Iron Culture
296 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 666 ratingsIron Culture was started by Eric Helms and Omar Isuf as a means of exploring the world of physical culture and attempting to distill a unified philosophy of lifting and to help listeners find greater meaning from the iron. The lifting community has become fractured over the last ~70 years and this Podcast will attempt to explore the fundamental threads that unite these different tribes. The Podcast focuses on dispensing practical, useful information to the listener, bouncing from history, to philosophy, to contemporary lifting culture issues, to science. This can range from teaching the audience about lifting, programming, nutrition, supplements/PEDs and the history of lifting culture. The format includes casual conversations between the two hosts on a variety of topics, discussions with a panel of experts and interviews with authoritative figures in the lifting community.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Ep. 268 - Science Communication, Gatekeeping & The Fitness Industry (feat Dr. Pak)
April 01, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 211 MBDr. 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 sc...
Ep. 267 - Addressing Data Fraud in Nutrition Science
March 25, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 173 MBThe 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 say the bottomless soup - of the episode. While fraud in resear...
Ep. 266 - Are Plant-based Proteins Actually Superior?
March 18, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 158 MBAfter 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 hoped 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 wa...
Ep. 265 - Are Your Supplements Contaminated?
March 11, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 170 MBAs 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 ...
Ep. 264 - Why the “52 Set Study” Doesn’t Matter
March 04, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 208 MBEvidence-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 me...
Ep. 263 - Is Protein Timing Debunked?
February 26, 2024 18:29 - 1 hour - 159 MBIt'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'...
Ep. 262 - Sheffield 2024 Recap
February 19, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 156 MBThe 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 incentivizes 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...
Ep. 261 - A Unified Theory of Metabolic Adaptation?
February 12, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 150 MBThe 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 be...
Ep. 260 - Does Powerlifting with a Rounded Back Cause Pain?
February 05, 2024 03:26 - 1 hour - 116 MBIn 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...
Ep. 259 - MASScast 6: Response Variation, Individualizing Training, and Protein Consistency (ft. Dr. Mike Zourdos and Dr. Eric Trexler
January 29, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 73 MBYou’ve seen Iron Culture MASScasts before, but none quite like this. In this very special episode of Iron Culture, we’re co-publishing the most recent episode of MASS Office Hours, which is a live podcast run by the good people over at the MASS Research Review (Dr. Eric Trexler, Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Mike Zourdos, and soon-to-be-doctor Lauren Colenso-Semple). The MASS crew does this live (and totally free) Q&A every Wednesday night on YouTube. They also offer episodes to all major podcas...
Ep. 258 - The Rise of Lifting Antiscience
January 22, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 213 MBThe 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 eve...
Ep. 257 - WNBF Pro World & Pro Natural Olympia 2023 Champion Beccy Pateman
January 15, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 145 MBIn 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 s...
Ep. 256 - The Challenge of Science Communication (feat Layne Norton)
January 08, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 162 MBLayne 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...
Ep. 255 - WNBF World, Yorton Cup & Ms. America 2023 Champion Natalie Hays
January 01, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 207 MBNatalie 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 unpre...
Ep. 254 - Do Fat Burners Actually Work?
December 25, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBHappy 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...
Ep. 253 - 2023 Lightweight WNBF Pro World Champion Dirk Emmerich
December 18, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 129 MBWe are joined today by pro natural bodybuilding world champion Dirk Emmerich. Dirk is one of the many emerging stars of the newest era of competitive natural bodybuilding. In 2021, in his very first bodybuilding season, he made history. He won his WNBF pro card in the most impressive way possible, by not only winning his class at WNBF Worlds but then - as a bantamweight - he won the WNBF world overall amateur bodybuilding title, the first bantamweight ever in the then 32-year history of WNBF...
Ep. 252 - The First Bodybuilding Show (with Marcus Kment & Dr. Conor Heffernan)
December 11, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 206 MBThe 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 ...
Ep. 251 - Making Gains as an Advanced Lifter
December 04, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 163 MBWe’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...
Ep. 250 - WNBF Worlds, Pathological Bodybuilding, Muscle Loss
November 27, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 219 MBThe good Doctors Eric are still figuring out how to start episodes without Omar, and let’s just say it’s off to a rough start. But to their credit, they went on to deliver a monster episode even if Omar wasn’t there to officially dub it so. In this conversation, Dr. Helms recaps the amazing battles and historic performances that took place at WNBF Worlds on Nov 18-19, where he participated as both a coach and athlete. Then, Dr. Trexler and he cover a couple of relevant and interesting resear...
Ep. 249 - The Spirit of Bodybuilding (with Dr. Mike Israetel)
November 20, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 204 MBIt’s hard to explain to those who haven’t competed what it is about bodybuilding that can grip people and transform them. The near-spiritual experiences that some physique athletes gain through prep and competition are something shared regardless of division, federation, natural, or enhanced. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mike Israetel, not to talk sports science like you're used to, but to talk about what lies at the heart of the sport. Mike has been pushing forward through multiple...
Ep. 248 - Does Leucine Actually Matter?
November 13, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 116 MBLeucine 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 t...
Ep. 247 - A Tale of Two Bodybuilders
November 06, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 170 MBThis 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 scien...
Ep. 246 - Why BULKING is NOT the Answer
October 30, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 125 MB“Gotta eat big to get big brother!” “It’s the off-season man, I’m on that SEE-food diet, heheh ya feel me?!!” It’s been like this for decades in the muscle building world, and there’s a ton of anecdotes that you gotta eat enough to grow. Certainly, we can’t build muscle out of thin air. But given the modern understanding that body recomposition - at least in novice and early stage intermediate lifters who aren’t too lean - is actually quite normal, how much do you really have to eat? In this...
Ep. 245 - Is BMI Useless?
October 23, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 158 MBIt’s Eric-ception folks. Today, we put to bed two controversies. Not only the controversy as to whether or not Eric Trexler is vat-grown, as he seems to have at least SOME pop-culture knowledge, but also the controversy of whether or not Eric Trexler and Eric Helms are actually the same person. The last two episodes renewed this conspiracy theory due to the occurrence of the “new” host Eric Trexler being on the last two episodes, while Eric Helms conveniently could not be on at the same time...
Ep. 244 - Does Your Body Composition Affect Your Testosterone Levels? (ft. Eric Trexler)
October 16, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 189 MBThe new co-host of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler, is back with another (monster) episode. In this episode we take a look at everyone's favorite hormone, testosterone. Specially, Dr. Trexler examines the role of maconutrient changes on testosterone levels. How does fat & carbohydrate intake impact a person's testosterone? We also explore body composition differences and how this can have an even larger impact on one's testosterone. Lastly after sharing the not so pleasant realities of dieti...
Ep. 243 - Exercise Energy Compensation: It's Not JUST About Calories (ft. Eric Trexler)
October 09, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 192 MBThis is a monster episode. Newly added co-host Eric Trexler details his impressive credentials, groundbreaking new line of research and perhaps most importantly, the best way to effectively execute a single leg take-down on an unsuspecting person. His new appointment at Duke University will be looking in part at the topic of today, exercise energy compensation. It turns out that calories in, calories out is a little more complicated than most would assume. Made famous by Dr. Herman Pontze...
Ep 242 - The NEW Powerlifting King (feat Austin Perkins)
October 02, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 204 MBFresh off his historic performance at USAPL Mega Nationals 2023, Austin Perkins joins Iron Culture to share his story of how in just two short years he exceeded Taylor Atwood’s 2021 record performance which many thought would stand for years to come. Austin Perkins totalled 851kg in the under 75kg raw men’s division, totalling more than the 82.5kg winner, and importantly 12.5kg more than Taylor Atwood’s 2021 record of 838.5kg, which importantly, resulted in Taylor beating Austin by 68.5kg. W...
Ep. 241 - The End of Iron Culture (As You Know It)
September 25, 2023 14:11 - 1 hour - 143 MBIt’s been a while since the duo atop the pyramid just sat down for a good one-on-one chat, as we’ve had awesome guests on for the past 6 episodes. But what did we talk about as the two of us sat atop the pyramid? Believe it or not, ending our relationship as Eve known it, by bringing a third host on top of the pyramid with us…and not atop the adjacent obelisk, and not on the one step below us, but on top, as part of an iron thrupple. Tune in to learn about this monumental change in our relat...
Ep. 240 - What Does it Mean to be an Evidence-based Coach? (feat Cliff Wilson)
September 18, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 150 MBThe Iron Culture alumni tour continues with the four year anniversary of the last appearance of Cliff Wilson, who returns to Iron Culture after another four years in the trenches to share his perspectives on coaching. Simply put, Cliff probably has the most impressive coaching resume of any physique coach in the game. Most interestingly, he sees himself as an evidence-based coach. But that’s not necessarily a win for #science, if anything, it’s a wake up call for people to have a better unde...
Ep. 239 - All About Body Composition & Body Fat (feat. Dr. Grant Tinsley)
September 11, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 175 MBThe duo’s recent pilgrimage to Texas ended with a trip to the state-of-the-art Texas Tech University body composition lab led by Dr. Grant Tinsley. Eric and Omar went through a battery of body composition assessments and had their RMR tested there, and Eric’s second epic duel with the Bod Pod went down. This duel resulted in only partial redemption for Eric, and we also learned just how “headstrong” Omar truly is. In this episode Grant joins Iron Culture to discuss the findings of the trip a...
Ep. 238 - Do Steroids Give a Permanent Advantage? (feat Dr. Alex Kolliari-Turner)
September 04, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 143 MBIt’s the four-year anniversary of the last appearance of then MR. Alex Kolliari-Turner, now DR. Alex Kolliari-Turner, who returns to Iron Culture to share the results of his now-completed Ph.D. research on the long-term performance-enhancing effects of anabolic steroids (if any). A lot has changed in this burgeoning area of research, as it hinges on a theory of muscle physiology: myonuclear domain theory. Our understanding of the mechanisms of “muscle memory” leads to the possibility of anab...
Ep. 237 - What is the Dietary Fat Minimum Intake? (MASScast 7 ft. Dr. Eric Trexler)
August 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 149 MBThe MASScast Iron Culture episodes are back! Today Dr. Eric Trexler joins us to answer the murky question: “What is an evidence-based guideline for a minimum dietary fat intake?” It’s easy to find guidelines and minimums for various circumstances and goals for protein, and while there is some debate, the same could be said for carbohydrate. However, a minimum intake for fat has been elusive. Fortunately, Dr. Trexler has been thinking deeply about this topic and wrote an extensive article on ...
Ep. 236 - Muscle Fiber Types & Training Explained (feat Andy Galpin)
August 21, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 208 MBDr. Andy Galpin, world leading muscle fiber researcher, is back on Iron Culture! Dr. Galpin is not only a researcher, but a sports scientist and coach working with some of the most prominent elite athletes in the world, and an excellent science communicator. So, it was a privilege to have him on to talk Muscle fiber typing; because everyone talks about it, but very few people get it right when they do. Should you train differently if you’re predominantly a fast or slow twitch lifter? Can slo...
Ep. 235 - The Bikini Division - The Good, Bad, & Ugly (feat Laurin Conlin)
August 14, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 176 MBLaurin Conlin is back on Iron Culture after a long hiatus! For those who missed her first appearance, Laurin Conlin, MS is a coach and high-level competitor, having competed as an IFBB Pro Bikini athlete from 2014-2018. She recently visited Eric before they flew to Melbourne to present at the annual Ultimate Evidence Based Conference at JPS Health & Fitness. In her and Eric’s conversations in and around the event, they discussed “the competitor trap”; the unique atmosphere and culture in the...
Ep. 234 - The Ronnie Recap (feat. Conor Heffernan)
August 07, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 168 MBLast week we dropped the bombshell that we were going to have the opportunity to interview icon and 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, this week, we recap how it went. This episode was recorded while we were still in Texas, after returning to Austin following our road trip to the original Metroflex in Arlington. We not only got to interview Ronnie while there but also Brian Dobson, the founder of Metroflex and the man who shepherded Ronnie into competitive bodybuilding. The story of Metroflex an...
Ep. 233 - The Road to Ronnie (feat. Conor Heffernan)
July 31, 2023 18:34 - 51 minutes - 95 MBYup, it’s confirmed. We’re going to interview living legend, 8-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman at the one and only Metroflex in Arlington Texas, in person, along with its founder Brian Dobson, and long-time training partner of The King, Big J. This is huge news and a big part of our Iron Culture documentary filming in Texas. Eric, Omar, and Conor recorded this episode just days before heading to Metroflex after confirmation of the interview. They discuss the cultural and historical impact of...
Ep. 232 - Iron Culture Documentary Update
July 24, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 20.6 MBWith both hosts traveling to Texas, this is one of the rare weeks in which you get only Eric. Even more tragic (or perhaps a relief), you only get him for 10 minutes. But, it’s an exciting 10 minutes as you’ll learn exactly why the duo is headed to Texas: to from the holy hunk trinity by meeting up with Dr. Conor Heffernan for the second filming location of the Iron Culture Documentary. We’ll be there with cameraman and audio editor extraordinaire Brandon Wells, to do it live. Where exactly ...
Ep. 231 - Keeping Strength While Cutting & Fiber-type Specific Hypertrophy (MASScast 6)
July 17, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 190 MBIn this MASScast episode Dr. Helms shares his recent experience cutting down to and competing in the 83kg category - a weight class lower than his typical - in the midst of his bodybuilding contest prep, and how he maintained the vast majority of strength from the start to the finish of this process. Then, he does a deep dive on the topic of muscle fiber-type specific hypertrophy, with a focus on a new systematic review that asked the question of whether blood flow restriction training can c...
Ep. 230 - The Biggest Powerlifting Comeback of 2023 (feat Pana)?
July 10, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 174 MBWe are joined by Panagiotis “Pana” Tarinidis, the now two-time 66kg IPF unequipped World Champion fresh off his win at the 2023 world championships in Malta. His story is one of redemption, as despite winning Worlds in 2021, he placed 5th at Worlds last year, and bombed out of the European Championship in November. But more importantly, we learn what fuels Pana, his connection with his father, what this win meant to him and his family, and how important community is for a growing sport like ...
Ep. 229 - Is Failure More Important Than Volume For Hypertrophy (MASScast 4 ft. Dr. Zourdos & Zac Robinson)
July 03, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 188 MBIn this MASScast episode, we’re joined not only by MASScast fellow host Dr. Mike Zourdos but also Ph.D. candidate Zac Robinson of Data Driven Strength, both of whom are co-authors on a pre-print that is making a lot of waves in the evidence-based community. Their series of meta-regressions has shown that perhaps the impact of failure is more substantial than previously believed, at least for hypertrophy. But is it that simple? Also, is this paper a “game changer” when it comes to the underst...
Ep. 228 - The State of Powerlifting (IPF Worlds 2023)
June 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBWith Eric freshly back from coaching and commentating (how dare he) at IPF Classic Worlds 2023 - the largest, most competitive worlds to date - it only makes sense for a recap and discussion regarding the state of powerlifting. How have things changed after the recent Sheffield? Are the champions of today different than the champions of the past? How are things like judging changing with the advent of video replay, and how has the growth of powerlifting impacted the sport? With live-streamin...
Ep. 227 - Is Formal Education Worth it? (MASScast 3 ft. Lauren Colenso-Semple)
June 19, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 195 MBLet’s face it, going to school isn’t cheap. Moreso, you can learn almost anything online that you can learn in school. So is it worth it? How about for personal trainers? If it is worth it, for who and when? We’re joined on MASScast 3 by Lauren Colenso-Semple who is nearly finished with her PhD. Not only does she share her valuable perspective, but she also reviews some interesting new research on women’s rugby coaches, many of whom - despite holding a bachelor's or master's degree - don’t s...
Ep. 226 - How Strong Do You Need To Be, Really? (Feat Dr Pak)
June 12, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 114 MBPatroklos Androulakis-Korakakis, AKA “Dr. Pak”, is back! In this episode we caught up with Dr. Pak while he was visiting Omar’s home turf in Toronto! There they trained together, and after a crappy training session where they failed PR attempts, they decided to have a completely unrelated episode on why strength is overrated. No, but seriously folks, this is a great discussion of specificity and transfer of strength. We discuss research that suggests maybe going from a 300lbs to a 400 or 500...
Ep. 225 - Be Stronger NOW: Top Sets & Avoiding Stress & Social Media (MASScast 2 ft. Mike Zourdos)
June 05, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 189 MBWe’re back with MASScast episode 2 and we’re joined by Dr. Mike Zourdos to discuss several things which can impact your strength performance right now. In this episode we discuss the effect of mental stress on lifting performance, the effect of social media use on lifting performance, and post-activation potentiation, which is a tool where you can potentiate your back off sets’ performance with a heavy top set. What constitutes mental stress? How do you minimise the negative effects of menta...
Ep. 224 - The Return of HIT (high intensity training)
May 29, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 167 MBHere at Iron Culture we’re overjoyed any time the legends of the game are remembered in the current age, and Mike Mentzer, one of the best-built proponents of HIT (High Intensity Training) - low volume, low frequency training to failure - is making a modern resurgence. Is it because he had a top tier golden age physique? Is it the appeal to hard work and masochism that we bodybuilders are always ready to eat up? Or is it the recent research in pre-print status that indicates going to failure...
Ep. 223 - Dietary Fat, Metabolic Rates & Low Carb Diets (MASScast 1 ft. Eric Trexler)
May 22, 2023 19:25 - 1 hour - 178 MBWe have an exciting announcement at Iron Culture, we are combining forces with MASS, Monthly Applications in Strength Sport to bring you regular “MASScast” episodes where we will be joined by one or more of the expert MASS reviewers to talk science. In this inaugural MASScast episode we’re joined by Dr. Eric Trexler to discuss surprising recent data that suggests basal metabolic rates have been decreasing at the population level over recent decades. Is this true? And if so, what’s causing it...
Ep. 222 - Partials for Hypertrophy: A Formerly Fringe Idea
May 15, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 188 MBIn this episode, we discuss two topics, when and how to address fringe topics in the fitness space and the growing data in support of long muscle length partials for hypertrophy. In the former discussion, we discuss how science communicators are often in a difficult position when addressing such fringe ideas. When these beliefs are believed by small segments of the population - especially if they are potentially harmful - simply addressing them can potentially give them more legitimacy if no...
Ep. 221 - The World’s Strongest Man (feat Mitchell Hooper)
May 08, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 112 MBIn this episode, we’re joined by Mitchell Hooper fresh off his 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) win. In addition to winning the 2023 WSM, he also won the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. He is among only four competitors to have won these two titles in the same year, and he is the youngest ever to do so, now sitting among living legends Brian Shaw, Žydrūnas Savickas, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. In our conversation we discuss how Mitchell seemingly burst onto the scene out of nowhere, what it’...
Ep. 220 - The Lifting Stones of Ireland (feat David Keohan)
May 01, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 130 MBYou’ve probably heard of the famous, ancient lifting stones in Iceland and Scotland, some of which are even replicated and used in strongman competitions. But did you know that over 20 stones (and still counting) have been uncovered just in the last few years in Ireland, many of them heavier than the stones in Iceland and Scotland, by primarily one man? That man, Kettlebell Sport World Champion and amateur historian David Keohan (affectionately called “Indiana Stones”) joins us in this episo...
Ep. 219 - Being a Good Coach - It’s not About You
April 24, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 176 MBCoaches in the evidence-based community are often up to date with the latest in periodization and sports nutrition, but many are not even aware that there is a tremendous amount of research on coaching itself. What makes a good coach? Hint: it’s not simply being up to date with science, as that would mean that every coach prior to the modern era is a bad coach. So, what is it to be a good coach? As the title implies, it’s not about you, it’s about being athlete-centered. But what does that m...