Who is the strongest? Is it the person with the biggest Powerlifting total? Weightlifting total? The current Worlds Strongest Man/Woman Champion? Or, perhaps, the current Arnold Strongman Classic Champion? It’s an oft-debated question, typically occurring around the proverbial fitness water cooler. However, recently Dr. Kind, Dr. Veit, Dr. Heffernan, and our very own Dr. Helms made this debate into a multidisciplinary academic paper. Specifically, they asked the question through the lens of history, what has strength meant in society since the dawn of physical culture, what is strength philosophically, and finally, what is strength objectively, as measured in sport and exercise science? Join us as we discuss why asking this question is important, and how these very different disciplines turned out to be quite complementary in providing an answer. The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!   If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link:   https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/   Time stamps: 00:00 Welcoming back Dr Conor Heffernan from the Obelisk  2:35 Adrian and Walter (re)-introduction Kind 2023 Is bodybuilding a sport? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00948705.2023.2234978 6:26 What is strength? Kind 2024 What is strength? https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/467 14:21 Who in society decides what strength is? 29:45 A philosophical breakdown of the definition of strength 36:54 Strength measures of interest 56:02 Skill, efficiency, and intentionality Bauman 1926 Observations on the Strength of the Chimpanzee and its Implications https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/7/1/1/866743 1:06:03 Eric’s tirade on sports science and exploring different strength variables  1:12:36 Categorising strength feats 1:18:46 The final sign-off (more plates, more dates?)

Dive into the misinterpretation of pain science in fitness and how it affects training. Explore personalized protein guidelines that advocate for fat-free mass over body weight. Learn about the role of electrical muscle stimulation in hypertrophy and the impact of aging on training dynamics. Discover the challenges of adapting to cold training environments and the importance of biomechanics in injury prevention. Plus, insight into motivation strategies to stay focused on personal fitness goals!

This week we’ve got a MONSTER episode in the form of a live Q&A episode with Dr. Helms and Dr. Trexler. The Good Doctors begin with a recap of the recent WNBF World Championships, followed by an insightful discussion about whether or not humans have a “factory error” in our design that promotes obesity. This is followed by a number of listeners’ questions about functional anatomy, exercise selection, the importance of the eccentric phase of a lift, factors impacting reps in reserve (RIR) accuracy, biceps contributions to back exercises, hypertrophy considerations for the deadlift exercise, mini-cuts, set-to-set fatigue, energy expenditure limits, “delayed” hypertrophy, how to tell if you’re a creatine nonresponder, and velocity-based training. The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat! If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link: https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/ Also, don’t miss out on the MASS Black Friday Sale, which has already started! Learn more and take advantage of huge discounts at www.massresearchreview.com Time stamps: 0:00 Intro  5:30 WNBF Worlds recap  15:25 Do Humans Have a “Factory Error” in our Design That Promotes Obesity? Pontzer 2023 The provisioned primate: patterns of obesity across lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37661747/ 25:45 How important is the eccentric portion of the lift for hypertrophy? Roig 2009 The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18981046/ Schoenfeld 2010 The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20847704/ 37:15 Exercises with brace points  Haugen 2023 Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance - a systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37582807/ 44:56 Biceps functional anatomy during back compound exercises and epistemology 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 50:25 Muscles to hypertrophy to increase deadlift strength 57:55 Rapid fire questions – Q1 Mini-cuts and bulking 1:05:15 Q2 Bench repetition performance across sets 1:08:35 Q3 Extreme energy expenditure Areta 2024 Energetics of a World-Tour Female Road Cyclist During a Multistage Race (Tour de France Femmes) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38796175/ Thurber 2019 Extreme events reveal an alimentary limit on sustained maximal human energy expenditure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31183404/ 1:12:34 Q4 Latent or delayed hypertrophy following a diet Bjørnsen 2019 Delayed myonuclear addition, myofiber hypertrophy, and increases in strength with high-frequency low-load blood flow restricted training to volitional failure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543499/ Damas 2016 Resistance training-induced changes in integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis are related to hypertrophy only after attenuation of muscle damage https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27219125/ 1:31:26 Q5 Where to find information on velocity-based training  https://massresearchreview.com/ 1:37:16 Closing out --- Turn your videos into live streams with https://restream.io --- Music credit: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100806 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Joe Klemczewski, a pioneering bodybuilding coach, discusses the overwhelming amount of nutritional misinformation in today's media landscape. He emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and educational efforts to help clients discern truth from misleading claims. Klemczewski explores the evolution of bodybuilding nutrition and highlights how social media influences diet trends and public perception. By reflecting on history and advocating for evidence-based practices, he guides listeners on navigating the complexities of modern nutritional science.

Today’s episode of MASS Office Hours is truly special, and not just because it’s airing on a Monday. First, the MASS crew announces a new era of Office Hours as the show has formally merged with the Iron Culture podcast. After making this announcement, the crew lets listeners know what they can expect as the show pushes forward and climbs to new heights. After that, the crew has an insightful discussion about the science of satellite cells – what they are, when they might (or might not) matter, and how they intersect with many hypertrophy-related topics, such as sex differences, aging, muscle damage, and factors that limit long-term muscle growth. The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat! If you'd like to submit a question or topic for us to address on an upcoming episode, please use this link: https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/ Time stamps 0:00 Intro 0:21 Big announcements about the future of Iron Culture and MASS Office Hours 5:10 Helms reflects on “the merger” 7:04 Re-introducing Dr. Mike Zourdos 17:53 Re-introducing Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple 26:38 Dr. Helms’ recent research 30:46 Dr. Trexler’s current research 34:20 A primer on satellite cells 49:31 The role of satellite cells during growth/maturation and during use of exogenous anabolics 51:21 Sex differences and exogenous anabolics 53:52 The impact of aging on satellite cells and their function 58:54 Do satellite cell responses to muscle damage play a major role in muscle growth? 1:02:37 Do satellite cells and myonuclear domain theory become more relevant for muscle growth when the magnitude of growth becomes more substantial? 1:10:01 Does hard training induce muscle hyperplasia? 1:19:06 If meaningful muscle hyperplasia does occur in response to resistance training, does that impact how we should approach or design training programs? 1:24:39 Wrapping up

The Lost Episode of MASS Office Hours will be discussed for decades to come. Was the episode buried and all copies destroyed because it was simply too controversial? Did the hosts reveal a secret too dangerous to publish? Did Eric accidentally delete the episode by hitting the wrong button after they recorded? We may never know. In this re-recorded episode of MASS Office Hours, Dr. Eric Trexler is joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to discuss Trex's surgery recovery, bilateral vs unilateral training for hypertrophy, shifting calories throughout the week while trying to build muscle, what to do after substantial weight loss, micronutrient adequacy, micronutrient testing, sex-based training differences, and arguing with people on the internet. PLEASE NOTE: We're switching our live streams to Monday nights, effective immediately! The MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Monday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode! If you'd like to submit a question ahead of time, please use this link: https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/ Time stamps 0:00 intro 1:18 important announcement about Office Hours schedule 3:27 Trex's surgery recovery 11:50 bilateral vs unilateral training for hypertrophy 21:43 shifting calories throughout the week while trying to build muscle 33:07 what to do after substantial weight loss 45:07 micronutrient adequacy and micronutrient testing 57:26 sex-based training differences 1:10:10 arguing with people on the internet

Explore the latest insights on concurrent training and its impact on muscle gains. The discussion reveals gender differences in how aerobic and resistance training interact. Learn strategies to structure workouts effectively, balancing cardio with strength training. The importance of customizing training volume and recovery methods is emphasized. Discover how explosive strength plays a role for various athletes and the integration of powerlifting into triathlon training. Audience engagement enhances this treasure trove of fitness knowledge!

Dive into the fascinating world of strength training and muscle maintenance! Discover how to tackle strength asymmetries with unilateral exercises. Explore the effectiveness of purported anti-catabolic supplements and insights on managing pain during lifts. You'll learn the optimal training volume needed to keep gains during weight loss. Plus, hear about leg elevation techniques for better recovery and whether daily macro targets are essential. Join the discussion that balances science with practical advice for fitness enthusiasts!

Josh Pelland, Co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, shares his expertise on training volume and its effects on muscle growth and strength. He presents findings from his meta-analysis, highlighting how increased training volume has diminishing returns for muscle gains. Pelland emphasizes the importance of tailoring training to individual needs, utilizing periodization, and addressing overtraining risks. The conversation delves into practical strategies for optimizing workouts and understanding the nuances of training frequency, making it a must-listen for fitness enthusiasts.

Delve into the latest college football drama and its connection to the serious issue of concussions and CTE. Discover how endurance athletes can balance strength and hypertrophy training effectively. Explore practical mobility tips and the significance of fat timing in diet. Unpack the intriguing effects of creatine on brain health. Lastly, learn about the advantages of unilateral exercises for addressing muscle imbalances, enhancing overall strength. Tune in for dynamic discussions and insightful advice!