Name: Ep. 135- Lifting For Endurance Athletes @IronCulturePodcast
Uploaded: 2026-09-21T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: Ep. 135- Lifting For Endurance Athletes

Ep. 135- Lifting For Endurance Athletes

Iron Culture Podcast 2026-09-21 | Ep. 135- Lifting For Endurance Athletes

Ep 296 - An Evidence-Based Look at Body Image and Self-Worth

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-10-15 | There is a great deal of fitness content about strategically modifying your diet or changing your physique. Many of these strategies may appear to be simple on paper, but they are inseparable from the complexity of human perception and emotion. Whether we like it or not, diet or physique manipulation inherently interact with concepts relating to one’s confidence, body image, self-esteem, and relationship with food. Further, many fitness coaches and clients mistakenly believe that poor body image or self-esteem are improved by simply changing one’s body. A growing area of interest in the fitness space aims to directly address and improve these outcomes by focusing on beliefs and behaviors in the absence of physique manipulation. In this crossover episode with Sigma Nutrition Radio and the Sports Nutrition Association, Eric Trexler and Danny Lennon are joined by Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro to take an evidence-based and practical look at the ways diet or physique modifications interact with confidence, body image, and self-worth.

Episode 296
00:00 Welcome to another crossover episode (passively) dominated by Iron Culture
02:09 Defining body image and self-esteem
07:49 Relationship with food and weight stigma
21:22 Are your behaviours and beliefs really sustainable?
32:13 Different approaches to safe weight modification
39:19 Screening for risk factors and contraindications
47:20 Scope of practice and individuals who fall into the gaps
53:20 Interventions and approaches for improving body image
58:28 Closing out with some links
Sports Nutrition Association sportsnutritionassociation.com
Sigma Nutrition sigmanutrition.com

Ep 295 - Do Lifters Need Carbs?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-10-08 | The Iron Culture universe is expanding! In this crossover episode the host of Sigma Nutrition Radio, Danny Lennon, joins Eric Helms to co-host! Dr. Cliff Harvey, who did his PhD on ketogenic diets at AUT, joins Danny and Eric to discuss the often conflicting research and anecdotes on the effect of carbohydrates on lifting performance, adaptations and body composition change. Eric, Danny and Cliff are all on the Sports Nutrition Association (SNA) advisory board - an organisation dedicated to supporting the profession of sports nutrition. The board is packed with nutrition experts with a ton of experience. This is the first of many crossover episodes to come where Iron Culture, Sigma Nutrition Radio, and the SNA combine forces to bring you the best practical, science-based nutrition content possible!

00:00 Danny? Entering the multiverse (Sigma Iron Culture Nutrition Radio Ultra Podcast Show)
02:00 An update on carbohydrates for resistance training performance
05:34 The spectrum of carbohydrate intake related to work demands and Cliff’s approach
15:13 The complexities of substrate utilisation and glycogen replenishment
Hokken 2021 Subcellular localization- and fibre type-dependent utilization of muscle glycogen during heavy resistance exercise in elite power and Olympic weightlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32961628
King 2022 The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35809162
Naharudin 2019 Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30707135
Naharudin 2020 Viscous placebo and carbohydrate breakfasts similarly decrease appetite and increase resistance exercise performance compared with a control breakfast in trained males pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32174286
28:10 Intrasession carbohydrate intake and mouth rinsing
King 2024 Isoenergetic pre-exercise meals varying in carbohydrate similarly affect resistance training volume performance compared to placebo sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/443/version/566
41:03 The placebo/nocebo effect related to food intake around training
53:30 Reconsidering nutrient timing and individualising coaching approaches
1:06:54 Goals, optimising approaches, and methodological considerations in the research
Vargas-Molina 2020 Effects of a ketogenic diet on body composition and strength in trained women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32276630
Paoli 2021 Effects of Two Months of Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscle Area, and Blood Parameters in Competitive Natural Body Builders pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33530512
1:17:11 Individual approaches to ketogenic diets and does macronutrient distribution really matter?
Harvey 2019 Low-carbohydrate diets differing in carbohydrate restriction improve cardiometabolic and anthropometric markers in healthy adults: A randomised clinical trial pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30740270
1:25:48 Considerations for a low carbohydrate/ketogenic approach and ketosis misunderstandings
1:30:02 The take home and closing out

Ep 294 - All Around Lifting: The First Form of Competitive Lifting

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-09-30 | Weightlifting came before powerlifting, but did you know weightlifting wasn’t exactly the first barbell sport? Or rather, did you know that the first iteration of weightlifting was VERY different than what we see today in the Olympics? The history of weightlifting is fascinating, and in this episode of Iron Culture Drs Conor Heffernan and Cliff Harvey are back to share their experiences with, and the history of, All Around Lifting, the original barbell sport. With literally hundreds of potential lifts to compete in, All Around Lifters are barbell generalists rather than specialists, and both strong and versatile. Modern All Around meets are very similar to the original lifting competitions from the early 19th century before weightlifting centralised around the snatch, clean and jerk and clean and press (and eventually just the snatch and clean and jerk), and before modern strongman, powerlifting or CrossFit existed. While you may know Cliff Harvey as a nutrition researcher, he is also a former All Around world champion weightlifter and amateur historian. He shares his experience while Conor goes into the fascinating tale of how weightlifting began, and how modern All Around Lifting recaptures it.

00:00 Omar? And All Around lifting?
02:10 Welcoming back Drs. Conor Heffernan and Cliff Harvey and where everything lifting started
07:01 The format and how to prepare for All Around Lifting
15:11 The attraction of All Around Lifting
24:40 A deep dive into the history of All Around
38:49 Specialisation vs generalisation and accessibility of All Around
55:05 ‘Evidence-based’ training and individualisation
1:05:28 Cliff’s experience competing
1:15:10 Reframing your perspective and goals as you progress and age
1:20:35 Where to learn more about (and participate in) All Around Lifting and closing out
iawa.uk
usawa.com
youtube.com/@USAWAVideos
youtube.com/user/dinnie40

Ep 293 - What Causes Hypertrophy?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-09-24 | How do we know what we know? And do we know what we think we know? If your answer is “I don’t know,” then this episode is for you. In this classic-style episode, Omar and Helms sit down for a spirited chat on epistemology: the theory of knowledge, as it relates to hypertrophy. In the “evidence-based” world some people always claim to have things figured out entirely. In the case of hypertrophy, some people currently can explain with a “model” what must occur in training to produce hypertrophy, in a logically consistent narrative, based in true aspects of physiology. However, just because something is logically consistent and contains elements of truth, doesn’t necessarily make it entirely correct. So first, we should ask, when and why should models be used in scientific inquiry? How do models sit in relation to empirical studies? How does one check the veracity of a model? Is a “model” really a model if nothing was actually modelled? Can it be valid if it is contradicted by dozens of controlled trials? Most importantly, will we ever be ok with feeling uncomfortable and embracing our ignorance in the search of knowledge? Or, are we doomed to repeat the mistake of prematurely clinging to intellectually satisfying, logical, complete, yet factually incorrect answers whenever there are gaps in our understanding that makes us uncomfortable?

00:00 Do you know what you know?
04:56 Fitness content creators and models of hypertrophy
Refalo 2023 Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334240
Robinson 2024 Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970765
17:15 Studies in sport science without black and white results/answers and mathematical models
27:55 (Dis)confirming models and considering scientific evidence
The Evidence is Lacking for “Effective Reps” by Greg Nuckols strongerbyscience.com/effective-reps
Grgic 2018 Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29470825
43:01 Engaging in dialogue regarding these models
48:24 Closing out this overdelivering 50 minute episode

Ep 292 - Cutting Edge Research on Volume, Protein & Cardio

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-09-17 | Research moves slow, well, at least slower than we wish it did. But, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t also produce paradigm shifts that shake up practice. In this episode Dr. Helms and Dr. Trexler sit down to answer questions using research, most of which that is actually still in the publication process and not yet available. This research will have a major impact on the future of practice in nutrition, as it relates to protein while dieting, training, as it relates to how much volume lifters perform, and cardio, for both training and health. You don’t want to miss this cutting edge research Q&A!

00:00 Can Trexler get out of the old school matrix? And an insight into scientific publishing
Helms 2014 Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24864135
Helms 2015 Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardiovascular training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24998610
05:46 Getting into the Q&A. Question 1: Pprotein intakes during dieting
Helms 2014 A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24092765
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 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222
18:08 Unwrapping some Christmas gifts: Helms’ Masters research and some conclusion from the upcoming systematic review and meta-regression
Nunes 2022 Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864
35:08 Question 2: Cardio intensity
massresearchreview.com
Hamaya 2024 Time- vs Step-Based Physical Activity Metrics for Health pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38767892
Steele 2021 Slow and Steady, or Hard and Fast? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies Comparing Body Composition Changes between Interval Training and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34822354
Mielke 2024 Physical activity volume, frequency, and intensity: Associations with hypertension and obesity over 21 years in Australian women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38735532
57:06 Question 3: Resistance training volume
Schoenfeld 2017 Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992
Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645
Robinson 2024 Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970765
1:06:23 Closing out this hour of power episode

Ep 291 - Who is the Male Natural Bodybuilding G.O.A.T?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-09-09 | In this Iron Culture episode Dr. Helms sits down with fellow 3DMJ coaches and Iron Culture veterans Brian Minor and Alberto Nunez for a spirited debate about who they each think are the top 5 natural male bodybuilders of all time. Bodybuilding is where art and culture meet science, where science meets sport, and if you are a fan of natural bodybuilding and its history, you will love this episode. Listen in as they struggle to even agree on a criteria for someone to be The Natty GOAT, learn little-known facts about the early years of Kai Greene’s career when he was natural, and pay careful attention to the honourable mentions, as there are many potential candidates, for the “Mt. Rushmore plus one” of natty competitive bodybuilding.

00:00 Welcome to an exciting episode without Omar and Trexler
02:29 Brian and Berto’s history with bodybuilding
Iron Culture Ep. 26- How Progressive Overload Actually Works youtube.com/watch?v=sfe8tsxFieI&t=37s
10:20 A debate of the Mt Rushmore + 1 of natural bodybuilding
23:00 A quick Kai Greene and IFBB/NPC history lesson
28:30 Continuing the debate
51:00 Fleshing out everyone’s 5th and final competitor and some honourable mentions
1:14:13 The top 5 ranked
1:20:48 Final comments and closing out

Ep 290 - Is Caffeine An Overrated Supplement For Lifters?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-09-03 | Caffeine is incredibly popular among lifters and non-lifters alike. In a variety of cultures all across the globe (including the iron culture), caffeine is a daily staple. While most people use caffeine for a morning boost of energy, lifters have long used caffeine as a performance-enhancing supplement. There is a tremendous amount of evidence reporting acute ergogenic effects from a single dose of caffeine, but there is a surprising lack of research addressing critical questions about caffeine's utility as an "everyday" pre-workout supplement. In today's episode, Eric Trexler reviews a new study suggesting that caffeine improves performance when consumed in the morning, but not in the evening. This is followed by an in-depth discussion about when caffeine may (or may not) be effectively used as a performance-enhancing supplement, and how to balance potential tradeoffs between acute performance enhancement and sleep disruption.

00:00 Intro to an episode that the powers that be don’t want you to listen to
05:52 Trex, the caffeine sceptic?
Gardiner 2023 The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870101
18:16 Different caffeine intakes for different times of the day? Breaking down the study and the literature
massresearchreview.com
Bourgine 2024 Effects of Different Caffeine Dosages on Maximal Physical Performance and Potential Side Effects in Low-Consumer Female Athletes: Morning vs. Evening Administration pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39064667
31:27 Is caffeine a specialised morning supplement? And the low-hanging fruit in the caffeine literature related to strength and power outcomes
Grgic 2020 Wake up and smell the coffee: caffeine supplementation and exercise performance-an umbrella review of 21 published meta-analyses pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30926628
38:55 Practical applications for caffeine supplementation for lifting
Giráldez-Costas 2021 Pre-exercise Caffeine Intake Enhances Bench Press Strength Training Adaptations pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33575270
52:58 Closing out this shorter than 60min episode

Ep 289 - How Competitive is IPF Powerlifting? (with Panagiotis Tarinidis)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-08-27 | This week 2x 66kg IPF Open World Champion Panagiotis “Pana” Tarinidis joins Eric Helms on Iron Culture to discuss the state of modern powerlifting. The two of them recently joined legends, phenoms, leaders and top thinkers of the sport like John Haack, Greg Nuckols, Lya Bavoil and others at the 2024 European Powerlifting Conference in Limerick Ireland. The existence of such events is emblematic of powerlifting’s growth, but so too is just how competitive IPF powerlifting has become. At 2024 IPF Worlds the podium for the 66kg class was decided by bodyweight, as all three men had identical totals. In this interview Pana shares what it takes to stay in the fight in modern powerlifting, how hard it is to vie for a championship title when the competition is so tight, and the mindset, passion, and focus it requires.

00:00 Intro with the “new Omar” and a recap of the European Powerlifting Conference
09:03 The lifting stones
18:20 Goals and learning from meaningful achievements – Pana’s recent IPF World’s experience
30:35 The things that can make an effective athlete
39:13 Powerlifting meets and Pana’s strong self-belief
47:40 The changes Pana is going to implement into his training
54:39 Experimenting and challenging your beliefs
1:00:47 Pana’s advice for improving yourself and closing out
massresearchreview.com
Where to find Pana
Instagram @thepanash instagram.com/thepanash/?hl=en
YouTube @Thepanash youtube.com/channel/UCB1ZlR9h035btvu0t6qFWYg
The Panash Training App https://thepanash.app/
Silent Worker https://www.silentworker.fr/

Ep 288 - Is Exercise Variety Necessary?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-08-19 | The classic Iron Culture duo hosts this week’s episode to discuss exercise variety. How have the views on this topic changed over the years and why? First, we need to understand how and when bodybuilding separated from strength sport, equipment availability changes over time, and how these factors impacted the perception of exercise variety. From the Weider “Muscle Confusion Principle” to motor learning concepts like varied practice, there’s been discussion of exercise variety in both the trenches and research for decades. In the modern era, concepts like regional hypertrophy and more nuanced understanding of functional anatomy have become more common and widely understood and accepted, leading to the acceptance that at least for hypertrophy, higher exercise variety is necessary to maximise the development of specific muscle groups. But, as they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Many without a sufficiently complete understanding of anatomy make errors when it comes to claims about exercise selection and variety for bodybuilding. So listen in on this episode as we talk through the history, science and culture of exercise variety for hypertrophy, as well as strength!

00:00 A duo episode without the LLM (Chat-GPT) Eric
03:26 Getting into the topic of variety – starting with the muscle confusion principle
15:03 Exercise variation and regional hypertrophy
Antonio 2000 Nonuniform Response of Skeletal Muscle to Heavy Resistance Training Can Bodybuilders Induce Regional Muscle Hypertrophy? journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2000/02000/Nonuniform_Response_of_Skeletal_Muscle_to_Heavy.18.aspx
21:39 The importance of understanding functional anatomy and discussing the evidence
Chillibeck 1998 A comparison of strength and muscle mass increases during resistance training in young women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9459538
Rauch 2020 Auto-Regulated Exercise Selection Training Regimen Produces Small Increases in Lean Body Mass and Maximal Strength Adaptations in Strength-trained Individuals pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29016481
Burke 2024 Exercise Selection Differentially Influences Lower Body Regional Muscle Development link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42978-024-00299-4
Kubo 2019 Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110
Brandão 2020 Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32149887
Kinoshita 2023 Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38156065
43:23 Shaping the content and some of the real-world application of these recommendations
50:28 The potential effect of the leg press on the calves and implementing exercise variation
1:00:23 Some final hypotheticals to close out this monster episode

Ep. 287- Do Advanced Lifters Need More Volume?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-08-12 | The Erics are back, and this time, they work through a mental model of how training volume, or rather, the training dose changes over time. With a rank novice, a single set to failure done once per week will typically produce continued adaptation, and they won’t plateau for 1-2 years! However, if you take an advanced strength athlete or bodybuilder, a single set to failure done once per week seems to not only be insufficient for measurable progress to occur, but is even lower than doses that result in small losses of muscle mass. So, it seems the that the minimum effective dose of training changes as one reaches higher levels of training status. But does this mean volume needs increase with training status? Not exactly, but that depends on how you define “needs.” There is an interaction of these concepts with the minimum detectable change we can notice, our goals, the timeline we wish to achieve them in, and also the slowing rate of progress that naturally occurs as one gets closer to their potential. Can the Erics reconcile these complexities into a defensible mental model of how the needed training dose changes over time? Tune in to find out!

00:00 Omar and Helms walked… so Trexler and Helms could run
02:13 Let’s talk about the topic
06:44 Training age vs status
15:04 Minimalistic level programs as a novice and an intermediate
Steele 2024 Long-Term Time-Course of Strength Adaptation to Minimal Dose Resistance Training Through Retrospective Longitudinal Growth Modeling pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35591809
Travis 2020 Preparing for a National Weightlifting Championship: A Case Series pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31373973
Androulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters 2021 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944
27:51 Eric’s personal example and scaling back once you are advanced
34:10 Talking about long muscle training again (to alter the stimulus)
Maeo 2021 Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944
Kassiano 2023 Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37015016
45:43 Perceived plateaus, the dose, and risks
57:58 Exploring different training dose concepts
Ogasawara 2011 Effects of periodic and continued resistance training on muscle CSA and strength in previously untrained men pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21771261
Ogasawara 2012 Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6-month of continuous and periodic strength training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23053130
1:10:13 Closing out and Trexler’s ideas for future Iron Culture episodes

Ep. 286- Is Hypertrophy Training a Waste of Time for Powerlifting

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-08-06 | The trio is back to discuss a classic Iron Culture topic: how much does increasing muscle mass contribute to strength? But, before we can answer how much, we must acknowledge that some in the scientific community doubt whether hypertrophy contributes to strength at all! What is the source of this skepticism and how do we resolve this debate? Tune in to learn not only how getting jacked impacts strength, but also the importance of study design, what is needed to make causal inferences, and how to make conclusions in the absence of ideal data.

00:00 Reviewing reviews (and adding a missing reference)
Cook 2019 Body Mass and Femur Length Are Inversely Related to Repetitions Performed in the Back Squat in Well-Trained Lifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30640306
MASS Research Reviews massresearchreview.com
16:29 End of the extended banter and into the topic (getting into some research design)
24:25 Breaking down the first study and correlated changes
Tromaras 2024 Lean Body Mass, Muscle Architecture and Powerlifting Performance during Preseason and in Competition pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38804455
Brechue 2002 The role of FFM accumulation and skeletal muscle architecture in powerlifting performance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11990746
Ye 2013 Relationship between lifting performance and skeletal muscle mass in elite powerlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23828289
Xu 2021 Measurement of visceral fat and abdominal obesity by single-frequency bioelectrical impedance and CT: a cross-sectional study pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34635516
Ferland 2023 Body Composition and Maximal Strength of Powerlifters: A Descriptive Quantitative and Longitudinal Study pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37637239
38:51 The responses to different lines of evidence
Bhasin Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11701431
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 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37029826
Wohlann Influence of 8-weeks of supervised static stretching or resistance training of pectoral major muscles on maximal strength, muscle thickness and range of motion pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38240811
53:10 A methodology shoutout to the sceptics
Buckner 2021 Do exercise-induced increases in muscle size contribute to strength in resistance-trained individuals? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33724646
1:02:06 Omar’s argument and closing out

Ep 285 - Are Most Omega-3 Supplements Misformulated? (Feat Ryan Anthony)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-07-30 | PhD candidate Ryan Anthony joins the Erics on Iron Culture to discuss the fishy business of Omega-3 supplementation. Ryan is in the final years of his PhD research at the University of Wollongong in Australia, investigating the role of omega-3 fatty acids for reducing muscle fatigue and soreness following exercise. His research has identified consistent methodological issues in many of the studies on the topic, which may explain why omega-3 data has become more mixed in recent years. In this episode you’ll learn exactly what omega-3 fatty acids are, how they function in the body, the difference between EPA and DHA and the relevance of their differences, if it is worth supplementing with omega-3s, and whether most supplements on the market are actually properly formulated to provide the potential positive impact sometimes observed in research.

00:00 It’s the tag team Eric duo with an introduction to fish oil supplementation
03:08 Introducing our guest Ryan, his research, and Omega-3s
11:57 Fish oil trials, biomarkers, and adverse outcomes
Harris 2017 The Omega-3 Index and relative risk for coronary heart disease mortality: Estimation from 10 cohort studies pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28511049
20:40 The methodologies employed in this area of research
Anthony 2021 The Influence of Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Eccentric Exercise-Induced Delayed Muscle Soreness: Reported Outcomes Are Compromised by Study Design Issues pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33477110
Anthony 2024 A review and evaluation of study design considerations for omega-3 fatty acid supplementation trials in physically trained participants pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36620998
33:40 The effects of Fish oil supplementation on various outcomes
44:35 The Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio, arachidonic acid and the inflammatory response
54:55 Clarifying some of the evidence and some practical considerations of supplementation
59:57 Ryan’s breaks down his research
1:09:55 Practical applications for strength and physique athletes
granttinsley.com/third-party-testing-dietary-supplements
1:15:25 Final words: TBIs and high Mercury, and closing out
researchgate.net/profile/Ryan-Anthony-2

Ep 284 - How to Keep Progressing in Powerlifting (feat. Walter Cariazo)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-07-23 | Walter Cariazo joins Omar and the Erics on Iron Culture to discuss his decade long journey in powerlifting. He’s won the 93kg National Championship twice and the 105kg National Championship once in Canada and has had the opportunity to represent Canada twice at the IPF World Championship, most recently in Lithuania in June. In this most recent competition he was a dark horse for the podium, as he placed 4th in the 105kg class, getting the opportunity to pull for the bronze medal position, which would have secured him a spot in the first World Games in 2025 to include the raw division. While this in and of itself is worth highlighting, most impressively, Walter has continually progressed in his decade in the sport, despite a busy, demanding work and life schedule. He is a full time medical radiation technologist, in addition to working as a videographer (you may have seen him on Omar’s YouTube channel) and photographer. The perennial life long lifter, Walter embodies the spirit of iron culture as a “blue collar powerlifter” who is optimizing his lifting pursuits within the constraints of life - approaching the pinnacle of the sport while doing so.

00:00 Introducing our guest (a true OG) and some LOTR quizzing
07:00 Walter’s story and his part in the rising standard in Powerlifting
19:52 The lifelong lifer
28:10 Walter’s numbers throughout the years
39:46 The second renaissance in 2024
45:31 The showdown with the deadlifts and some PRs
51:16 What’s next for Walter? Some Trex reminiscing and practical strategies for training
1:06:03 Twin Suns Media, doing the thing, and closing thoughts
Twin Suns Media @twinsuns.media Instagram instagram.com/twinsuns.media
Walter’s Instagram @dub.c_ instagram.com/dub.c_/?hl=en

Ep. 283 - Jared Maynard: Rebuilding Stronger

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-07-16 | 00:00 Not talking crap about our guest today as part of our Iron Culture apology tour
02:12 Introducing our guest Jared and his journey
10:40 The potential recurrence of HLH and Jared’s plan if it does
14:49 Treatment and testing modalities
21:52 The crucial role of lifting in Jared’s journey and the gradual process of recovery
32:13 Restoring activities of daily living
41:25 Jared’s mental challenges and stoicism
50:40 Getting back into training and competing a year later
1:02:08 Setting the example to motivate and the recalibration of perspective
1:12:11 Jared’s study of stoicism
1:15:35 Where to find Jared and what’s next for him
Instagram @jared.rebuild_stronger instagram.com/jared.rebuild_stronger
Rebuild Stronger Website rebuildstrongeronline.com

Ep. 282- Pain Dont Hurt Much (Pain Science Revisited)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-07-09 | ...

Ep 281-Is Saturated Fat Inherently Fattening?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-07-02 | ...

Ep. 280- Key Qualities of Good Coaches

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-06-25 | ...

Ep 279 Does Drinking Water Help Weight Loss?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-06-18 | One of the most common recommendations a personal trainer or dietitian might make to someone embarking on a weight loss journey, is to drink more water. It’s a basic behavioural recommendation, like going on walks, eating more fruit, vegetables and lean protein, adopting a consistent sleep schedule, and engaging in regular exercise; all solid recommendations. Being hydrated is certainly important for health, wellbeing and performance, but is there actually evidence that drinking water will aid weight loss? Tune into this deep dive by Dr Trexler as he breaks it down and explains why drinking more water is great advice, but probably not for the reasons you think.

00:00 Please send us your sugar-alcohol protein bars
08:29 A segue to the topic: some alternatives to sugar-alcohols and what do if you catch Trexler eating a bunch of protein bars
MASS Research Review massresearchreview.com
14:21 The throwaway line: drink water to lose weight
Chen 2024 Water Intake and Adiposity Outcomes among Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38612997
Khil 2024 Water intake and obesity: By amount, timing, and perceived temperature of drinking water pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38662725
35:07 Trexler’s biggest takeaways from the article
42:50 Tying it together with some Iron Culture lore
50:26 How much water do you actually need to drink?
Yamada 2022 Variation in human water turnover associated with environmental and lifestyle factors pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36423296
1:03:15 Meal pre-loading?
Parretti 2015 Efficacy of water preloading before main meals as a strategy for weight loss in primary care patients with obesity: RCT pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26237305
Van Walleghen 2007 Pre-meal water consumption reduces meal energy intake in older but not younger subjects pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17228036
1:07:38 Closing out

Ep. 278- Is Arched Bench Press Cheating?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-06-11 | Powerlifters use techniques to milk every last kilo out of their bench press, including wide grips, tightly wound wrist wraps, leg drive, and – the most hated technique in the comment section – an arched-back to reduce range of motion. Indeed, it can get so heated in the comments it likely even influenced an IPF rule change last year. But how many kilos does an arch really give you? How many bench pressers did this rule change impact, and was there really a need for the rule changes? Further, why do we apply a different standard for what is considered “cheating” to different lifts or athletic movements, like technical manipulation in high jump, or weightlifting? In this episode you’ll get the full complement of the Iron Culture themes: we discuss the current culture around the IPF rule change and contemporary perspectives on arched bench press, the history of the clean and press in Olympic weightlifting up to 1972 which has some very interesting parallels, and finally a recently published study which attempted to quantify how much an arch increases bench press 1RM.

00:00 Intro to an episode about when Powerlifting was Powerlifting
03:33 The good old IPF and their regulations
08:40 The bench press rule change
15:23 The motivating factor for the rule change
20:01 Trexler’s technique and thoughts on the rules
Barbend article: barbend.com/ipf-bench-press-rule-change-2023
26:22 The history of Olympic weightlifting and Powerlifting and the change in rules
38:39 The Fosbury flop and the perception of different movements and innovations
44:52 Athletes finding ways to maximise performances within rules
57:16 A recent study on arching in the bench press
Bartolomei 2024 Flat-Back vs. Arched-Back Bench Press: Examining the Different Techniques Performed by Power Athletes pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38551927
1:05:38 The nature of the fragile ego and the final point on the perspective of the spectator

Ep 277- Menstrual Cycle Training Roundtable (w/Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple & Dr. Kim SantaBarbara)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-06-04 | Fresh off of their successful doctoral defenses, Lauren and Kim join iron culture to discuss all things menstrual-cycle related for lifters! Dr. Helms had the pleasure of mentoring Kim, who recently completed her PhD at AUT, in which she surveyed and monitored the menstrual cycle symptoms of resistance-training women, and also led an intervention of mindfulness-based yoga to see the impact on menstrual cycle symptom severity. These findings are complemented by Lauren’s PhD research, recently completed at Stu Phillips lab at McMaster University, where she looked at muscle protein fractional responses to resistance training in women during different menstrual cycle phases. Covering both the applied and mechanistic side of the equation, this Roundtable discussion led by the Erics gives you the cutting edge low down on whether or not menstrual cycle phased based training is all that it’s hyped up to be.

00:00 Introduction to a streamlined operation without any delays
04:00 Our guests describe their research
MASS Research Review massresearchreview.com
MASS Office Hours youtube.com/channel/UCCFcHTO44O8d_P4-rlH5siw
15:26 Covering some background topics before jumping into the topic
Colenso-Semple 2023 Current evidence shows no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37033884
27:47 Menstrual-cycle based training
39:03 Do we need to control for the menstrual cycle in exercise science research?
45:30 Kim breaks down her PhD Research and a quick discussion on anovulatory cycles
1:02:14 What do women do when their menstrual cycle doesn’t align with their competition schedule? Ways of managing and alleviating symptoms
1:14:48 The Chasteberry (vitex agnus-castus) and a Trexler tangent for the future
1:20:32 Caution against fixating on the menstrual cycle and Lauren’s upcoming research outputs
1:25:03 Closing out on this topic and where to find our guests
Kim: @kimberlysantabarbara instagram.com/kimberlysantabarbara/?hl=en
Lauren: @laurencs1 instagram.com/laurencs1/?hl=en

Ep 276- Beyond Pain Science: When Injuries Don’t Resolve

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-05-28 | We’re back with another trio episode, and in this one, the hosts dig deeper into the Trex-lore. Eric Trexler has been training since his early youth, but only recently has he struggled with his fitness, health and even had to rethink who he is as a lifter, due to lingering pain. Pain and injury are complex and multifaceted, but the body is resilient and often heals itself with time. But what can you do when nothing seems to work? When you seemingly can’t change your circumstances the only thing left is to change your perspective. Join us in this episode as the hosts share these perspectives, with a collective experience of over 50 years under the bar.

00:00 A message from Helms before the episode
New Zealand Powerlifting Conference 2024 Registration sporty.co.nz/viewform/290475
02:32 Introduction to this episode by Eric, Eric, and Not Eric
11:05 A recap of Trexler’s journey through pain and injury
18:31 Helms’ injury battles
26:14 The sense of self during an injury
33:48 Trexler’s perspectives on life and lifting and the etiology of his injury
48:49 “Soft skills” for dealing with injuries and adversity to achieve your goals
55:15 LARPing with Helms: working towards goals and achievements
1:08:50 The value of lifting for health
1:17:47 Helms’ closing thoughts for this monster episode

Ep. 275- Biomechanics for Bodybuilding (ft. Kassem Hanson)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-05-20 | To complement the recent appearance of Dr. Wes Goodman, we now have the founder of N1 Education, Coach Kassem Hanson to join us on iron culture to discuss applied biomechanics and anatomy for bodybuilding. We discuss the limitations of research, what might be considered fundamental features of effective hypertrophy exercises, common mistakes and misunderstandings of applied anatomy, individual differences and more! Join us in this discussion of bodybuilding functional anatomy and learn how to take your, or your clients training that much closer to optimal.

00:00 The Erics introduce Kassem and the topic
Iron Culture Ep. 273- Biomechanics For Powerlifting youtube.com/watch?v=BB6_fIlx8EA
05:09 Why and how Kassem is ruining resistance training for the youth
10:43 Kassem’s background and what he does
19:00 What the technology is actually measuring and their limitations
27:13 Exercise selection principles
40:43 Working around structural limitations and injuries
47:27 Getting into the weeds of exercise selection for hypertrophy
1:00:08 The application of biomechanics research for training
1:06:30 Making the leg press more glute or quad focused
1:16:33 Considering and balancing different variables
1:25:12 An insight into an N1 study and a quick discussion on lengthened partials
1:32:32 The application of biomechanics principles and research
1:42:15 Closing out this conceptual discussion and where to find Kassem
Kassem
Instagram: @coach_kassem instagram.com/coach_kassem/?hl=en
N1 Education
Website: https://n1.education/
Instagram: @n1.education instagram.com/n1.education/?hl=en
N1 Training
Website: https://n1.training/
Instagram: @n1.training instagram.com/n1.training/?hl=en

Ep. 274- Do Hardgainers Need More Volume?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-05-14 | Since the beginning of the iron game, different methods have been promoted as the best approach to train for “hardgainers.” Likewise, in the scientific literature, the variability in individual response is well documented, including the identification of “non-responders” and poor responders to exercise. However, only recently have studies been undertaken to determine how to manipulate training to help poor responders to resistance training get better gains. So, is it true what they say? Does “hard work beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard”? And if so, what type of “hard work” needs to be done exactly?

00:00 Introduction to a duo episode with two of the best Erics in the fitness industry and the history of the "hardgainer”
09:48 “Non-responders” in the literature and measurement error
17:27 Individual vs group level responses
25:32 Challenging the idea of non-response to training
Montero 2017 Refuting the myth of non-response to exercise training: 'non-responders' do respond to higher dose of training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28133739
Lixandrão 2024 Higher resistance training volume offsets muscle hypertrophy nonresponsiveness in older individuals pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38174375
35:20 The narratives surrounding responses to training
40:52 Changes in training to break through plateaus and variability in repetition performance
Bellinger 2020 Muscle fiber typology is associated with the incidence of overreaching in response to overload training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32816636
1:04:55 A quick insight into some upcoming PhD research and closing out with an advertisement for MASS Office Hours
massresearchreview.com
youtube.com/watch?v=RTPlGKLOFok&list=PLq2Hpu55tCKbaklI9h4Z5-2kJYf5T3ren&index=36
Barbend Article: barbend.com/tom-platz-legs-massive-at-67

Ep. 273- Are Calf Raises A Squat Accessory?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-05-07 | Wes Goodman recently completed his PhD in Exercise and Nutrition Science with an emphasis in Biomechanics and Motor Control at Montana State University under Dr. David Graham with our very own Dr. Helms on his committee as well. But he’s more than an academic, he’s a certified strength and conditioning specialist, gym owner, power lifter, strong man and Highland Games competitor! He studied how musculoskeletal modelling can help us understand the nuances of how the body performs squats. In this episode you’ll learn about the theory and application of motor control to lifting, the limitations of common biomechanics studies, and how modelling helps us understand that muscles can influence joints they don’t actually cross, and to Omar’s dismay, that a calf raise might actually be a squat accessory exercise!

00:00 Addressing the controversy before introducing our guest Sooper Gforce
Iron Culture Ep 269- Are Social Media PhDs Ruining Fitness? (feat Dr. Milo Wolf, Max Coleman & Dr. Pak) youtube.com/watch?v=pgp9h5D0yqI
Enes 2024 Effects of Different Weekly Set Progressions on Muscular Adaptations in Trained Males: Is There a Dose-Response Effect? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37796222
04:37 Introducing Wes Goodman and what is biomechanics?
13:15 Necromechanics, what we can measure with biomechanics and its limitations
Iron Culture Ep. 163- All About EMG and Hypertrophy (ft. Andrew Vigotsky) youtube.com/watch?v=fIccFeOknew
28:45 The degrees of freedom problem and clarifying
37:00 The dominant theories on motor control and neuroscience
45:04 Motor learning strategies in lifting and the theoretical/philosophical perspective
58:45 Cuing in (power)lifting and the approaches to providing feedback as coach
1:06:53 Wes’ PhD research: the intricacies of muscle function within tasks
1:20:05 Modelling in science and furthering our understanding of squat biomechanics
1:24:55 Wes’ initial thoughts on his data regarding the calves
1:29:29 Closing out and where to find Wes
Website: likeironstrong.com
IG: @likeironstrong_wes instagram.com/likeironstrong_wes
ResearchGate researchgate.net/profile/William-Goodman-12

Ep. 272- Peaking After 20 Years of Powerlifting

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-04-30 | The man, the myth, the legend, Mike T is back! Fresh off a 900kg total, an 800lbs deadlift, and placing just off the podium at Powerlifting America National by bodyweight, Mike T is showing how much longevity can be had for the lifelong lifter, even at the highest level. We’ve only got a penlight in this pitch dark morphing cave, but that’s apparently all you need. Join us on this episode where we discuss mental maturity and growth as a lifter, Mike’s journey and his future plans in equipped lifting!

00:00 Introduction to a homecoming episode
Iron Culture Ep. 4- Periodization & Autoregulation Roundtable youtube.com/watch?v=RIVw1OxvZUA
07:15 Catching up on Mike T’s achievements and competing equipped
Iron Culture Ep. 46- Powerlifting: Raw vs Equipped Lifting (Ft. Calgary Barbell, Corvus Strength & RTS) youtube.com/watch?v=FG618RmkoPA
22:13 Keeping the spark for lifting and training
Lepper 1973 Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the "overjustification" hypothesis. https://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Motivation/Lepper_et_al_Undermining_Childrens_Intrinsic_Interest.pdf
Fishbach 2012 When thinking about goals undermines goal pursuit sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749597812000222
30:42 Mike T’s athletic arc
37:30 Facing and navigating adversity: injuries and load management
50:10 What has changed over time for Eric, especially with his injuries
01:04:18 The ‘hot streak’, sticking with it, and moving forward
01:19:15 We are all getting out of this cave together… or do we even need to get out?
1:25:44 The plan for Mike T the athlete and where to find him
Instagram: @miketuchscherer instagram.com/miketuchscherer
Threads: @miketuchscherer threads.net/@miketuchscherer
Reactive Training Systems Coaching pages.reactivetrainingsystems.com/coaching
RTS Lab pages.reactivetrainingsystems.com/rts-training-lab

Ep. 271- Powerlifting, Natural Bodybuilding & Science (Eric Trexlers Journey)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-04-22 | Trextopia, this is your episode. We peel back the layers of pro natural bodybuilder, exercise science researcher & co-host of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler.

Learn how he got into lifting, what low bar squatting 500lb ATG will do to your body & why there might be more controversy in Iron Culture’s near future. This might be the peak of Iron Culture but Trexler is no fan of peak weeks.

00:00 Introduction to an episode with Eric without the other Eric
03:06 An inside peak into Trexler’s day as a scientist (Trex lore)
09:42 Trexler’s foray into powerlifting
19:47 T-Nation and what informed Trexler’s training practices
27:12 Wrestling, lifting, and experimenting with training
36:02 Change of perspective: different approaches to training
42:44 The evolution of Trexler’s training and getting into science
48:37 “Optimisation” for bodybuilding and peaking (Helm’s hat cameo)
1:00:45 The pros and cons of different approaches
1:04:53 Diving into different research topics and the recent challenges in Trexler’s fitness journey
1:16:57 Growing and learning from the experiences (and the return of the T-Rex)
1:30:41 Closing out this monster episode

Ep 270 Scientific Retractions Aren’t Working

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-04-16 | We here at Iron Culture have been on a mission to better inform you, dear listener, as to the inner workings of science. From what goes on in the lab itself, to the publication process, to dissemination, to eventual meta analysis, the challenge of interpretation and communication of science, the optimistic promises of open science, and the increasing focus on replication, it’s been a hopefully eye-opening and overall encouraging discussion. However, while the scientific method is inherently self-correcting, the apparatus of science is far from perfect and there is a big problem with its principle tool of correcting the peer reviewed record: retraction. What leads to a paper being retracted? What is the process? How does it impact the literature? Most importantly, does it effectively change the understanding of the science in the community the studies are meant to serve? Join the Erics in this most recent episode as they break it all down!

00:00 Retraction in science and a recently retracted study on cold water immersion
Néma 2024 Impact of cold exposure on life satisfaction and physical composition of soldiers pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36599485
Iron Culture Ep. 267- Addressing Data Fraud in Nutrition Science youtube.com/watch?v=YZqQ0_pweTs
16:00 A peak behind the sport science curtain
25:19 The process of retraction and its flaws
Soria-Gila 2015 Effects of Variable Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-Analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25968227
Retraction Watch retractionwatch.com
41:15 Keeping up to date with retractions and critically appraising studies
Wakefield 1998 Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9500320
1:00:54 Wild claims from science communicators and their responsibility
1:11:09 Letter to the editor and the retraction process
Phillips 2017 Changes in body composition and performance with supplemental HMB-FA+ATP pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28301440
1:22:53 The open science movement and the dangers of unreliable findings
1:30:04 Moving forward: the effective science communicator and alternative publishing models
1:39:16 Closing out this intervention episode for Helms

Ep 269- Are Social Media PhDs Ruining Fitness? (feat Dr. Milo Wolf, Max Coleman & Dr. Pak)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-04-08 | Whitney Houston said it best: “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” Here at Iron Culture, we’re old, irrelevant and out of touch. But, we believe in platforming the next generation of educators to carry on the torch (or at least pandering so they’ll platform us in return when we can no longer pay the bills). In this Roundtable we’re joined by Dr Milo Wolf, Dr. Pak and first time guest Max Coleman, to discuss the challenges of growing a following using social media in 2024 as an evidence based content creator.
The game has changed what worked for us, won’t be as successful, and striking the right balance is not easy, and getting it wrong comes with lash back. Are we all just doing more harm than good? Join us as we discuss!

00:00 Ignoring our actual guests and introducing Jim Powers
05:06 Actually introducing the young pioneers and getting into the topic
13:22 Milo’s thoughts and using the hook of the title and the thumbnail
Iron Culture Ep. 268- Science Communication, Gatekeeping & The Fitness Industry youtube.com/watch?v=bOuoJoF5IDA
20:43 The rise of Eric’s visibility and gaining a foothold in social media fitness
28:52 Dr Pak’s perspective and how he shapes his content
36:28 Playing the social media game
49:18 Nuance, and (finally) getting Max Coleman’s viewpoint
1:00:54 Doing it for the fame, the saturation of the landscape, and finding yourself within it
1:10:24 Milo’s tips for new content creators (one weird trip to explode your social media presence)
1:22:05 Max’ favourite movies and some applications to takeaway
1:33:20 Closing out and where to find our guests (to increase their subscriber count by 2)
Milo youtube.com/@WolfCoaching, IG @wolfcoach_ , wolfcoaching.com
Dr Pak youtube.com/@Dr__Pak IG @dr__pak , drpak.com
Max IG @coleman.et.al

Ep. 268- Science Communication, Gatekeeping & The Fitness Industry

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-04-02 | Dr. Pak is back on Iron Culture for his third appearance! This time, he sat down with Omar and Dr. Helms for a meta-discussion on the challenges of science communication. How do you maintain credibility when you’re using social media as a science communication tool? This challenge has changed, but it isn’t new by any means. The “Sagan effect” describes the well-researched phenomenon by which the scientific community perceives other scientists who get more media exposure as less legitimate scientists - despite the fact that, on average, scientists more active in science communication typically publish slightly more often and with a higher impact than scientists less active in science communication. In modern times, however, the incentive structures are different and many instances of expert creep, “selling out” and pseudoscience have been propagated on social media by some academics or members of the medical community. In this episode we discuss the challenges of attempting to communicate science without being criticised for doing so, how this has and hasn’t changed over time, and the instances of gatekeeping which are ultimately counterproductive to increasing scientific literacy.

00:00 Introduction to Helms Haven/Deep
04:57 The Dr Pak Trilogy and The Grizzly at the Raskol booth at the Arnold
16:13 The Grizzly backstory
32:52 Pak’s experience with The Grizzly
42:43 The academic and the memer
52:18 The scientific community and public scientists
Martinez-Conde 2016 Has Contemporary Academia Outgrown the Carl Sagan Effect? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26888919
1:13:53 Getting the reps in within the science communication game and being critiqued
1:35:00 Academics and science communicators across social media platforms
1:42:35 The closing pieces to this monster episode
Where to find Dr. Pak
Instagram: @dr__pak instagram.com/dr__pak
YouTube: @Dr__Pak youtube.com/@Dr__Pak
Website: drpak.com

Ep. 267- Addressing Data Fraud in Nutrition Science

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-03-26 | The holy trinity is back and holy smokes do we have a Holy Ghost of an episode! First, to kick things off the crew discusses the recent “March madness” of powerlifting that just finished: IPF European Champs, the UK Arnold, and Powerlifting America Nationals. Some absolutely stunning performances occurred all over the world in powerlifting and it seems the rising tide of talent has no end. Then we get into the meat - or should I saw the bottomless soup - of the episode. While fraud in research is exceedingly rare, it does happen, and unfortunately, more common issues such as p-hacking are a far more prevalent issue. What is to be done in situations like this? One tool, as the Erics discuss, is replication.

00:00 An intro in unison (as always) and Trexler the bouncer
MASS Research Review massresearchreview.com
Raskol Apparel raskolapparel.com
10:20 Introducing more Trex lore
14:42 Powerlifting America Nationals, Arnold UK, and IPF European Champs recap
34:45 Trexler yawn-gate rears its head again and some numbers behind tzhe sport
54:37 Trexler’s return and getting into the science of replication
1:10:08 The bottomless soup bowl
Wansink 2005 Bottomless bowls: why visual cues of portion size may influence intake pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15761167
Lopez 2024 Visual cues and food intake: A preregistered replication of Wansink et al. (2005) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37917442
Vigotsky 2022 Improbable data patterns in the work of Barbalho et al. osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/sg3wm
George 2015 Data fraud in clinical trials pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25729561
1:19:41 What is a successful replication?
1:29:10 Closing out with a brief history of violence

Ep 266 Are Plant-based Proteins Actually Superior?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-03-19 | After their recent reconciliation, the Erics got together for this duo episode to bond over their mutual love of protein. But, dear listener, this might not be the home cooked high protein meal you were hoping for. Dr. Trexler tackles the question of whether or not, GASP, protein restriction might extend lifespan! Then, to add insult to injury, the Erics dig into the question of whether or not plant-based protein sources could be superior to animal sources for improving healthy aging! Along the way, you’ll also learn about the limitations of both epidemiological and mechanistic protein research, and how the two can complement each other to lead to more robust conclusions. So grab your pea protein shakes - or maybe your protein free placebo - and tune in for another monster episode of Iron Culture.

00:00 Introduction to another Eric duo episode and protein restriction?!
massresearchreview.com
12:10 Caloric restriction for longevity
Speakman 2007 Starving for life: what animal studies can and cannot tell us about the use of caloric restriction to prolong human lifespan pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17374682
24:23 Protein restriction for longevity
Speakman 2016 Calories or protein? The effect of dietary restriction on lifespan in rodents is explained by calories alone pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27006163
Korat 2024 Dietary protein intake in midlife in relation to healthy aging - results from the prospective Nurses' Health Study cohort pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38309825
36:49 Protein sources, healthy ageing, and methionine restriction
Richie 2023 Dietary Methionine and Total Sulfur Amino Acid Restriction in Healthy Adults pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36806866
44:30 Dosages to maximise outcomes
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 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222
Nunes 2022 Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864
57:52 Plant vs animal sources of protein and accompanying food
Zou 2020 mTOR signaling pathway and mTOR inhibitors in cancer: progress and challenges pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32175074
1:08:53 Planting the flag on this study
1:14:08 Nutrition science and study design discussion
1:24:23 Eat your vegetables and bringing back the third host next time

Ep. 265- Are Your Supplements Contaminated?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-03-12 | As you know, Iron Culture reps the neutral to positive gang around these parts. While most new supplements released to the market don’t pan out as effective, some do. So, if preliminary data supports the potential efficacy of a new supplement, why not try it out? The only potential downside of trying a new supplement is wasted money, right? Not so fast. In this episode the Erics duo explains why the typical supplement consumer is not accurately weighing the true potential cost of supplement investment. Unbelievably, some data indicates 10-30% of all supplements are contaminated - you heard that right. Could that be true? If so, why and how is this happening and what can you do about it? Join us to find out!

00:00 A successful intro
07:40 Supplements and the Helms algorithm for recommendations
massresearchreview.com
Trexler 2014 Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24571926
14:41 Breaking down Trexler’s supplement tier list
26:26 Why caffeine is not a Tier 1 supplement
Gardiner 2023 The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870101
35:33 Weighing up the pros and cons of supplements and issues in sports
Burke 2023 The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37432300
Lauritzen 2022 Dietary Supplements as a Major Cause of Anti-doping Rule Violations pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35399596
Geyer 2004 Analysis of non-hormonal nutritional supplements for anabolic-androgenic steroids - results of an international study pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14986195
Yun 2017 Monitoring of the amphetamine-like substances in dietary supplements by LC-PDA and LC-MS/MS pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30263651
Matthews 2018 Prohibited Contaminants in Dietary Supplements pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28850291
Jagim 2023 Prevalence of adulteration in dietary supplements and recommendations for safe supplement practices in sport pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37841887
Tucker 2018 Unapproved Pharmaceutical Ingredients Included in Dietary Supplements Associated With US Food and Drug Administration Warnings pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646238
1:05:37 How banned substances can negatively affect you and where to read the FREE cover story
strongerbyscience.com/new-supplement
1:13:33 The concept of 3rd party testing and licensing
examine.com
1:24:26 Final thoughts on the topic
1:32:17 Closing out this double Eric episode

Ep 264- Why the “52 Set Study” Doesn’t Matter

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-03-05 | Evidence based practice has unfortunately become a meme, and its meaning, role and utility are less understood than they were just a handful of years ago. In this episode we dive deep, discussing how to incorporate study findings into practice. If you don’t have the ability to gauge the impact of a study’s findings, how do you stay up to date? We answer critical questions like: How does the hierarchy of evidence operate in a field where many meta-analyses have errors? What is the role of mechanistic research compared to applied research, and when should you look to each to inform what you do in the trenches? At a time when many seem ready to simply throw in the towel on the evidence - despite it actually being of a higher quality, than it ever has been, we are here. We are going to bring you back from the brink, so you can make those sweet, sweet evidence based gains.

00:00 Revealing some of the mystery of the cult
massresearchreview.com
Iron Culture Ep. 263- Is Protein Timing Debunked? youtube.com/watch?v=9AyX9Uzek2U
08:41 Getting into it before the 10 minute mark
12:23 Actually kicking it off… The hierarchy of evidence and meta-analyses
Kadlec 2023 With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Common Errors in Meta-Analyses and Meta-Regressions in Strength & Conditioning Research pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36208412
32:44 So what actually is a meta-analysis? And which ones to read
42:57 Changes in paradigms
Schoenfeld 2017 Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797
Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645
Enes 2024 Effects of Different Weekly Set Progressions on Muscular Adaptations in Trained Males: Is There a Dose-Response Effect? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37796222
Damas 2016 Resistance training-induced changes in integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis are related to hypertrophy only after attenuation of muscle damage pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27219125
Robinson 2023 Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/295
57:17 Sources of information and the carrot of capitalism
1:09:19 The research chain and when it should be broken
1:26:26 What we do when we don’t get the study that we want
Smith 2003 Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14684649
1:41:32 The final thoughts and a teaser for next time

Ep. 263- Is Protein Timing Debunked?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-02-27 | It's time for a MONSTER episode about protein. Naturally, Helms has recused himself because of his heavy biases and conflicts of interest with the shadowy figures behind Big Protein. As a result, Trex and Omar take a trip down memory lane and discuss everything we used to know about protein, and how a surprising percentage of that knowledge has changed over the last decade or so of research.

It wouldn't be fair to say that everything you thought you knew about protein is wrong, but there's no question that evidence-based protein guidelines have been significantly impacted by some paradigm-shifting studies that have occurred in the last few years. In this episode, Trex and Omar discuss what these new studies have taught us about protein, and how we can put this new information into action.

00:00 Intro to another episode with controversy (Helms’ one week suspension from the cult)
9:51 Trex leading the charge on protein timing
23:12 The limitations and applications of mechanistic research
MASS Office Hours youtube.com/@MASSResearchReview
MASS Research Review massresearchreview.com
30:40 A short detour to muscle hypertrophy and the pump
35:17 Protein ingestion and the anabolic response: breaking down the latest study
Trommelen 2023 The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38118410
56:00 Has protein distribution and timing been debunked? The takeaways
Taguchi 2021 Increasing Meal Frequency in Isoenergetic Conditions Does Not Affect Body Composition Change and Appetite During Weight Gain in Japanese Athletes pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33361498
Yasuda 2020 Evenly Distributed Protein Intake over 3 Meals Augments Resistance Exercise-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy in Healthy Young Men pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32321161
1:04:49 Quantifying (un)certainty and applying caveats
1:14:53 Omar and Trex’s history with protein
1:25:52 Closing out another monster episode

Ep. 262- Sheffield 2024 Recap

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-02-19 | The trio is back on the heels of THE Sheffield 2024, the biggest powerlifting competition to date, which outdid its inaugural 2023 performance. Once again, the 12 best IPF unequipped women and men clashed in a cross-weight class competition ranked by their total as a percentage of their respective world record. This meet incentivises going BIG, rewarding cash prizes for both placing and breaking individual lift records, with over $500k USD up for grabs, boy did it deliver. The sold out crowd watched the first ever 300kg women’s squat in sleeves by Sonita Muluh, and Jesus Olivares break Ray Williams’ squat world record. Women’s champion Agata Sitko totalled an astonishing 600kg at 69kg, benching an incredible 152kg, annihilating the 69kg total record by 51kg alongside 10 additional women who totalled over the world record. Without question, powerlifting is on the rise, and there is a lot to discuss, so make sure to listen in!

00:00 A synchronised intro, reviewing reviews, and an Iron Culture goal
12:30 Moving onto Sheffield 2024: the rundown
22:00 Development in the sport of Powerlifting
29:03 The men’s side and the KoTL predictions
42:02 Trexler’s take and the limitations measuring the body composition of large individuals
Slater 2011 Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: sprinting, weightlifting, throwing events, and bodybuilding pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21660839
1:02:42 Segue back to Sheffield and some insider information
1:13:43 What Sheffield means for Powerlifting and a broad recap
1:17:39 Trexler addresses the nasty rumours and men’s physique before we close out
Iron Culture Ep. 33- Pain Science, Injury & Rehab youtube.com/watch?v=B-S8nThxpqY

Ep. 261- A Grand Unified Theory Of Metabolic Adaptation

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-02-13 | The nerd super duo is back at it again. This time, Dr. Trexler plays Sherlock and Dr. Helms plays Watson in a discussion of how overtraining syndrome, metabolic adaptation, relative energy deficiency in sport, exercise energy compensation, body fat regulation, and more, are both distinct from one another, yet are all also closely related. Surprisingly, it took a couple meat head bodybuilders to notice the shared characteristics and overlap between these separate concepts. That’s precisely because bodybuilders are crazy enough to go through a process that often results in their simultaneous occurrence! Listen in to find out what these concepts are, when they intersect as well as diverge, how you can identify which you or or your clients are experiencing, and what to do about it.

00:00 A (kind of) synced up intro and an appearance from Omar
02:04 A brainstorming session on metabolism
massresearchreview.com
Omar Isuf - Why You Shouldn’t Try To Be “Shredded” youtube.com/watch?v=GmlGt49Oi1I
strongerbyscience.com/stay-shredded
08:30 Low energy availability and the female athlete triad
Areta 2021 Low energy availability: history, definition and evidence of its endocrine, metabolic and physiological effects in prospective studies in females and males pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33095376
23:20 Energy availability and body fat
Loucks 2003 Energy availability, not body fatness, regulates reproductive function in women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12882481
29:15 Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and the drivers of metabolic adaptation
Burke 2023 Mapping the complexities of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs): development of a physiological model by a subgroup of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus on REDs pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37752007
Mountjoy 2023 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37752011
Hackney 2005 Testosterone and endurance exercise: development of the "exercise-hypogonadal male condition pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16268050
Hackney 2020 Hypogonadism in Exercising Males: Dysfunction or Adaptive-Regulatory Adjustment? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32082255
48:07 Overtraining syndrome
Stellingwerff 2021 Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): Shared Pathways, Symptoms and Complexities pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34181189
Iron Culture Ep. 149- Overreaching, Overtraining, and Insufficient Recovery: Everything You Need To Know youtube.com/watch?v=ZxohJX_F-XY
55:08 Energy constraint and compensation
Dolan 2023 Energy constraint and compensation: Insights from endurance athletes pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37557979
1:05:13 A practical spin: bringing all the information together
1:20:07 Closing out with a shoutout to our sponsor: The RED-S calorie-free food van

Ep. 260 - Does Powerlifting with a Rounded Back Cause Pain?

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-02-06 | 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 youtube.com/watch?v=xfAbKeiAuII
Iron Culture Ep. 147- What The Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About The Obesity Epidemic Pt 2 (ft. Spencer Nadolsky) 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) youtube.com/watch?v=B-S8nThxpqY
Pomarensky 2022 Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Through a Biopsychosocial Lens pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35439311
Kamper 2014 Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain 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 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 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19108735
Weyrauch 2015 Association between rotation-related impairments and activity type in people with and without low back pain pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25933914
Spence 2023 Range of Motion Predicts Performance in National-Level New Zealand Male Powerlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36515597
58:34 The end of the first power hour and Eric’s final thoughts

Ep. 259- Response Variation, Individualizing Training & Protein Consistency (MASSCast 6)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-01-30 | MASScast 6: Response Variation, Individualizing Training, and Protein Consistency (ft. Dr. Mike Zourdos and Dr. Eric Trexler

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 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!

00:00 Introduction
massresearchreview.com
MASS Office Hours: youtube.com/@MASSResearchReview
06:22 Response variation and individualizing training prescriptions.
Hubal 2005 Variability in muscle size and strength gain after unilateral resistance training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15947721
Klemp 2016 Volume-equated high- and low-repetition daily undulating programming strategies produce similar hypertrophy and strength adaptations pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27218448
Cooke 2019 Body Mass and Femur Length Are Inversely Related to Repetitions Performed in the Back Squat in Well-Trained Lifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30640306
Angleri 2017 Crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and changes on muscle architecture compared with traditional resistance training in well-trained men pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28130627
Enes 2023 Effects of Different Weekly Set Progressions on Muscular Adaptations in Trained Males: Is there a Dose-Response Effect? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37796222
Iron Culture Ep. 258- The Rise of Lifting Anti-Science youtube.com/watch?v=EJrR_0VNayw
26:29 Using movement screens to assess capability or injury risk
Moran 2017 Do Functional Movement Screen (FMS) composite scores predict subsequent injury? A systematic review with meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28360142
34:10 Doing a little bit of exercise on a “rest” day
39:04 Protein intake recommendations and consistency across the week.
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 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222
51:15 Rucking and the interference effect
57:26 Exercise variation and joint pain
1:06:03 Muscle and strength loss during deloads
Hwang 2017 Resistance Training–Induced Elevations in Muscular Strength in Trained Men Are Maintained After 2 Weeks of Detraining and Not Differentially Affected by Whey Protein Supplementation pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28328712
1:12:16 Volume cycling and “resensitization”
Staron 1991 Strength and skeletal muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1827108
Kadi 2004 The effects of heavy resistance training and detraining on satellite cells in human skeletal muscles pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15218062
Blazevich 2007 Influence of concentric and eccentric resistance training on architectural adaptation in human quadriceps muscles pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17717119
1:22:21 Effects of alcohol on metabolism and body composition.
1:27:13 Recommendations from Eric’s bookshelf
1:30:49 The pros and cons of caffeine
Marcus 2023 Acute Effects of Coffee Consumption on Health among Ambulatory Adults nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2204737
Marcus 2023 Coffee's effects on cardiac arrhythmias, physical activity, sleep and serum glucose: Insights from the Coffee and Real-time Atrial and Ventricular Ectopy trial pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37501286

Ep. 258- The Rise of Lifting Anti-Science

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-01-23 | 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) youtube.com/watch?v=8wKS3n_6TgY
1:48:47 It’s a personality thing… and the one hour vacation for Helms

Ep. 257- WNBF Pro World & Pro Natural Olympia 2023 Champion Beccy Pateman

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-01-16 | 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!

00:00 Dr Trexler… Dr Helms…
05:22 Introducing Beccy
14:54 The timeline of Beccy’s journey
20:48 A recap of Beccy’s season
31:22 Testing for Natural Bodybuilding: urinalysis and polygraph testing
38:28 Winning her pro card at WNBF Australia and competing at The Natural Olympia
43:18 Competing in two divisions and working with Joey Cantlin
48:45 Beccy’s WNBF Pro debut and potential for the bodybuilding division
59:38 The recovery and what helped Beccy have such a successful season
1:11:50 Transitioning from recovery to off-season
1:14:50 Final words and where to find Beccy
Instagram @beccypateman instagram.com/beccypateman
Unrivalledphysiques Coaching
Instagram @unrivalledphysiques instagram.com/unrivalledphysiques
Website unrivalledphysiques.wixsite.com/onlinecoaching

Ep. 256- The Challenge of Science Communication (ft. Layne Norton)

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-01-09 | 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!

00:00 Iron Culture… Layne… (Norton)
06:18 Layne’s philosophy for disseminating science and who to listen to
23:10 Competing with non-evidence-based personalities and effective marketing
42:59 Differing approaches and target audiences
47:12 Layne’s approach to science communication
57:26 Addressing false claims and teaching other how to interpret social media claims
1:13:54 The unicorn fallacy and what science communicators can do
1:20:07 What is next for Layne the athlete and where can we find him?
biolayne.com
YouTube youtube.com/channel/UCqMBA83S0TnfTlTeE5j1mgQ
Instagram @biolayne instagram.com/biolayne/?hl=en
Twitter/X @BioLayne twitter.com/BioLayne?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Ep. 255 - WNBF World, Yorton Cup & Ms. America 2023 Champion Natalie Hays

Iron Culture Podcast 2024-01-02 | 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 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 instagram.com/nph_fit
YouTube youtube.com/@nataliehays5037

Ep. 254- Do Fat Burners Actually Work!?

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-12-26 | 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 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 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 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 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 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 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22038945

Ep. 253- 2023 Lightweight WNBF Pro World Champion Dirk Emmerich

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-12-19 | 00:00 Eric… Trexler… Helms? And introducing Dirk
05:13 What got Dirk into lifting
11:20 The art of bodybuilding
16:48 Dirk’s natural talent
20:30 Dirk’s calories and individual variation
32:27 The next steps for Dirk and his relationship with Berto
39:16 Dirk’s experience of Worlds and success
45:33 What does competitive bodybuilding mean to Dirk?
53:23 DASGYM and the ANBF
57:00 Rivalry and camaraderie with Benjamin Schuster
1:04:29 The final words and where to find Dirk
Instagram @dirkemmerich_ instagram.com/dirkemmerich_/?hl=en
https://linktr.ee/dirkemmerich

Ep. 252- The First Bodybuilding Show

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-12-11 | [Special Thanks To Barbell Films]
youtube.com/@BarbellFilms

instagram.com/barbellfilms

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 film maker, 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!

00:00 It happened again… Where is Trexler? And the hierarchy of the Iron Culture Obelisk
8:58 Reviewing reviews
13:01 Introducing Marcus to the Iron Culture Pantheon
youtube.com/watch?v=Ha80AQqXpT4
17:38 Marcus’ introduction to physical culture and why he does what he does
23:01 The great competition and its grand scale
41:16 The logistical barriers and generating interest
55:05 What happened on show day and the prizes
1:04:52 The dress code (black tights!?), judging criteria, and the winners
1:12:00 A festival of physical culture and what came after
1:20:22 The impact of the great competition
1:37:09 The personal stories spanning generations: the starting point of physical culture
1:43:43 The value this great documentary brings
1:47:44 Jumping to the top of the pyramid (that matters) and what’s next for Marcus
Where to find our guests
Instagram @barbellfilms instagram.com/barbellfilms
YouTube youtube.com/@BarbellFilms
physicalculturestudy.com
ironhistory.com

Ep. 251 - Making Gains as an Advanced Lifter

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-12-05 | 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 on 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!

00:00 They tried to stop us… Introducing another monster episode
6:23 Speaking of working… the natural limit and advanced hypertrophy
14:26 The definitions of being an advanced lifter
Kouri 1995 Fat-free mass index in users and nonusers of anabolic-androgenic steroids pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7496846
Abe 2018 Skeletal Muscle Mass and Architecture of the World’s Strongest Raw Powerlifter: A Case Study brieflands.com/articles/asjsm-61763
28:55 Measuring and tracking your progress Straddling the line
35:35 Your limitations and how an advanced competitive bodybuilder may approach their training
Believe 2024 - Forging the Unlikely Pro Champion: Episode 1, Physique Assessment youtube.com/watch?v=B_S9u1suE70
49:25 Gaining weight for non-competitors
Helms 2023 Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness in Resistance-Trained Individuals: A Parallel Groups Design pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37914977
Rozenek 2002 Effects of high-calorie supplements on body composition and muscular strength following resistance training pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12094125
1:05:15 Specialisation cycles and bringing up weak parts
1:14:26 The quasi-transactional mindset and the motivation behind it all
1:25:08 Where can we find Eric?
3dmusclejourney.com
massresearchreview.com
Instagram @helms3dmj instagram.com/helms3dmj

Ep. 250-WNBF Worlds, Pathological Bodybuilding, Muscle Loss

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-11-28 | 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 18-19th, where he participated as both a coach and athlete. Then, Dr. Trexler and he cover a couple 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?

00:00 Eric… the WNBF World’s format and Helms’ experience
13:26 Dirk Emmerich background and recap
20:28 One of the quirks of natural bodybuilding
25:17 Recap continued
33:07 The top 5 in the overall
35:13 The female competitors
43:03 Trexler’s return to the stage?
Natty News Daily @natty_news_daily instagram.com/natty_news_daily
46:29 What’s next for Helms and some
MASS Research Review massresearchreview.com
MASS Office Hours Episode 11 (The Science of Muscle Growth w/ Dr. Brad Schoenfeld) youtube.com/watch?v=NQda3aV0f7Q
Raskol Apparel raskolapparel.com
59:30 Getting into some bodybuilding science
59:52 (When the Eric’s actually start) Getting into some Science
Willmott 2023 The perfect storm: a meta-ethnography of the motivations, behaviours, and experiences of competitive bodybuilders tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2023.2263851?src=
1:07:09 The framework of those who compete
1:23:40 The importance of this research and its limitations
1:32:45 A brief look at muscle loss during weight loss
Heymsfield 2024 Proportion of caloric restriction-induced weight loss as skeletal muscle pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37807154
Barakat 2020 Body Recomposition: Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time? journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2020/10000/body_recomposition__can_trained_individuals_build.3.aspx
1:49:33 Applying this research and the importance of resistance training
1:57:30 Closing out with one final MASS advertisement

Ep. 249- The Spirit of Bodybuilding (ft. Dr. Mike Israetel)

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-11-21 | 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 is 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 lies many similar threads. Join us in this episode as they discuss the spirit of bodybuilding.

00:00 An introduction to a unifying (but still controversial) episode
08:09 The purpose of discussing your personal journey
Iron Culture Ep. 247- A Tale of Two Bodybuilders youtube.com/watch?v=mT-LlFYp_dA
21:21 The start of Mike’s bodybuilding journey and when he plans to stop competing
34:45 Having the right genetics and (the potential for) turning pro
51:02 The spiritual component of bodybuilding (Mike)
1:02:39 The spiritual component of bodybuilding (Eric) and the difference between amateurs and pros
1:11:43 Working through hard times and growing from criticism
1:31:05 Androgens and what’s to come for Mike in the sport
1:39:24 The minutiae of the Iron game
Omar Isuf Why Mike Israetel Is WRONG About The Overhead Press youtube.com/watch?v=XondhZNAE74
Omar Isuf Is Powerbuilding An Abomination? (ft. Jeff Nippard & Dr. Pak) youtube.com/watch?v=7eYnh0Aw4_c
1:46:46 Closing out with what Iron Culture means

Ep 248 Does Leucine Actually Matter?

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-11-13 | 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 youtube.com/watch?v=YeEAH9X-cV0
MASS Research Review 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 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 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

Ep. 247- A Tale of Two Bodybuilders

Iron Culture Podcast 2023-11-06 | 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 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.

00:00 The Erics’ introduction to bodybuilding and their newbie gains
07:22 Choosing the natural route and closing the door on prohormones and steroids
20:17 Trexler’s motivation to compete
27:57 Helms’ experience with sports and getting bitten by the iron bug
37:31 Helms’ initial obsession with bodybuilding and the turning point
46:09 Helms’ academic journey
Kalm 2005 They starved so that others be better fed: remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota experiment pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15930436
59:35 The art, culture, and community of natural bodybuilding
Kind 2023 Is bodybuilding a sport? tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00948705.2023.2234978
1:07:53 The voice of insecurity and believing what is actually possible
1:18:49 What’s next for both Erics
1:30:47 Closing out the episode with some imagery