In one of our previous duo episodes, Omar went on a deep dive with Eric into autoregulation, the topic of his Ph.D. In this episode, Omar sits down with Eric and asks him to rewind the academic clock even further, to his first foray into academia and research, his masters. In this episode, the hosts not only discuss the roots of how Eric's career as a trainer and online coach forked into becoming a researcher, but they also dive into the nitty-gritty of his master's thesis, which was done on eve...
Dec 30, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 47
Mike Tuchscherer and Natalie Hanson return to Iron Culture in this obscenely strong episode. These world champions and top tier powerlifting coaches are joined by first-time Cult member, Canadian champ Bryce Krawczyk, also an elite lifter and coach. Uniquely, each has competed at the highest level in both raw, and equipped powerlifting and has experience coaching both types of lifters. We cover the short history of supportive equipment, how the sport went from its raw roots to being dominated by...
Dec 23, 2019•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 46
Accused of being "Aesthetic Boys" that just care about muscular men, the hosts decide to pivot and talk about the next best thing; Strongmen/women. The hosts are joined by Strongman competitors Joey Szatmary & Alan Thrall. Joey is the recent USS National Strongman champion and Alan has been competing in Strongman for almost a decade. The two provide informative content on YouTube, helping to spread the knowledge and awareness of Strongman/woman. The hosts explore the interesting origin of St...
Dec 16, 2019•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 45
Dr. Bill Campbell is a full professor at the University of South Florida where he runs the "Physique Lab", a unique place in the world of sports science. At his lab, Dr. Campbell and his students and volunteers specifically conduct research on practical strategies to improve body composition that are both sustainable and evidence-based. Interestingly enough, he often consults with leading coaches in the bodybuilding community, specifically to ask them what questions they want answered, what appr...
Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 44
"Documentaries" have changed the game (pun intended) when it comes to nutrition. Unfortunately, this has not been for the better, as misinformation, bias, and conflicts of interest have polluted available knowledge. However, there is always the consummate guardian against confusion: logic. In this episode, Omar and Eric discuss these changes in the latest chapter of the diet wars, and how you can arm yourself against the propaganda of any type. In addition, Omar and Eric continue their meta-disc...
Dec 02, 2019•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 43
Coach Ian Pyka has more history than fits in an episode. While currently an instructor of kinesiology, biomechanics and strength and conditioning at Florida Atlantic University, Coach Pyka has done it all. He was a 3 time NCAA All American Shot Putter and made the 1980 Olympic team as an alternate. He completed his MS in Ex Phys at The University of Tennessee in 1984 and got his CSCS in 1986. Since then, he's worked at all levels as an S&C coach. As the former head S&C of the University ...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 42
It is no secret that co-host Omar Isuf has had a long and difficult relationship with Creatine Monohydrate. Today's episode is about facing your addictions head-on as the hosts bring leading Creatine researcher Dr. Darren Candow on to discuss the potent white powder. The talk extends beyond the normal discussions on Creatine, examining not only the performance benefits but the cognitive perks as well. Even if you are a fellow Creatine enthusiast like one of the hosts, we're positive you'll walk ...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 41
Humans try to reduce answers to binary outcomes: yes or no, black or white, or often as is the case in fitness, good or bad. Unfortunately, this is often to our own detriment as few fitness questions have binary answers. Training frequency is no different. While there is a recent perception that higher frequency is better, full stop, in many cases it is no different and if improperly implemented has the potential to be worse. In this episode join the cult leaders as they discuss frequency concep...
Nov 11, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 40
John Berardi has been a voice of evidence-based nutrition for decades. A competitive bodybuilder in his youth he went on to pursue his Ph.D. and became one of the first well-known voices advocating for a scientific approach to performance nutrition. Before social media, he became a well-known writer on topics related to nutrient timing, macronutrient breakdown, and nutrition for enhancing fat loss and muscle gain, and was one of the first writers on T-Nation. Since, he started Precision Nutritio...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 39
If you've been in the fitness industry long enough, you've undoubtedly heard of flexible dieting. Depending upon who you ask, flexible dieting is either a liberating way of quantifying the food you consume or needlessly obsessive. The question becomes, what is the best approach for an individual looking to get into their best shape? Today, the hosts are joined by accomplished coach Laurin Conlin (MSc in Exercise Science) who's Masters research focused on how different dieting strategies affect w...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 38
James Krieger has been putting out some of the best science-based information in the lifting community for over a decade. With expertise in nutrition, resistance training, statistics, and with personal experience in physique sport and with substantial coaching experience across a diverse spectrum from recreational lifters, to high-level competitors, he's a voice of reason worth listening to. In this episode, James helps us understand the oft-misrepresented and frequently demonized hormone: insul...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 37
Cliff Wilson is universally respected in the bodybuilding community, on both sides of the fence, by enhanced and natural athletes and coaches alike. He's an example of a coach who is science-aware but informed by what works first and foremost. Never one to be trapped by how "it's supposed to be", his keen observations, attention to detail, and practices built through years of trial and error have resulted in the peak performance of many a competitor. Join us for this episode of Iron Culture as w...
Oct 14, 2019•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 36
In this episode of Iron Culture, you get to observe the emotional maturity of Omar as he realizes he's in an open relationship with Eric. The original bodybuilding bromance is on display this week, as Alberto Nuñez joins Iron Culture so that he and Eric Helms can discuss the "lifestyle" of bodybuilding. While many take careful notes on the sets, reps, exercise selection, food choices and macros of physique competitors, most miss the deeply entrenched habits that are the true keys to their long t...
Oct 07, 2019•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 35
We were joined by Dr. Mike Israetel to discuss Maximum Recoverable Volume...just kidding. Actually, we were moved to chat with Mike after his recent post where he went point-by-point through his self-perceived shortcomings as a science communicator. In an industry where "being right" is often valued more than being correct, and serving one's ego comes before serving the greater good, we saw this as an opportunity to discuss the importance of critical self-evaluation, and how to prevent your ego ...
Sep 30, 2019•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 34
Everybody hurts, but what if pain don't hurt much?! The immortal bard Dalton from Roadhouse might have been onto something. This episode the hosts are joined by three experts in the field of performance, rehab, and pain science. Nick Licameli of 3DMJ (PT, DPT), Quinn Henoch of Clinical Athlete (DPT), and Jordan Feigenbaum of Barbell Medicine (MD, MS) discuss the current status of pain science, injury reduction, and managing setbacks. Further Information For Our Guests: Quinn Henoch (DPT): https:...
Sep 23, 2019•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 33
Consider this episode a homecoming as co-host Eric Helms reminisces on Sacramento lifting culture. He is joined by fellow Sacramento natives Alan Thrall, Silent Mike, and Jim McDonald. A seemingly small city tucked away in Northern California, the soon to be infamous SacTown Boys explore the reasons why Sacramento has made such a strong impact inside the lifting community. From weightlifting legend Tommy Kono to Body Tribe in the present, Sacramento is home to a vibrant, diverse lifting communit...
Sep 16, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 32
Over the last three decades, Randall Strossen was there for it all. World records in weightlifting at the Olympics and world championships, incredible performances at the Highland games world championships and the worlds strongest man; if he wasn't behind the lens as a photographer, he might have been the commentator, or written about the performances in Milo magazine or in his sport psychology column in Ironman magazine which ran for 12 years. Randall has a Ph.D. in psychology, founded IronMind...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Is Iron Culture big enough for two pro natural bodybuilders with PhDs named Eric (or was it Derek)? The banter heats up as metabolisms cool down this week as the cult leaders are joined by Dr Eric Trexler to discuss metabolic adaptation. Why is weight loss difficult to sustain? What is adaptive thermogenesis, the phenomenon we call metabolic adaptation colloquially? Is it the cause of our fat loss woes, or are it's effects overhyped? If it is overhyped, what really are the barriers to successful...
Sep 02, 2019•1 hr 48 min
Doping: the topic every 19 year old in the YouTube comments section seems to be an expert on. Maybe it's more complicated and nuanced than the local internet culture would have you believe? In this episode, we have Ph.D. candidate Alex Kolliari-Turner on Iron Culture. He is a true expert in this field, doing his Ph.D. research on the long term effects of anabolic steroids on muscle. His research examining the impacts of steroids on anabolic signaling pathways and potential permanent retention of...
Aug 26, 2019•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 29
In this episode, Eric & Omar are joined by firebrand Chip Conrad. A true physical culture enthusiast, Chip has been involved with seminal figures in our culture (Mel Siff, Tommy Kono, Jan Todd and Dan John to name but a few). Chip's unique approach to training stands in stark contrast to the modern fitness industrial complex. Combining aspects of different disciplines from strongman to yoga, Chip is a rare thinker and teacher. Listen to how he redefines what strength means, what the point of...
Aug 19, 2019•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 28
In this episode, Eric and Omar are joined by one of the most celebrated, revered, and respected pro natural bodybuilders, Brian Whitacre. Brian is a legendary figure, historically being the first to win both the WNBF Worlds and Yorton Cup Overalls the same year in 2015. The hosts discuss natural bodybuilding, economics, and what it takes to be a champion. Listen up, you might be surprised.
Aug 12, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 27
Brian Minor, MS, pro natural bodybuilder and national level USAPL raw powerlifter, is not only an impressive dual-sport strength and physique athlete, but he's also top of the bodybuilding and Powerlifting coaching game. As a thought leader in the evidence-based strength and physique community, he does an excellent job putting context and application to theory to help move practice forward. Join us in this episode as we get into the nitty-gritty of what progressive overload really means with Bri...
Aug 05, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 26
At the edges of scientific understanding, pseudoscience is bred and born. When a topic is studied, but not yet understood, marketers plant the seeds of hype to suck you in. "This one weird trick", "doctors hate him", "the herb the FDA doesn't want you to have". The emerging field of gut health is an arena rife with such quackery. Fortunately, we have Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro as a guiding light. She has a Ph.D. in human nutrition, is a competitive strength and physique athlete, and was a professor a...
Jul 29, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 25
In this episode of Iron Culture, Omar leads a discussion looking inward to the academic journey of Eric Helms through his Ph.D. As we explore the science, history, and culture of lifting, it's important to not only consume the outcome of scientific research but to consider it in the context of the human experience of the researchers who dedicate years of their lives to sometimes uncovering ludicrously simple answers through intense and complicated study. Like lifting itself, exercise and nutriti...
Jul 22, 2019•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 24
Iron Culture hosts a Roundtable discussion on strength development and the relationship between hypertrophy and it's relationship to a one-repetition maximum. We're joined by researcher Andrew Vigotsky who is currently pursuing his Ph.D., and also we bring back the ever jolly Greg Nuckols of Stronger by Science. Between them, they have not only personal experience with the iron, but more importantly, they've published academic peer-reviewed papers specifically on the multi-component factors that...
Jul 15, 2019•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 23
Dr. Jake Linardon is a researcher at Deakin University in Melbourne Australia where he is leading the charge with a flurry of new research on the causes of, contributors to, associations with and the effectiveness of treatments for eating disorders. Additionally, he's one of the few researchers exploring surprising similarities between rigid and flexible dieting approaches. In this episode, we explore how eating disorders manifest, especially in lifters and physique athletes, what might be at th...
Jul 08, 2019•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 22
Modern social media has an abundance of choices. Look up any particular topic and you'll find a plethora of options. An abundance of choice does not mean an abundance of quality, however. In this episode, Eric & Omar explore the role of the evidence-based practitioner, contrasting it with the rise of the "guru". In this podcast, you might not find easy answers but you will find deeper meaning.
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 21
"Evidence-based" is said without questioning its meaning. While science popularisation in the iron game is a net win, we must learn the difference between #science and evidence-based practice. To understand what differentiates the two and why the distinction is critical, we're joined by two researchers, science communicator, practitioners, Drs. Andy Galpin and Brad Dieter. Andy is a former competitive weightlifter, consults with athletes, and is a professor studying muscle fiber responses to tra...
Jun 24, 2019•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 20
At Iron Culture we ask important questions, for example: "what meaning do you make in life?" But in this episode, we are joined by Drs. Brad Schoenfeld, Brandon Roberts, and Juha Hulmi to ask THE most important question: "why and how do muscles grow?" Each guest in this episode is such an avid devotee to the iron that not only are they a dedicated lifter, but dedicated to the scientific study of muscle. Brad is one of the foremost experts on the mechanisms and applied training variables of muscl...
Jun 17, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 19
In 2019 technology is not only a part of life, but a part of fitness. Whether you wear a heart rate monitor, track your steps, scan the barcodes of foods to track their calories, or watch videos of your lifts to assess form, you've experienced this intersection first hand. We take these things for granted, but we miss the behind he scenes hard work, success, failures, struggles, ingenuity, creativity, setbacks and triumphs of the fitness-tech developers who make the augmented fitness world we li...
Jun 10, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 18
