Iron Culture presented by MASS

The boys are reunited, don't worry cult, and yes, reunited atop the pyramid. After catching up on what's been going on for Omar that took him away from us last week, the boys get down to powerlifting talk. This is a big year for powerlifting, with COVID behind us and the Sheffield ahead, and epic battles to come in both the 93 and 76kg divisions at multiple international competitions. Eric discuss...

Dear listener, we just can't let go. Even though we told you in 2023 we wouldn't be able to stick to the weekly schedule, we are trying our best to do so anyway. This week, to maintain our codependent relationship with you, we have a solo episode from Mr. Dr. Eric Helms. Unfortunately, Omar had to travel for Raskol and couldn't join him, but the Cult lives on in a weekly format for a little longer...

We are joined by Ryan Lapadat on this episode, host of the King of the Lifts podcast, and arguably the best and most prolific powerlifting commentator, despite his relatively recent emergence onto the scene. How did Ryan find himself in the position he's in today, and how has he contributed to the increased interest and popularity in powerlifting that's occurred in the last decade? Ryan will be co...

Stretch-mediated hypertrophy is all the rave at the moment, and much of the enthusiasm is based on a single study out of a specific lab, but, there are actually many other studies that this lab has recently published that give further insights into the topic. Ultimately, what the cult wants to know, is whether stretching-induced gains are complementary or redundant to resistance training-induced g...

It's episode 208 and yes, you're right, that means it's been four years of episodes coming out weekly, every single . And guess what? In typical iron culture fashion, we completely forgot it was our 4 year anniversary while we recorded this episode. But, dear listener, that's because we were totally focused on YOU, bringing you the latest news in the iron game, from the final Sheffield roster now...

We were joined by McMaster University PhD. candidate Lauren Colenso-Semple who is studying the influence of exercise, nutrition, and hormones on skeletal muscle, specifically as they relate to the menstrual cycle. She has an extensive background not only in academia, having worked with a veritable "who's who" of exercise science researchers in her journey to her PhD studies, but she also is an exp...

If comparison is the thief of joy, then what hope do competitive bodybuilders have for happiness? In a sport where you stand before a panel of strangers who numerically rate your nearly nude body in comparison to others, you'd think it'd be impossible. But is it? What happens to bodybuilders' body image over time? Is it true that whether they place 3rd at the all-valley "championships" or 1st at w...

After our recent episode with Dr. Guillermo Escalante discussing the potential contributing causes and possibly what could be done about the recent deaths of a number of high profile enhanced bodybuilders, we wanted to follow up. As you recall, this conversation came about because of a Washington Post article series that not only discussed these tragedies, but also exploitation and corruption at t...

It's 2023, and the boys just can't be denied. Four years strong and they've weathered cyber attacks from a bearded AI, fended off an Irish serial killer, and somehow, managed not to get themselves cancelled. In the new year we have big plans, but before we focus on our plans, we want to focus on yours dear listener. First, we know you're still recovering from staying up late for New Year's Eve, an...

In a series of recent Washington Post investigative articles about bodybuilding in the NPC/IFBB pro league, Desmond Butler (the son of the producer of Pumping Iron) covered a series of controversial topics. Among them, were the seemingly increasing numbers of competitor deaths. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Guillermo Escalante, the Assistant Dean and a Professor of Kinesiology in the Colle...

Mr. Benjamin Franklin Esgro has the unique honor of being our first guest in our episodes numbered in the 200's, as well as being on for his fifth, or maybe sixth time? We aren't sure, but we like to have the man on! I'm this episode, he's once again crusading against potential charlatans in the supplement industry. If you remember last time, Ben joined us to discuss the lacking evidence of a mech...

It's the start of a new era, as Omar and Eric sit down for episode 201. In this conversation, the two pick up where they left off from episode 200, tackling the Cult's questions that were too good, and too deep to cover last week. Specifically, we discuss how to compare the potential effects of dissimilar variables on hypertrophy, such as sleep, protein, and creatine using research. Further, we fi...

We can't believe it. 200 episodes. What else is there to say except thank you from the bottom of our hearts? It's always a blast for us to hang out and chat, but it's a huge bonus that so many people find value in our conversations. At the outset, we hoped we'd be able to provide both educational and entertainment value to our listeners, and it seems like we've succeeded. This episode is a bit of...

While technically correct, saying "protein is the most satiating macro" misses the point. We don't actually eat macros, we eat foods that have a macronutrient profile, and two diets identical in their macronutrient profile may differ in their effects on hunger and satiety. In prior episodes, we've discussed protein in depth, but this is the first time we've had an in-depth discussion on how protei...

For many, research is taken to represent a framework for understanding concepts that can then be applied to their own training.  This can be taken too far when some hope to divine exact details that apply specifically to their own journey. Research isn't meant to tell you (dear listener) how to train on a Tuesday.  What is the best way to properly utilize the current literature to better our own l...

In this episode we are excited to revisit an ever-controversial topic in bodybuilding, training to failure! Yes, we've discussed this before on Iron Culture, and yes, people have surprisingly (but maybe not so much when you dissect it…) strong feelings about training to failure. You may remember that one of the biggest limitations in the literature we previously discussed in our last episode was t...

We are delighted to have Dr Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis on Iron Culture! "Dr. Pak" is a researcher and lecturer at Solent University, coach at stronger by science, and finally, a lifting enthusiast himself. He did his PhD on powerlifting. Specifically, he conducted research to answer the question: "how much training do powerlifters need to do, to make meaningful increases in strength?" This qu...

"Should I cut my calories back during deloads?" This incredibly common question pops up all the time online, and there are a few things to consider when answering it. First, the purpose of a deload, technically, is to recover after an overreaching phase. What do we expect after an overreaching phase? Are these expectations compatible with a reduction in calories? Secondly, we need to consider the...

Mr Dr. Ben House is back on Iron Culture, but this time, he's fully indoctrinated. That's right, Ben is making a push to experience what it's like to get into bodybuilding stage condition. He's been collaborating with Eric in the process, learning to pose, reincorporating tracking after a long time away, and getting leaner than lean. When is he competing you ask? Believe it or not, he's probably n...

We're back with another Q&A episode! Our first question is about the utility, if there is any, of doing singles at a low RPE. Basically, if singles are a specificity tool, why do them light? Great question, and often, the premise of a question needs to be addressed to get a more useful answer. Then, we address the question of whether gains are linear, especially in advanced lifters. Just what the...

Alberto Núñez is back on Iron Culture, but he's changed. If you thought his prior appearances were him in his final form, you were wrong. He's fresh off his WNBF Universe pro overall win, meaning he's Mr. Universe. So forget the best bodybuilder on planet earth,   or the best bodybuilder in the nearest 10 parsecs, or hell, the best bodybuilder in the Milky Way galaxy! No, this super Saiyan is the...

Intrinsic motivation: we talk about it's importance, but let's be honest, most people first step in the gym mostly or entirely for external reasons. That's not always bad, but one thing is for sure, it needs to change over time, or at least be complemented by other forms of motivation, or inevitably lifters quit. Even when the shift is made to focusing on personal progress rather than external goa...

For more than two decades Elite FTS has been a household name for powerlifting information, equipment, and a sense of community. The progenitor behind Elite FTS, Dave Tate, honoured us at Iron Culture by joining us to share his story, wisdom and experience. Tune in to learn about the history of Dave as an athlete, thinker, and entrepreneur. Also you'll learn the history of Elite FTS, it's future,...

Full ROM is king, right? Well, more or less. But why? And are there any types of partials that are worthwhile? What if your goal is strength? What if your goal is hypertrophy? In this episode we're joined by two academics who helped answer these questions: Dr. Alyssa Joy Spence, an international grade powerlifter, powerlifting coach with TSA and lecturer at AUT who did her PhD thesis on the effect...

What does it mean to be "aesthetic", and is it possible to have an objective or universal definition of it? Obviously, there are attempts to do so in physique sport, but in society, as they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". In fact, even in physique sports aesthetic standards change constantly and new competitive divisions regularly pop up, judging standards change, and people frequentl...