Reviews For Iron Culture

I’ve long felt like Omar’s contributions to the podcast have been minimal at best. With Trexler on board, I think it’s become far more obvious that Omar does little to serve the podcast besides periodic interruptions and distractions. He struggles to keep up with most conversations, and his contributions meander so much that I find I have to rewind just to understand what he’s getting at a lot of the time. More often I’m skipping past his dialogue because it almost never meaningfully adds to the conversations. Excellent discussions when the two Erics are having a back and forth, but Omar hasn’t figured out how to say his thoughts in less than a 5-6 minute ramble, and the podcast would be way better served without him IMO.

The best podcast that ever podcasted. There are not enough stars in this rating system for this show. Sometime they will make an episode on something that I wasn’t even particularly interested in, but I listen to it anyway and not only enjoy do I enjoy it, I learn a lot. What kind of Cult member would I be without blind adherence? Omar and the Erics have a perfect blend of humor and education. Eric, specially, is a a phenomenal science communicator; I will take anything he says as fact. Eric, on the other hand, I sometimes fact check, just to be safe. Although I hope it never comes to that, if I ever had to choose between them, it would be Eric, no doubt about it. The references to The Silmarillion, Lovecraftian cosmic horror, and pop culture are just the icing on the cake. The cake being Omar, of course. My only issue with this podcast is: during one of Zac Robinson’s guest appearances we had our minds blown to learn that Zac is, in fact, his name and not a nickname. What about Josh Pelland then, also from Data Driven Strength? Is he also named just Josh, or it short for Joshthanial? Joshinson? What about Jake, also from DDS? Do they hire exclusively people who have traditional nicknames as names? The people need to know! Bring Josh Pelland on to shed some light on this, and maybe talk about his PhD thesis or something. Also, I refuse to listen to the MASS office hours until Omar is, at the very least, a guest on it. #IsufNation

Please accept my five star review as payment for the knowledge you consistently drop on us.

Eric and Omar are fantastic hosts. When Eric speaks, on the other hand, I have to check if my ears are bleeding. Regardless, the science podcasts are informative and meet listeners at any level of education. I have learned so much and developed such an appreciation of research from this podcast (and others). Next year I’m going to grad school in the fall to get my MPH in health behavior and I will be keeping in mind the skepticism with compassion, and the expertise with humility.

The Iron Culture podcast, “arm”ed with the holy trinity of fitness, OEE, offers practical, digestible information with a high protein digesting lift index. Truly one of the podcasts of all time, a gestalt union of incredible minds.

The Iron Culture Podcast has been my favorite podcast ever since I tuned in a year ago. Besides the informative content, I really love the humor of the hosts and how knowledgeable they are. Being an undergrad at Duke, I even got the chance to talk with Dr. Eric Trexler in person (I was ecstatic to receive Dr Trexler’s reply to my reach-out email) , and our conversation was truly inspiring! Thank you so much, Omar, Eric, and Eric! Please continue to make such great content until the end of time :)

I started listening to you guys about a year ago, I started from the beginning and have been powering through as well as listening to the most recent episodes when they come out. I love the guests and how consistent you guys have been with each episode. The amount of research that goes into each one is insane, thanks for bringing that to us in such a concise way! Can’t wait for more

Love the podcast! Eric Trexler is a great addition. I would strongly recommend this to friends who were into lifting, bodybuilding and fitness… if I had any. My only complaint is the lack of content related to the psychological benefits of community pools. There has been a lot of talk recently about the struggle to achieve as a lifter or bodybuilder and a broader conversation in the fitness space about body dysmorphia. A lot of people seem to feel bad about insufficient jackedness. I think community pools could be the answer. All you need to do is age into your late 30’s or 40’s and have a few kids while continuing to training and eat well. Then take your kids to a pool where there are lots of other families. Don’t look at your phone or social media. Just look at the other parents. What ensues is a bodybuilding competition where abs=win and quad vein=freak! Narrow clavicles, small rib cage, “bad genetics” - doesn’t matter. We need more science and more science based fitnesses content related to the impact of this phenomenon on the mental health of frustrated lifetime lifters. I think you guys are just the right people to take this on.

Love the Iron Culture podcast. It’s like the Car Talk of resistance training. Hearing the Erics’ stories was pretty rad. I wasn’t a fan of Helms dropping the G***ed slur in there about when he felt he was slighted by some judging results, but I’m reasonably certain he didn’t know how derogatory it is. I’m definitely going to continue to listen to the show because the content is great, unless it becomes a trend. Love seeing Trexler on the podcast. I’ve been missing him since he parted ways with SBS. Omar is great. No notes.

As a fellow 30-something years old Eric, I find other 30-something years old Eric’s to be the most trustworthy source of information. As such by going from 1 Eric to 2 has increased the podcast’s trustworthiness by 100%.

When I first heard about Iron Culture I knew I had to try it but I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit another podcast into my busy schedule. After considering this puzzle for a while I came up with the answer: instead of listening during the day, I could pipe Iron Culture directly to my muscles while I slept! So right before bed I placed headphones over my biceps and secured them with rubber bands. Then I queued up 8 hours of Iron Culture and got some shut eye. When I woke up I almost couldn’t believe how much my arms had grown! I don’t know what they talk about on this podcast because I still haven’t listened to it with my ears (at this point I’m kind of afraid to, lest I wind up looking like Dumbo) but whatever it is, it’s some pretty powerful stuff!

Spinoza wrote, “Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.” However, Spinoza did not have the chance to listen to this podcast. If he did, he would understand that there is some suffering that cannot and should never be endured. After listening to each episode of this podcasts’ catalog mulitple times, I can be certain that each these gentlemen take no pride in their work and are here to mislead the greater fitness community. Fortunately, I do not believe in cancel culture, rather, I belive in its antithesis. For that reason, I ask everyone here to join me in giving this podcast 5 stars so we can propel Iron Culture to be the biggest podcast our world has ever seen. Only after this has been done will everyone see the true chaos that Umer and Derek have fertilized the fitness industry with.

7/23 update. Didn’t read my first review. Super sad. Meanwhile still no golf strength and speed training ep. Super sad. Meanwhile I’m working out, gettin swole, hittin the ball a mile, takin the creatine and protein, still vegan. Still waiting … much love for the cult. Intelligent, funny, deep dives into topics that anyone can learn and benefit from: aging, trans athletes, creatine, protein, veganism and of course weight training. These guys are dedicated scientists; and their brand of humor is not the sardonic quips that are so popular these days, esp on social media, but rather rooted in compassion and genuineness. I strength train for golf and have no interest in lifting for sport and yet this is one of my fav podcasts. I use what I learn from them in my golf training. Their dedication to objectivity and the scientific method and compassion therein is what I strive for in all areas of my life and so in many ways, this is a “how to think” podcast. I’ll probably never squat more than two plates (okay maybe 3), but I’m a proud member of the Iron Cult. Thanks Eric and Omar. —JWN

High value information and the audio quality is solid enough to listen to in one ear while running a chainsaw which is hard to find.

A 10 billion dollar value, and it’s good. Iron Culture positions itself for all lifters within a complicated fitness space. Iron Culture an idiosyncratic paradigm on its own accord. Even among science-based media, Iron Culture separates itself by going above and beyond by providing data, sources, and examples. The new Mass Cast is an exciting development. As of now we can only insinuate passively who is at the top of the pyramid. It is inspiring, but at times goofy. The world would not be the same without Omar, Dr. Helms, and the Mass Cast. Critics must understand that this podcast is from an exercise and sport view. Therefore, there are nuances of Dr. Helm’s discipline that may feel underdeveloped from a physiology perspective, or overcomplicated for the layperson. That is the challenging premise of “for all lifters.” After elaboration, a listener will come to appreciate the nuances. The Iron Culture podcast is valuable to the listener and the lifting community.

Wow! At first I thought I had found a podcast about the cultural significance of cast iron cookware - e.g. skillets, soup pots, and dutch ovens. I was totally wrong. Omar and Eric do not talk about cooking at all, unless you count gnarly microwaved chicken breast recipes. However, the hosts do discuss recipes for success in physical culture. The recent episodes about Irish Lifting Stones have been great. Plus they got me so hyped about Sheffield I actually watched the live stream poolside on a family vacation and everyone thought I was crazy. Great listen. Five Stars. Period.

I listened to the Carnivore Diet episode and while I understand the overall apprehension about such a diet, it is so clear that these guys didn't study up. They focus solely on the fact that the carnivore diet attracts fringe anti establish folks, which isn't wrong, but they don't actually get into the science. I recommend you listen to Dr. Ken Berry or Dr. Anthony Chaffee instead.

I am consistently impressed by the quality of the Iron Culture episodes, but I was glued to my seat with the in-person episode reflecting on Sheffield. Truly, it was a monster episode. The only way it could have been more monstrous would have been to extend the episode 3 hours with a session of the Call to Cthulhu RPG featuring Omnar Innsmuf, Erich Holmes, and Conor Out of Space Heffernan. There, the real monsters lie.

It pains me to admit that as a pre-teen who worshipped Franco Columbo and The Austrian Oak in the late 80s, the idea of a podcast combining scientific journal research and esoteric humor never crossed my mind. (At the time, I had no idea what ‘esoteric’ meant; to be fair, Steve Jobs had no idea what ‘podcast’ meant, either.) But seriously folks, I was already familiar with Eric Helms thanks to the Muscle and Strength Pyramids series, and I knew about Omar (albeit to a lesser degree) because of the prevalence of “Kinda Chunky Kinda Hunky” shirts in my region of North America. Now that I’ve graduated from renting Pumping Iron from the nearest Blockbuster fortnightly, I can honestly say I cherish my driving time with the melodious Helms-Isuf ensemble in the background. More than once per podcast I’ll hear something that vasodilates and striates my cerebral cortex to an RPE 8-9. And even when their muscular chorus fails to elicit optimal arousal, at least I can sleep easy knowing someone out there gets me and my iron obsession. Five stars. #thiccboiz

There now is a Cult-ure of Iron With smart, jacked hosts worthy of mirin’ Along came the guests Who scienced da best And now all the gurus retirin’.

Great information. Guests are always experts. Slice of life attitude, good humor. My only issue is the following: if we finally achieve Omar’s obvious yearning for a fully privatized free-market society, who will build the roads? Has he thought this over before?

Please do not stop these episodes I look forward to them every couple weeks. Research is amazing and the banter is not too bad.

Where do I start, on the way to the gym, at home, whilst researching hypertrophy and nutrition (doing 3 things at once, typing, reading, listening). Best podcast to learn, with some funny jokes to, always a wide variety of topics and if I have a question about my own training and bodybuilding career, I check the podcasts and sure enough the topic is covered.

I am a real life, honest-to-god Delaware lawyer who happens to be a cultist. Yes, we actually exist. I think I can explain my love for this podcast by way of analogy. In fitness, as in corporate law, proxies make the entire system work. In corporate law, a proxy is a person empowered to vote stock on behalf of another. Our modern corporate governance system would not work without proxies because, for technical reasons I won’t explain, “normal people” can’t directly own stock. So we must receive proxies from the “real” holder to vote. (This is why the document everyone receives before a corporate election is called a “proxy statement.”) So, again, the system would not work without proxies. And so it is for fitness. Fitness is complicated and people with full time jobs simply do not have the time or expertise to read all of the science and distill it into actionable advice. So we as a community rely on credible intermediaries - proxies - to perform that function for us. The problem for long a long time was that credible proxies did not exist in fitness. Instead, we relied on a small army of bad coaches who published unchecked, wrongheaded advice. I started lifting in 2008 and witnessed, from that nadir, the rise of evidence-based fitness coaching. I started following Eric Helms at what seems to have been his proverbial first steps into the realm of public intellectualism - his YouTube fitness consultations with Matt Ogus. And it was instantly clear that he was putting out better, more sophisticated advice than anything I’d seen before. To my mind, the founding of shops like 3DMJ and Renaissance Periodization marked the beginning of the end of the fitness dark ages. We began to see the rise of proxies with advanced degrees and a rigorous approach to science analytics. The problem remains, though, that for many beginners, credible proxies are difficult to find because for every evidence-based practitioner, there are something like 10 to 1,000 loud idiots. To those beginners: please look no further than this podcast and Eric’s publications as your credible proxy. I listen to this podcast on my drive home from work and constantly find myself marveling at the level of nuance and clarity of advice. If you want a sample, listen to the last ~30 minutes of episode 205, which is a lucid explanation of the best, most current science in objective markers of hypertrophy. You’ll see that Eric is not only a scientist, but also something of a philosopher who brings a unique brand of wisdom and perspective to bear because he is intensely focused on the difference between matters for which there is expert consensus, expert disagreement, and a lack of sufficient evidence. Those distinctions matter, and other evidence-based practitioners are not always as careful. 5 stars. This content is outstanding and special, and in my view some the best fitness content in the U.S. mediasphere. Eric and Omar, please hit me up if you need Delaware counsel with higher 1RMs than your current uninitiated lawyers.

Aloha from Hawai’i, my name is Dom. I’ve been a cult member for about 1 year now and I must say, each Monday since my initiation to the cult, I’ve grown more and more grateful to the degree of which Omar and Eric have opened my eyes to quality research; especially in a world where social media influencers and anecdotes are mainstream “evidence”. Dr. Eric Helms, I wanted to let you know, I listened to your shoutout to the listeners who not only listen but listen listen, and as a listening listener, I’m glad to have listened. Both of these guys drop fire from their first words, even if it’s just “(sigh) Eric…. Omar” “, respectively. Dropping soliloquies of strength information that not only help me induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy but brain hypertrophy as well. The combination of tasteful side banter and evidenced based information makes me proud to be a cult member. I’ll be listening from now until every (insert date here).

Man i cant wait for Monday to roll around just so i can listen to you guys! I have learned so much from you guys,keep doing what you guys are doing!!! Till the end of time! 🤟🏽

Eight o clock Monday night and I’m waiting To finally listen to a lifter a little cooler than me His name is Eric He’s a doctor and he’s hunky He’s got a milo tattoo, but I’m not quite sure what that means But when he talks All the gym bro and the swole kings sing “Gotta get me some hypertrophy” Cause he’s watchin’ Omar jerk Creamin’ over jorts ‘n thighs Listenin’ to the research Huge pr’s in his eyes It’s like that hereditary movie If you were me then you’d be Screaming “light weight baby” As I fail miserably Pinned by the bar listenin’ to the Iron Cult Pod!

I am a new lifter, I am a Software Engineer, and I have never been athletic. I started lifting 9 months ago to improve my health and better myself. Needless to say, I fell in love with lifting and it has changed my life. I look completely different, and I have put on all kinds of gains. It was not easy, the fitness community is very deceptive and profit based. I struggled with buying programs, hiring personal trainers, and almost constantly overreaching. It wasn’t until I found Mike Izraetel and RP when I found all kinds of FREE content that was evidence based, and it helped me understand so much. In one of the RP videos Mike Izraetel recommended a book called “The Muscle and Strength Pyramid: Training/Nutrition” by Eric Helms. After I read the first book, I looked up this Eric Helms guy and found this podcast. From there my life changed, I went from being a loner with no one to talk to about fitness or science based approaches to training. To being part of a community of lifters, anytime I want to nerd out on some training talk I can tune into this podcast. It really has confirmed a lot of the things I have been reading and learning about, helping me become a better lifter. All I can say is thank you Omar and Eric, I have no one in my life who lifts weights and it is so nice to listen to experience lifters talk and banter. I am still catching up on episodes but could you do an episode if you have not already on beginners and how to get through the information overload in the fitness industry. When I first started there was just so much info and misinformation out there. For someone like myself without someone I know to ask about fitness, I had turned to influencers and personal trainers. From here everything was monetized and most of the information not good for beginners. Thanks again and anyone who listens to this podcast, welcome to the cult.

It would be funny if you did a whole episode where you just called him “Derick”

Been a fan of Omar for a while, so I figured I would try the podcast, listening to 191 right now. Great episode. Looking forward to exploring the back catalogue.

Overall solid content and been enjoying the recycled topics on natural vs. advanced. On 1.5x speed my attention span is even long enough to listen to an entire episode.

What an excellent, informative podcast. My commute is only 30 minutes so I haven’t finished the history of the Grave Digger yet but I can’t wait to continue the episode tomorrow. Was the Grave Digger on steroids? Was he an irresponsible influencer? These are the tough questions Erik and oMar tackle that other podcasts like Stronger by Science have been avoiding for years

I literally have to keep pausing the podcast, either to chew on something deep and profound (both fitness-related wisdom and non), or to simply savor the brilliant wit. Not exaggerating. So thankful for Eric and Omar who keep on keeping on, endeavoring to keep it real, and allowing others like us to savor the “new levels of rock bottom” along with them!!! 😆🙌 You guys are the best! -Aubrey

Eric… and Omar are both two elite, hunky lifters that dedicate their precious time to getting their disciples yucky and swole. Every Monday, my life is changed as we have the opportunity to catch their droppings of wisdom and knowledge. Between their completely unironic love for capitalism and obscure pop culture references that Omar only gets accurate a quarter of the time, it’s clear that these guys are at the top of the muscle and fitness pyramids. On a serious note, this bromance really pulls off the one-two punch of evidence based approaches to fitness and a layman’s breakdown of the science behind it all. After the first hour of banter, the information being provided is invaluable, yet always digestible. Way better than that vile Macrofactor podcast. 10/10.

Love the banter. Eric's line that if you spend money it will come, basically the field of C.R.E.A.M was genius

I began to listen to Iron culture a few weeks ago and my data minutes went through the roof. I had to change my data plan to unlimited. I’m not a rich man and I’m having to refinance my house just so I can listen to your podcast. Thanks a lot.

It’s a great listen while I’m working. I enjoy the charisma by both hosts. Ive watched Omars and Eric’s stuff for a while on YouTube glad I found this podcast. Awesome content.

Eric and Omar are beholden only to their muscular tissue and for this fact, I am grateful. Guests range from very intelligent humans to very intelligent humans with grand amounts of lean tissue. I love how there is never a wasted moment; as all words from the top of the pyramid are received as blessings. You will find ALL of your life's questions answered within the genius of Eric and Omar's dialogues and sometimes triologues and qudrialogs. Thank you for such incredible work, Eric and Omar. May I die with your ribaldry in my ears and your names on my lips.

I have learned so much from this podcast, really can’t say enough good things about it. Would love to see them talk about home gym equipment they would get if starting a home gym!

Just discovered this podcast, first episode I listened to was the Kicked of JRE episode. Too funny! Looking forward to digging into all the other content.

First off, let me just say the information provided in these podcasts is simply SUCCULENT. It’s presented in a fairly digestible format (sometimes you guys get a bit too much in the weeds, but that’s the nature of science). I’m a huge fan of the Q

These guys are great. Definitely include multiple opinions and challenges you to think about your own goals in lifting etc.. Love the academic side of the pod as well. Great dudes

I’ve been meaning to write a review for a while, but I’ve heard too much hate for m’boys and I can’t stands no more. I don’t think anyone can argue that the content is top notch and has likely elevated the gainz of everyone in the Iron Cult, so enough said about that. We are likely as a group leaner, stronger, yuckier, and have collected all the Hyper trophies that can be amassed. This review is not about that. This review is for the pre-program banter that gets dumped on from time to time. To those people I ask, “Have you no joy in life? Would you not find beauty in the changing of leaves in Autumn? In the laughter of a child? Would you not taste a sun-ripened peach and feel what it is to be alive?” Such is the humor and wit of the commentary between Omar and Eric (Dr. Helms, if you will). I am like a child on Christmas morning when I press play on the latest and greatest Iron Culture podcast—what will Omar open with? What will be Eric’s smart and savvy retort? It is the highlight of my morning as I walk to the gym for those aforementioned gainz. In closing, don’t change anything about the pre-program banter. It is the fresh dew on the grass and the songbird singing in the early morn of a fine Spring day.

Me: I’m suspicious of the influence lobbyist have on the both the medical industry and public policy. Trexler: Yeah, you’re probably just a flat earther…..

Omar is so hard to follow: whenever he talks, my mind zoned out