It’s hard to explain to those who haven’t competed what it is about bodybuilding that can grip people and transform them. The near-spiritual experiences that some physique athletes gain through prep and competition are something shared regardless of division, federation, natural, or enhanced. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mike Israetel, not to talk sports science like you're used to, but to talk about what lies at the heart of the sport. Mike has been pushing forward through multiple seasons in his attempt to become an IFBB pro bodybuilder, an incredibly challenging feat that requires tremendous sacrifice and drive. What fuels a journey like that? What does a competitor experience - highs and lows? What do they learn, and how do they change? You might be surprised as well, that despite the different paths Dr. Helms and Dr. Israetel took as competitors, that at the heart of their experience lie many similar threads. Join us in this episode as they discuss the spirit of bodybuilding.

00:00 An introduction to a unifying (but still controversial) episode

08:09 The purpose of discussing your personal journey

Iron Culture Ep. 247- A Tale of Two Bodybuilders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-LlFYp_dA

21:21 The start of Mike’s bodybuilding journey and when he plans to stop competing

34:45 Having the right genetics and (the potential for) turning pro

51:02 The spiritual component of bodybuilding (Mike)

1:02:39 The spiritual component of bodybuilding (Eric) and the difference between amateurs and pros

1:11:43 Working through hard times and growing from criticism 

1:31:05 Androgens and what’s to come for Mike in the sport

1:39:24 The minutiae of the Iron game

Omar Isuf Why Mike Israetel Is WRONG About The Overhead Press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XondhZNAE74 

Omar Isuf Is Powerbuilding An Abomination? (ft. Jeff Nippard & Dr. Pak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eYnh0Aw4_c

1:46:46 Closing out with what Iron Culture means 

Leucine had a good run. It’s been nearly two decades at the top, with the result being that even a casually aware meat head can explain that the muscle building quality of a protein source is tied, at least in part, to its leucine content and that you should probably consume protein sources with high leucine content and spread protein feedings evenly throughout your day. Further, if you just so happen to run into a full blown evidence-based meat head in the wild, be ready for them to start throwing phrases at you at like “muscle protein synthesis”, “leucine trigger”, and “refractory period.” But, times are changing. A recent meta-analysis is casting doubt on the relationship between leucine and muscle protein synthesis in lifters. Now they’re saying leucine is done, saying leucine has no chance. Is that true? Join us in this episode as we do a deep dive on this new paper, what it means, and how to reconcile mechanistic and applied data when they seem to diverge.

00:00 Sexual health (and reading reviews) with the Erics

Iron Culture Ep. 246- Why Bulking Is NOT The Answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeEAH9X-cV0

MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ 

09:52 A comprehensive break down of the leucine research 

Wilkinson 2023 Association of postprandial postexercise muscle protein synthesis rates with dietary leucine: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37537134/

33:26 Interpretating and applying mechanistic and applied research

Pikosky 2008 Increased protein maintains nitrogen balance during exercise-induced energy deficit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18379214/

44:30 The current protein landscape in social media fitness and shifting the consensus in the community

52:31 Exploring the boundaries of “optimal” (the two meal per day vegan diet)

58:41 Boundaries of interpretation: the final takeaway

This episode almost didn’t happen. With Omar away, the Erics left to figure out how to do an episode of Iron Culture on their own, and nearly got stuck waiting forever for someone to say “Eric.” But, cooler heads prevailed and they found their way into a thoughtful, introspective, and nostalgic conversation. While both Trexler and Helms ended up taking very similar paths in life when you look at the outcome - competitive bodybuilders with PhDs in exercise-related fields who communicate science - their motivations and perspectives are actually quite unique. In this episode, you’ll learn how someone can find themself competing in the wacky sport/art we call bodybuilding, and what that experience can become, in terms of a cathartic outlet, a personal identity, a career, or even a science experiment. The meaning, in something as odd as flexing in posing trunks on stage, can be quite impactful, and quite personal. So tune in to this episode to learn about the personal history of and the meaning found in both Erics’ competitive journeys.

00:00 The Erics’ introduction to bodybuilding and their newbie gains

07:22 Choosing the natural route and closing the door on prohormones and steroids

20:17 Trexler’s motivation to compete

27:57 Helms’ experience with sports and getting bitten by the iron bug

37:31 Helms’ initial obsession with bodybuilding and the turning point

46:09 Helms’ academic journey

Kalm 2005 They starved so that others be better fed: remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota experiment https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15930436/

59:35 The art, culture, and community of natural bodybuilding

Kind 2023 Is bodybuilding a sport? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00948705.2023.2234978

1:07:53 The voice of insecurity and believing what is actually possible

1:18:49 What’s next for both Erics

1:30:47 Closing out the episode with some imagery

“Gotta eat big to get big brother!” “It’s the off-season man, I’m on that SEE-food diet, heheh ya feel me?!!” It’s been like this for decades in the muscle building world, and there’s a ton of anecdotes that you gotta eat enough to grow. Certainly, we can’t build muscle out of thin air. But given the modern understanding that body recomposition - at least in novice and early stage intermediate lifters who aren’t too lean - is actually quite normal, how much do you really have to eat? In this episode Omar interviews Eric Helms who just published a study on this very topic with surprising results. Is it really true that eating at maintenance is just as good as a small and large surplus for strength and muscle gain? Tune in to find out.

00:00 …It happened (intro to a power episode)

The Truth About Getting Lean: It's Not JUST About Calories (ft. Eric Helms) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnTHQafSh7A 

https://raskolapparel.com/

8:38 The weight gain study: breaking down the methods

Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372871560_Effect_of_Small_and_Large_Energy_Surpluses_on_Strength_Muscle_and_Skinfold_Thickness (link and title will be updated upon publication)

19:06 The findings and its interpretation

28:40 Applications for coaches

Schoenfeld 2017 Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/ 

Baz-Valle 2022 A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645/

Iron Culture Ep. 229- Is Failure More Important Than Volume For Hypertrophy (ft. Dr. Zourdos & Zac Robinson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C_48z5Cplg

Robinson 2023 https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/295 

40:40 Skinfold thickness vs muscle thickness changes

Garthe Effect of nutritional intervention on body composition and performance in elite athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23679146/ 

48:53 Assessing an individual’s genetic potential

Rozenek 2002 Effects of high-calorie supplements on body composition and muscular strength following resistance training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12094125/ 

Smith 2021 Predicting Adaptations to Resistance Training Plus Overfeeding Using Bayesian Regression: A Preliminary Investigation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33919267/

58:53 Adjusting your training and Eric’s reflections

1:05:39 Conclusions from the study and closing out (we are interdimensional) 

It’s Eric-ception folks. Today, we put to bed two controversies. Not only the controversy as to whether or not Eric Trexler is vat-grown, as he seems to have at least SOME pop-culture knowledge, but also the controversy of whether or not Eric Trexler and Eric Helms are actually the same person. The last two episodes renewed this conspiracy theory due to the occurrence of the “new” host Eric Trexler being on the last two episodes, while Eric Helms conveniently could not be on at the same time. Well folks, this episode, both Erics are here, and boy do they deliver.

Dr. Trexler does a deep dive on the topic of BMI, which has come under substantial fire in recent times due to its shortcomings as a useful clinical metric. But should we abandon it completely? What can BMI tell us? What can’t it tell us? And, how should it be used, if at all, moving forward? And, where do we find the middle ground between advocacy and scientific accuracy? Tune in to find out!

00:00 Introduction to the holy trifecta and Eric’s return

21:20 The background of BMI and metabolically healthy obesity

https://massresearchreview.com/

Marcus 2023 Metabolically Healthy Obesity Is a Misnomer: Components of the Metabolic Syndrome Linearly Increase with BMI as a Function of Age and Gender https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37237531/

40:00 The value of this research from a sociological lens

46:43 Limitations and criticisms of BMI

Xu 2018 Association of Obesity With Mortality Over 24 Years of Weight History: Findings From the Framingham Heart Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646366/

Iron Culture Ep. 146- What The Fitness Industry Gets Wrong About The Obesity Epidemic  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfAbKeiAuII

1:04:55 Goal orientation: changing health behaviours vs reducing BMI

Oscarsson 2020 A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33296385/

1:25:36 Closing out another monster episode

Omar @omarisuf https://www.instagram.com/omarisuf/ www.raskolapparel.com

Helms @helms3dmj https://www.instagram.com/helms3dmj/ https://3dmusclejourney.com/ 

Trexler @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/ https://trexlerfitness.com/

The new co-host of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler, is back with another (monster) episode. In this episode we take a look at everyone's favorite hormone, testosterone. 

Specially, Dr. Trexler examines the role of maconutrient changes on testosterone levels. How does fat & carbohydrate intake impact a person's testosterone?

We also explore body composition differences and how this can have an even larger impact on one's testosterone. Lastly after sharing the not so pleasant realities of dieting and experiencing low testosterone symptoms, Eric shares key points for maintaining a healthy level of testosterone.

00:00 Reading comments: the people know what they like (Eric)

Iron Culture Ep. 243- It's Not JUST About Calories (ft. Eric Trexler) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrDV1yADIiQ 

10:07 Dietary/macronutrient modifications to support or boost testosterone levels

Whittaker 2021 Low-fat diets and testosterone in men: Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33741447/

Whittaker 2022 Low-carbohydrate diets and men's cortisol and testosterone: Systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35254136/

Smith 2022 Examining the effects of calorie restriction on testosterone concentrations in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34613412/

24:53 Interpreting the effects of protein on testosterone during carbohydrate restriction

32:34 Relationship between adiposity and testosterone

41:19 When does testosterone start to drop?

Keys 1952 Biology of Human Starvation https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Biology-of-Human-Starvation-Widdowson/6f38ee886f39daa656b1ac9ceb8a3c0785e100eb

54:22 Muscle hypertrophy and testosterone

1:06:38 The effect of changes in body fat levels

MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ 

Helms 2023 Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3184470/v1

1:19:34 Other factors which may influence testosterone levels

Kerksick 2018 ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30068354/

1:34:37 The Trex lore

1:42:28 Wrapping up

Instagram @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/?hl=en

Website https://trexlerfitness.com/ 

MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ 

MASS YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@MASSResearchReview 

This is a monster episode. Newly added co-host Eric Trexler details his impressive credentials, groundbreaking new line of research and perhaps most importantly, the best way to effectively execute a single leg take-down on an unsuspecting person. 

His new appointment at Duke University will be looking in part at the topic of today, exercise energy compensation. It turns out that calories in, calories out is a little more complicated than most would assume. Made famous by Dr. Herman Pontzer and his book Burn, Dr. Trexler explores what exactly this phrase means, the utility of doubly labelled water and the future of research in this field.

00:00 Officially welcoming Eric (Trexler) to the holy trifecta

06:14 Trexler’s background and what’s in store for Helms

Hall 2013 Diet versus exercise in "the biggest loser" weight loss competition https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov/23404767/ 

Hall 2022 Energy compensation and metabolic adaptation: "The Biggest Loser" study reinterpreted https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816627/

18:11 Trexler’s training story

29:25 Why Trexler doesn’t like Dr Grant Tinsley (scandal) and the passion for exercise science

32:27 Trexler the researcher and exercise energy compensation

39:08 Explaining Doubly Labelled Water

43:28 The overarching aim of Trexler’s research and the role of exercise in weight loss

Speakman 2019 The International Atomic Energy Agency International Doubly Labelled Water Database: Aims, Scope and Procedures https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31743893/

1:02:40 Negative energy balance and energy expenditure compensation

MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ 

Willis 2022 Physical Activity and Total Daily Energy Expenditure in Older US Adults: Constrained versus Additive Models https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34334719/

1:13:20 Compensatory mechanisms with negative energy balance

Speakman 2020 Why does caloric restriction increase life and healthspan? The 'clean cupboards' hypothesis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34692140/

1:29:20 The official introduction of Dr Eric Trexler (T-rex) to Iron Culture: hopes for future research as an academic and a coach

1:36:04 Formally retracting a controversial statement (a topic for future discussion…)

1:42:54 Where to find Eric Trexler

Instagram @trexlerfitness https://www.instagram.com/trexlerfitness/

MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ 

MASS YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@MASSResearchReview 

Office Hours (next stream: 10/11/2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUNVMdIaP4

Fresh off his historic performance at USAPL Mega Nationals 2023, Austin Perkins joins Iron Culture to share his story of how in just two short years he exceeded Taylor Atwood’s 2021 record performance which many thought would stand for years to come. Austin Perkins totalled 851kg in the under 75kg raw men’s division, totalling more than the 82.5kg winner, and importantly 12.5kg more than Taylor Atwood’s 2021 record of 838.5kg, which importantly, resulted in Taylor beating Austin by 68.5kg. What’s the story behind Austin’s rise, and is he the new pound for pound king of raw, tested powerlifting? Join us on Iron Culture for the full story!

00:00 Introducing Austin Perkins (a top-tier hunk) to Iron Culture and his dominant performance at USAPL Mega Nats

Iron Culture Ep. 241- The End of Iron Culture (As You Know It) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ckvqnB-Ueg

12:18 The younger generation of powerlifters and long-term progression

17:25 Austin’s backstory

25:43 The Austin Perkins story continued 

Iron Culture Ep. 82- Becoming A Respected Strength Coach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E9hM_jyOLs

44:56 The road to 800kg

59:35 “Ya’ll think you’re close, but you have no idea” - Austin’s comeback from injury and breaking records

1:33:03 The USAPL split and the battle for Worlds

1:42:47 Thanking and showing our respect for Austin

Instagram @the75kg https://www.instagram.com/the75kg/?img_index=1

YouTube @Perkthe75kg https://www.youtube.com/@Perkthe75kg 

TikTok @the75kg https://www.tiktok.com/@the75kg 

Online Coaching https://www.gamedaybarbell.com/online-coaching

It’s been a while since the duo atop the pyramid just sat down for a good one-on-one chat, as we’ve had awesome guests on for the past 6 episodes. But what did we talk about as the two of us sat atop the pyramid? Believe it or not, ending our relationship as Eve known it, by bringing a third host on top of the pyramid with us…and not atop the adjacent obelisk, and not on the one step below us, but on top, as part of an iron thrupple. Tune in to learn about this monumental change in our relationship status. In addition, we recapped some incredible performances at the recent USAPL Mega Nationals, and we also discussed the shifting winds in the social media space from a focus on strength and powerlifting, to bodybuilding.

The Iron Culture alumni tour continues with the four year anniversary of the last appearance of Cliff Wilson, who returns to Iron Culture after another four years in the trenches to share his perspectives on coaching. Simply put, Cliff probably has the most impressive coaching resume of any physique coach in the game. Most interestingly, he sees himself as an evidence-based coach. But that’s not necessarily a win for #science, if anything, it’s a wake up call for people to have a better understanding of what it actually means to blend experience, scientific findings and individual differences together into the art of effective coaching. Join us as we sit down to discuss the topic with one of the most decorated coaches in the game.

00:00 Introduction: the return of Omar Isuf to YouTube

Science vs Broscience: What Will Actually Build More Muscle!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHmceMSIrxg 

05:42 Welcoming Cliff (and his polo) back to Iron Culture

Iron Culture Ep. 36- How To Look Your Absolute Best: Peaking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShi00QoSTY

12:16 Science vs broscience

19:43 Having an ego and changing your position

24:30 Cliff’s communication strategies with clients

36:25 Navigating the psychology of people who compete in physique sport

44:10 Cliff’s coaching journey and success

52:02 The evidence-based coach, and anecdotal and scientific evidence

1:13:30 Being wrong, the limitations of science, and retrospective framing 

1:17:44 Closing out and driving forward the sport of bodybuilding

Where to find Cliff

Instagram @cwteamwilson https://www.instagram.com/cwteamwilson/?hl=en

Team Wilson https://www.teamwilsonbb.com/

Unrivaled Coaching https://www.unrivaledcoach.com/