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From Natural Bodybuilding to Science with Eric Helms

Robert Sikes

• February 2nd, 2024

If you have any interest in natural bodybuilding, competition, changing your body composition, and anything in between, this episode is for you. Eric is the chief author of the Muscle and Strength Pyramids, a founder of and reviewer for Monthly Applications in Strength Sport, and is a research fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand at Auckland University of Technology, pursuing research in training, nutrition and psychology for strength and physique sport. Eric has a PhD in Strength and Conditioning with a research focus on autoregulating powerlifting, a masters with a research focus on protein and macronutrient manipulation for dieting bodybuilders, a second masters in exercise science and health promotion, and a bachelors in sports management, fitness and wellness. As an athlete, Eric is a WNBF Pro bodybuilder and competes in multiple strength sports. He has a wealth of information and I can't wait to pick his brain further on a future episode.

What we discussed:

Fitness competition and earning a pro card (2:20)
Bodybuilding, competing, and drug use (6:53)
The motivation behind bodybuilding and the importance of loving the process (11:57)
Mentally preparing for a competition (16:42)
Reverse dieting (21:46)
Recovery diet terminology for post-competition nutrition (25:41)
Balancing recovery and progress in bodybuilding (31:25)
Struggling with post-show dietary needs and maintaining structure (36:53)
Building good habits in a bodybuilding lifestyle (39:53)
Recovery diet protocols and their impact on hormones and body fat (46:06)
Body fat, metabolism, and weight loss (50:53)
Holistic approach to weight gain (56:04)
Body composition, energy intake, and intervention points in different societies (59:57)
The impact of bodybuilding on overall health and well-being (1:04:34)
Weight gain and body composition tracking (1:08:40)
Tracking training metrics for muscle growth and progress (1:13:03)
Ketogenic diets in bodybuilding (1:23:41)
Carbohydrates and their place in competition prep (1:30:32)
Ketogenic diet adaptation and performance timeline (1:38:05)
Natural bodybuilding, coaching, and nutrition (1:41:53)