Episodes
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In this crossover episode of Iron Culture, co-hosts Danny Lennon and Eric Trexler are joined by fitness professional and fellow Sports Nutrition Association (SNA) advisory board member Laurin Conlin. Together, they dive into the complex relationship between mental health, physique sports, and fitness coaching. Laurin shares her personal experiences and insights on how disordered eating and body image issues often arise in competitive physique sports, and how these behaviors can permeate into the broader fitness space. The conversation highlights strategies for recognizing and reducing harmful behaviors, the importance of revisiting problematic terminology in the industry, and the value of maintaining a holistic perspective in coaching. Practical advice for fitness practitioners is grounded in evidence-based approaches like motivational interviewing, helping coaches better support clients navigating these challenges. The episode concludes with resources for learning more about the SNA and its initiatives in advancing sports nutrition practice.
Time stamps:
00:00 Introducing Laurin to this SNA crossover episode
06:05 What got Laurin into the mental health space and where does physique sport cross into disordered eating/body image disorder?
15:02 Recognising and reducing harmful behaviours and cognitions associated with competing in physique sport
28:20 Laurin’s personal experiences and physique sport behaviours permeating into general health and fitness
35:51 Problematic terminology and looking at the bigger picture
45:51 Advice for health practitioners to help clients in this area
Clifford & Curtis (2016) Motivational interviewing in nutrition and fitness. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-33705-000
58:22 Closing out and where to find more information on the Sport Nutrition Association
Website https://sportsnutritionassociation.com/
Board Members https://sportsnutritionassociation.com/advisory-board/ -
Who is the strongest? Is it the person with the biggest Powerlifting total? Weightlifting total? The current Worlds Strongest Man/Woman Champion? Or, perhaps, the current Arnold Strongman Classic Champion? It’s an oft-debated question, typically occurring around the proverbial fitness water cooler. However, recently Dr. Kind, Dr. Veit, Dr. Heffernan, and our very own Dr. Helms made this debate into a multidisciplinary academic paper. Specifically, they asked the question through the lens of history, what has strength meant in society since the dawn of physical culture, what is strength philosophically, and finally, what is strength objectively, as measured in sport and exercise science? Join us as we discuss why asking this question is important, and how these very different disciplines turned out to be quite complementary in providing an answer.
The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!
If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link:
https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/
Time stamps:
00:00 Welcoming back Dr Conor Heffernan from the Obelisk
2:35 Adrian and Walter (re)-introduction
Kind 2023 Is bodybuilding a sport? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00948705.2023.2234978
6:26 What is strength?
Kind 2024 What is strength? https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/467
14:21 Who in society decides what strength is?
29:45 A philosophical breakdown of the definition of strength
36:54 Strength measures of interest
56:02 Skill, efficiency, and intentionality
Bauman 1926 Observations on the Strength of the Chimpanzee and its Implications https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/7/1/1/866743
1:06:03 Eric’s tirade on sports science and exploring different strength variables
1:12:36 Categorising strength feats
1:18:46 The final sign-off (more plates, more dates?)
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Episodes manquant?
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In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Eric Trexler and Eric Helms begin with a brief discussion of Trex's recent MASS article on the misapplication of modern pain science in the fitness industry. They then discuss the nuances of protein recommendations, debating the merits of using body weight versus fat-free mass as a basis for determining protein needs. The conversation also touches on current research trends in protein intake and hypertrophy. Trexler and Helms move on to discuss the effects of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) on hypertrophy, the impact of aging on hypertrophy and training volume benchmarks, lengthened partials as a training technique, adaptation to cold training environments, the impact of biomechanics on injury, the psychological aspects of motivation in training, and more.
The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!
If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link:
https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/
Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction: the MASS Black Friday Sale and Journal Club
https://massresearchreview.com/
7:47 Discussion on Pain Science and Misapplication in Fitness
15:25 Protein Recommendations: Body Weight vs. Fat-Free Mass
Helms 2014 A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24092...
23:57 Current Research in Protein Intake and Hypertrophy
Tagawa 2020 Dose-response relationship between protein intake and muscle mass increase: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33300...
Morton 2018 A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698...
26:26 Protein Recommendations and Controversies
Nunes 2022 Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187...
35:02 EMS for Hypertrophy
42:50 Age and Hypertrophy: Adjusting Volume for Older Lifters
Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/serve...
50:16 Trexler’s Lengthened Partials Experience
54:57 Adapting to Training in the Cold
1:00:07 Asymmetries, Biomechanics, and Injury
1:08:08 Protein Requirements: Why is Everyone So Confident about 1.6g/kg/day?
1:11:39 Motivation in a Demotivating Environment and Goalsetting
1:27:51 Final Points on Motivation
1:31:48 Closing Out
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Music credit: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/
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This week we’ve got a MONSTER episode in the form of a live Q&A episode with Dr. Helms and Dr. Trexler. The Good Doctors begin with a recap of the recent WNBF World Championships, followed by an insightful discussion about whether or not humans have a “factory error” in our design that promotes obesity. This is followed by a number of listeners’ questions about functional anatomy, exercise selection, the importance of the eccentric phase of a lift, factors impacting reps in reserve (RIR) accuracy, biceps contributions to back exercises, hypertrophy considerations for the deadlift exercise, mini-cuts, set-to-set fatigue, energy expenditure limits, “delayed” hypertrophy, how to tell if you’re a creatine nonresponder, and velocity-based training.
The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!
If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link:
https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/
Also, don’t miss out on the MASS Black Friday Sale, which has already started! Learn more and take advantage of huge discounts at www.massresearchreview.com
Time stamps:
0:00 Intro
5:30 WNBF Worlds recap
15:25 Do Humans Have a “Factory Error” in our Design That Promotes Obesity?
Pontzer 2023 The provisioned primate: patterns of obesity across lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37661747/
25:45 How important is the eccentric portion of the lift for hypertrophy?
Roig 2009 The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18981046/
Schoenfeld 2010 The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20847704/
37:15 Exercises with brace points
Haugen 2023 Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance - a systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37582807/
44:56 Biceps functional anatomy during back compound exercises and epistemology
Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460/version/587
50:25 Muscles to hypertrophy to increase deadlift strength
57:55 Rapid fire questions – Q1 Mini-cuts and bulking
1:05:15 Q2 Bench repetition performance across sets
1:08:35 Q3 Extreme energy expenditure
Areta 2024 Energetics of a World-Tour Female Road Cyclist During a Multistage Race (Tour de France Femmes) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38796175/
Thurber 2019 Extreme events reveal an alimentary limit on sustained maximal human energy expenditure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31183404/
1:12:34 Q4 Latent or delayed hypertrophy following a diet
Bjørnsen 2019 Delayed myonuclear addition, myofiber hypertrophy, and increases in strength with high-frequency low-load blood flow restricted training to volitional failure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543499/
Damas 2016 Resistance training-induced changes in integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis are related to hypertrophy only after attenuation of muscle damage https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27219125/
1:31:26 Q5 Where to find information on velocity-based training
https://massresearchreview.com/
1:37:16 Closing out
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Music credit:
Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100806
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
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In this Iron Culture, Sigma Nutrition Radio, SNA crossover, Dr. Joe Klemczewski returns! Dr. Joe, possibly the first online bodybuilding coach and person to advise clients to track macros before IIFYM was an acronym, joins us to reflect on the past and help us navigate the future. In the modern information age, there is more information than ever, which is a good thing, right? Perhaps, except that there is also more misinformation and disinformation than ever as well. While the evidence-based movement solved the problem of information inadequacy, we now face a much more complex problem of information illiteracy. What can you do to better navigate the “fake news” littering all aspects of social media, especially the nutrition space, and how can you facilitate better critical thinking in your clients and followers to reduce the likelihood they will undertake harmful diets? In this episode we tackle just that, discussing how paying attention to history and social changes can provide protection against modern fads.
Time stamps:
00:00 Danny, Erich? And sending our condolences to the listeners
https://raskolapparel.com/
02:37 Re-introducing Dr. Joe Klemczewski
09:57 Changes in science
18:01 Science education for the consumer
26:53 How Dr. Joe communicates science with nuance to different audiences and how society (and social media) operates to perpetuate beliefs
36:59 Discerning truth and fact from context – using the recent meta-regressions on volume and frequency as an example
Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460
51:00 The psychology of persuasion
59:34 Embedding heuristics and the utility of AI in academia
1:09:50 Broader trends in society, marketing strategies and delivering what is expected
1:21:46 Recapping the episode and closing out (be wary of Eric’s positivity propaganda)
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Even among the many monster episodes of Iron Culture, today’s episode truly stands out. First, the MASS crew discusses this new era of Iron Culture and lets the cult know what they can expect as the show pushes forward and climbs to new heights. After that, the crew has an insightful discussion about the science of satellite cells – what they are, when they might (or might not) matter, and how they intersect with many hypertrophy-related topics, such as sex differences, aging, muscle damage, and factors that limit long-term muscle growth.
The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!
If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link:
https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/
Time stamps
0:00 Intro
0:21 Big announcements about the future of Iron Culture and MASS Office Hours
5:10 Helms reflects on “the merger”
7:04 Re-introducing Dr. Mike Zourdos
17:53 Re-introducing Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple
26:38 Dr. Helms’ recent research
30:46 Dr. Trexler’s current research
34:20 A primer on satellite cells
49:31 The role of satellite cells during growth/maturation and during use of exogenous anabolics
51:21 Sex differences and exogenous anabolics
53:52 The impact of aging on satellite cells and their function
58:54 Do satellite cell responses to muscle damage play a major role in muscle growth?
1:02:37 Do satellite cells and myonuclear domain theory become more relevant for muscle growth when the magnitude of growth becomes more substantial?
1:10:01 Does hard training induce muscle hyperplasia?
1:19:06 If meaningful muscle hyperplasia does occur in response to resistance training, does that impact how we should approach or design training programs?
1:24:39 Wrapping up
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I’m going to break the fourth wall here and speak directly to our dear listeners. When we started this podcast almost six years ago, I never imagined it would last this long or become such a fixture in the community. The goal was always to create a space aimed at enriching the listener's appreciation and understanding of lifting. I want to thank every single person who has tuned in, supported throughout the years and engaged with us in this journey. I feel very confident in the future direction of Iron Culture with the two Erics taking lead. We'll catch you in that next episode from now, until the end of time.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Omar
Time stamps:
00:00 Erics… Omar
03:09 Reviewing reviews (including one from Dr. RayGun)
08:04 Future horizons and looking back
19:56 Trexler’s anniversary and some reflections
27:20 Climate change isn’t real… the science is the science and a quick update on the Iron Culture documentary
31:40 Trexler’s commentary and how he came to be on the cult
42:24 Helms reflects on some memorable episodes and guests
48:52 The Iron Culture mission statement
56:51 The future of Iron Culture (including the interview of a certain guest)
1:08:50 The running Iron Culture jokes
1:16:14 Coming full circle with some final thoughts
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In this Iron Culture/Sports Nutrition Association/Sigma Nutrition Radio crossover episode, host Eric Helms is joined by co-host Danny Lennon and guest Alex Thomas. Alex is the president of the Sports Nutrition Association who started this association years ago when he was rudely awakened to the fact that he couldn’t provide nutrition advice in his personal training clinic, despite having done so for years, having an RD on staff, and getting a degree in exercise science and nutrition. This prompted him to do a deep dive into scope of practice, insurance, legal requirements to provide nutrition coaching, and eventually to realise just how large of a gap there is in the nutrition coaching industry. Becoming aware of how common coach negligence leading to poorer consumer health is, spurred him to create the Sports Nutrition Association. Now SNA seeks to elevate the profession of nutrition coaching and protect the public. In this episode we navigate the confusing world of scope of practice, both legally and from a liability perspective, and why it’s not only an important box ticking exercise, but a fundamental part of serving your clients.
Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction to a podcast that needs a longer name and title
01:32 What is the Sports Nutrition Association?
06:15 Protected titles, scope of practice, and insurance
22:30 The importance of scope of practice and advice for practitioners
38:58 Trends and big claims in the space, risk/reward and consequences
51:36 Areas where practitioners should focus on and what to do going forward
1:00:06 The career pyramid for nutritionists
1:02:01 Closing out and where to find out more about the SNA
Website https://sportsnutritionassociation.com/
Instagram @sportsnutritionassociation https://www.instagram.com/sportsnutritionassociation/
Sigma Nutrition Radio https://sigmanutrition.com/podcast-welcome/
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In this Iron Culture/Sports Nutrition Association/Sigma Nutrition Radio crossover episode, host Eric Trexler is joined by co-host Danny Lennon and guest Dr. Shawn Arent. Dr. Arent is a professor and department chair at the University of South Carolina with a wealth of knowledge and research experience pertaining to nutritional strategies and supplements purported to support brain health and function. In this meeting of the minds, Eric, Danny, and Dr. Arent discuss the brain-related effects of carbohydrate, amino acids, caffeine (and caffeine-related substances), theanine, nicotine, fish oil, creatine, and much more. If you’re interested in preserving the health and function of your brain, listening to this episode is certainly a smart decision.
00:00 Introduction to another crossover episode and Dr Shawn Arent
03:20 Defining cognitive performance and function
07:48 The acute effects of carbohydrates and caffeine on fatigue
13:01 Carbohydrate mouth rinsing and glycogen depletion (and are bodybuilders athletes?)
26:15 The (non-linear) glycogen utilisation response to exercise
29:53 The role of protein (EAAs and BCAAs) on cognitive function
Daivs 1999 Effects of branched-chain amino acids and carbohydrate on fatigue during intermittent, high-intensity running https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10452228
36:06 Caffeine dose-response relationship on cognition
40:50 Caffeine timing and dosing strategies
51:38 Optimisation and thinking outside the box to minimise the effects of caffeine on sleep
55:18 Other (interesting) supplements with less evidence
1:01:28 Nicotine and sports culture
1:08:52 Supplementation for brain health and recommendations/protocols for TBIs
1:21:22 Closing out with some final take homes
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In this crossover episode of Iron Culture and MASS Office Hours, Dr. Trexler is joined by special guest Josh Pelland, a coach for Data Driven and a PhD candidate at Florida Atlantic University, to discuss Pelland's recent meta-analysis which investigates the effects of training volume and frequency on hypertrophy and strength outcomes. These data have created a lot of stir in the evidence based community as very high volumes seem to be associated with hypertrophy without a definitive plateau. But as you can expect, there’s much more to the story. The analysis synthesizes data from numerous studies and quantifies dose-response relationships by which higher training volumes and/or frequencies may lead to greater strength and muscle gains in response to resistance training. In a thorough discussion of the paper, Pelland discusses nuances, such as the point of diminishing returns where further volume or frequency may yield less significant gains, and highlights how individual factors like training experience and muscle group-specific responses affect outcomes. Practical recommendations include tailoring volume to individual needs, utilizing periodization and volume cycling to maximize adaptations, and addressing common pitfalls such as overtraining. Further, in this live episode audience questions drive deeper exploration into the practical implications of the findings and strategies for optimizing training programs based on current evidence.
If you liked this crossover, remember the MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Wednesday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join them for a future episode!
0:00 Introduction to another official crossover episode
MASS Office Hours Episode 58 (Is More Volume Always Better?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HErS8Hw12k
02:00 Getting to know Josh Pelland
07:35 An overview of Josh’s new preprint
Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460
Data Driven Strength Podcast - Volume and Hypertrophy: New Science Explained | S2E1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKRAVrf-798&t=0s
Data Driven Strength Podcast - Frequency and Hypertrophy: New Science Explained | S2E2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rxOj92Q4p8
14:01 The search strategy and volume/frequency quantification method comparison
25:43 Statistical models
30:51 Volume results
39:32 Volume efficiency tiers
1:08:47 Frequency results
1:16:43 Q&A Question 1: How was the volume of different exercises quantified?
1:18:36 Question 2: Disconnect between theoretical vs practical optimum?
1:25:00 Question 3: How were different set structures, intensification techniques, and proximity-to-failure accounted for?
1:28:55 Question 4: Recommendations for 6x/week Full Body Powerbuilding training?
1:30:53 Question 5: The potential effects of different partials and ranges of motion?
1:34:45 Question 6: Did the studies measure both hypertrophy and strength outcomes?
1:36:10 Question 7: Strength training recommendations for sprint cyclers?
1:39:03 Question 8: Upper vs lower body set volume tolerance?
1:40:45 Question 9: Moderator analyses on the impact of training status?
1:42:50 Question 10: How do you know if you are performing too much volume?
1:46:36 Wrapping up and where to find Josh
Data Driven Strength YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@datadrivenstrength
Instagram @josh.datadrivenstrength https://www.instagram.com/josh.datadrivenstrength/?hl=en
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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.
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 https://sportsnutritionassociation.com/
Sigma Nutrition https://sigmanutrition.com/
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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 https://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 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35809162/
Naharudin 2019 Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance https://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 https://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 https://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 https://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 https://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 https://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
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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
https://www.iawa.uk/
https://www.usawa.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@USAWAVideos
https://www.youtube.com/user/dinnie40
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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 https://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 https://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 https://www.strongerbyscience.com/effective-reps/
Grgic 2018 Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29470825/
43:01 Engaging in dialogue regarding these models
48:24 Closing out this overdelivering 50 minute episode
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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 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24864135/
Helms 2015 Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardiovascular training https://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 https://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 https://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 adultshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864/
35:08 Question 2: Cardio intensity
https://massresearchreview.com/
Hamaya 2024 Time- vs Step-Based Physical Activity Metrics for Health https://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 Traininghttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34822354/
Mielke 2024 Physical activity volume, frequency, and intensity: Associations with hypertension and obesity over 21 years in Australian womenhttps://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-analysishttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/
Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645/
Robinson 2024 Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970765/
1:06:23 Closing out this hour of power episode
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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 https://www.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
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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.
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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
https://massresearchreview.com/
Where to find Pana
Instagram @thepanash https://www.instagram.com/thepanash/?hl=en
YouTube @Thepanash https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1ZlR9h035btvu0t6qFWYg
The Panash Training App https://thepanash.app/
Silent Worker https://www.silentworker.fr/
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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? https://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 https://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 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29016481/
Burke 2024 Exercise Selection Differentially Influences Lower Body Regional Muscle Development https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42978-024-00299-4
Kubo 2019 Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110/
Brandão 2020 Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32149887/
Kinoshita 2023 Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training https://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
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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 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35591809/
Travis 2020 Preparing for a National Weightlifting Championship: A Case Series https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31373973/
Androulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters 2021 https://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 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944/
Kassiano 2023 Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths https://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 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21771261/
Ogasawara 2012 Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6-month of continuous and periodic strength training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23053130/
1:10:13 Closing out and Trexler’s ideas for future Iron Culture episodes
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