Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Helms and Trex discuss a variety of evidence-based fitness topics. In this conversation, Dr. Trexler and Dr. Helms delve into the complexities of muscle gain, recovery, and the role of nutrition in performance. They discuss the nuances of identifying plateaus in training, the impact of training volume, the importance of food quality, and how psychological factors can influence recovery and performance. The dialogue emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to training volume and exercise selection, as well as the impact of nutrition on overall health and performance in bodybuilding. They also discuss modern theories and practical applications surrounding body weight regulation and the neurophysiological factors influencing obesity. They explore the gravitosat theory, discuss the implications of muscle gain on body weight regulation, and examine the concept of upper and lower intervention points. Additionally, they touch on powerlifting training strategies and the significance of volume in strength training.
Time stamps:
0:00 Music
5:08 Introduction to the new year and another episode (and learning through teaching)
14:48 Q&A 1: Navigating injuries and recovery with training
23:42 Q&A 2: Plateaus with low volumes and difficulties recovering from increasing volume
31:08 Trexler on the importance of exercise selection and prescribing set volumes for clients
45:31 Q&A 3 The role of food quality in performance and hypertrophy
1:00:07 Q&A 4 Bodyweight regulation and intervention points with muscle gain
1:04:14 Exploring the Gravitostat Theory
1:10:50 Lower intervention points: muscle and fat gain
Speakman 2011 Set points, settling points and some alternative models: theoretical options to understand how genes and environments combine to regulate body adiposity pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22065844
1:16:12 Neurophysiology and bodyweight regulation
1:24:01 Practical Applications of Body Weight Theories
1:29:35 Powerlifting Insights and Training Strategies
Andoulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944
Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460
1:33:31 Closing out another episode of Iron Culture presented by MASS
massresearchreview.com
MASS Office Hours: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq2Hpu55tCKbaklI9h4Z5-2kJYf5T3ren
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Music credit:
Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com
In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Helms and Trex discuss a variety of evidence-based fitness topics. In this conversation, Dr. Trexler and Dr. Helms delve into the complexities of muscle gain, recovery, and the role of nutrition in performance. They discuss the nuances of identifying plateaus in training, the impact of training volume, the importance of food quality, and how psychological factors can influence recovery and performance. The dialogue emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to training volume and exercise selection, as well as the impact of nutrition on overall health and performance in bodybuilding. They also discuss modern theories and practical applications surrounding body weight regulation and the neurophysiological factors influencing obesity. They explore the gravitosat theory, discuss the implications of muscle gain on body weight regulation, and examine the concept of upper and lower intervention points. Additionally, they touch on powerlifting training strategies and the significance of volume in strength training.
Time stamps:
0:00 Music
5:08 Introduction to the new year and another episode (and learning through teaching)
14:48 Q&A 1: Navigating injuries and recovery with training
23:42 Q&A 2: Plateaus with low volumes and difficulties recovering from increasing volume
31:08 Trexler on the importance of exercise selection and prescribing set volumes for clients
45:31 Q&A 3 The role of food quality in performance and hypertrophy
1:00:07 Q&A 4 Bodyweight regulation and intervention points with muscle gain
1:04:14 Exploring the Gravitostat Theory
1:10:50 Lower intervention points: muscle and fat gain
Speakman 2011 Set points, settling points and some alternative models: theoretical options to understand how genes and environments combine to regulate body adiposity pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22065844
1:16:12 Neurophysiology and bodyweight regulation
1:24:01 Practical Applications of Body Weight Theories
1:29:35 Powerlifting Insights and Training Strategies
Andoulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944
Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460
1:33:31 Closing out another episode of Iron Culture presented by MASS
massresearchreview.com
MASS Office Hours: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq2Hpu55tCKbaklI9h4Z5-2kJYf5T3ren
---
Music credit:
Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com







![Ep. 208- Sheffield Final Roster, USPA Controversy, New Bodybuilding Research
It’s episode 208 and yes, you’re right, that means it’s been four years of episodes coming out weekly, every single [insert day here]. 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 Ep. 208- Sheffield Final Roster, USPA Controversy, New Bodybuilding Research](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iq1fzGHTGAs/mqdefault.jpg)


