Iron Culture
307 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 682 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.
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Episodes
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...
Ep. 218 - Science is Flawed, but Can be Fixed (feat Dr. James Steele, Dr. “Pak” and Milo Wolf)
April 17, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 183 MBWe recently visited Dr. James Steele, Dr. “Pak”, and Milo Wolf at Solent University to film some of their research methods and interview them about the innovative, high-quality approaches they take. These guys aren’t just any group of muscle nerds though, they are actively working to improve how sports science is conducted, using and promoting the tools of open science. What is open science you ask? Make sure to tune in to learn, as you might be surprised that despite science being the best ...
Ep. 217 - The Rich History of Irish Lifting
April 10, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 164 MBDr. Conor Heffernan is back to discuss our recent trip to Ireland where he introduced us to Ireland’s reigning strongest woman Ayshea Ullah, David Keohan a kettlebell sport world champion dubbed “Indiana Stones”, and the many members of Europe’s oldest continually open gym Hercules Club, in Dublin. On our trip we learned about the only recently uncovered history of Irish stone lifting that goes back centuries, and got to watch as the current physical culturists of modern Ireland physically c...
Ep. 216 - The Most Important Powerlifting Meet In History? (The Sheffield Retrospective)
April 03, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 211 MBLast week was the first time in our history that we left you without an episode, but don’t worry this painful experience was for good reason. Omar and Eric were in fact, both together in person, with Dr. Conor Heffernan at the SBD Sheffield. Eric was on stage coaching Jessica Buettner, and Conor and Omar were in the audience filming with the help of the newest member of the fellowship, Jonathan Akagha, the strongest cameraman in Europe. The Sheffield was perhaps the most significant meet in ...
Ep. 215 - Is Bodybuilding a Sport?(feat Adrian Kind)
March 20, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 213 MBLook no further than the comment section of this post/video and you’ll find knee-jerk answers to the question posed in this title driven by emotional reactions, that are justified after the fact by a poorly thought-out argument that is logically inconsistent. In the philosophy of sport, however, you go the opposite direction. You put forth a logically consistent case, based on established information, within the constraints of the argument. In this episode we chat with philosophy Ph.D. candi...
Ep. 214 - You Don’t Know Powerlifting Coaching (feat Matt Gary)
March 13, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 187 MBMatt Gary is back on Iron Culture after being on way back in episode 16! This time he discusses nuances most people don’t know about game day powerlifting coaching, including even most powerlifters! With the explosion of participants in the sport, there are some weight classes where as many as five individuals could be a world champion depending on how their cards are played. Truly, it’s no longer a question of just who is the strongest, but who is the best powerlifter, which requires coache...
Ep. 213 - Addressing The IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Controversy (ft Desmond Butler)
March 06, 2023 22:01 - 1 hour - 149 MBCult, we’ve been working on this one for weeks. We’ve got Desmond Butler on this episode, the lead journalist who wrote the recent Washington Post series on the corruption, exploitation, and health and safety controversies in the NPC/IFBB pro league. We previously discussed this article series both in a duo episode as well as with Dr. Guillermo Escalante, and now, we’re privileged to sit down and hear it from the source (or rather the man with the sources). In this episode, you’ll learn how ...
Ep. 212 - High Level Powerlifting & Eric's Last Dance
February 27, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 191 MBThe boys are reunited, don’t worry cult, and yes, reunited atop the pyramid. After catching up on what’s been going on for Omar that took him away from us last week, the boys get down to powerlifting talk. This is a big year for powerlifting, with COVID behind us and the Sheffield ahead, and epic battles to come in both the 93 and 76kg divisions at multiple international competitions. Eric discusses how different it can be to coach athletes at the highest level in powerlifting, where scoutin...
Ep. 211 - Training Specificity Revisited & New Diet Break Data
February 20, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 147 MBDear listener, we just can’t let go. Even though we told you in 2023 we wouldn’t be able to stick to the weekly schedule, we are trying our best to do so anyway. This week, to maintain our codependent relationship with you, we have a solo episode from Mr. Dr. Eric Helms. Unfortunately, Omar had to travel for Raskol and couldn’t join him, but the Cult lives on in a weekly format for a little longer. No, you won’t hear Omar say “Eric” to kick things off, no you won’t have a half-hour of banter...
Ep. 210 - What Powerlifting Needs To Do Better
February 13, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 207 MBWe are joined by Ryan Lapadat on this episode, host of the King of the Lifts podcast, and arguably the best and most prolific powerlifting commentator, despite his relatively recent emergence onto the scene. How did Ryan find himself in the position he’s in today, and how has he contributed to the increased interest and popularity in powerlifting that’s occurred in the last decade? Ryan will be commentating at the Sheffield next month, and there is a bright future for the legitimization of p...
Ep. 209 - Stretching For Hypertrophy & A Superior Creatine!?
February 06, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 137 MBStretch-mediated hypertrophy is all the rave at the moment, and much of the enthusiasm is based on a single study out of a specific lab, but, there are actually many other studies that this lab has recently published that give further insights into the topic. Ultimately, what the cult wants to know, is whether stretching-induced gains are complementary or redundant to resistance training-induced gains. In this episode, we discuss not only these possibilities, but also a recent study on Super...
Ep. 208 - Sheffield Final Roster, USPA controversy, New Bodybuilding Research
January 30, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 173 MBIt’s episode 208 and yes, you’re right, that means it’s been four years of episodes coming out weekly, every single . And guess what? In typical iron culture fashion, we completely forgot it was our 4 year anniversary while we recorded this episode. But, dear listener, that’s because we were totally focused on YOU, bringing you the latest news in the iron game, from the final Sheffield roster now that the wildcard picks are complete, to the recent USPA controversy, to a new study published o...
Ep. 207 - Is menstrual cycle periodization evidence-based? (feat Lauren Colenso-Semple)
January 23, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 187 MBWe were joined by McMaster University PhD. candidate Lauren Colenso-Semple who is studying the influence of exercise, nutrition, and hormones on skeletal muscle, specifically as they relate to the menstrual cycle. She has an extensive background not only in academia, having worked with a veritable “who’s who” of exercise science researchers in her journey to her PhD studies, but she also is an experienced personal trainer. In this episode she helps us understand whether “menstrual-cycle phas...
Ep. 206 - Is the day you start lifting the day you become forever small?
January 16, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 167 MBIf comparison is the thief of joy, then what hope do competitive bodybuilders have for happiness? In a sport where you stand before a panel of strangers who numerically rate your nearly nude body in comparison to others, you’d think it’d be impossible. But is it? What happens to bodybuilders’ body image over time? Is it true that whether they place 3rd at the all-valley “championships” or 1st at worlds, they still feel small? If it’s not true, why not, to what degree, and in what circumstanc...
Ep. 205 - Bodybuilding Corruption and Predicting Hypertrophy
January 09, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 152 MBAfter our recent episode with Dr. Guillermo Escalante discussing the potential contributing causes and possibly what could be done about the recent deaths of a number of high profile enhanced bodybuilders, we wanted to follow up. As you recall, this conversation came about because of a Washington Post article series that not only discussed these tragedies, but also exploitation and corruption at the heart of the biggest bodybuilding organization: the NPC/IFBB pro league. Omar made an eye ope...
Ep. 204 - New Years Gains: Less Sleep Loss & Choosing Better Influencers
January 02, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 193 MBIt’s 2023, and the boys just can’t be denied. Four years strong and they’ve weathered cyber attacks from a bearded AI, fended off an Irish serial killer, and somehow, managed not to get themselves cancelled. In the new year we have big plans, but before we focus on our plans, we want to focus on yours dear listener. First, we know you’re still recovering from staying up late for New Year’s Eve, and let’s be honest, for many of you it wasn’t your only late night. How much does getting less sl...
Ep. 203 - Can Enhanced Bodybuilding Be Safer? (Feat Dr Guillermo Escalante)
December 26, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 196 MBIn a series of recent Washington Post investigative articles about bodybuilding in the NPC/IFBB pro league, Desmond Butler (the son of the producer of Pumping Iron) covered a series of controversial topics. Among them, were the seemingly increasing numbers of competitor deaths. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Guillermo Escalante, the Assistant Dean and a Professor of Kinesiology in the College of Natural Sciences at CSU San Bernardino, who is a competitive bodybuilder himself, as well ...
Ep. 202 - The New Supplement Everyone Will Be Talking About: Paraxanthine
December 19, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 210 MBMr. Benjamin Franklin Esgro has the unique honor of being our first guest in our episodes numbered in the 200’s, as well as being on for his fifth, or maybe sixth time? We aren’t sure, but we like to have the man on! I’m this episode, he’s once again crusading against potential charlatans in the supplement industry. If you remember last time, Ben joined us to discuss the lacking evidence of a mechanism of action behind turkesterone and today, he’s back to give us a dose of reality on paraxan...
Ep. 201 - Higher Frequency Training, Breaking Plateaus & More (Q&A)
December 12, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 139 MBIt’s the start of a new era, as Omar and Eric sit down for episode 201. In this conversation, the two pick up where they left off from episode 200, tackling the Cult’s questions that were too good, and too deep to cover last week. Specifically, we discuss how to compare the potential effects of dissimilar variables on hypertrophy, such as sleep, protein, and creatine using research. Further, we field questions on how you measure progress and deal with plateaus, and whether higher frequency t...
Ep. 200 - We Have An Important Announcement (Surprisingly Not Clickbait)
December 05, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 148 MBWe can’t believe it. 200 episodes. What else is there to say except thank you from the bottom of our hearts? It’s always a blast for us to hang out and chat, but it’s a huge bonus that so many people find value in our conversations. At the outset, we hoped we’d be able to provide both educational and entertainment value to our listeners, and it seems like we’ve succeeded. This episode is a bit of a celebration, as we reflect on what brought us here, and what it’s going to lead to. We have bi...
Ep. 199 - Common Misconceptions On Protein (Satiety & High Protein Diets)
November 28, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBWhile technically correct, saying “protein is the most satiating macro” misses the point. We don’t actually eat macros, we eat foods that have a macronutrient profile, and two diets identical in their macronutrient profile may differ in their effects on hunger and satiety. In prior episodes, we’ve discussed protein in depth, but this is the first time we’ve had an in-depth discussion on how protein influences satiety. Further, we address misconceptions about fat gain on high-protein diets an...
Ep. 198 - Why Research Won’t Help Your Training (Especially On A Tuesday)
November 21, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 202 MBFor many, research is taken to represent a framework for understanding concepts that can then be applied to their own training. This can be taken too far when some hope to divine exact details that apply specifically to their own journey. Research isn’t meant to tell you (dear listener) how to train on a Tuesday. What is the best way to properly utilize the current literature to better our own lifting journeys? Two hunks set out to explore this very topic. 00:00 Introducing another M...
Ep. 197 - Training To Failure: A Comprehensive Overview
November 14, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 180 MBIn this episode we are excited to revisit an ever-controversial topic in bodybuilding, training to failure! Yes, we’ve discussed this before on Iron Culture, and yes, people have surprisingly (but maybe not so much when you dissect it…) strong feelings about training to failure. You may remember that one of the biggest limitations in the literature we previously discussed in our last episode was that there are different ways of defining failure. Should we be lumping together studies that use...
Ep. 196 - How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Feat Dr. Pak)
November 07, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 159 MBWe are delighted to have Dr Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis on Iron Culture! “Dr. Pak” is a researcher and lecturer at Solent University, coach at stronger by science, and finally, a lifting enthusiast himself. He did his PhD on powerlifting. Specifically, he conducted research to answer the question: “how much training do powerlifters need to do, to make meaningful increases in strength?” This question led him to conduct interviews and surveys with the best powerlifters and powerlifting coa...
Ep. 195 - Overreaching, Deloads & Tapers: Nutrition Considerations
October 31, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 127 MB"Should I cut my calories back during deloads?” This incredibly common question pops up all the time online, and there are a few things to consider when answering it. First, the purpose of a deload, technically, is to recover after an overreaching phase. What do we expect after an overreaching phase? Are these expectations compatible with a reduction in calories? Secondly, we need to consider the differences in total energy expenditure between a deload week, and the preceding training, which...
Ep. 194 - Getting Shredded…But Not Competing
October 24, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 174 MBMr Dr. Ben House is back on Iron Culture, but this time, he’s fully indoctrinated. That’s right, Ben is making a push to experience what it’s like to get into bodybuilding stage condition. He’s been collaborating with Eric in the process, learning to pose, reincorporating tracking after a long time away, and getting leaner than lean. When is he competing you ask? Believe it or not, he’s probably not going to! Ben decided to do this for a few reasons, first to support a friend who is a compet...
Ep. 193 - Your Maximum Muscular Potential: Are Gains Always Diminishing? (Q&A)
October 17, 2022 16:17 - 1 hour - 171 MBWe’re back with another Q&A episode! Our first question is about the utility, if there is any, of doing singles at a low RPE. Basically, if singles are a specificity tool, why do them light? Great question, and often, the premise of a question needs to be addressed to get a more useful answer. Then, we address the question of whether gains are linear, especially in advanced lifters. Just what the heck is going on when we see an advanced lifter seemingly make a slew of progress after a long p...
Ep. 192 - He’s Not Just A Bodybuilder (ft. Mr. Universe Alberto Núñez)
October 10, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 179 MBAlberto Núñez is back on Iron Culture, but he’s changed. If you thought his prior appearances were him in his final form, you were wrong. He’s fresh off his WNBF Universe pro overall win, meaning he’s Mr. Universe. So forget the best bodybuilder on planet earth, or the best bodybuilder in the nearest 10 parsecs, or hell, the best bodybuilder in the Milky Way galaxy! No, this super Saiyan is the best in the universe. In this Big Bang of an episode, you won’t learn how to get freaky quads, a w...
Ep. 191 - Steroids, Staying Natural & The Tyranny of Progress
October 03, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 191 MBIntrinsic motivation: we talk about it’s importance, but let’s be honest, most people first step in the gym mostly or entirely for external reasons. That’s not always bad, but one thing is for sure, it needs to change over time, or at least be complemented by other forms of motivation, or inevitably lifters quit. Even when the shift is made to focusing on personal progress rather than external goals or standards, it can go wrong. Having something to continually improve upon or strive to achi...
Ep. 190 - The Dave Tate Interview
September 26, 2022 21:21 - 2 hours - 239 MBFor more than two decades Elite FTS has been a household name for powerlifting information, equipment, and a sense of community. The progenitor behind Elite FTS, Dave Tate, honoured us at Iron Culture by joining us to share his story, wisdom and experience. Tune in to learn about the history of Dave as an athlete, thinker, and entrepreneur. Also you’ll learn the history of Elite FTS, it’s future, and what paths weren’t traveled and why. Finally, we hear what lessons Dave’s learned from decad...
Ep. 189 - Stretching & Range of Motion for Strength and Hypertrophy
September 19, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 178 MBFull ROM is king, right? Well, more or less. But why? And are there any types of partials that are worthwhile? What if your goal is strength? What if your goal is hypertrophy? In this episode we’re joined by two academics who helped answer these questions: Dr. Alyssa Joy Spence, an international grade powerlifter, powerlifting coach with TSA and lecturer at AUT who did her PhD thesis on the effects of stretching on powerlifting performance, as well as Milo Wolf, a strength and physique athle...
Ep. 188 - Steroids, Aesthetics & Irresponsible Influencers
September 12, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 201 MBWhat does it mean to be “aesthetic”, and is it possible to have an objective or universal definition of it? Obviously, there are attempts to do so in physique sport, but in society, as they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. In fact, even in physique sports aesthetic standards change constantly and new competitive divisions regularly pop up, judging standards change, and people frequently disagree. Moving beyond the possibility of an agreed-upon definition or standard, would having...
Ep. 187 - Killing It For Over A Decade: The Sigma Nutrition Story
September 05, 2022 16:19 - 1 hour - 215 MBSigma nutrition radio has been a staple for evidence-based nutrition podcasting for the better part of a decade. But truly, even among other similar podcasts, it’s in a league of its own. The guest list is essentially the who’s who of nutrition academia, with interviews digging into the nuance of research coming directly from the sources, covering an incredibly broad span of nutrition topics. Danny Lennon started this endeavor on his own, but in more recent years, it’s expanded to include Dr...
Ep. 186 - The Resurrection of a Professional Toner
August 29, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 153 MBWhat happens when your passion becomes your career? From the outside, lifting as an occupation would be an enviable position for any lifting enthusiast. There are hidden drawbacks however as things such as financial incentives shroud over a once pure pursuit. How do you keep the fire lit after over a decade of lifting when seemingly all stones have been overturned? If you're a member of the Cult, perhaps one of the two Hunks atop the Pyramid, you turn on your penlight and you begin naviga...
Ep. 185 - Bodybuilding Peaking Controversy: Is Water Wet?
August 22, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 132 MB“Evidence-based” bodybuilding peaking is somewhat of a misnomer, at least for all aspects of peaking at this stage of the game. Being able to construct a hypothesis based on physiology, is not the same as testing it. While we have empirical support that carb loading likely does enhance muscle size and appearance, the so-called “drying out” process that many bodybuilders partake in hasn’t been studied, until recently. Join us in this episode as we discuss recent studies that assess the relati...
Ep. 184 - Breaking A World Record After A Catastrophic Injury (ft. Joe Sullivan)
August 15, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 166 MBJoe Sullivan has been powerlifting for more than half his life. Starting as a young teen, Joe has been in and amongst the culture, starting with the USAPL, and eventually migrating to the untested side of the sport where he’s made his mark for the better part of the last decade. Most recently he set the all-time world record squat in the 100kg class at an astonishing 380kg, but it was a long road to get here. He’s overcome catastrophic injury, mental hurdles, and adversity that tie him deepl...
Ep. 183 - Overcoming Adversity & Building Resilience
August 08, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 200 MBWhat is the difference between a lifter who takes a hit, and keeps on lifting and the lifter who “used to bench 315 in high school?” Is it always that the former is harder working, more resilient, more committed lifter? How plastic are these traits? And are all “hits” the same? For some, when it rains it pours, and for others, they are lucky enough to get dolled out life’s curveballs at a pace they can handle. Ultimately in this episode, we acknowledge that when viewing advanced lifters who’...
Ep. 182 - How to call out B.S. and Pseudoscience
August 01, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 219 MBMyth busting is a favorite past time of the “evidence based fitness community”, and pwning noobs with copious “um actually”s is just part of the job, right? Well, yes and no. While it’s more important than ever to combat mis and disinformation, it’s arguably just as, if not more important, to do so in the right way…which, spoiler alert doesn’t involve pwning said noobs. In fact, while those who use science to “dunk on the bros” do get more follows, props, and recognition, it likely comes fro...
Ep. 181- Is Natural Bodybuilding Dead? (Q&A)
July 25, 2022 22:28 - 1 hour - 173 MBWhat started out as a Q&A episode quickly evolved into an in-depth conversation surrounding the future of natural bodybuilding. To some inside the space, there are alarming signs of stagnation within the sport and in this episode, the hunks set out to examine if this really is the case. Drawing upon personal experience, a healthy dose of history and broad observations of general socioeconomic trends, the picture painted might not be so grim. There will always be an appetite for hunks being...
Ep. 180 - Cultural Shifts in Lifting
July 20, 2022 04:19 - 1 hour - 178 MBThe lifting community is more siloed than it used to be, and it is larger, so it’s understandable why today we have a broad and varied cultural landscape. It’s also more complex now in the modern age, and you can find parallel communities in the same lifting discipline with very little crossover. Further, in each community, the changing of the guards seems to be happening at an increasingly accelerated rate. The lifters, coaches, voices, and perspectives of today in any given subculture, don...