Iron Culture Eric Helms & Omar Isuf

We’re back with MASScast episode 2 and we’re joined by Dr. Mike Zourdos to discuss several things which can impact your strength performance right now. In this episode we discuss the effect of mental stress on lifting performance, the effect of social media use on lifting performance, and post-activation potentiation, which is a tool where you can potentiate your back off sets’ performance with a heavy top set. What constitutes mental stress? How do you minimise the negative effects of mental stress when it can’t be avoided? What type of social media usage might be a bad idea before training? How can you set up your top sets in such a way to improve your volume performance in back off sets the most? Join us as we answer all these questions!
For more MASS science-based content check out https://massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/)
00:00 Welcoming back Dr Mike Zourdos to the Iron Culture and reviewing reviews.
08:24 What is mental fatigue, and how is it measured?
Iron Culture Ep. 135- Lifting For Endurance Athletes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjOMuzSc1PM
Gantois 2021 Mental Fatigue From Smartphone Use Reduces Volume-Load in Resistance Training: A Randomized, Single-Blinded Cross-Over Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34000894/
de Queiros 2021 Mental Fatigue Reduces Training Volume in Resistance Exercise: A Cross-Over and Randomized Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32962539/ 
17:51 The Stroop test vs. real world demands
29:40 How much mental fatigue is required to impair performance?
Fortes 2022 Effects of social media on smartphone use before and during velocity-based resistance exercise on cognitive interference control and physiological measures in trained adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33372542/ 
Cook 2012 Changes in salivary testosterone concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance following the presentation of short video clips https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21983238/ 
Iron Culture Ep. 4- Periodization & Autoregulation Roundtable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIVw1OxvZUA
Dallaway 2022 How am I doing? Performance feedback mitigates the effects of mental fatigue on endurance exercise performance https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029222000784
50:04 Dissipating mental fatigue and maximal strength performance
Smith 2019 Comparing the Effects of Three Cognitive Tasks on Indicators of Mental Fatigue https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31188721/
Alix-Fages 2023 Mental Fatigue From Smartphone Use or Stroop Task Does Not Affect Bench Press Force-Velocity Profile, One-Repetition Maximum, or Vertical Jump Performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37024109/
Russell 2019 The application of mental fatigue research to elite team sport performance: New perspectives https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30606625/ 
Bartholomew 2008 Strength gains after resistance training: the effect of stressful, negative life events https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18545186/ 
1:10:20 What is post-activation potentiation (PAP)? And applications for Powerlifting
de Freitas 2021 Postactivation Potentiation Improves Acute Resistance Exercise Performance and Muscular Force in Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30507733/
Alves 2021 Postactivation Potentiation Improves Performance in a Resistance Training Session in Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31567790/

Here at Iron Culture we’re overjoyed any time the legends of the game are remembered in the current age, and Mike Mentzer, one of the best-built proponents of HIT (High Intensity Training) - low volume, low frequency training to failure - is making a modern resurgence. Is it because he had a top tier golden age physique? Is it the appeal to hard work and masochism that we bodybuilders are always ready to eat up? Or is it the recent research in pre-print status that indicates going to failure might be better for hypertrophy? As you can expect, it’s probably a combination of these factors and there’s more than meets the eye to each. Join us this week as we go deep into this modern HIT resurgence.

We have an exciting announcement at Iron Culture, we are combining forces with MASS, Monthly Applications in Strength Sport to bring you regular “MASScast” episodes where we will be joined by one or more of the expert MASS reviewers to talk science. In this inaugural MASScast episode we’re joined by Dr. Eric Trexler to discuss surprising recent data that suggests basal metabolic rates have been decreasing at the population level over recent decades. Is this true? And if so, what’s causing it? In addition, we discuss the continuing confusion regarding high versus low-carb diets. Where is the cut-off for being high or low carb, and when is each a good or bad approach? Listen in to learn what the latest data indicates and how to apply it!
For more MASS science-based content check out massresearchreview.com (en español https://revistamass.com/)
00:00 Intro: expanding the Iron Culture pyramid
Iron Culture Ep. 164- A Scientific Examination of the Carnivore Diet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K336B32efS0 
9:58 Trexler’s background
Iron Culture Ep. 30- The Science of Weight Loss (Metabolic Adaptation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeslRPi4VWI&t=18s
16:11 Why is everyone’s BMR dropping?
Speakman 2023 Total daily energy expenditure has declined over the past three decades due to declining basal expenditure, not reduced activity expenditure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37100994/
31:17 Some compelling theories on the topic
38:25 The conflicting conclusions from this paper
48:51 Where are these puzzling findings coming from? And their potential applications 
Raskol Apparel https://raskolapparel.com/
1:00:14 Where are we at with carbohydrates these days?
Ribeiro 2023 The Effects of Carbohydrate Intake on Body Composition and Muscular Strength in Trained Men Undergoing a Progressive Resistance Training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37114196/
1:18:10 Explaining the conflicting anecdotes and evidence
Hokken 2021 Subcellular localization- and fibre type-dependent utilization of muscle glycogen during heavy resistance exercise in elite power and Olympic weightlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32961628/
Vargas-Molina 2020 Effects of a ketogenic diet on body composition and strength in trained women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32276630/
Vargas-Molina 2021 Effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on health parameters in resistance-trained women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34003364/
King 2022 The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35809162/
1:30:14 Shoutout to the Pancreas Duke and one final question on the Ribeiro study
1:35:14 Closing out another MONSTER episode and where to find Trexler
Instagram @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/
Monthly Applications in Strength Sport https://massresearchreview.com/?fbclid=IwAR3FD1QAV8OsU0eE1E2a0VZll8EB5uzAJrjJD03B_wWujzhiSXc7zCTZbY8

In this episode, we discuss two topics, when and how to address fringe topics in the fitness space and the growing data in support of long muscle length partials for hypertrophy. In the former discussion, we discuss how science communicators are often in a difficult position when addressing such fringe ideas. When these beliefs are believed by small segments of the population - especially if they are potentially harmful - simply addressing them can potentially give them more legitimacy if not done right. Then we dive into “lengthened partials”, which only a couple of years ago would have been lumped in with the more common short muscle length partials you roll your eyes at in the gym all the time (think half squats). While formerly a fringe idea, the data continues to elucidate that this approach may have merit for hypertrophy.
00:00 Reviewing reviews: addressing the carnivore diet.
Iron Culture Ep. 164- A Scientific Examination of the Carnivore Diet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K336B32efS0
40:15 Stretch-mediated hypertrophy and lengthened partials
Ep. 189- Stretching & Range of Motion for Strength and Hypertrophy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFrO2UQoIBg
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport http://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/ 
Warneke 2023 Comparison of the effects of long-lasting static stretching and hypertrophy training on maximal strength, muscle thickness and flexibility in the plantar flexors https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37029826/
Kassiano 2023 Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37015016/
Schoenfeld 2020 Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32030125/
Maeo 2021 Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009197/
Goto 2019 Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31034463/
Werkhausen 2021 Adaptations to explosive resistance training with partial range of motion are not inferior to full range of motion https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33465838/ 
Pedrosa 2022 Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33977835/
Wolf 2023 Partial Vs Full Range of Motion Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/182
59:24 Applications of full RoM vs partials
1:16:26 How to standardize RoM in lengthened partials
1:26:58 Applicability to strength
Kitai 1989 Specificity of joint angle in isometric training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2737195/
1:39:32 Eric’s conclusions and closing out

In this episode, we’re joined by Mitchell Hooper fresh off his 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) win. In addition to winning the 2023 WSM, he also won the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. He is among only four competitors to have won these two titles in the same year, and he is the youngest ever to do so, now sitting among living legends Brian Shaw, Žydrūnas Savickas, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. In our conversation we discuss how Mitchell seemingly burst onto the scene out of nowhere, what it’s like competing in the WSM, his future, the future of strongman and the WSM in the modern era, and his perspective on being a champion and ambassador. Finally, we discuss how Mitchell’s education - having a master's degree in exercise physiology - influenced his training approach, which is surprisingly simple and seemingly non-traditional. As a relative newcomer to the sport, his approach hasn’t been influenced by typical strongman “dogma” and thus, his entrance onto the scene may have a revolutionary impact on how athletes train for strongman and strongwoman in the modern era.

You’ve probably heard of the famous, ancient lifting stones in Iceland and Scotland, some of which are even replicated and used in strongman competitions. But did you know that over 20 stones (and still counting) have been uncovered just in the last few years in Ireland, many of them heavier than the stones in Iceland and Scotland, by primarily one man? That man, Kettlebell Sport World Champion and amateur historian David Keohan (affectionately called “Indiana Stones”) joins us in this episode to discuss the incredible stories of how these stones were unearthed. You’ll hear about these ancient stones and their rich cultural significance and connections to mythology. While we often think of history as something in the past, when you tune in you’ll learn how some history is still being uncovered in real time!
00:00 Paying respects to a ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ review
3:20 Introducing David Keohan and lifting stones in Ireland
Rogue Fitness documentaries
Stoneland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhQlNwxn5oo
Fullsterkur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Tcsg2Yac8
Levantadores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vck32S27RmM
19:53 Researching the stones
32:18 The process of finding the stones and recording the findings
37:24 Promoting the (oral) history of the stones
52:26 Significance of the symbolism of the stones 
1:05:45 Closing out and where to find David 
Instagram: @_indiana_stones_ https://www.instagram.com/_indiana_stones_/