Monthly Applications in Strength Sport (MASS)
Check it out: Monthly Applications in Strength Sport (MASS)
1,000+ new exercise science and nutrition studies are published every month.
You know that keeping up with the latest science is crucial to being the best athlete or coach you can be.
Even if you just lift for fun, you want to be sure you’re getting the most out of your time in the gym.
But…
Trying to learn more about science-backed training and nutrition strategies can be extremely frustrating, especially on the internet.
Anybody with a little chutzpah and time to kill can start their own website or YouTube channel and start presenting themselves as a “fitness authority.” The information they’re presenting is typically of dubious quality at best.
Trying to gather information in the gym isn’t much better. You could ask the biggest dude in the gym, but there’s no guarantee that he got jacked because of his training, and not in spite of it. You could ask the overeager trainer, but they’re just going to blindly recite whatever they heard at the last seminar they attended. Finally, there’s the grizzled veteran who’ll tell you what they did in the “good old days,” but who hasn’t kept up with recent advances in training and nutrition science.
But since you know it’s important to keep up with the latest science, you try to do it all yourself.
However…
Going through the studies each month is extremely time-consuming. Spending time figuring out how to apply them all is difficult. Having access to all the different journals is expensive. Interpreting research and figuring out which studies are trustworthy and applicable to you is frustrating.
You want the benefits of knowing the latest science and want to stay on the cutting-edge of training and nutrition, but you don’t have the time, energy, and money to sift through the journals, pick out which studies are applicable, analyze their design for trustworthiness, critically read them, and figure out how they apply to you training or your client’s training. Doing that for just one study is quite a task. Now imagine doing it for 1,000+ studies across 50+ different journals. For most people, that’s just not feasible.
So what happens if you can’t keep up with all that incoming research?
One of two things usually happens when someone doesn’t keep up with the literature.
If you’re depending on headlines to keep you up-to-date, it’s super easy to get swept away in a fad because you don’t understand how new findings fit into the overall body of scientific literature. You’ll constantly be chasing the next new thing, but never actually getting anywhere.
On the other hand, you could end up sticking with a training or nutrition concept that’s been abandoned and updated with new, more relevant findings. You end up stuck in old ways of doing things and not taking advantage of evolved and improved discoveries.
So you know you need to keep up with the science, but you also know that – up to this point – doing so required time, energy, and money that you just don’t have.
The four of us (Greg, Eric Helms, Mike, and Eric Trexler) have committed our careers to helping alleviate this problem. Now, we’re coming together to smash that problem for you once and for all.
Be an expert in strength and physique sport without wasting any time, energy, or money.
Introducing, Monthly Applications in Strength Sport (MASS).
If you’re serious about getting the most out of your time in the gym, and you’re fed up with the confusion of trying to sift through the conflicting information that’s out there, MASS is for you.
MASS is a shortcut, a “secret weapon” to put you head and shoulders above the rest. An athlete or coach who knows and truly understands the latest great research has a huge advantage over his competitors.
Every month, we sift through 100+ journals and 1000+ studies to handpick the cutting-edge research that’s most relevant to you, and will help you build muscle, gain strength, and get leaner. All three of us are athletes and coaches as well, so we know how to separate the truly valuable and applicable studies from the novelties that are never going to make it out of the lab and into the gym.
If you’re tired of wasting your time reading a dozen conflicting opinions about every facet of training and nutrition, you don’t have 40+ free hours every month to keep up with the scientific research for yourself, and you’re serious about learning how to optimize your training, nutrition, and recovery practices to get the best results, MASS is the best investment you can make.
MASS is a monthly digest to help people like you bring their A game.
Extremely relevant and focused. Our focus is narrower than other research reviews, focusing solely on strength and physique athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts. This means that every month, we’ll review only the research that’s the most relevant for you and your results.
Application is dead simple. Each article begins with a bulleted list of key points and ends with another list of applications and takeaways. Both aim to tell you exactly what the newest research means for you training or nutrition so you can start applying the latest science right away.
Meticulously researched and curated. Every month, we sift through 53 journals (and adding more all the time) and roughly 1,000 articles, identifying the research that’s essential for you or your clients. The result is a review full of the highest-quality, most relevant content, with none of the false positives or ill-advised fads.
Easy-to-understand writing that skips the jargon. We’ll tell you what you need to know without using the jargon, acronyms, and confusing language so often found in studies. With precise and pithy writing, interpreting research is simple and accessible to all.
Findings put into context. An essential part of interpreting research is figuring out how new findings fit into the understanding of an entire body of scientific literature on the topic. As the scientific community learns new things and discards old practices, we’ll help you stay abreast so you can grow and evolve without chasing your tail with every new fad or staying stuck in your ways and being bound to tradition.
Additional resources for subscribers who want to go more in depth. As an added benefit, our interpretation will aid your ability to dissect additional research which you choose to examine on your own. By reading our monthly reviews, your critical thinking and ability to decipher research will be enhanced to further benefit your capability to improve your training.
Trusted by the top names in the industry…
Jeff Nippard
As someone who loves to consume the most up-to-date training and nutrition science, but doesn’t always have the time to read research, MASS provides an incredibly valuable shortcut to high-quality literature and its practical application. MASS ensures that every month my knowledge base is completely up to date so that whether I am coaching a client, conducting an interview or creating online content, I’m confident that I’m up to speed with what is at the cutting edge of our community.
Jeff Nippard WNBF Pro Natural Bodybuilder | IPF Raw Powerlifter
Danny Lennon
When MASS first launched I has EXTREMELY high expectations, given my familiarity with the incredible knowledge and integrity of Greg, Eric and Mike. And the first issue didn’t disappoint. But after a year since that initial launch, I can honestly say that I am stunned by what the team has been able to consistently deliver over this past 12 months. The level of information is astounding, the topics covered are perfect, the interpretations of the research are applicable and the writing is the perfect combination of articulate and understandable. MASS really has outdone even my very lofty expectations. It is currently the number one resource I recommend to anyone interested in strength training, and by quite a large margin. If you want your training, nutrition and coaching to all be based on the latest reliable science, then now you can do so by have the MASS team do all the work for you! They read the research. They find the most useful studies. They interpret them correctly. They highlight the application for practice. And all you have to do is read/watch/listen and soak up all the knowledge. That’s worth so much more than the incredibly reasonable investment. Subscribing to MASS really is a no-brainer!
Danny Lennon MSc. Nutrition Science. Founder & Head of Content Production at Sigma Nutrition
Mike Tuchscherer
Keeping up with research that is relevant to a professional Powerlifting coach is a huge task. There is of course the time to sort through all of it, then there is the expertise required to correctly interpret the results, and finally the awareness to place it properly in the context of scientific literature as a whole. And if you’re a coach, you likely don’t have the time (or let’s be honest the skillset) to do all of this yourself. MASS is not just interesting to me as a fan of iron sports training. It helps me to be a better coach than I’d otherwise be.
Mike Tuchscherer World Champion powerlifter, founder of Reactive Training Systems
Mike Matthews
Greg, Eric, and Mike do such a fantastic job with MASS. Every issue is packed full of interesting, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-apply information and insights on a variety of topics that are particularly relevant to us intermediate and advanced weightlifters. The bottom line is my programming and training are more productive thanks to MASS, and yours will be too.
Mike Matthews Fitness author and founder of MuscleForLife.com
Katie Anne Rutherford
In the vast world of “fitness”, it can be hard to sift through the exorbitant amount of information at our fingertips and know what to trust. MASS is one of the best resources for fitness enthusiasts as well as professionals for reliable, science-based information in easy-to-understand summaries. These takeaways are applicable to both training and coaching. As an athlete and coach, I greatly appreciate the condensed research reviews from a few of the most brilliant minds in the strength and physique sport research fields. MASS does the heavy lifting, making it easy for coaches and athletes to reference the information to influence the greater good of the fitness community.
Katie Anne Rutherford Natural Figure Pro Elite 72kg Powerlifter
Alberto Nuñez
MASS untangles the lines of communications between science and the perfectionist practitioner. A must have tool for anyone looking to keep up an always evolving industry.
Alberto Nuñez Team 3D Muscle Journey Coach, Lifetime Drug-Free Bodybuilder
Artin Entezarjou
MASS is exactly what any serious personal trainer or coach needs, an efficient way of giving practical takeaways from scientific knowledge! We use it to educate our audience, and we can’t even begin to explain how amazing content you’ll find on there. That’s why we choose to endorse it on our Instagram. Because it stands for what EBT stands for: SCIENCE over broscience!
Artin Entezarjou M.D., PhD candidate, Co-founder of EBT (Evidence Based Training)
Jacob Schepis
Being in the trenches as a full time powerlifting/physique coach and facility owner, staying up to date with the current research can be arduous and time consuming. MASS has been a life saver and changed the game for my practice. Not only does each monthly research review keep me in the loop with the latest findings relevant to strength training, nutrition and physique, but the content is jam packed with high quality, easy to digest, practical information that my team of coaches and I are able to apply immediately with our athletes and clients. If continued education, learning and being an industry leader is a priority, then becoming MASS member is a no brainer!
Jacob Schepis Director of JPS, Physique & Bodybuilding Coach
Reviewers you can trust
MASS research review content is independent, unbiased, and created by some of the smartest guys in the industry.
Eric Helms
Ph.D. in strength and conditioning from Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, M.S. in exercise science, a second Master’s in sports nutrition, B.S. in fitness and wellness.
Regularly publishes peer-reviewed articles in exercise science and nutrition journals on physique and strength sport.
Coach for drug-free strength and physique competitors at all levels as a part of team 3D Muscle Journey.
Earned pro status as a natural bodybuilder with the PNBA in 2011 and competes in the IPF at international-level events as an unequipped powerlifter.
Greg Nuckols
M.A. in exercise physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.S. in exercise and sports science.
Held three all-time world records in powerlifting in the 220lb and 242lb classes.
Coached hundreds of athletes and written for many of the major magazines and websites in the industry.
Worked with and learned from record holders, champion athletes, and collegiate and professional strength and conditioning coaches through previous job as Chief Content Director for Juggernaut Training Systems and current full-time work on StrongerByScience.com.
Michael Zourdos
Ph.D. in exercise physiology, M.S. in applied health physiology, and B.S. in exercise science.
Assistant professor in exercise science at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) with a specialization in strength and conditioning and skeletal muscle physiology.
Director of the FAU Muscle Physiology Research Laboratory.
Head powerlifting coach of FSU’s 2011 and 2012 state championship team.
Competes as a powerlifter in the USAPL and coaches athletes through his company Training Revolution, LLC.
Eric Trexler
Pro natural bodybuilder and a sports nutrition researcher.
PhD in Human Movement Science from UNC Chapel Hill, and has published dozens of peer-reviewed research papers on various exercise and nutrition strategies for getting bigger, stronger, and leaner.
Several years of University-level teaching experience, and has been involved in coaching since 2009.
Director of Education for Stronger By Science and host of the Stronger By Science Podcast.
You’ll get all this in every monthly issue
Plus, access to our entire backlog of issues.
A new PDF issue of MASS every month. Each issue contains 8 articles and access to 2 video presentations. For reference, Issue No. 1 was about 70 pages long. Each article is about 2,000 words, and each presentation is between 30 and 45 minutes.
Mobile-friendly versions of every article. Take MASS on the go with mobile-friendly versions of every article, every month.
Access to online membership site where you can download PDF versions, access back issues, find member-exclusive content, and view the mobile-friendly versions of each article. You can access and download your issues online 24/7.
Audio roundtable with Greg, Eric Helms, Mike, and Eric Trexler. Listen in as we discuss and contextualize each article.
Access to our private MASS Facebook group. Have questions about any of the articles? Get them answered quickly, and join in a community of other strength enthusiasts.
Beautiful, sleek design made for readability. Each issue of MASS contains dozens of graphics and charts to break down the numbers and findings into stunning visual displays.
High-quality customer support. Have questions or concerns about your subscription or an issue of MASS? No problem. Just send us an email, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Ability to cancel your subscription any time. If you subscribe to MASS and decide it’s not for you, you can easily cancel your subscription at any time.
OUR BACK CATALOG…
Each issue of MASS contains 8 articles and 2 videos. Each of the 10 reviews contains:
In-depth, unbiased review. We’ll go over the study’s design and break down exactly what the findings mean, offering analysis far beyond what you’d find in just the abstracts.
Important takeaways for strength athletes and coaches. We all have real-world experience and have developed the bullshit detectors necessary to apply findings to the real world.
Explanation of how the study fits into broader scientific literature on the topic. All findings are contextualized, which makes each review more applicable and saves you the time and hassle of reading tons of background information.
Bulleted key points, applications, and takeaways. At the start of every review, we’ll give you a few key points so you can get the big picture quickly and easily. We’ll also leave you with a few simple action steps at the end of each review.
Tips for interpreting research on your own. Want to go even further and learn to interpret research for yourself? We’ll point out best practices in study design so you can improve your critical thinking and ability to read and interpret research.
Saved time, energy, and money. You probably don’t have 40+ free hours every month to keep up with the scientific research for yourself. Get the most relevant research for less than a dollar per day – less than your morning coffee.
Take MASS on the go with our new mobile app
Subscribers get access to a mobile app where they can read, watch, and listen to all of our MASS content right from their phones.
Trusted by the top names in the industry…
Layne Norton
MASS is one of the best investments an intelligent lifter can make. So many people want to know what the research REALLY says but don’t know who to trust to tell them the truth. MASS takes the guesswork out of it by distilling down the hardcore, cutting edge science into a palatable form that is easy for anyone to understand and implement practically into their own training.
Layne Norton Ph.D in nutritional sciences. Coach. Bodybuilder. Powerlifter.
Andy Morgan
As a coach, the pressure to stay on top of the latest research findings can be overwhelming, as it is something my clients and readers count on me for. So when my colleagues Greg Nuckols and Eric Helms told me they were putting together a research review with Mike Zourdos I was immensely happy. These are two of the smartest and most analytical gentlemen in the industry and I trust their opinions entirely. Better still, they are humble, which is something rare in our fitness industry which is full of big egos. They are not tied into any dogma, and I know I can trust them to update their opinions and advice when research comes out that justifies it.
Andy Morgan Owner of RippedBody.com, online training and nutrition coach
Bryce Lewis
Monthly Applications in Strength Sport (MASS) looks to be just what the strength coach needs in this burgeoning time of increasing research specifically for barbell & strength sports. Most coaches don’t have the time, access to journals, or the scientific background to break down complex studies and see the practical applications. MASS tackles effect sizes, population considerations, p-values and the like with ease, letting you know how applicable varied studies are. Each issue feels hefty, packed with veritable powerlifting gold. From hypertrophy and volume to lifting technique and nutritional concerns, nothing important to the strength athlete is left out. Thanks to the hard work of Eric Helms, Mike Zourdos, and Greg Nuckols, we’re privy to a beautifully presented and well digested blend of study reviews in both written and video content. Who else does video?! And I mean lengthy videos with slide presentations, clear and sequential ordering, and a breakdown of complex topics in lay terms. The studies themselves are presented with key points, findings, and most importantly, expert interpretations. From three industry-leading experts in strength sport come this companion to the coach or inquisitive athlete—a resource to turn to again and again as you build your skills and strength.“
Bryce Lewis Drug-free elite powerlifter, coach for The Strength Athlete
Andrea Valdez
The MASS Research Review is an ongoing must-read for anyone who wants to stay up to date with the latest in physique and strength sport. There will always be too much information to consume out there, so having our resources prescreened and vetted by some of the best researchers in the game is an invaluable asset for us at Team 3DMJ. Eric, Greg, and Mike have created a gold mine of recurring education here. I cannot recommend their work enough.
Andrea Valdez Natural bodybuilding coach, 3DMJ
Tony Gentilcore
I hate reading research. Right behind people who don’t turn right on red. When people smarter than myself are willing to hang out on PubMed, dissect things, and put them into tinier morsels of information that will not only help me stay on task with current, evidence based trends in strength & conditioning, but also save me time….I am all for it.
Tony Gentilcore CSCS. TonyGentilcore.com
Martijn Koevoets
I would definitely recommend MASS to all my friends, and have done so many times in the past. In fact, I took the life time subscription the minute it became available. People tend to fall into two camps. On one side there’s the typical meathead not making much gains because he trusts everything that’s in the typical bodybuilding magazines. On the other side you have people getting caught up in the minutia of scientific findings, and not making any gains because they focus on the small picture. Understandable, because it’s easy with websites like PubMed. What I like about MASS is that’s is right smack dab in the middle of these 2 camps. Taking science as the guiding principle, but also giving readers practical application guidelines. With MASS you can safely ignore everything else on the internet (if you choose to do so), and still be confident that you’ll make gains.
Laurin Conlin
MASS is one of the best investments you could make to further your education in the field. Whether you are an athlete, or a coach, or simply a fitness enthusiast that wants to keep up to date with the most current research in the physique and strength world, you will love MASS! All three contributors have an impeccable writing style and they always keep the information as realistic and unbiased as possible. Since MASS started a year ago, they have maintained the quality of the articles and videos in each issue but have only improved on other ends. They have added a Facebook group for members only, helpful guides on things like how to read and interpret research and have even added CEU’s! All of these features make your experience as a MASS member that much better by keeping you connected with other like minded members as well as providing you with the tools you need to successfully implement and practice what you learn from each issue. This is my go to recommendation for people looking to expand their education in the field without spending hours searching through the research themselves.
Laurin Conlin IFBB Bikini Pro, MS Exercise Science
Paul Revelia
Prior to the release of MASS I often found research intimidating and daunting to use for my own coaching purposes. Over the last 12 months I have found an immense excitement each month when I know the next issue is coming out. Taking such complex topics like training volume, recovery, exercise selection, hormones, fat loss and providing real world studies and applications has not only helped me but helped the entire coaching industry as whole take a leap forward.
Paul Revelia Physique Coach, Owner, Pro Physique Inc.
Get immediately download Monthly Applications in Strength Sport (MASS)
Jeff Alberts
As one who has lived and breathed bodybuilding for over 30 years there’s only a few credible resources I take seriously to improve my bodybuilding game and MASS is certainly at the top of my list. MASS never fails to deliver on high quality practical knowledge!
Jeff Alberts Natural Pro Lifetime Natural Bodybuilder
Lauren Tickner
As someone who wants to be seen as a reputable source of information in the fitness industry, I know it is critical for me to keep up-to-date with the latest evidence based training and nutrition. I used to spend hours upon hours reading through scientific journals, meta-analyses, and research papers only to find that I needed to re-read it to understand how I can apply the knowledge to my content and clients. However, after hearing Eric Helms on a podcast talking about MASS, and then Danny Lennon, another reputable figure, singing its praises, I knew I needed to give it a go. And I’ve never looked back since. Now, I’m able to learn 100x more, 100x faster, and easily share the information I’ve picked up with my social media following and the online fitness coaches that I coach! MASS makes the evidence so easy to apply when creating your own content and working with your own clients, so it’s a double win!
Lauren Tickner StrengthFeed.com, The Business Meets Fitness Podcast
Philip Stefanov
Both real-world experience and scientific literacy are important for the best results in the gym. They are two sides of the same coin. The first one we get by putting in the hours at the gym, trying new things, learning from mistakes, and getting better. The second factor is more difficult: reading and understanding scientific papers is tough, but it doesn’t stop there. You need to understand the methods, statistical analyses, and tools used for measurements. And even if you could make sense out of the paper, it’s still difficult to put the knowledge to practical use. And you can’t solely rely on real-world experience if you want to optimize your gym results. Knowing how and why something works (or doesn’t) allows you to improve your training, nutrition, and recovery. This is where MASS comes in and, more specifically, Greg, Mike, and Eric. Not only are they three of the brightest and most down-to-earth guys in the industry, but they are also excellent at breaking down complex topics in a simple to understand format with practical takeaways
Philip Stefanov ThinkingLifter.com
Brad Loomis
As I delve into strength programming for performance sports, I find MASS to be the main resource I use for deciphering existing methods and ways to possibly improve upon them.
Brad Loomis WNBF Pro Bodybuilder, USAPL Master Powerlifter
You may be wondering…
How is this different from other research reviews?
MASS is the research review for strength and physique athletes and coaches. Other research reviews in our area do a great job keeping you up to date with research into general health and fitness, nutrition research, and research relevant to S&C coaches that work with athletes from other sports, but no research reviews focus exclusively and specifically on people who want to gain muscle, get stronger, and improve their body composition.
If you’re a powerlifter, weightlifter, strongman, CrossFitter, bodybuilder, physique competitor, or a coach for a strength or physique sport, you’ll open your issue of MASS every month to see 8 articles and 2 videos that are very relevant to you, helping you get an edge on the competition. If you fall into one of those groups, MASS is perfect for you.
Can I unsubscribe at any time?
Absolutely. When you subscribe, we’ll send you a receipt email with a link to a page where you can manage your subscription. You can unsubscribe at any time quickly and easily.
How will I be billed?
You only need to enter your payment information once, and then we’ll automatically bill you on the same date you signed up. For example, if you choose the monthly subscription and purchase on April 30, we’ll bill you May 30 for your next month.
Who is this for?
Competitors in any strength or physique sport
Coaches who work with clients in any strength or physique sport
Trainers whose clients are primarily interested in gaining muscle, losing fat, or getting stronger
Nerdy fitness enthusiasts
When will I get my issue of MASS each month?
We’ll send out a brand new issue of MASS on the first of every month via email. We’ll also post the new issue in the membership website you have access to so you can easily download and read from there, too.
If I subscribe yearly or lifetime, what happens if MASS shuts down?
Yearly and lifetime subscriptions come with a guarantee that if we ever close up shop and stop making MASS (though there are certainly no plans to do so in the future), you’ll never pay more than what you otherwise would have paid for a monthly subscription.
