This episode is a bit of a beast, but it’s an absolute goldmine for anyone interested in strength training, building muscle or bodybuilding. Eric Helms is an absolute guru, as you’d expect from a bodybuilding coach, athlete, educator, author, and someone with two masters degrees and a PhD in strength and conditioning. 

His resume is unparalleled, and his knowledge is next level. This is probably best suited for someone towards the elite level of training, as opposed to beginners, but there’s so much to digest in this ep. 

We talk…

• Why it takes six months to condition for bodybuilding competitions


• The origins of bodybuilding and powerlifting, including with steroids and doping


• Why you generally can’t tell if a bodybuilder is on steroids or not


• How anabolic steroids actually work to grow muscle


• Testosterone and how it impacts muscle growth


• Why training programmes have to be individualised for elite athletes - and how he does around three times as much upper body work as he does legs


• Training to failure


• Why you feel sore after some exercises and not others


• A guide to eccentric and concentric training, and pausing during reps


• Supersetting: how to complement different types of exercises - and how not to


• Variable resistance and band training


• What to think about when you’re trying to build muscle, in terms of diet, protein and amino acids


• Why creatine is still the king of supplements, and the benefit of training when you’re caffeinated


• How to optimise recovery, including ways to speed it up, and how to know when you’ve recovered 

Eric is a great communicator, and he’s constantly dropping little gems all the way through this one. 

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Please support this podcast by checking out our episode sponsors: 

-Blis Probiotics: https://blis.co.nz/

They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD10’ for 10% off all products (excludes ElitePRO).

-Mitchells Nutrition: https://www.mitchellsnutrition.com/

They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD15’ for 15% off all products.

*****

RESOURCES:

We spoke about the documentary Icarus, which you can check out with a Netflix login here: https://www.netflix.com/nz/title/80168079  

Check out Eric’s podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IronCulturePodcast 

Or follow him on insta: https://www.instagram.com/helms3dmj/