In this conversation, Eric Helms reflects on his recent competition experience, discussing the nostalgia of returning to a familiar stage and the significance of competing at a pro level. He emphasizes the importance of mindset during contest prep and the challenges of transitioning from a dieting phase to maintenance. The discussion also covers the psychological aspects of maintaining weight loss and the need for a lifestyle that supports health and fitness. Eric shares insights on setting realistic goals and the importance of community in the bodybuilding journey. In this conversation, Trexler and Helms delve into the complexities of dieting, weight maintenance, and the psychological challenges that accompany lifestyle changes. They discuss the importance of acceptance and compromise in post-diet life, the struggle of reintegrating comfort foods, and the need for empathetic approaches to dieting. The dialogue also touches on social eating dynamics and practical tips for navigating dietary choices in group settings, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and honest conversations about food and lifestyle.

If you're in the market for some gym gear or apparel, please support our friends over at elitefts.com and use code "MRR10" for 10% off your order

Chapters:

00:00 The California Muscle Mayhem Experience

8:20 Personal Reflections

15:40 Discussion on Food Choices and Post-Competition Plans

24:38 Post-Diet Mentality and Maintenance Challenges

44:13 Finding Balance in Dietary Lifestyle Changes

58:39 Making Goal-Directed Food Choices

1:08:57 Striking a Balance With Step Counts

1:10:50 Energy Expenditure Scaling By Body Weight/Size

1:13:32 When People Criticize Your Dietary Choices

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler and Dr. Eric Helms discuss Helms' upcoming bodybuilding competition, his preparation journey, and the importance of nutrition and recovery. They delve into various topics including auto-regulated dieting, GI issues, mini cuts, step counts, energy expenditure, and more.

If you're looking for some gym gear or apparel, please be sure to support our friends over at elitefts.com (and use code "MRR10" for 10% off your order)

Chapters

00:00 Introduction (Helms bodybuilding plans and updates)

12:38 new MASS issue (and importance of expectancy effects)

27:13 mini-cuts (pros and cons)

35:33 overcoming low appetite while bulking

39:53 Helms updated protein targets

44:26 Lead in protein supplements (and using EAAs as your main protein source)

52:33 Cardio approaches (substrate utilization and recovery considerations)

1:00:44 Dealing with insufficient sleep

1:07:26 Relationship between step count and energy expenditure

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler and Eric Helms discuss significant updates in fitness research, particularly focusing on the constrained energy expenditure model and the effects of NSAIDs on muscle hypertrophy. They also revisit a prior episode about PhDs (how they're obtained and what they mean) by discussing the international differences in PhD programs.

If you're in the market for some gym gear or apparel, be sure to support our friends at elitefts.com and use code "MRR10" for a 10% discount.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

5:11 Constrained Energy Expenditure Model (background)

18:54 Did new research "debunk" the constrained model?

35:05 New Insights on NSAIDs and Muscle Hypertrophy

46:03 Caution with NSAIDs: Risks and Benefits

50:10 Understanding International PhD Structures

In tonight's episode of Iron Culture, Dr. Eric Helms returns with stories from his competition and associated travels. Topics include jet lag, dehydration, miscalculated use of laxatives and sleep aids, getting stitches in a Taiwan emergency room, autographed Eric Helms trading cards, Eric's 5th place finish at a pro show, autoregulated dieting, and much more.

If you're in the market for some new gym gear or apparel, be sure to check out our friends at elitefts.com - use our code (MRR10) for a 10% discount.

Time stamps

0:00 Intro

5:06 Bodybuilding "stars" in Taiwan (and autographed Eric Helms trading cards)

22:13 Navigating jetlag

29:48 Helms getting stitches in Taiwan

34:08 Inadvisable use of laxatives

41:47 Show placings

54:30 "Autoregulated dieting"

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler interviews Wil Fleming, a level five senior international coach with USA Weightlifting. They discuss Wil's journey into Olympic weightlifting, the importance of mental resilience, and the technical aspects of teaching Olympic lifts. Wil shares insights on managing arousal levels during competitions, the significance of routines, and many other factors that contribute to successful weightlifting at the highest level.

Be sure to support our friends over at elitefts.com by using our discount code (MRR10) to save 10% on your next order of lifting gear or apparel.

Head over here to check out Wil's new book:

www.strongmindtraining.com

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

2:42 The Journey into Olympic Weightlifting

7:28 Teaching the Olympic Lifts: Progressions and Prerequisites

32:10 Mental Aspects of Weightlifting: Building Resilience

48:22 The Importance of Pre-Performance Routines

54:30 Mentally Preparing for Setbacks in Competition

58:32 Managing Arousal Levels in Competition

1:05:42 Water cuts in weightlifting

1:09:42 Final Thoughts and Book Info

A recent dust-up in the evidence-based fitness world has sparked a lot of discussion about credentials. How are they earned, what do they represent, and how do they impact the way we engage with someone's content, recommendations, or products? This episode of Iron Culture discusses all of that (and more).

Be sure to support our friends over at elitefts.com by using our discount code (MRR10) to save 10% on your next order of lifting gear or apparel.

Time stamps:

0:00 Intro

4:42 The big dust-up

10:01 What goes into a PhD?

17:40 Who decides whether or not a PhD is good enough?

28:43 Three important points

41:36 What does a PhD actually mean?

49:47 Evaluating someone's credentials in a given area

59:49 Practical tips for assessing claims/creators

Helms has neglected to show up yet again, so Ep 347 is a solo show in which Dr Trex details a recent saga in which a paper about apple cider vinegar was retracted. The episode covers what the paper reported, how Trex & co pursued clarification, how the paper was eventually retracted, and (most importantly) what this means for "evidence-based" fitness. Even if you don't care about apple cider vinegar, there are important lessons to draw from an evidence-based view of fitness that acknowledges the fallibility of published evidence.

By the way, if you're going to stock up on some lifting gear or apparel, please be sure to support our friends over at elitefts.com and remember to use our code "MRR10" for a 10% discount.

Time stamps:

0:00 Intro

5:34 The original paper and findings

13:27 Our letter to the editor

17:54 The authors' response

23:59 The retraction

29:06 The statistical investigation

32:13 Why the retraction process doesn't actually work

38:30 How to be "evidence based" when unreliable evidence is routinely published

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler welcomes back Eric Helms, who clarifies recent misunderstandings about his commitment to the iron game. Helms shares insights from his recent travels, including a global education event with TechnoGym in Bali, and discusses the importance of cultural experiences in fitness education. The conversation also covers strategies for managing jet lag during international travel, the mechanics of hypertrophy, and the significance of community in fitness. As Helms prepares for upcoming competitions, he reflects on his journey in bodybuilding and the evolving landscape of the fitness industry.

Need some lifting gear? Use our discount code (MRR10) over at www.elitefts.com

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back to Iron Culture

03:50 Clarifying Misunderstandings

09:51 Eric's Upcoming Competition

14:52 Travel Adventures and Experiences

23:42 Jet Lag and Nutrition Strategies

32:00 Engaging with the Fitness Community

39:39 The Rise of Science in Fitness

48:50 Hypertrophy and Leverage Data

01:20:46 Wrapping Up and Future Plans

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler is joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to discuss various topics in fitness, particularly focusing on creatine supplementation, female-oriented creatine marketing, the rising popularity of creatine gummies, and several creatine myths. They discuss the importance of understanding the science behind creatine and debunk common misconceptions before moving on to discuss the role of exercise in bone health and fracture prevention.

Need some lifting gear? Use our discount code (MRR10) over at www.elitefts.com

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

3:45 Today's Show

5:38 Creatine for Women: Marketing vs. Science

9:09 Debunking Myths: Creatine Levels in Women

17:59 Issues With Creatine Gummies

24:48 Creatine Washout and Cycling

30:00 Creatine and Subcutaneous Water Retention

36:32 Training for Bone Health

46:22 Loading Recommendations for Bone Remodeling

50:05 Nuances in Bone Research

1:01:11 Dietary Considerations for Bone Health

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler interviews Dr. Marc Lewis, the director of Applied Sports Science for the Houston Texans. They discuss the role of sports scientists in maximizing athlete performance through data collection, management, and analysis. Marc shares insights on the day-to-day responsibilities of a sports scientist, the importance of understanding athlete load and stress, and the evolution of sports science in the NFL. They also explore the future of sports science careers and provide advice for aspiring sports scientists.

Need some lifting gear? Use our discount code (MRR10) over at www.elitefts.com

Check out Dr. Lewis' new book here:

https://www.sportsciencenetwork.com/handbook

Keep up-to-date with Dr. Lewis and his projects:

https://drmarclewis.com/

Instagram: @marctlewis

Twitter/X: @marctlewis

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sports Science in Football

01:47 What Does a Sports Scientist Do?

7:26 From Data to Decisions

11:00 Navigating the Data Overload

23:13 Applied Data Versus Peer-Reviewed Evidence

27:20 Applying Sports Science Insights to Strength Coaching

34:46 The Reality of Overtraining in Elite Sport Versus General Fitness

45:17 The Extremes of Human Performance

51:01 Unique Needs of Elite Athletes

56:45 The Current State (and Future) of Sports Science in America

1:09:46 Building a Career in Sports Science