Iron Culture presented by MASS

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Ep. 289 - How Competitive is IPF Powerlifting? (with Panagiotis Tarinidis) Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

This week 2x 66kg IPF Open World Champion Panagiotis "Pana" Tarinidis joins Eric Helms on Iron Culture to discuss the state of modern powerlifting. The two of them recently joined legends, phenoms, leaders and top thinkers of the sport like John Haack, Greg Nuckols, Lya Bavoil and others at the 2024 European Powerlifting Conference in Limerick Ireland. The existence of such events is emblematic of powerlifting's growth, but so too is just how competitive IPF powerlifting has become. At 2024 IPF Worlds the podium for the 66kg class was decided by bodyweight, as all three men had identical totals. In this interview Pana shares what it takes to stay in the fight in modern powerlifting, how hard it is to vie for a championship title when the competition is so tight, and the mindset, passion, and focus it requires.

00:00 Intro with the "new Omar" and a recap of the European Powerlifting Conference

09:03 The lifting stones

18:20 Goals and learning from meaningful achievements – Pana's recent IPF World's experience

30:35 The things that can make an effective athlete

39:13 Powerlifting meets and Pana's strong self-belief

47:40 The changes Pana is going to implement into his training

54:39 Experimenting and challenging your beliefs

1:00:47 Pana's advice for improving yourself and closing out

https://massresearchreview.com/

Where to find Pana

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

YouTube @Thepanash https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1ZlR9h035btvu0t6qFWYg

The Panash Training App https://thepanash.app/

Silent Worker https://www.silentworker.fr/

Ep 288 - Is Exercise Variety Necessary? Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

The classic Iron Culture duo hosts this week's episode to discuss exercise variety. How have the views on this topic changed over the years and why? First, we need to understand how and when bodybuilding separated from strength sport, equipment availability changes over time, and how these factors impacted the perception of exercise variety. From the Weider "Muscle Confusion Principle" to motor learning concepts like varied practice, there's been discussion of exercise variety in both the trenches and research for decades. In the modern era, concepts like regional hypertrophy and more nuanced understanding of functional anatomy have become more common and widely understood and accepted, leading to the acceptance that at least for hypertrophy, higher exercise variety is necessary to maximise the development of specific muscle groups. But, as they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Many without a sufficiently complete understanding of anatomy make errors when it comes to claims about exercise selection and variety for bodybuilding. So listen in on this episode as we talk through the history, science and culture of exercise variety for hypertrophy, as well as strength!

00:00 A duo episode without the LLM (Chat-GPT) Eric

03:26 Getting into the topic of variety – starting with the muscle confusion principle

15:03 Exercise variation and regional hypertrophy

Antonio 2000 Nonuniform Response of Skeletal Muscle to Heavy Resistance Training Can Bodybuilders Induce Regional Muscle Hypertrophy? https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2000/02000/Nonuniform_Response_of_Skeletal_Muscle_to_Heavy.18.aspx

21:39 The importance of understanding functional anatomy and discussing the evidence

Chillibeck 1998 A comparison of strength and muscle mass increases during resistance training in young women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9459538/

Rauch 2020 Auto-Regulated Exercise Selection Training Regimen Produces Small Increases in Lean Body Mass and Maximal Strength Adaptations in Strength-trained Individuals https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29016481/

Burke 2024 Exercise Selection Differentially Influences Lower Body Regional Muscle Development https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42978-024-00299-4

Kubo 2019 Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110/

Brandão 2020 Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32149887/

Kinoshita 2023 Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38156065/

43:23 Shaping the content and some of the real-world application of these recommendations

50:28 The potential effect of the leg press on the calves and implementing exercise variation

1:00:23 Some final hypotheticals to close out this monster episode

Ep. 287 - Do Advanced Lifters Need More Volume? Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

The Erics are back, and this time, they work through a mental model of how training volume, or rather, the training dose changes over time. With a rank novice, a single set to failure done once per week will typically produce continued adaptation, and they won't plateau for 1-2 years! However, if you take an advanced strength athlete or bodybuilder, a single set to failure done once per week seems to not only be insufficient for measurable progress to occur, but is even lower than doses that result in small losses of muscle mass. So, it seems the that the minimum effective dose of training changes as one reaches higher levels of training status. But does this mean volume needs increase with training status? Not exactly, but that depends on how you define "needs." There is an interaction of these concepts with the minimum detectable change we can notice, our goals, the timeline we wish to achieve them in, and also the slowing rate of progress that naturally occurs as one gets closer to their potential. Can the Erics reconcile these complexities into a defensible mental model of how the needed training dose changes over time? Tune in to find out!

00:00 Omar and Helms walked… so Trexler and Helms could run

02:13 Let's talk about the topic

06:44 Training age vs status

15:04 Minimalistic level programs as a novice and an intermediate

Steele 2024 Long-Term Time-Course of Strength Adaptation to Minimal Dose Resistance Training Through Retrospective Longitudinal Growth Modeling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35591809/

Travis 2020 Preparing for a National Weightlifting Championship: A Case Series https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31373973/

Androulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters 2021 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944/

27:51 Eric's personal example and scaling back once you are advanced

34:10 Talking about long muscle training again (to alter the stimulus)

Maeo 2021 Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527944/

Kassiano 2023 Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37015016/

45:43 Perceived plateaus, the dose, and risks

57:58 Exploring different training dose concepts

Ogasawara 2011 Effects of periodic and continued resistance training on muscle CSA and strength in previously untrained men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21771261/

Ogasawara 2012 Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6-month of continuous and periodic strength training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23053130/

1:10:13 Closing out and Trexler's ideas for future Iron Culture episodes

Ep. 286 - Is Hypertrophy Training a Waste of Time for Powerlifting? Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

The trio is back to discuss a classic Iron Culture topic: how much does increasing muscle mass contribute to strength? But, before we can answer how much, we must acknowledge that some in the scientific community doubt whether hypertrophy contributes to strength at all! What is the source of this skepticism and how do we resolve this debate? Tune in to learn not only how getting jacked impacts strength, but also the importance of study design, what is needed to make causal inferences, and how to make conclusions in the absence of ideal data.

00:00 Reviewing reviews (and adding a missing reference)

Cook 2019 Body Mass and Femur Length Are Inversely Related to Repetitions Performed in the Back Squat in Well-Trained Lifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30640306/

MASS Research Reviews https://massresearchreview.com/

16:29 End of the extended banter and into the topic (getting into some research design)

24:25 Breaking down the first study and correlated changes

Tromaras 2024 Lean Body Mass, Muscle Architecture and Powerlifting Performance during Preseason and in Competition https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38804455/

Brechue 2002 The role of FFM accumulation and skeletal muscle architecture in powerlifting performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11990746/

Ye 2013 Relationship between lifting performance and skeletal muscle mass in elite powerlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23828289/

Xu 2021 Measurement of visceral fat and abdominal obesity by single-frequency bioelectrical impedance and CT: a cross-sectional study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34635516/

Ferland 2023 Body Composition and Maximal Strength of Powerlifters: A Descriptive Quantitative and Longitudinal Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37637239/

38:51 The responses to different lines of evidence

Bhasin Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11701431/

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/

Wohlann Influence of 8-weeks of supervised static stretching or resistance training of pectoral major muscles on maximal strength, muscle thickness and range of motion https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38240811/

53:10 A methodology shoutout to the sceptics

Buckner 2021 Do exercise-induced increases in muscle size contribute to strength in resistance-trained individuals? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33724646/

1:02:06 Omar's argument and closing out

Ep. 285 - Are Most Omega-3 Supplements Misformulated? (Feat Ryan Anthony) Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

PhD candidate Ryan Anthony joins the Erics on Iron Culture to discuss the fishy business of Omega-3 supplementation. Ryan is in the final years of his PhD research at the University of Wollongong in Australia, investigating the role of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing muscle fatigue and soreness following exercise. His research has identified consistent methodological issues in many of the studies on the topic, which may explain why omega-3 data has become more mixed in recent years. In this episode you'll learn exactly what omega-3 fatty acids are, how they function in the body, the difference between EPA and DHA and the relevance of their differences, if it is worth supplementing with omega-3s, and whether most supplements on the market are actually properly formulated to provide the potential positive impact sometimes observed in research.

00:00 It's the tag team Eric duo with an introduction to fish oil supplementation

03:08 Introducing our guest Ryan, his research, and Omega-3s

11:57 Fish oil trials, biomarkers, and adverse outcomes

Harris 2017 The Omega-3 Index and relative risk for coronary heart disease mortality: Estimation from 10 cohort studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28511049/

20:40 The methodologies employed in this area of research

Anthony 2021 The Influence of Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Eccentric Exercise-Induced Delayed Muscle Soreness: Reported Outcomes Are Compromised by Study Design Issues https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33477110/

Anthony 2024 A review and evaluation of study design considerations for omega-3 fatty acid supplementation trials in physically trained participants https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36620998/

33:40 The effects of Fish oil supplementation on various outcomes

44:35 The Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio, arachidonic acid and the inflammatory response

54:55 Clarifying some of the evidence and some practical considerations of supplementation

59:57 Ryan's breaks down his research

1:09:55 Practical applications for strength and physique athletes

https://granttinsley.com/third-party-testing-dietary-supplements

1:15:25 Final words: TBIs and high Mercury, and closing out

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ryan-Anthony-2

Ep. 284 - How to Keep Progressing in Powerlifting (feat. Walter Cariazo) Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Walter Cariazo joins Omar and Eric Helms on Iron Culture to discuss his decade-long journey in powerlifting. He's won the 93kg National Championship twice and the 105kg National Championship once in Canada and has had the opportunity to represent Canada twice at the IPF World Championship, most recently in Lithuania in June. In this most recent competition, he was a dark horse for the podium, as he placed 4th in the 105kg class, getting the opportunity to pull for the bronze medal position, which would have secured him a spot in the first World Games in 2025 to include the raw division. While this in and of itself is worth highlighting, most impressively, Walter has continually progressed in his decade in the sport, despite a busy, demanding work and life schedule. He is a full-time medical radiation technologist, in addition to working as a videographer (you may have seen him on Omar's YouTube channel) and photographer. The perennial lifelong lifter, Walter embodies the spirit of iron culture as a "blue-collar powerlifter" who is optimizing his lifting pursuits within the constraints of life - approaching the pinnacle of the sport while doing so.

Ep. 283 - Jared Maynard: Rebuilding Stronger Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

A long lifting career comes with plenty of ups and downs, so we're accustomed to hearing stories about setbacks, comebacks, and perseverance from our favorite lifters. These setbacks can take many forms, but Jared Maynard's extraordinary story exists in a league of its own. Over the course of a few short weeks, a rare autoimmune disease took Jared from being a young, strong, healthy man in his early 30s to being on life support in the intensive care unit. With survival odds worse than the flip of a coin, Jared fought his way out of the ICU and started training right away. The major difference is that his training program involved re-learning how to eat, sit up, and roll over before he could focus on squat, bench, and deadlift. Barely more than one year removed from life support, Jared was back on the powerlifting platform setting PRs and deadlifting over 500lbs. In this episode, Jared shares his incredible story with Omar and Dr. Trexler, and talks about how years of lifting likely saved his life and set him up for a remarkable recovery.

00:00 Not talking crap about our guest today as part of our Iron Culture apology tour

02:12 Introducing our guest Jared and his journey

10:40 The potential recurrence of mononucleosis and Jared's plan if it does

14:49 Treatment and testing modalities

21:52 The crucial role of lifting in Jared's journey and the gradual process of recovery

32:13 Restoring activities of daily living

41:25 Jared's mental challenges and stoicism

50:40 Getting back into training and competing a year later

1:02:08 Setting the example to motivate and the recalibration of perspective

1:12:11 Jared's study of stoicism

1:15:35 Where to find Jared and what's next for him

Instagram @jared.rebuild_stronger https://www.instagram.com/jared.rebuild_stronger/

Rebuild Stronger Website https://www.rebuildstrongeronline.com/

Ep. 282 - Pain Don't Hurt Much Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

The most dynamic Iron Culture duo is back in action. In this episode, Omar and Dr. Trexler talk all about pain, injury, and factors that impact the relationship between them. Back in the day, most lifters were all-in on the "Cartesian" or "biomedical" model of pain, which posits that pain is a simple, reliable indicator of damaged tissue causing nociceptors to send a "pain signal" to the brain. Nowadays, the "biopsychosocial" and "fear-avoidance" models are all the rage in the evidence-based lifter circles. These models are a major upgrade, but there are still some pervasive misunderstandings and misinterpretations of these models in the lifting world. In this episode, Omar and Dr. Trexler try to provide some clarity on the matter using research, anecdote, and a decade-old textbook on Dr. Trexler's bookshelf.

Ep. 281 - Is Saturated Fat Inherently Fattening? Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

The trio is back, and this time to discuss the science of saturated fat. For decades, saturated fat was widely blamed for a dramatic rise in rates of obesity and heart disease. In recent years, that narrative has been challenged by proponents of increasingly popular ketogenic and carnivorous diets. For many, the back and forth on this topic is dizzying, and confusing. Fortunately, we have Dr. Trexler to walk us through several recent studies to help determine if saturated fat is actually inherently more fattening than other fat sources, either via its impact on energy expenditure or appetite, and then how it plays out in the real world, and finally, to discuss what you need to know, and what - if anything - you should change about your diet.

Ep. 280 - What Makes a Good Coach? Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

When people think of "good coaching" in the evidence-based community their first thoughts are often related to whether or not the coach is up to date with the science and whether they use pseudoscience in practice. So does that mean that every coach from the 1990s and prior was a bad coach? Is good coaching actually determined by the methods you use, or something else? Can you be a bad coach while also being up to date with science? In this classic duo episode, Omar and Eric dive into the key qualities they think good coaches possess, and explain why the methods you use are not the same as the skills of delivering, implementing, adapting, and communicating them or the motivations behind your efforts to do so.

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