Iron Culture is officially part of the 3-plate club. In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Eric Trexler and Eric Helms celebrate their milestone 315th episode while diving into various topics including testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), the efficacy of citrulline malate, training techniques for hypertrophy, managing tendinopathy, the health benefits of coffee, and programming for individuals with obesity. They also discuss how to improve training intensity and the importance of enthusiasm ...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 315
This episode of Iron Culture begins with a rant/story by Dr. Trexler that highlights some issues with scientific publishing. He describes a study on apple cider vinegar, his MASS article criticizing the study, and the subsequent letter to the editor (and response from the original authors). This discussion is followed by a Q&A session with Dr. Helms covering protein during weight loss, headaches from creatine, machines for joint comfort, mixing creatine + caffeine, low volume training for hy...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 314
In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Dr. Eric Helms and Dr. Eric Trexler are joined by Dr. Martin Refalo to discuss their recent meta-regression study on protein intake and its effects on muscle hypertrophy. They cover Martin's background, the initiation of the project, the methods used, and key findings, followed by a discussion of some critiques that have been generating discussion on social media platforms. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding statistical approaches i...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 313
In today's episode of Iron Culture, co-hosts Eric Helms and Eric Trexler are joined by MASS colleague Dr. Mike Zourdos. After a brief chat about bodybuilding, powerlifting, and college football news, the crew addresses a number of questions about topics including optimal protein intake, what soreness can (or can't) tell us, detraining & retraining, vegan protein sources, heavy metals in protein supplements, training volume recommendations, pre-sleep meal guidelines, and much more. The MASS c...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 312
In Episode 311 of Iron Culture, hosts Dr. Eric Trexler, Dr. Eric Helms, and Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple deliver a comprehensive exploration of hormones, health, and performance optimization. The episode opens with a deep dive into recent research on stretching protocols and muscle adaptations, examining groundbreaking case studies that challenge conventional wisdom about flexibility training and muscle growth. The centerpiece of this episode focuses on demystifying menopause, with the hosts provid...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 311
In today's episode, Drs Trexler and Helms discuss a wide range of fitness topics including metabolic stress, "the pump," targeting the different heads of the biceps, individualising diets and supplement protocols, maximal rates of fat loss, blood flow restricted training, the philosophy of science, and much more! We had some technical issues while recording this episode live, but it's all fixed now with the wonders of editing. If you don't understand a couple of the jokes, they're referring to c...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 310
In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Helms and Trex discuss a variety of evidence-based fitness topics. In this conversation, Dr. Trexler and Dr. Helms delve into the complexities of muscle gain, recovery, and the role of nutrition in performance. They discuss the nuances of identifying plateaus in training, the impact of training volume, the importance of food quality, and how psychological factors can influence recovery and performance. The dialogue emphasizes the need for a balanced approach...
Jan 12, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 309
In this episode, Eric Helms is joined by returning guest, his fellow 3DMJ coach and WNBF Pro bodybuilder, Alberto Nuñez, who is also the male WNBF athlete rep. In addition, they are joined by first time guest Steff Noble, a WNBF Figure pro, experienced coach, and president of WNBF UK. The trio first reflects on what was arguably the most competitive natural bodybuilding season to date, and the overall state of drug free bodybuilding, which in many ways is flourishing. There is more interest, hig...
Jan 04, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 308
In this episode of Iron Culture presented by MASS, Dr. Eric Trexler and Dr. Eric Helms explore the science and debate surrounding lengthened partials, a training technique often celebrated for its hypertrophy and strength benefits. Drawing on recent studies, they discuss how emerging evidence challenges some hyperbolic claims of lengthened partials as a superior training method, suggesting instead that their effectiveness is highly context-dependent. The hosts advocate for viewing lengthened par...
Dec 28, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 307
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...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 306
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 hist...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 305
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 ...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 304
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) acc...
Nov 29, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 303
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 mo...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 302
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...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 301
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 ...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 300
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 prompt...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 299
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 ca...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 298
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. Bu...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 297
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...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 296
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 supp...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 295
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...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 294
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, i...
Sep 23, 2024•51 min•Ep. 293
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 perfo...
Sep 16, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 292
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 littl...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 291
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'...
Sep 02, 2024•56 min•Ep. 290
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 ...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 289
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 trench...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 288
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 res...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 287
The trio is back to discuss a classic Iron Culture topic: how much does increasing muscle mass contribute to strength? But, before we can answer how much, we must acknowledge that some in the scientific community doubt whether hypertrophy contributes to strength at all! What is the source of this skepticism and how do we resolve this debate? Tune in to learn not only how getting jacked impacts strength, but also the importance of study design, what is needed to make causal inferences, and how to...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 286
