Iron Culture presented by MASS

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 219 - Being a Good Coach - It's not About You Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Coaches in the evidence-based community are often up to date with the latest in periodization and sports nutrition, but many are not even aware that there is a tremendous amount of research on coaching itself. What makes a good coach? Hint: it's not simply being up to date with science, as that would mean that every coach prior to the modern era is a bad coach. So, what is it to be a good coach? As the title implies, it's not about you, it's about being athlete-centered. But what does that mean? Join in to find out!

Ep. 218 - Science is Flawed, but Can be Fixed (feat Dr. James Steele, Dr. "Pak" and Milo Wolf) Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

We recently visited Dr. James Steele, Dr. "Pak", and Milo Wolf at Solent University to film some of their research methods and interview them about the innovative, high-quality approaches they take. These guys aren't just any group of muscle nerds though, they are actively working to improve how sports science is conducted, using and promoting the tools of open science. What is open science you ask? Make sure to tune in to learn, as you might be surprised that despite science being the best tool we have to answer life's questions, it has many systemic issues from peer review, to the publishing process, to the reward systems in academia, to the gaps in training that sports scientists often have.

Ep. 217 - The Rich History of Irish Lifting Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Conor Heffernan is back to discuss our recent trip to Ireland where he introduced us to Ireland's reigning strongest woman Ayshea Ullah, David Keohan a kettlebell sport world champion dubbed "Indiana Stones", and the many members of Europe's oldest continually open gym Hercules Club, in Dublin. On our trip we learned about the only recently uncovered history of Irish stone lifting that goes back centuries, and got to watch as the current physical culturists of modern Ireland physically connected with the past pioneers of strength, and we also sat down with the old and new members of Herc's in Dublin to learn just how special their community is. Join us in this episode as we reflect on these incredible experiences.

00:00 The fellowship of the stone is back (with a limerick)

SBD Road to Sheffield 2023 Series

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL85JoAo_KTFuKlOWLRY_-gHj362gYTBOm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbdapparel/reels/

13:33 The history of the stones that we lifted in Ireland

30:04 The historical and cultural significance of lifting the natural stones

45:22 The origin of Hercules gym and its importance

57:22 Eric and Conor's experiences of training at Hercules gym

1:26:01 Closing out with the unofficial third member of the Iron Culture establishment

Ep. 216 - The Most Important Powerlifting Meet In History? (The Sheffield Retrospective) Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Last week was the first time in our history that we left you without an episode, but don't worry this painful experience was for good reason. Omar and Eric were in fact, both together in person, with Dr. Conor Heffernan at the SBD Sheffield. Eric was on stage coaching Jessica Buettner, and Conor and Omar were in the audience filming with the help of the newest member of the fellowship, Jonathan Akagha, the strongest cameraman in Europe. The Sheffield was perhaps the most significant meet in raw tested powerlifting, and for the two days leading up to it, the day of, and the day following, we filmed and interviewed the athletes and hosts to capture the experience. In this episode Omar, Eric and Conor sit down to discuss the Sheffield in retrospect: what was it like behind the scenes as a participant, what was it like in the audience, what did it mean for powerlifting, how will it change the future of the sport, and how will it evolve? Tune in as we answer these questions and more!

00:00 Intro to our first in-person podcast in four years… and addressing the bed situation

3:00 Reintroducing Dr Conor Heffernan and discussing the unique spectatorship of the Sheffield 2023 Powerlifting Championships

13:33 The Sheffield backstage environment, running coaching adjustments, and challenging lifts

Iron Culture Ep. 214- You Don't Know Powerlifting Coaching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiq6lvhkN5s

42:20 Framing the leader board for the audience to improve engagement with such a historically significant event

57:39 The history and cultural significance of Sheffield and improving future events

1:19:37 Sustaining global interest and participation in Powerlifting

1:39:54 Our highlights and favourite moments at Sheffield

1:48:39 Final words and closing out

Ep. 215 - Is Bodybuilding a Sport?(feat Adrian Kind) Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Look no further than the comment section of this post/video and you'll find knee-jerk answers to the question posed in this title driven by emotional reactions, that are justified after the fact by a poorly thought-out argument that is logically inconsistent. In the philosophy of sport, however, you go the opposite direction. You put forth a logically consistent case, based on established information, within the constraints of the argument. In this episode we chat with philosophy Ph.D. candidate at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain Adrian Kind, who recently collaborated on the article: "Is Bodybuilding a Sport?" with Eric. It is currently in peer review, but available as a pre-print for all to read. This philosophy of sport article by Kind and Helms is a rebuttal to another philosophy of sport article by Aranyosi (2018), where Aranyosi claims competitive Bodybuilding is not a sport, but rather an artistic presentation with sport-like elements. While Adrian and Eric didn't prove Bodybuilding is a sport in their paper, they refuted the argument as presented. Tune in to learn about the specifics of this debate, and how a conversation typically reserved for Reddit plays out in academia, and why philosophy is actually at the root of all science.

00:00 Intro to the one (another monster episode) … and introducing Adrian

Aranyosi 2017 Body, skill, and look: is bodybuilding a sport? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-017-9513-3

Kind & Helms 2023 Is Bodybuilding a Sport? https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/270/539

10:44 Discussing the Aranyosi paper: what makes an "activity", a sport?

26:25 The rebuttal to the takes on posing

41:55 The physical skill component of bodybuilding

1:01:13 The Art vs. Sport spectrum argument

Iron Culture Ep. 84- The Original Iron Sport: Gymnastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_n5AiQvLzQ

1:24:00 Conceding that the physical skill involved in bodybuilding is displaying the body

1:33:40 Why is the categorisation of bodybuilding as a sport perceived as contemptuous?

1:49:03 Do you even lift? Future topics to discuss and closing out

Iron Culture Ep. 19- The Science of Hypertrophy (Roundtable) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw1LDc7_Hrc

Ep. 214 - You Don't Know Powerlifting Coaching (feat Matt Gary) Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Matt Gary is back on Iron Culture after being on way back in episode 16! This time he discusses nuances most people don't know about game day powerlifting coaching, including even most powerlifters! With the explosion of participants in the sport, there are some weight classes where as many as five individuals could be a world champion depending on how their cards are played. Truly, it's no longer a question of just who is the strongest, but who is the best powerlifter, which requires coaches to truly know "the game". In this episode, one of the most decorated platform coaches in the sport's history, Matt Gary, breaks down what those cards are, all four aces and the joker. Tune in, as this man literally wrote the book on game day coaching (which we'd recommend you read!)

Game Day Coaching Manual: A Powerlifting Coach's Guide to Maximising Game Day Performance By Matt Gary https://www.supremesportspt.com/gameday-coaching-manual

00:00 An introduction to a very Canadian Eric and Matt Gary

Iron Culture Ep. 16- The Art of Coaching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1aGoBMPgYs

10:39 An overview of Matt's coaching career

18:26 Matt's strength and conditioning background

25:10 The ins and outs of gameday coaching

35:08 Taking a trip to the ATM and challenging the jury

43:14 Powerlifting technical jargon and application to some Sheffield match-ups

1:05:43 How Matt uses data to inform his practice

1:15:39 Determining the second attempt

1:25:17 Matt's best advice for coaches

1:40:45 Closing out and where to find Matt

Supreme Sports Performance & Training https://www.supremesportspt.com/

Instagram @mlgary72 https://www.instagram.com/mlgary72/?hl=en

Ep. 213 - Addressing The IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Controversy (ft Desmond Butler) Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Cult, we've been working on this one for weeks. We've got Desmond Butler on this episode, the lead journalist who wrote the recent Washington Post series on the corruption, exploitation, and health and safety controversies in the NPC/IFBB pro league. We previously discussed this article series both in a duo episode as well as with Dr. Guillermo Escalante, and now, we're privileged to sit down and hear it from the source (or rather the man with the sources). In this episode, you'll learn how Desmond's father directed the cult classic (pun intended) Pumping Iron, and then how years later he'd go on to revisit bodybuilding from a very different perspective. You'll also learn just how much research went into the Post articles, and how many people they spoke to. This was a monster episode for sure folks and an eye-opening exposé.

Ep. 212 - High Level Powerlifting & Eric's Last Dance Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

The boys are reunited, don't worry cult, and yes, reunited atop the pyramid. After catching up on what's been going on for Omar that took him away from us last week, the boys get down to powerlifting talk. This is a big year for powerlifting, with COVID behind us and the Sheffield ahead, and epic battles to come in both the 93 and 76kg divisions at multiple international competitions. Eric discusses how different it can be to coach athletes at the highest level in powerlifting, where scouting, chips, lot numbers, attempt changes, and other subtle aspects of coaching that normally don't come into play, make a big difference as only kilos separate world champions from runner ups. Then, Omar asks Eric about his own competitive aspirations as he's just started his 2023 contest prep, where he plans to go all the way to INBF/WNBF worlds in November, while also competing in his first masters powerlifting meet, as he turns 40 this year.

Ep. 211 - Training Specificity Revisited & New Diet Break Data Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Dear listener, we just can't let go. Even though we told you in 2023 we wouldn't be able to stick to the weekly schedule, we are trying our best to do so anyway. This week, to maintain our codependent relationship with you, we have a solo episode from Mr. Dr. Eric Helms. Unfortunately, Omar had to travel for Raskol and couldn't join him, but the Cult lives on in a weekly format for a little longer. No, you won't hear Omar say "Eric" to kick things off, no you won't have a half-hour of banter, nor will you hear Omar call this a "monster episode" or find some way to reference Yngwie Malmsteen, but you will get a whole lot of science. In this episode, Eric goes in on the topic of specificity for powerlifting and also covers a new diet break study that was just published.

00:00 An intro to a very different Iron Culture episode…

Eric's affiliate link to the NASM Physique and Bodybuilding Coach Specialization https://shop.nasm.org/n/nasmredirecttocart?products=PBC301K%7CCEU164K&coupons=HELMS50

12:12 Topic One: Specificity and Coexisting Principles of Exercise Science

Chua 2019 Practice variability promotes an external focus of attention and enhances motor skill learning https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30831389/

Williams 2017 Comparison of Periodized and Non-Periodized Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-Analysis https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0734-y

Fonseca 2014 Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24832974/

Rossi 2018 Strength, body composition, and functional outcomes in the squat versus leg press exercises https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27735888/

Lima 2018 Planned Load Reduction Versus Fixed Load: A Strategy to Reduce the Perception of Effort With Similar Improvements in Hypertrophy and Strength https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29584518/

Ralston 2017 The Effect of Weekly Set Volume on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5684266/

Androulakis-Korakakis 2021 The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8435792/

Iron Culture Ep. 196- How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Ft. Dr. Pak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ0Qp6spGQ

González-Badillo 2006 Moderate volume of high relative training intensity produces greater strength gains compared with low and high volumes in competitive weightlifters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16503695/

Stronger By Science Size Vs. Strength: How Important Is Muscle Growth For Strength Gains? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/size-vs-strength/

Schoenfeld 2016 Differential Effects of Heavy Versus Moderate Loads on Measures of Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27928218/

Mangine 2015 The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.14814/phy2.12472

Schoenfeld 2014 Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714538/

Keogh 2017 The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27328853/

54:33 Practical Applications of Specificity

59:35 Topic Two: New Diet Break Study

Ep. 210 - What Powerlifting Needs To Do Better Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

We are joined by Ryan Lapadat on this episode, host of the King of the Lifts podcast, and arguably the best and most prolific powerlifting commentator, despite his relatively recent emergence onto the scene. How did Ryan find himself in the position he's in today, and how has he contributed to the increased interest and popularity in powerlifting that's occurred in the last decade? Ryan will be commentating at the Sheffield next month, and there is a bright future for the legitimization of powerlifting if things continue in the direction they're headed. Join us in this episode as we learn the some aspects of how powerlifting got to be perceived as it is today, the value of narrative in making fans care, and what the future holds for the sport.

00:00 Reviewing reviews with Ryan – Cultural beliefs surrounding women in lifting

Iron Culture Ep. 177- Jessica Buettner: 2x IPF World Champion Powerlifter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-M4XAlOa90

Iron Culture Ep. 103- The History Of Women's Bodybuilding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL-2qymV73k

Iron Culture Ep. 7- The Rise Of Women In Powerlifting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNd4XCKLcMQ

13:16 Balancing entertainment and knowledge in Ryan's commentary

27:00 Leaning into storylines to bring excitement

43:41 Growth of powerlifting and IPF

50:41 IPF Sheffield 2023 hype up

58:33 Getting "out angled" by Jess Buettner and the revenge

1:06:05 The Masculinity in Crisis Tour and the angle game

1:19:26 The future and growth of powerlifting

1:44:50 An update on Eric's previous Street Fighter tournament