Iron Culture

Eric Helms & Eric Trexler
  • 4.7 (30)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Iron Culture

Iron Culture was started by Eric Helms and Omar Isuf, now currently hosted by Eric Helms and Eric Trexler with Omar as a returning guest, as a means of exploring the world of physical culture and attempting to distill a unified philosophy of lifting and to help listeners find greater meaning from the iron. The lifting community has become fractured over the last ~70 years and this Podcast will attempt to explore the fundamental threads that unite these different tribes. The Podcast focuses on dispensing practical, useful information to the listener, bouncing from history, to philosophy, to contemporary lifting culture issues, to science. This can range from teaching the audience about lifting, programming, nutrition, supplements/PEDs and the history of lifting culture. The format includes casual conversations between the two hosts on a variety of topics, discussions with a panel of experts and interviews with authoritative figures in the lifting community.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Ep 315 - Training Hard Versus Training Smart

    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 in lifting. Time stamps: 0:00 Introduction to another addition of Iron Culture 1:35 See the entire MASS team speak at the Sports Nutrition Association Annual Conference https://sportsnutritionassociation.com/sna-annual-2025-conference/ 5:55 Questions about testosterone replacement therapy Iron Culture Ep. 136- All About Testosterone & TRT (Yeah We Go There) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5PDtstlmJ0 Tang Fui 2017 The effects of testosterone on body composition in obese men are not sustained after cessation of testosterone treatment https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28561278/ 20:42 An update on citrulline malate 30:18 Quantifying volume of time-saving techniques Coleman 2022 Muscular Adaptations in Drop Set vs. Traditional Training: A meta-analysis https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/135 Sødal 2023 Effects of Drop Sets on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37523092/  34:09 Eric’s tips for working around tendinopathy 40:43 Is caffeine bad for teeth and substituting coffee for decaf? 47:31 Hip flexion training for rectus femoris hypertrophy 49:35 Resistance training prescription for people with obesity trying to lose weight 56:24 Defining and increasing training intensity 1:00:46 Training Hard Versus Training Smart

    1h 11m

  2. 13 FEB

    Ep 314 - Science Is Broken (But Fixable)

    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 hypertrophy, biceps curl variations, fiber recommendations, and more. The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, Monday nights 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/ironculture/ Time stamps: 0:00 Introduction and where to submit your questions https://massresearchreview.com/ironculture/ 2:22 Sneak peak into a future MASS article and being careful when reading research Original Article: Abou-Khalil 2024 Apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000823 Letter: Improbable data characteristics and extreme effects of apple cider vinegar on weight loss https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2025/02/06/bmjnph-2024-000997 Response to Letter: Abou-Khalil 2024 Comprehensive clarification of statistical and data concerns on the effects of apple cider vinegar on weight loss https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11773656/#R1 21:23 Final thoughts on the papers 28:18 Q&A 1 Protein intake during weight loss? Iron Culture Ep 313 - Is More (and More, and More) Protein Better for Muscle Retention https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWD83HYvJ_g Refalo 2025 Effect of Dietary Protein on Fat-Free Mass in Energy Restricted, Resistance-Trained Individuals: An Updated Systematic Review With Meta-Regression https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/9900/effect_of_dietary_protein_on_fat_free_mass_in.179.aspx 30:04 Q&A 2 Headaches as a side-effect of creatine? 35:48 Q&A Rapid Fire: Machines for joints, hypertrophy of biarticular muscles with squats and deadlifts,   42:27 Q&A Rapid Fire 2: Creatine and caffeine, decaffeinated coffee  47:45 Q&A 3 Can low volume be optimal for hypertrophy? 51:36 Q&A 4 Hammer curls for maximal bicep gains? Kassiano Distinct muscle growth and strength adaptations after preacher and incline biceps curl https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39809454/ Zabaleta-Korta 2023 Regional Hypertrophy: The Effect of Exercises at Long and Short Muscle Lengths in Recreationally Trained Women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37559762/ 58:30 Q&A 5 Up and downsides of fiber and some practical tips 1:03:05 Q&A Rapid Fire 3: Muscle length and peak contraction, different training for upper and low body, aerobic fitness with time-saving techniques Varovic 2024 Regional Hypertrophy with Resistance Training—Does Muscle Length Matter? https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/464#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20our%20results%20indicate,to%20shorter%20mean%20muscle%20lengths de Salles 2010 Strength increases in upper and lower body are larger with longer inter-set rest intervals in trained men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19811949/ 1:10:41 Closing out another wonderful episode of Iron Culture --- 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/

    1h 12m

  3. 5 FEB

    Ep 313 - Is More (and More, and More) Protein Better for Muscle Retention?

    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 in research and the implications of their findings for the fitness community. In this conversation, the Erics and Martin discuss the complexities of statistical modeling in nutrition research, the importance of parsimony, the risks of overfitting, and the challenges of controlling for covariates. The conversation also touches on the debate surrounding scaling protein recommendations by fat-free mass versus total mass, critiques of previous research on protein requirements for hypertrophy, and the ways in which these new findings support (and contradict) the authors’ previously held biases. Throughout the episode, they reflect on the evolution of research in the fitness industry and the importance of engaging with critiques and feedback. Ultimately, they emphasize the need for thoughtful, contextualized, individualized application of their findings while acknowledging key limitations of their work.   Time stamps: 00:00 Introducing Dr Martin Refalo Iron Culture Ep. 197- Training To Failure: A Comprehensive Overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa8Z-fUuiNU 5:28 How did we get to the meta-regression and an overview of the methods Refalo 2025 Effect of Dietary Protein on Fat-Free Mass in Energy Restricted, Resistance-Trained Individuals: An Updated Systematic Review With Meta-Regression https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/9900/effect_of_dietary_protein_on_fat_free_mass_in.179.aspx 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/ 20:49 The main findings 30:58 Addressing the critiques 44:08 Scaling protein recommendations to fat-free mass vs body mass and why there was no break-point analysis 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/ 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/33300582/ 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/35187864/ 1:07:45 The practical recommendations 1:22:49 Types and the categorization of data and the secondary analyses Murphy 2022 Energy deficiency impairs resistance training gains in lean mass but not strength: A meta-analysis and meta-regression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34623696/ 1:39:02 Quick Q&A Software for systematic reviews and meta-analyses 1:40:45 Final thoughts on the research and closing out Where to find Martin: @mrfitness__ https://www.instagram.com/mrfitness__/?hl=en

    1h 43m

  4. 29 JAN

    Ep 312 - Muscle Soreness: What Does It Mean? (ft. Dr. Mike Zourdos)

    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 crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, Monday nights at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat! Time stamps: 0:00 Intro music 2:25 Introduction to an episode with a rare Mike Zourdos sighting Ask your questions here: https://massresearchreview.com/ironculture/ 6:30 Helms brings some bodybuilding news (with some college football chat) 17:15 2025 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships recap 20:35 Preview for a future episode with Dr Refalo on recently published protein meta-regression Refalo 2025 Effect of Dietary Protein on Fat-Free Mass in Energy Restricted, Resistance-Trained Individuals: An Updated Systematic Review With Meta-Regression https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/9900/effect_of_dietary_protein_on_fat_free_mass_in.179.aspx 21:55 Q&A 1 Rapid bounce back from a series of unfortunate events 27:51 Q&A 2 Is soreness useful for determining volume? Gomes 2019 High-Frequency Resistance Training Is Not More Effective Than Low-Frequency Resistance Training in Increasing Muscle Mass and Strength in Well-Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29489727/ 40:25 Q&A 3 Protein ‘rapid fire’: vegan options, protein supplementation, and heavy metal contamination 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/35187864/ 1:06:10 Q&A 4 Strength progress, muscle growth and neurological adaptations 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 Ralston 2017 The Effect of Weekly Set Volume on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28755103/ 1:13:06 Q&A 5 Individual volume recommendation specificity 1:25:01 Q&A 6 Pre-sleep meal timing and other habits for sleep quality 1:36:07 Closing out and a preview for next week’s live episode --- 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: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100806 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

    1h 35m

  5. 22 JAN

    Ep 311 - The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy

    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 providing an evidence-based breakdown of symptoms, treatment options, and common misconceptions about hormone therapy. They tackle the complex landscape of medical misinformation head-on, offering listeners practical guidance for seeking specialized care and making informed health decisions. The discussion extends to critical examinations of hormonal contraceptives and their relationship with breast cancer risk, providing nuanced insights into inflammation mechanisms and risk assessment. The episode concludes with an illuminating segment on male hormone replacement therapy and "andropause," building on their previous coverage of testosterone optimization.   The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, Monday nights at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!   Time Stamps: 0:00 Introduction and Eric's upcoming contest prep plan 3:34 Calf stretching case study breakdown 22:33 Why you need to listen to the following section 28:12 Menopause information and symptoms 40:49 Menopause and hormone therapy misinformation 50:54 The BS asymmetry principle, seeking specialist attention, and science communication 1:01:50 Breast cancer risk and inflammation with hormonal contraceptives 1:12:58 "Man-opause" and hormone replacement therapy for men 1:24:48 Wrapping up

    1h 27m

  6. 15 JAN

    Ep 310 - Are People Getting "Metabolic Stress" Wrong?

    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 chaos that has been deleted. Time stamps: 00:00 Straight into the topic: why should anyone care about metabolic stress? 03:13 Helms takes a deep dive into energy systems and muscle physiology 12:37 Subjective and objective measures of the pump and potential influencing factors 22:12 Arterial and venous occlusion 29:35 Update on Trexler’s training and Q&A 1 different curl variations 38:53 Q&A 2 Manipulating forearm position for the biceps? 42:42 Q&A 3 Can BFR increase vascularity? And an aside on muscle memory and testosterone 48:03 Q&A 4 Individualising supplements and diet 58:34 Q&A 5 Fat oxidation and maximum rate of fat loss per day with some applications for contest prep 1:13:42 Q&A 6 Science communicators/educators and the philosophy of science  Larsen 2025 Knee flexion range of motion does not influence muscle hypertrophy of the quadriceps femoris during leg press training in resistance-trained individuals https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/502  Kubo 2019 Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110/ Iron Culture Ep. 109- Empiricism vs Rationalism: What Do We Really Know When It Comes To Fitness? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT3KPnTgO7M 1:29:27 Q&A 7 Using BFR in practice 1:30:50 Closing out MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/  --- 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/

    1h 33m

  7. 12 JAN

    Ep 309 - Finding the Volume “Sweet Spot” During Plateaus

    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 to training volume and exercise selection, as well as the impact of nutrition on overall health and performance in bodybuilding. They also discuss modern theories and practical applications surrounding body weight regulation and the neurophysiological factors influencing obesity. They explore the gravitosat theory, discuss the implications of muscle gain on body weight regulation, and examine the concept of upper and lower intervention points. Additionally, they touch on powerlifting training strategies and the significance of volume in strength training.   Time stamps: 0:00 Music 5:08 Introduction to the new year and another episode (and learning through teaching) 14:48 Q&A 1: Navigating injuries and recovery with training 23:42 Q&A 2: Plateaus with low volumes and difficulties recovering from increasing volume 31:08 Trexler on the importance of exercise selection and prescribing set volumes for clients 45:31 Q&A 3 The role of food quality in performance and hypertrophy 1:00:07 Q&A 4 Bodyweight regulation and intervention points with muscle gain 1:04:14 Exploring the Gravitostat Theory 1:10:50 Lower intervention points: muscle and fat gain Speakman 2011 Set points, settling points and some alternative models: theoretical options to understand how genes and environments combine to regulate body adiposity https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22065844/ 1:16:12 Neurophysiology and bodyweight regulation 1:24:01 Practical Applications of Body Weight Theories 1:29:35 Powerlifting Insights and Training Strategies Andoulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944/ 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 1:33:31 Closing out another episode of Iron Culture presented by MASS https://massresearchreview.com/ MASS Office Hours: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq2Hpu55tCKbaklI9h4Z5-2kJYf5T3ren

    1h 35m

  8. 4 JAN

    Ep 308 - The Future of Natural Bodybuilding (w/ WNBF Pros Alberto Nuñez and Steff Noble)

    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, higher competitive levels, higher productive quality in some regions, and in some countries natural bodybuilding is growing faster than enhanced bodybuilding. In North America, while some federations are doing better than others, the market demand for natural bodybuilding is obvious, as the NPC has made a concerted push to enter the natural bodybuilding scene, promoting drug tested shows in the US and Canada (as well as overseas), and even offering the chance to turn pro at the biggest natural events, with promises of drug tested pro shows on the horizon. What does this mean for natural bodybuilding? Is this a good thing, a threat, the beginning of a new era, or the beginning of the end? Further, what does the natural bodybuilding community need to do collectively to secure its future? Join us in this episode as we review not only the 2024 natural bodybuilding season, but discuss the future of the sport. 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... Time stamps: 00:00 (Re)-introducing Berto and Steff while Helms discusses ‘sports’ 04:15 Steff’s WNBF World’s recap and natural bodybuilding journey 10:35 The differences and similarities between the UK and US bodybuilding scenes (with some Eric seed-planting) 17:14 Berto’s WNBF World’s experience and the rising standard of bodybuilding 24:22 Regional differences in bodybuilding 36:09 The promoting and production of shows 46:00 The shift in the bodybuilding athlete mindset 51:31 The growth of the sport and increasing number of federations 59:12 Discussing comparisons with Powerlifting 1:13:40 Time for natural bodybuilding to adapt or die 1:26:03 Final perspectives on the future of bodybuilding 1:33:00 Closing out

    1h 34m
See All (317)

Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Iron Culture was started by Eric Helms and Omar Isuf, now currently hosted by Eric Helms and Eric Trexler with Omar as a returning guest, as a means of exploring the world of physical culture and attempting to distill a unified philosophy of lifting and to help listeners find greater meaning from the iron. The lifting community has become fractured over the last ~70 years and this Podcast will attempt to explore the fundamental threads that unite these different tribes. The Podcast focuses on dispensing practical, useful information to the listener, bouncing from history, to philosophy, to contemporary lifting culture issues, to science. This can range from teaching the audience about lifting, programming, nutrition, supplements/PEDs and the history of lifting culture. The format includes casual conversations between the two hosts on a variety of topics, discussions with a panel of experts and interviews with authoritative figures in the lifting community.

Information

  • Creator
    Eric Helms & Eric Trexler
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    317
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © (c) 2024 Eric Helms
  • Show Website
    Iron Culture

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada