Iron Culture presented by MASS

Latest Episodes:

Ep 349 - Elite Weightlifting: An Inside Look (ft. Wil Fleming) Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep 348 - What Does Your Favorite Fit Pro's PhD Actually Mean? Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep 347 - New Retraction (and What It Means For "Evidence-Based" Fitness) Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

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yet again, so Ep 347 is a solo show in which Dr Trex details a recent saga in which a paper about apple cider vinegar was retracted.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

Ep 346 - Helms Updates + Q&A Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep 345 - Hot Topics in Fitness (ft. Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple) Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep 344 - Sports Science In Elite Athletics (ft. Dr. Marc Lewis) Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep 343 - Q&A: Is Collagen Useful? Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Eric Trexler and Eric Helms discuss recent developments in college football and powerlifting, in addition to introducing their partnership with Elite FTS. The conversation shifts to a Q&A session where they address various topics, including collagen supplementation, creatine dosage, and the relationship between muscular endurance and strength. They also provide practical tips for reducing food focus during dieting and discuss the impact of hypertrophy on athletic performance.

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

Time stamps 00:00 Introduction (College Football & Powerlifting News) 04:25 Partnership with Elite FTS and Personal Experiences 11:50 Collagen Supplementation: Debates and Research Overview 35:37 Power Development: Training Volumes and Frequencies 49:00 Creatine: Dosage, Urination Frequency, and Cognitive Effects 1:03:18 Muscular Endurance: Training Insights 01:08:34 Hypertrophy and Athletic Performance 1:19:00 Creatine During Peak Week 1:19:58 Dieting Strategies and Food Focus

Ep 342 - New Data: Does Growth Really Drive Strength Gains? Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Eric Trexler and Eric Helms discuss various topics including the ongoing debate about the relationship between muscle growth and strength gains. They discuss brand new findings from the largest and longest-running study on resistance training, explore the implications of "apparent" sex differences in strength gains, and emphasize the need for nuanced statistical analysis in understanding the factors that contribute to strength gains and observed sex differences.

Want to read a thorough analysis of the article we discussed in this episode (and many more)? Support the show by joining the MASS Community at massresearchreview.com

Chapters 00:00 Intro 09:10 The Debate on Muscle Size and Strength 12:30 New Research on Muscle Strength and Size 20:45 Exploring Sex Differences in Muscle Training 26:40 The Hierarchy of Evidence in Research 32:00 Relationships Between Strength And Muscle Size 36:40 Lifting For Sport: History And Changing Cultural Norms 39:00 Back To The Study Results (Understanding Sex Differences in Strength Gains) 42:15 Nuances of Statistical Analysis: Relationships Between Strength And Muscle Size 54:10 Aside About Collegiate Sports In USA 56:50 Causal Discovery Analysis in Strength Research 1:08:00 Summary and Conclusions: The Role of Muscle Growth in Strength Gains 1:21:45 Listener Question: Sample Sizes in Exercise Science 1:27:10 Outro

Ep 341 - Unpacking Individual Responses to Training Volume Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Eric Helms and Michael Zourdos engage with Dr. Zac Robinson to discuss his dissertation research on the effects of resistance training volume on muscle adaptations. The conversation delves into the complexities of individual responses to training, the importance of research design, and the implications of findings for coaching practices. They emphasize the need for caution in interpreting data and the evolving nature of sports science, highlighting the significance of collaboration and flexibility in training approaches.

Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 06:25 The PhD Journey and Team Dynamics 11:32 Dissertation Overview and Research Focus 18:43 Research Methodology and Individual Variability 26:50 Understanding Individual Response Variation in Training 32:09 Study Design: Isolating Variables in Training Responses 37:33 The Importance of Replication in Research 42:40 Findings 53:41 Limitations and Implications of the Study 01:00:17 Genetics and Individual Response Variability 01:02:59 The Dose-Response Relationship in Training 01:06:25 Shifting Perspectives on Training Individualization 01:11:00 The Role of Sports Science in Coaching 01:19:51 Future Directions in Resistance Training Research

Ep 340 - Protein: Valuable, But Overvalued Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Drs Trexler and Helms discuss various topics including updates on Eric's surgery, the valuable (but very modest) effects of protein intake on muscle gains, incontinence after contest prep, the relationship between sleep quality and nutrient timing, the recent ban on smelling salts in the NFL, and more.

Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Preview of next week's episode (non-responders, hyper-responders, etc) 07:01 Trex's surgery update 12:11 Discussion on Protein Meta-Analyses and Research Updates (how much does protein intake actually matter for gains?) 33:10 Why meta-analyses differ from RCTs in terms of "expiration dates" 44:15 The Impact of Training vs. Nutrition (for muscle growth) 51:41 Q&A: Supplementation for Lifters (and Specifically Vegans Who Lift) 55:49 Incontinence, Increased Urine Output, and Contest Prep 59:16 Chrono Nutrition and Sleep Quality 01:11:28 The Role of Smelling Salts in Sports Performance (and Football)

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Iron Culture presented by MASS

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected