Ep 326 - Daily 1RM Training: Crazy or Constructive? (ft. Dr. Nick Washmuth and Kaylee Chism)
In this episode of Iron Culture, hosts Eric Helms and Michael Zourdos reconnect and reflect on their experiences at the 2025 Sports Nutrition Association annual conference. Joined by guests Dr. Nick Washmuth and Kaylee Chism, they delve into the concept of daily 1RM training, discussing its origins, methodology, and findings from a recent study involving participants who maxed out daily. Insights from the participants reveal varied results and experiences, highlighting the mental and physical challenges of such a training protocol. The conversation also explores the importance of dosage, frequency, intensity, and the need for more empirical data to better understand the effectiveness of daily 1RM training. The episode covers various training protocols, particularly focusing on volume training and its effects on strength gains. The hosts and guests discuss personal experiences with different lifting protocols, the importance of balancing other lifts during intense training, and the recommendations for those interested in 1RM training. Additionally, they explore the intriguing concept of swearing as a performance enhancer, examining its psychological effects and potential benefits in athletic performance. Time stamps: Coming soon! Reminder:Don't forget to check out our sister podcast, Front Page Fitness, hosted by Drs. Lauren Colenso-Semple and Eric Trexler!youtube.com/@fpfpodcast
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Ep 325 - Plant-Based Bodybuilding With a World Champ (ft. Maddie McConnell)
In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Helms and Trexler welcome Maddie McConnell, a world champion natural physique athlete, to discuss the current trends in natural bodybuilding, her journey into the sport, and the challenges that come with being a world-class physique competitor. Maddie shares her experiences transitioning from a general fitness enthusiast to a physique athlete, the significance of her recent achievements, and insights into training and preparation. In this conversation, Maddie shares her journey as a vegan bodybuilder, discussing her training regimen, nutrition strategies, and experiences during competition prep. She emphasizes the importance of variety in her diet, the role of high-protein vegan sources, and the growing acceptance of vegan athletes in the bodybuilding community. Maddie also reflects on her future aspirations in the sport and the evolving landscape of natural bodybuilding. Time stamps: Coming soon! Reminder: Don't forget to check out our sister podcast, Front Page Fitness, hosted by Drs. Lauren Colenso-Semple and Eric Trexler! youtube.com/@fpfpodcast
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Ep 324 - WORLD PREMIERE: Front Page Fitness
This is a very special episode of Iron Culture because it's the WORLD PREMIERE of "Front Page Fitness," a new podcast hosted by Drs Eric Trexler and Lauren Colenso-Semple. If you're part of the Iron Cult, these folks are no strangers - both have been on Iron Culture numerous times, and both are co-authors of the MASS Research Review. In Front Page Fitness, Eric & Lauren discuss the hottest health and fitness topics that are causing controversy, generating buzz, or dominating headlines. In other words, it's your weekly health and fitness newspaper, delivered in podcast form. Be sure to subscribe to their new podcast so you can continue enjoying their weekly episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@fpfpodcast https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/frontpagefitness/ Time stamps: 00:00 Introducing Front Page Fitness 01:42 Why you should care about Lauren has to say 08:54 An insight into Trexler’s life 15:19 Alcohol, health, and Lauren’s wine certification O’Keefe Alcohol and cardiovascular health: the razor-sharp double-edged sword https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17825708/ Biddinger 2022 Association of Habitual Alcohol Intake With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35333364/ 31:25 The updated consensus and public health messaging 44:15 The health optimisation phase and health promoting habits 49:43 Florida man and cholesterol Marmagkiolis 2025 Yellowish Nodules on a Man Consuming a Carnivore Diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39841435/ 59:45 Trexler’s experience on a ketogenic diet and the Front Page Fitness Cheez Whiz challenge
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Ep 323 - MASS Makes History
The MASS Research Review started in 2017 and has provided cutting-edge evidence-based fitness content - every single month - ever since. Nearly 1500 articles and videos later, the MASS Crew is all in the same physical location for the first time in history. To commemorate the occasion, the MASS Crew sat down for a roundtable discussion about interpreting, communicating, and applying science in a nuanced manner. Listen along to gain some insights related to strengths, limitations, caveats, and tips for applying the information you gather from content creators and published research. Time stamps: 0:00 Introduction to a history making episode and a Front Page Fitness sneak peek 2:58 Florida man and a new cholesterol excretion mechanism? Marmagkiolis 2025 Yellowish Nodules on a Man Consuming a Carnivore Diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39841435/ 13:17 A discussion on Zourdos’ physical appearance and getting into effective science communication – periodisation chat 27:27 Myth busting claims and their citations Rossow 2013 Natural bodybuilding competition preparation and recovery: a 12-month case study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23412685/ 43:01 Why its normal for Science to flip-flop and meta-analytic and multi-site methods Iron Culture Ep 322- The Science of "Junk Volume" (ft. Jake Remmert) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e4Jn9GJ8WU Refalo 2025 Effect of Dietary Protein on Fat-Free Mass in Energy Restricted, Resistance-Trained Individuals: An Updated Systematic Review With Meta-Regression https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/9900/effect_of_dietary_protein_on_fat_free_mass_in.179.aspx 1:00:22 Science communication gaps in the field of sport/exercise and nutrition science (and some tangents 1:08:51 Closing out the first and last full meet-up of the MASS crew
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Ep 322- The Science of "Junk Volume" (ft. Jake Remmert)
In this episode of Iron Culture, host Eric Trexler and guest Jake Remmert discuss a new meta regression paper focusing on per session set volume and its impact on hypertrophy and strength. They explore the nuances of per session training volume, the implications of the findings, and address common misconceptions in the fitness community. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the data and its limitations while providing practical applications for training. Time Stamps: 0:00 Housekeeping and Introducing Jake Remmert and his journey MASS Research Review https://massresearchreview.com/ Sports Nutrition Association Annual Conference 2025 https://sportsnutritionassociation.com/sna-annual-2025-conference/ 16:00 New meta-analysis on per-session volume: an insight into the methods Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460/version/587 Robinson 2024 Exploring the Dose–Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970765/ Remmert 2025 Is There Too Much of a Good Thing? https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/537/version/689 29:45 Diving into the findings related to hypertrophy 44:44 Issues with conducting a study directly assessing per session set volume 47:02 Strength results 58:07 The practical applications: how the results of these meta-regressions influenced Jake’s training and coaching 01:15:21 Addressing the feedback on the paper Refalo 2024 Similar muscle hypertrophy following eight weeks of resistance training to momentary muscular failure or with repetitions-in-reserve in resistance-trained individuals https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38393985/ 01:24:17 Jake’s final thoughts on the paper and a quick history of meta-analyses Where to find Jake: Instagram: @jake.remmert_coach https://www.instagram.com/jake.remmert_coach/ Website: https://www.jakeremmert.com/
Iron Culture was started by Eric Helms and Omar Isuf 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's now hosted by Eric Helms and Eric Trexler, who repeatedly beg Omar to return as a guest.
Iron Culture focuses on dispensing practical, useful information to the listener, bouncing from history, to philosophy, to contemporary lifting culture issues, to science. The format includes casual conversations between the two hosts on a variety of topics, discussions with a panel of experts and interviews with authoritative figures in the lifting community.
Iron Culture is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review.
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