Iron Culture presented by MASS

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 

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.

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.

The podcast covers the topics of training specificity for powerlifting and a new diet break study. It also touches on the risks of competitive bodybuilding, personal trainer education, and the impact of load reduction on strength gains. The hosts discuss the importance of varied practice and incorporating different squat variations. They also explore the concept of diet breaks and their effects on fat loss and muscle preservation.

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 SuperLoreBoys YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/SuperLoreBoys  1:50:06 Closing out and where to find Ryan Instagram: @6packlapadat https://www.instagram.com/6packlapadat/?hl=en and                   @kingofthelifts https://www.instagram.com/kingofthelifts/?hl=en King of the lifts podcast: https://linktr.ee/KOTL

Stretch-mediated hypertrophy is all the rave at the moment, and much of the enthusiasm is based on a single study out of a specific lab, but, there are actually many other studies that this lab has recently published that give further insights into the topic. Ultimately, what the cult wants to know, is whether stretching-induced gains are complementary or redundant to resistance training-induced gains. In this episode, we discuss not only these possibilities, but also a recent study on SuperCreatine (TM) indicating it might not be so super, but also, that gives us insight as to whether creatine loading is even necessary.

It’s episode 208 and yes, you’re right, that means it’s been four years of episodes coming out weekly, every single . And guess what? In typical iron culture fashion, we completely forgot it was our 4 year anniversary while we recorded this episode. But, dear listener, that’s because we were totally focused on YOU, bringing you the latest news in the iron game, from the final Sheffield roster now that the wildcard picks are complete, to the recent USPA controversy, to a new study published on physique contest preparation. Next week, we’ll have our belated 4 year anniversary, but this week you get to enjoy another MONSTER episode. 00:00 Intro: what is it? Reviewing reviews 07:50 Revisiting/clarifying menstrual cycle-based approach to training Iron Culture Ep. 207 - Is Menstrual Cycle Periodization Evidence-Based? (ft. Lauren Colenso-Semple) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esHslB5IOQA 16:32 Back to the reviews 24:00 A detailed IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships 2023 summary and update 52:04 The bad news in Powerlifting…  1:02:57 Intermission with another 5-star review 1:05:26 THE STUDY: Physiological adaptations during contest preparation Helms Isola 2023 Weight loss induces changes in adaptive thermogenesis in female and male physique athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36645885/ Eric’s ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Helms-2 1:24:00 What Eric would like to see in this area of research de Moraes 2019 Carbohydrate Loading Practice in Bodybuilders: Effects on Muscle Thickness, Photo Silhouette Scores, Mood States and Gastrointestinal Symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31827362/ 1:31:48 Closing out

We were joined by McMaster University PhD. candidate Lauren Colenso-Semple who is studying the influence of exercise, nutrition, and hormones on skeletal muscle, specifically as they relate to the menstrual cycle. She has an extensive background not only in academia, having worked with a veritable “who’s who” of exercise science researchers in her journey to her PhD studies, but she also is an experienced personal trainer. In this episode she helps us understand whether “menstrual-cycle phase based training” is truly based on firm evidence, or if in some cases, the popular guidance sometimes extends beyond what we currently know (and what makes sense from a physiological perspective). Make sure to tune in to learn what we do and don’t know on this fascinating topic.

If comparison is the thief of joy, then what hope do competitive bodybuilders have for happiness? In a sport where you stand before a panel of strangers who numerically rate your nearly nude body in comparison to others, you’d think it’d be impossible. But is it? What happens to bodybuilders’ body image over time? Is it true that whether they place 3rd at the all-valley “championships” or 1st at worlds, they still feel small? If it’s not true, why not, to what degree, and in what circumstances? In this episode, we explore whether or not it’s true that the day you start lifting is the day you become forever small, and how this mindset can manifest, change, and differ between groups and individuals. 00:00 An update on the Iron Culture documentary and the frequency of episodes 04:50 Self-perception in the social media fitness space Omar’s YouTube video will be linked here when it is published! 11:00 Mental and physiological distress in physique athletes Helms 2019 Towards a Sustainable Nutrition Paradigm in Physique Sport: A Narrative Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315180/ 19:29 The marketing of bodybuilders and the “desirable” physique 37:21 The motivation to become a bodybuilder and physique (dis)satisfaction  Jankauskiene 2007 Muscle size satisfaction and predisposition for a health harmful practice in bodybuilders and recreational gymnasium users https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17485962/ 1:00:55 The stressors and influence of the fitness industrial complex  Iron Culture Ep. 28- The Problem With The Fitness Industry (with Chip Conrad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2rtKZ3AnXM 1:17:25 Tethering your expectations to people who can provide you with constructive criticism 1:26:23 Closing out: the internet is terrible but listen to our podcast (on the internet)  

After our recent episode with Dr. Guillermo Escalante discussing the potential contributing causes and possibly what could be done about the recent deaths of a number of high profile enhanced bodybuilders, we wanted to follow up. As you recall, this conversation came about because of a Washington Post article series that not only discussed these tragedies, but also exploitation and corruption at the heart of the biggest bodybuilding organization: the NPC/IFBB pro league. Omar made an eye opening YouTube video summarizing these articles, and we discussed them in further depth today, not for controversy’s sake, but rather because we both truly want a better future for the sport and art of bodybuilding. In addition, in the latter half of this episode we discussed the challenges of predicting hypertrophy from proxy measures, and where we are at scientifically in this regard, and what it means for practice.   00:00 Revisiting the bodybuilding controversy Iron Culture Ep. 203 Can Enhanced Bodybuilding Be Safer? (Ft. Dr. Guillermo Escalante) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G_c1umHswE Washington Post Investigation https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/investigating-the-sport-my-dad-made-famous/ Omar Isuf Why I Don't Support BODYBUILDING (And Neither Should You) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwpolgBBeI 22:18 Experiential knowledge: how coaches can guide and empower athletes 25:44 The inherent risks of PEDs and taking responsibility for your actions 46:35 Regional hypertrophy and optimising exercise selection Is Regional Hypertrophy Predictable? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/regional-hypertrophy/ Albarello 2022 Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334406/ Chaves 2020 Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32922646/ Iron Culture Ep. 163- All About EMG and Hypertrophy (ft. Andrew Vigotsky) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIccFeOknew 1:00:05 Reaching conclusions with assumptions embedded in (proxy) measurements 1:10:10 Applying this information: considerations for exercise selection (and the limits to our knowledge) 1:22:06 Closing out