrition. He has a masters in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork and has worked as a nutrition practitioner with a wide variety of clients. He became well known for his role as a performance nutritionist to professional mixed martial artists & boxers, and is known worldwide as an educator through his seminars and podcast.

This week on Iron Culture Eric and Omar reflect on the decisions content producers make in the fitness industry. While snake oil peddlers are abundant, even well meaning, well informed leaders have to figure out how to help as many people as possible without losing the quality and utility of their message. In this episode Omar and Eric reflect on their own content and where they personally try to find the balance between building a broader reach without turning away from their mission statements.

In this episode Iron Culture brings a who’s who panel of the some of the most influential modern minds in periodization and auto regulation. Champion IPF powerlifter and prolific coach Mike Tuchscherer who introduced the lifting world to “reactive training” based on programming a specific proximity to failure within a set is joined by John Kiely, a sports scientist, theorist and long time strength and conditioning coach whose peer reviewed articles have acted as wake up calls in periodization academia. Last but not least, Dr Michael Zourdos joins the panel, a pioneer in modern applied periodization research who was the first to specifically advocate for the integration of periodization concepts previously considered mutually exclusive. Join us for this in depth discussion! Periodization 2012: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55b7ffebe4b0568a75e3316b/t/580a2604725e25c8080a03d9/1477060101545/09Kiely+IJSPP_PeriodizationParadigms.pdf Periodization 2018: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0823-y   More Information On Our Guests: Mike T: Website: https://www.reactivetrainingsystems.com/ IG: @reactivetrainingsytems @miketuchscherer FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1498006393 Mike Z: Website: Strongerbyscience.com/mass Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1449611757 John Kiely: Researchgate: www.researchgate.net/profile/John_Kiely2/ Twitter: @simplysportssci

In this episode, Iron Culture attempts to bring an intellectually honest conversation to the emotionally charged topic of steroids. The hosts will explore societal attitudes around steroids, discuss why someone decides to use and contrast lifting as a natural vs being enhanced. The goal of this episode is to give different perspectives on a controversial topic and highlight the large similarities that exist between both parties.   For More Information On Our Guests: Mike Israetel: https://renaissanceperiodization.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rpdrmike

Eric and Omar are joined by Dr. Dominic Morais and Dr. Ben Pollack, not only accomplished strength athletes but also experts with PhDs in Physical Culture and Sport Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. The guests take us through the history that leads to modern lifting culture. We trace the strongmen and strongwomen doing Vaudeville performances in the 1700s to the early 1900s where the earliest organized strength sports were forming and when the culture-shifting Eugen Sandow emerged, planting the seed for bodybuilding.   Further Resources: https://www.starkcenter.org/ https://phdeadlift.com/ https://www.mbpowercenter.com/powerprof   Ben (@phdeadlift) Dominic (@brainybrawn)

Iron Culture was started by Eric Helms and Omar Isuf as a means of exploring the world of physical culture and attempting to distill a unified philosophy of lifting and to help listeners find greater meaning from the iron. The lifting community has become fractured over the last ~70 years and this Podcast will attempt to explore the fundamental threads that unite these different tribes.  The Podcast focuses on dispensing practical, useful information to the listener, bouncing from history, to philosophy, to contemporary lifting culture issues, to science. This can range from teaching the audience about lifting, programming, nutrition, supplements/PEDs and the history of lifting culture. The format includes casual conversations between the two hosts on a variety of topics, discussions with a panel of experts and interviews with authoritative figures in the lifting community.