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Iron Culture presented by MASS

MASS Research Review

Iron Culture was started 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. It focuses on dispensing practical, useful information to the listener, bouncing from history, to philosophy, to contemporary lifting culture issues, to science. Iron Culture is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review.

health & fitness

All Episodes

01:01:46

BONUS: The Missing Dimension to Optimum Sports...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/10/06

In this episode, Eric Helms and Steve Hall explore the nature of aging, the importance of self-awareness, and practical insights into nutrition and training for bodybuilders. They share personal stories, scientific perspectives, and coaching tips to help listeners optimize their health and performance.Catch new Iron Culture episodes every Tuesday at 5:30 pm eastern time!Be sure to use code "MRR10" for 10% off your order at elitefts.comIron Culture is proudly presented by the MASS Research

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01:46:25

Ep 391 - What Can You REALLY Learn From Pre-Steroid...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/09/30

This episode looks at bodybuilding before steroids became widespread, arguing that the era is far more useful (and more complicated) than the usual “pure, simple, natty golden age” story. Drs Eric Helms and Conor Heffernan break down how strength sport, judging standards, gym access, and culture shaped physiques from the 1940s through the 1950s. The big takeaway is that early bodybuilding was not a direct comparison to modern natural bodybuilding. The sport was tied to Olympic weightlifting,

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01:08:35

Ep 390 - Is Muscle Loss Really a Big Deal?

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/09/23

Bodybuilders are laser-focused on retaining as much muscle as possible while dieting, and for very good reason. In that context, the smallest details matter. But what about everybody else? This episode explores a hot take on weight loss, lean mass loss, and why the usual fear of losing muscle may be overstated in the context of successful long-term weight loss. Drs Eric Helms and Eric Trexler break down what lean mass loss actually represents, how body composition changes in obesity differ from

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01:38:42

Ep 389 - What the Erics Actually Do

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/09/16

In this episode, Eric Helms and Eric Trexler share their current approaches to diet, training, and supplementation, emphasizing pragmatic strategies, individualization, and the importance of evidence-based practice. They discuss how constraints, habits, and intrinsic motivation shape their approaches to fitness, offering valuable insights for both athletes and everyday lifters.Catch new Iron Culture episodes every Tuesday at 5:30 pm eastern time!Be sure to use code "MRR10" for 10% off your

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01:06:35

BONUS - Drop Sets & Myo-Reps: The Best Way to Use...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/09/09

In this episode, Eric Helms and Steve Hall discuss training strategies, auto-regulation, the role of cardio in bodybuilding, and practical techniques for efficient training. They share insights from their recent training camps and personal experiences to help listeners optimize their workouts and recovery.Catch new Iron Culture episodes every Tuesday at 5:30 pm eastern time!Be sure to use code "MRR10" for 10% off your order at elitefts.comIron Culture is proudly presented by the MASS

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01:35:41

Ep 388 - What Most Bodybuilders and Their Coaches...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/09/03

In this episode, Eric Helms and Richard Collins explore the art and science of coaching, emphasizing the importance of motivation, rapport, and tailored strategies in achieving long-term success in fitness and bodybuilding. In this episode, Richard shares his extensive experience in physique sport coaching, mental performance training, and how athletes and coaches can optimize their mindset and preparation for peak performance.Check out Richard's instagram (richard_collinscoach) to stay up to

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01:02:02

Ep 387 - Energy Cost of Building Muscle

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/08/26

In this episode, Eric Trexler and Eric Helms explore the energetic cost of building human skeletal muscle, discussing recent research, practical implications, and misconceptions about muscle growth and energy expenditure.Relevant papers:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31482093/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37914977/https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.17.745156v1.full.pdfCatch new Iron Culture episodes every Tuesday at 5:30 pm eastern time!Be sure to use code "MRR10" for 10%

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01:19:11

Ep 386 - Sleep, Hypertrophy, and Creatine

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/08/20

Trexler and Helms dig into sleep and how it intersects with body composition and supplementation. They open on the sleep-and-lifting landscape, then work through the frequently cited 2010 study on insufficient sleep and fat loss, laying out its design and the details behind its dramatic-sounding numbers. From there they discuss what the broader literature does and doesn't establish, the acute effects of sleep restriction on power, skill, and pain perception, and observational data — including

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01:18:25

Ep 385 - Do Studies on Untrained Lifters Apply to...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/08/12

Trexler and Helms dig into Helms's new MASS article, "Are studies on untrained lifters irrelevant to trained lifters?" It's built around a new umbrella review by Andy Fry and colleagues. The recurring internet claim is that most exercise research is done on untrained people, so a trained lifter is "built different" and the findings don't apply. The hosts unpack why that's mostly wrong. They start with the messy problem of defining how "trained" someone

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01:15:08

BONUS: Bulking Is Dead - Eric Helms & Steve Hall

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/08/05

In this episode, Eric Helms and Steve Hall explore the nuances of body recomposition, optimal bulking and cutting strategies, and the science behind muscle gain and fat loss. They discuss recent research, practical insights, and debunk common myths to help athletes optimize their training and nutrition.Iron Culture is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review. Mostly because Helms and Trex are co-owners.massresearchreview.comIf you're in the market for some new (ultra-high-quality) gym gear

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01:22:40

Ep 384 - Is Ultrasound Lying About Your Gains?

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/07/29

A methods-focused episode about how muscle and body-composition measurements can mislead you when reading the research. The main event is a new Balshaw and colleagues paper concluding that ultrasound muscle thickness is a poor index of MRI-measured muscle growth. Trexler and Helms argue this shouldn't be read as "throw out all ultrasound research" — the real culprit is that muscle thickness is a crude one-dimensional snapshot with measurement error large enough to swamp the small

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01:05:42

Ep 383 - Q&A: Imbalances, Fatigue, & REDs

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/07/22

In today's Q&A episode, the Erics work through a few listener questions. First they tackle upper/lower body imbalance — why lagging body parts usually call for improving training quality before adding volume, and why standout muscle groups can be maintained on surprisingly little work. Next is a long discussion on managing fatigue and exercise sequencing in high-frequency, non-traditional splits, including why the "48 hours between muscle groups" rule is more dogma than requirement

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01:26:23

Ep 382 - The Science of Building Bone (ft. Dr.Lora...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/07/15

The Erics sit down with bone health expert Dr. Lora Giangregorio, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Waterloo, to unpack what's actually known about how bone adapts to resistance training. The conversation covers why bone changes so slowly, the many sources of measurement error in DEXA scans, and why so much of the exercise-and-bone literature is underpowered and hard to interpret. Dr. G makes a central practical case: for building bone, the message shouldn't be "lift

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01:14:09

BONUS: Are Fitness Trackers Worth It? - Eric Helms &...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/07/08

In this episode, Steve Hall and Eric Helms explore the nuances of training, recovery, and the use of technology in bodybuilding. They share insights on managing recovery, the limitations of fitness trackers, and the importance of personalized approaches to training and nutrition.If you're in the market for some new (ultra-high-quality) gym gear or apparel, be sure to use code "MRR10" for a 10% discount over at elitefts.comIron Culture is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review

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01:16:15

Ep 381 - Q&A: GLP-1s, Tendon Training, & Rep Ranges

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/07/01

Trexler and Helms open with an overview of the new MASS issue (body recomposition, a protein consensus paper, reverse dieting) and a powerlifting World Championships recap before diving into a rapid-fire listener Q&A. Along the way they tackle whether protein needs scale with training volume, the science behind a supplement that's been called "Nature's Ozempic," evaluating protein quality based on food labels, dieting while chasing endurance adaptations, protecting tendons and

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01:20:51

Ep 380 - Bulking, Cutting, and Recomping

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/06/25

In this Q&A episode, Eric Trexler and Eric Helms open with a recap of their trip to Norway and announce a new MASS partnership with AFPT International. They then work through a string of listener questions that end up forming a surprisingly cohesive arc: how much total daily energy expenditure actually varies between people, RED-S and low energy availability, what really drives satiety, and a deep dive into building or retaining muscle in a calorie deficit. The back half tackles body

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01:33:14

Ep 379 - Behind the Scenes (Iron Culture Documentary)...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/06/17

In a monumental moment for the Iron Cult, OMAR RETURNS for a guest appearance.In this episode, Omar Isuf and Eric Helms discuss the journey of creating the ambitious Iron Culture documentary, highlighting behind-the-scenes challenges, personal sacrifices, and the passion driving their project. They reflect on the collaborative effort, funding, and the cultural significance of their work, offering insights into the process of producing a self-funded, passion-driven documentary. In this episode, Omar

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01:12:08

BONUS: Revive Stronger - Fatigue, Progress & The...

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/06/10

Eric Helms and Steve Hall discuss training strategies, deloads, body image, and the cultural aspects of bodybuilding, sharing insights from their experiences and recent projects like the bodybuilding documentary.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Banter03:00 Connecting with Omar and Rascal05:58 The Essence of Bodybuilding and Community08:49 The Documentary Journey12:06 Philosophical Reflections on Sports14:48 The Impact of the Documentary18:06 Personal Stories and Connections21:02 Final Thoughts and

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01:19:06

Ep 378 - Social Media Protein Debates

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/06/03

Eric Trexler and Eric Helms recently found themselves in the middle of a debate about optimal protein intakes, all initiated by a social media post from Stu Phillips (a leading researcher in the area). In this episode, they dive into how that scientific discourse played out, the nuances of protein intake, and the implications for recreational lifters and bodybuilders alike. They discuss the complexities of scientific data interpretation, public messaging, and practical recommendations for optimal

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01:12:11

Ep 377 – MRV/MAV, Diet Breaks & Refeeds

Iron Culture presented by MASS ·

2026/05/27

Back in episode 375, Helms and Trex briefly mentioned a few “evidence-based fitness” topics for which their views have evolved over the years. In hindsight, they didn’t give a few of those topics the time, attention, and explanation they deserve. So in this episode, Helms and Trex take a closer look at two key topics: maximum recoverable (or adaptable) training volume, and various approaches to strategically manipulating leptin levels (such as refeeds and diet breaks). If you're in the market

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