Recently, the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of autoregulation on strength and hypertrophy was published. In this episode we explore why this publication almost sent Eric into a proverbial dark cave without a pen light, never to return, and what realizations helped him find his way out. In this episode, we discuss that the promise of autoregulation is really Individualization. With that discovery, we explore how it succeeds, and fails, at least in its current limited form, what research on autoregulation can and canto capture, and what will be needed in the future for autoregulation to truly become the game changer it theoretically could be. 

The hype around Vitamin D supplementation has waxed and waned over the years in the lifting community, but has overall, landed in a place where it’s more or less universally seen as a positive supplement. But what is the state of the data? What can you expect as a lifter out of vitamin D supplementation? How do you measure vitamin D status, how reliable are these measures, and should we even be measuring it? The answer probably differs at the population and individual levels. We’re joined by Dr. Niamh Aspell of Sigma Nutrition who did her Ph.D. on Vitamin D as well as Austin Baraki, MD from barbell medicine who deals with this on a clinical level on a regular basis to answer these questions.

Turkesterone and ecdysterone have garnered a lot a of interest as of late, and a number of notable folks in the evidence based community have done a great job pointing out the lack of evidence supporting their efficacy. For newer lifters, you might not be aware, but this isn’t the first time these compounds have been hyped up beyond the evidence. Is this hope and hype founded? In this episode we’re joined by Ben Esgro, who uses his pharmacological knowledge to explain that it probably isn’t. Join us as he goes through a mechanistic evaluation of how these compounds works, and why we probably shouldn’t expect much out of them. 

Exercise selection, a multi-layered piece of cake that you don’t have to eat all of to benefit from, but really, who eats just part of a slice of cake (weirdo)? For hypertrophy, it can be as simple as having a few compound exercises for each major muscle group, a few isolation exercises to round them, smaller muscle groups out, and training through a full ROM. But, what about the folks who tell you compounds are all you need? And what about all those bodybuilders who swear by (certain types) of partials? Well, the former folks may have not considered the functional anatomy of specific muscles, or how biarticular muscles function in compound exercises, and more importantly, they probably don’t care. Most of the time, these minimalists are actually answering a different question and have different goals from the competitive or non-competitive physique athlete, but on the internet, this gets lost. Likewise, those IFBB pros training through a partial range of motion…is it just steroid-induced ego lifting? Or are they perhaps focusing on something you hadn’t considered? In this episode we go through each layer, helping you understand why the range of motion is an important variable, and how certain types of partials are actually fine, and maybe even beneficial, while others will short change your stimulus. Finally, we talk about why it’s a good idea to not just stick to compounds if your goal is hypertrophy, and which specific muscle groups and exercises you need to consider.

Watch the Episode Here: https://youtu.be/99e5iFWZwEQ Deloads, sometimes called unloads, light weeks, or simply incorporated as phases of a periodized plan, are frequently discussed in the evidence-based community, but they actually have very little direct research behind them. If that’s the case, why are these phases universally used? What principles are deloads based on? What sectors of research do we use to indirectly inform their structure? And most importantly, what options do you have for deloading, and how should you apply different approaches in different contexts? Join us in this episode of iron culture to find out! 

In this episode of Iron Culture, we’re joined by Alex Tilinca. Alex is a young competitive physique athlete with an already impressive amateur career thus far, seeking to get nationally qualified this year and hopefully compete at the national level in the NPC in the Classic Physique division. He’s also a prep coach at Scooby Prep, the well-known prep coaching company started and led by Jason Theobald. What makes Alex’s journey unique, is that he was born female, and is the first transgender man to compete in the classic physique division. His goal is to become the first transgender IFBB Classic Pro and one day, to become an Olympian. Join us in this episode as he shares his story, his experiences, the unique aspects of contest prep he’s discovered along the way, and how he helps other similar lifters navigate their goals through his experiences.  Alex Tilinca https://www.instagram.com/alextilinca https://www.selfmademan.shop/ Coaching: alex@scoobyprep.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsXl9txLLFtO71fg4wNKBw  

In this episode of Iron Culture, we do a deep dive on the topic of pre-workout carbohydrate intake. While the data on endurance training is relatively consistent in showing a beneficial effect on performance, it’s more complex for resistance training. For strength and power, what you eat prior to training is probably less important, but when assessing the ability to perform volume, the data indicate that eating prior to training can in some contexts make a difference. This then leads to a discussion on time-restricted feeding (AKA intermittent fasting), as many adherents don’t consume a meal before training. Specifically, we discuss a new year-long study on time-restricted feeding, the longest to date, to see how these two lines of investigation converge.

Watch Episode 1 Here: https://youtu.be/VHBTMm94yeM In this episode, we lean heavily into the history and culture side of Iron Culture and discuss ancient history, specifically, ancient warfare and its accompanying physical culture. For those who don’t know, Omar teamed up with the History Channel to host a series that just launched on the History Channel’s YouTube and streaming service titled “Ancient Workouts”. You can catch the first episode which is already out now, and in this episode, we discuss some of the coolest aspects of the show. Specifically, we evaluate the various tropes we have in modern times about the physicality, training, and diets of Vikings, Spartans, Gladiators, and others, and dissect how these tropes compare to actual historical evidence. If you didn’t know, Omar is actually somewhat of an amateur historian, so you’ll get the rare experience of hearing him go in on a topic, while Eric listens and learns.

This episode kicks off with a lively Q&A, diving into the nuances between effort and exertion. The discussion challenges traditional training frequency beliefs, emphasizing total volume over mere frequency. Listeners learn about personalized training approaches for optimal performance and joint health. The relationship between Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and muscle growth is explored, along with innovative strategies like cluster sets. Finally, the importance of qualitative research in exercise science is highlighted, advocating for a balanced understanding of both qualitative and quantitative data.

As it’s said, truth is stranger than fiction. On Iron Culture we’ve pointed out multiple fantastical, claims backed by pseudoscience that were just gimmicks designed to make you buy something. But sometimes, things that sound gimmicky are actually legit. In this episode, we cover a number of them, like the surprising effects of visualization (AKA motor imagery) training on strength, the effects of compression garments on recovery, and also the positive and negative effects of cold therapy.