The recent explosion of washed-up lifters getting in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has sparked some introspection within the CULT. To discover their chances of becoming a mixed martial legend, Eric & Omar bring in notable Strength & Conditioning coaches Phil Daru and Seth Lenetsky to discuss what it is liked getting punched in the face. Phil has coached many top lifters at ATT (American Top Team) and Seth is one of the few published researchers on the subject of MMA, with his Ph.D. being in "Punch...
Jul 20, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 76
This episode is sure to create a lot of future apologies for the co-owners. In this far-ranging interview with IPF royalty and powerlifting phenom Jessica Buettner, the hosts immediately mispronounce her last name. Gracious in victory as well as in hearing butchered variations of her last name, Jessica has ascended to the tippity top of drug-tested powerlifting in only a few short years. Beyond the junior world championship and world records however is an insightful story of a lifter overcoming ...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 75
This is the episode where the two hosts sell out. You knew it was going to happen. Inside you'll find Eric's top tips in order to become the biggest dancing sensation on TikTok and Omar explains how there really is no moral conundrum with selling photos of your calves on OnlyFans. Somewhere between those two sizzling topics, the hosts manage to give a sneak peek at the content creation process at Iron Culture. Many Iron CULT members have noted enjoying the diversity and depth of the discussions;...
Jul 06, 2020•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 74
Have you noticed that more and more of the new crop of elite powerlifters were high-level athletes before hitting the platform? Powerlifting participation has grown greatly, and with it comes a greater talent pool. But what is talent? Is it just "genetics"? Or might it also be that powerlifting's recent popularity, and later age-peak for performance attracts former athletes? If so, are these athletes succeeding purely because they've got "genetics", or is there a mindset that comes from years of...
Jun 29, 2020•2 hr 16 min•Ep. 73
Training volume has a relationship with rates of hypertrophy in research. But how do you quantify volume? Further, just because a group doing more volume often grows more than a group doing less, does that mean your volume needs to increase? When should volume increase? Are there times volume increases are counterproductive? What are the fundamental differences between increasing load or reps, and number of sets? In this episode we break down hypertrophy, progressive overload, progression, and v...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 72
It is time to talk about the new old school in powerlifting. We aren't referring to Larry Pacifico, Don Reinhoudt, or Ed Coan. We're talking about the rise of drug-tested powerlifting in the last decade with two of the biggest voices leading the way, Jonnie Candito and Russel Orhii. The number of participants in the IPF (and USAPL) has grown immensely over the last decade in no small part due to individuals being able to share their journey online. Jonnie Candito (of CanditoTrainingHQ) pioneered...
Jun 15, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 71
A few years ago, the supplement industry was in such a state that simply putting effective ingredients at their proper dosage on a label, without a proprietary blend was revolutionary. Fortunately, today there are a handful of "evidence-based" companies that do this and do it well. However, in a competitive market, where do you go from here? What is the process? In this episode, we're rejoined by a registered dietician and DeNovo Supps founder and formulator, Ben Esgro. He has two masters, one i...
Jun 08, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 70
Weightlifting is the filet Mignon to the ground chuck of powerlifting and bodybuilding, the First Class to our coach seats on the Iron Game Express. Most people can lift weights, but weightlifting requires power, range of motion, and coordination that squatting or curling in the squat rack simply can't compare to. In this episode of Iron Culture, we're joined by Amy and Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics, former champions in American Weightlifting, and now some of the most prominent coaches and ...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 69
In a perfect world, we would never need to rest between sets, because we would never need to stop lifting. Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world, and we do have to consider rest. How long should we rest between sets? Why? What is the nature of fatigue? How do we reconcile research suggesting longer rest periods enhance hypertrophy, and other research suggesting rest-pause and drop sets can be just as if not more effective for hypertrophy? Join us in this duo episode as we get into the wee...
May 25, 2020•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 68
Biomechanics is the understanding of the body's structure, function, and motion with physics to describe what we experience. As lifters, most of what biomechanics explains mathematically, we understand intuitively. But, in a complex dynamic system like the human body, sometimes what we experience, or our assumptions based on a limited understanding of biomechanics, can be counterintuitive and misleading. To clear up the confusion and address the popular tropes, we're joined by Megan Bryanton-Jon...
May 18, 2020•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 67
Around these parts, cardio has a bad reputation. Sure, in the greater fitness community, cardio (a fancy way of saying running, usually on a treadmill) has long been one of the cornerstones of any fitness regime. Want to lose weight? Do "cardio"! Have stubborn fat to lose? Do (slow) or (really fast) "cardio"! Whatever body composition problems you faced, cardio was seen as an essential tool. This has largely fallen by the wayside over the last decade, with its importance now seen as being grossl...
May 11, 2020•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 66
In the lifting community, two words are often used interchangeably: periodization and programming. Are they, in fact, the same thing? As you will learn in this episode featuring special guest Dr. Mike Zourdos, they are surprisingly not synonyms. What develops from the conversation is a more thorough understanding of the two which will yield a better perspective on your training. Find out in what context both periodization and programming are useful and why Bulgarian style training sounds fun unt...
May 04, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 65
If you're a long time listener of Iron Culture, you've been exposed to calisthenics, CrossFit, powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman/woman, and more! Maybe, just maybe, it's influenced you to pursue multiple avenues of strength? If so, you might have had some head-scratching moments or found yourself struggling to juggle multiple goals simultaneously. In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Stefi Cohen and Max Aita, impressive multi-sport strength athletes in their own right, who have made careers ...
Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 64
From lifting calibrated plates on competition spec bars in approved knee sleeves through the same three movement patterns to moving uncalibrated humans through a near-infinite combination of vectors and forces while covered in your shared sweat and blood in a half-off Gi. How did such an unexpected turn occur? It seems like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has taken the strength world by storm. Instagram feeds once populated by squats, bench presses and deadlifts are now populated by rolls, holds, and throws...
Apr 20, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 63
Dig if you will this picture, of you inside with the kids. This is what it sounds like when gains die. At this point, it has been four weeks without access to gyms for most individuals. Exacerbating the painful absence of the gym is the abundance of free time at our disposal, leading many to struggle with their nutrition. Fear not because in this episode today, Iron Culture co-owners (and current hosts) Eric Helms and Omar Isuf overview what you can do to stay on track with your nutrition. Eric ...
Apr 13, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 62
"Nihilism: the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value; used to explain the general mood of despair at a perceived pointlessness of existence." We've all been there folks, and many of the iron cult are without the iron and struggling. In this episode rife with coping-motivated banter and sarcasm, we dig deep and discover that the iron is in fact, always with us. Join us in this iron-forge side chat as we discuss how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones...
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 61
From the 1900s when Eugen Sandow promoted "Plasmon" and his "Health and Strength Cocoa", the supplement industry has been rife with dubious claims. Since, like a game of limbo, the bar for quality, and scientific accuracy has only lowered. Rather than bending under the low bar, a few individuals vaulted right over by doing the unthinkable: starting companies that sell science-backed products, educate consumers, and use no-nonsense marketing. This week, Eric hosts a roundtable consisting of Ben E...
Mar 30, 2020•2 hr•Ep. 60
Ten years ago, any supposedly knowledgeable PT would be making judicious use of the friendly blue foam roller with clients. Ten years later, the blue idol has fallen out of fashion and we've seen a trend towards minimalism. Stretching is overrated. Doing a squat will prepare you to squat and that is the end of the story. Or is it? Co-owners Eric Helms & Omar Isuf are joined by veteran personal trainer and gym owner Dean Somerset. Dean has been successfully navigating the realm beyond simply ...
Mar 23, 2020•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 59
Rewind the clock. The year is 2009, Lady Gaga is all the rage, MySpace is THE social media platform and if you eat carbs after 6 pm, you are sabotaging your gains. Enjoy this episode of co-hosts Eric Helms and Omar Isuf reminiscing on their early days as lifting enthusiasts. You'll learn about the most anabolic chili, how far Eric is willing to go to get his protein intake and why adding 5lb per week to the bar doesn't work forever. You'll probably find yourself nodding along relating to many of...
Mar 16, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 58
What is aesthetic? While the hosts agree on what they consider aesthetic in a physique (except for the importance of calves), individual opinions vary drastically. Despite the variety of opinions, physique sport judges have the difficult task of ranking competitors in multiple divisions. In this episode, we are joined by first-time guests Chris Bumstead, the current Classic Physique Mr. Olympia, and Pro Natural Men's Physique Champion and Coach, Paul Revelia, to explore aesthetics in and out of ...
Mar 09, 2020•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 57
Omar and Eric realized that if they maintained their current totals, and cut to the 59kg class, they'd rank among the top 10 raw drug-free powerlifters in the world. In this episode, they bring on three researchers/coaches/athletes: Kedric Kwan, David Nolan, and Arthur Lynch, experts who in the course of their ongoing PhDs have published the only peer-reviewed research in existence on this topic. Ultimately, Omar and Eric's dreams of becoming elite 59kg lifters are crushed, but the listeners com...
Mar 02, 2020•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 56
Dr. Melissa Davis is a Renaissance Periodization consultant and coach with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, who specializes in behavior change. She is also no stranger to setting and achieving difficult goals as a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu who is a multi-time masters world champion. Join us this week on Iron Culture as we explore the science and practical application of behavior change with Dr. Mel Davis.
Feb 24, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 55
Brett Gibbs is one of the current icons of IPF powerlifting. Having placed 1st or 2nd in the 83kg class every year since 2014 at IPF Worlds, competing sometimes in both equipped and raw divisions, he's elite among even other elite lifters. However, what is perhaps most interesting, is how his outlook on the sport and his outlook on winning has changed over time. Join us this week as we delve into the mind of a champion, as we discuss the journey of Brett Gibbs as a lifter.
Feb 17, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 54
Eric & Omar are joined once again by guests Gabrielle Fundaro and Mike Tuchscherer to discuss a seemingly taboo concept in the "evidence-based" fitness community: intuition. Find out how intuitive eating & autoregulation are related and why listening to biological feedback has a high degree of utility. Our subjective experiences can provide useful inputs for how we shape our decision making. Intuition need not be relegated to the background of our choices and fortunately, Gabrielle &...
Feb 10, 2020•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 53
This week Omar and Eric sit down with Greg Nuckols and Sohee Lee. Both are fantastic science communicators in the world of fitness, but specifically, they both have expertise in sex differences among lifters. Greg did his master's thesis specifically looking at sex differences in inter-set recovery during resistance training, while Sohee is in the early stages of her Ph.D. in which she's planning to examine how circuit vs traditional resistance training may impact female lifters. What difference...
Feb 03, 2020•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 52
Periodization in and of itself tends to be a confusing and hotly debated topic, heavy on opinions but light on evidence. But periodization for hypertrophy alone is an even greater unknown. Join Omar and Eric this week as they explore this nebulous topic by discussing the scant, and not perfectly applicable research on the topic, periodization theory, and mechanisms of hypertrophy. In the end, this speculative discussion sheds a bit of light on what elements of periodization, if any, might be app...
Jan 27, 2020•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 51
At last, the long-standing feud between Iron CULTure, free speech and Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition comes to a close. The co-owners, Eric and Omar, interview the very friendly (there is not even a remote possibility that he is a serial killer) Danny Lennon on chrononutrition, the intersection of circadian rhythms and nutrition. Learn about your master clock, why it appears those who eat the majority of their calories earlier in the day lose more weight and dietary considerations for every indi...
Jan 20, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 50
Bryce Lewis, elite powerlifter and founder of The Strength Athlete is back on Iron Culture fresh off his 2019 USAPL Raw Nationals 105kg Open win. Now a 3-time national champion, his 902.5kg total is an unofficial world record and ranks him #1 in the world for tested raw 105kg lifters. His eyes are on IPF Classic Worlds 2020 to secure a 2nd World title, but 2020 also marks his 10 year anniversary of working with Eric as his coach. In this episode Omar grudgingly puts aside jealousy to interview E...
Jan 13, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 49
Four words to describe this podcast would be authentic, vulnerable, and being real. Or something like that. We are joined by Jordan Syatt, a personal trainer who has grown an online presence by doing everything you shouldn't. You'll find almost no video or photo of him lifting, showing off abs, or "exposing" other practitioners. Instead, he delivers on a consistent basis practical, insightful, and useful fitness information. Explore with co-owners Eric Helms & Omar Isuf as they define what q...
Jan 06, 2020•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 48
It's a new year, it's a new decade, and it's a year in review for Iron Culture. Join our hosts...or rather owners, as they reflect on the first year of Iron Culture and discuss their plans for 2020 in this tongue and cheek bonus episode. Bonus: Eric tries to expand the Culture's demographics into Mukbang territory. Bonus Bonus: And apparently ASMR. We apologize.
Jan 02, 2020•1 hr 34 min
