Hypertrophy Past and Present
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
A deep dive into the science of muscle growth. Hosted by Chris Beardsley and Jake Doleschal, this podcast explores hypertrophy training through the lens of pre-steroid era bodybuilding and modern muscle physiology.
Episodes
- 051 The silver era perfected drop sets 75 years ago
This episode of Hypertrophy Past and Present discusses the history and physiology of drop sets, starting with Henry J. Atkin's 1949 routine. It compares early drop set protocols with modern research, examining the influence of rest periods…
- 050 Are circuits for hypertrophy the next big thing?
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present explores the effectiveness of circuit training for muscle growth. Hosts Jake and Chris discuss historical circuit routines, like John McCallum's PHA, and analyze the physiological principles behin…
- 049 The data says you need more first sets
This episode examines Paul Anderson's 1950s training, explaining why low volume, high frequency protocols are still effective today. The hosts discuss the importance of the first set stimulus and how modern research can be skewed by muscle…
- 048 How to do more exercises in a workout without fatigue holding you back
In episode 048 of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris explore the concept of fatigue, distinguishing it from motivation and analyzing its role in workout programming. They discuss Joe Abenda's Silver Era program and provide a framew…
- 047 How to write the perfect program
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present analyzes Arthur Jones' early full body program and provides a framework for structuring training. It covers different program structures, training approaches, and how to adjust programs based on i…
- 046 How fast can you grow?
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present examines the speed of natural muscle growth, analyzing Frank Zane's beginner program and the principles of progressive overload. It clarifies the relationship between strength and hypertrophy, dis…
- 045 Training a muscle 2x per week - Full Body vs Upper/Lower
This episode compares full body workouts twice a week to an upper/lower split done four times a week. Hosts Jake and Chris analyze a Chuck Sipes program from the 1960s, discussing fatigue, motor unit recruitment, volume, and practical fact…
- 044 How to write a fat loss training program
This episode explores creating effective training programs for fat loss, referencing Silver Era bodybuilding methods like Reg Park's routine. It details physiological considerations for training in a calorie deficit, including managing fat…
- 043 How to design the ultimate glute program
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present details how to design an effective glute-focused training program. Hosts Jake and Chris review historical routines from Abby Stockton and modern exercises, discussing optimal techniques for gluteu…
- 042 How to build the biggest arms possible
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present features Jake and Chris discussing how to build bigger arms, including Chuck Sipes' Golden Era routine, exercise selection for different programming styles, and the reasons behind arm muscle fatig…
- 041 New study shows twice as much volume doesn't cause extra muscle growth
This episode examines workout volume's effect on muscle growth, referencing Sergio Oliva's high-volume routine and a new study comparing 18 vs. 32 weekly sets in trained lifters. It explores fatigue, damage, and programming.
- 040 This new study will change how you think about fatigue
This episode examines a new study showing how fatigue negatively affects hypertrophic stimulus by lowering mechanical tension. Hosts Jake and Chris discuss fatigue mechanisms and their impact on training methods like exercise order and rep…
- 039 How to instantly increase your strength (through motivational techniques)
This episode explores how motivational techniques can immediately increase strength by enhancing motor unit recruitment, referencing Clarence Ross's training adjustments and Marcora's Psychobiological Model of Fatigue. It covers practical…
- 038 Periodisation for hypertrophy is pointless (unless you do this)
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present examines periodisation for hypertrophy. Hosts Jake and Chris analyze its definition, why many bodybuilding programs fail to yield results, and how to adjust training variables effectively. They co…
- 037 How to grow muscle only training once per week
This episode addresses the question of how to build muscle while training only once per week. Jake and Chris analyze John McCallum's routines, discuss exercise sequencing, minimum set targets, and provide a realistic template for once-week…
- 036 Dorian Yates, Maximalist Programming, and Neuromechanical Matching
This episode analyzes Dorian Yates' early training program, exploring his torso-limbs split and exercise sequencing. The discussion covers why multiple exercises per muscle can be superior, the principles of neuromechanical matching and mo…
- 035 Which advanced methods work? Cluster sets, drop sets, pre-fatigue, and more!
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present examines advanced training techniques such as clusters, drop sets, and pre-fatigue. Hosts Jake and Chris analyze their efficacy, using historical examples, and propose a 'physiological drop set' a…
- 034 Voluntary activation deficit: exercise selection, muscle mass, and form
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present examines Larry Scott's Golden Era routine and the evolution of hypertrophy training after anabolic drugs. Hosts Chris and Jake discuss modern debates on exercise selection, muscle mass, and form,…
- 033 How to write programs that satisfy client expectations AND really work
This episode focuses on mistakes coaches make in program design and delivery. It explores historical routines like Bob Hoffman's, addresses modern challenges of time constraints and novelty expectations, and offers practical strategies for…
- 032 Common training mistakes to avoid in 2026
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present examines common training errors people make when returning to the gym. Hosts Jake and Chris compare George Eiferman's 1952 full-body routine with current trends, discussing issues like unstable ex…
- 031 How steroids and TRT increase injury risk (and how modifying your training might help)
This episode discusses Mike Mentzer's routine and shifts in training trends. It examines how anabolic steroids increase injury risk and explores training modifications that may help manage connective tissue risks.
- 030 Everyone's wrong about muscle activation + how to compare hypertrophy programs (WNS)
This episode analyzes Ken Waller's 1975 Golden Era training plan, contrasting it with Silver Era routines and exploring the impact of anabolic use on bodybuilding. The discussion covers muscle fiber activation, the Weekly Net Stimulus mode…
- 029 Elevated MPS ≠ muscle growth
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present discusses John Grimek's bulking plan from the Silver Era and examines the concepts of Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) and Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPB). It clarifies that elevated MPS does not aut…
- 028 How does dieting affect hypertrophy?
This episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present examines Clancy Ross's 1945 pre-contest routine and discusses the physiological effects of dieting on muscle growth, including the roles of caloric restriction, stress, and hormones. Practical adv…
- 027 Are 4 reps optimal?! New study: stimulating reps vs volume load
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present contrasts Bill Pearl's training from different eras and discusses the impact of steroids on training volume. It also analyzes a new study comparing heavy and light loads to understand stimulating…
- 026 How does insufficient sleep affect hypertrophy / atrophy?
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present examines Bill Pearl's 1957 routine and discusses how sleep deprivation impacts muscle atrophy and recovery in natural lifters, contrasting it with enhanced athletes.
- 025 How does insufficient sleep affect training?
This episode reviews Bob Hoffman's athletic program and examines the effects of insufficient sleep on training performance, covering sleep debt and practical adjustments for workouts.
- 024 Training, hypertrophy, and recovery for older people
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present features Jake and Chris discussing Peary Rader’s advice for older trainees. They explore modern approaches to muscle growth for older adults, focusing on recovery, fatigue management, and program…
- 023 Fatigue accumulation and what to do about it.
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present discusses managing fatigue accumulation, including its physiological mechanisms like ECC failure, muscle damage, and CNS fatigue. It explores how exercise novelty and split design can impact fa…
- 022 How intra-workout carbohydrates reduce supraspinal CNS fatigue
This episode discusses Steve Reeves' 1947 training routine and the role of intra-workout carbohydrates, like orange juice and honey, in reducing supraspinal CNS fatigue. It examines research on carbohydrate mouth-rinsing and its effects on…
- 021 Why Counting “Half Sets” for Secondary Muscles Doesn't Make Sense
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present examines Dick DuBois' 1954 full-body routine and debunks the concept of
- 020 How to program a muscle specialisation phase
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present outlines a muscle specialization blueprint using Peary Rader's leg routine. Jake and Chris discuss adapting the pre-steroid era routine, creating a specialization framework, and integrating it…
- 019 Cluster Sets – How they work and how to use them
This episode discusses the 20 rep squat and the physiology of cluster sets, comparing them to rest-pause and drop sets. It offers programming guidelines for cluster sets.
- 018 Pauses, Stretching, and Partials
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present covers Reg Park's calf specialization program and the physiology of pauses in training. Jake and Chris compare pauses to partial reps, discussing their effectiveness and the mechanisms behind p…
- 017 Exercise Selection - How to pick the exercises needed to maximally develop a muscle
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present explores exercise selection for maximal muscle growth, using Sig Klein's routine as a basis. Jake and Chris discuss the optimal amount of exercise variety needed, covering neuromechanical match…
- 016 Training Splits - Why upper/lower, torso/limbs, push/pull, and other split routines face the same problem
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present discusses Joe Weider's 1940s full-body program and the central problem of supraspinal CNS fatigue affecting all split routines. It explains how calcium-ion fatigue and inflammation lead to glob…
- 015 Training Frequency - Why 3x per week beats 2x even if MYOPS is still elevated
Jake and Chris discuss Sig Klein's early A/B full body routine and the impact of myofibrillar protein synthesis on training effectiveness. They compare studies on protein synthesis timelines and weekly training stimulus, concluding that 3x…
- 014 Training Frequency - What the long-term studies actually show
This episode reviews Floyd Page's 1952 routine and delves into training frequency, examining long-term studies and physiological models. It discusses the dose-response relationship of sets, the effectiveness of different frequencies, and t…
- 013 Neuromechanical Matching: Everything you need to know (but few do)
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present examines Peary Rader's routines and the principle of Neuromechanical Matching. Hosts Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley explore its interaction with the size principle and fatigue, and its prac…
- 012 How to build muscle with isometric training
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present explores John Grimek's isometric training methods for muscle growth. Hosts Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss maximal-effort isometrics, joint angle specificity, and practical programmi…
- 011 Why the idea that a single exercise can train the whole muscle and “bias” a region is false
In episode 011, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss the common misconception that a single exercise can train an entire muscle and "bias" a region. They examine what "biasing" truly means and explore the practical implications for h…
- 010 Warming up - what does it really achieve?
This episode examines the warm-up protocols of the York Barbell course and other silver era routines, comparing them to modern scientific understanding. It discusses the physiological effects of warming up, questioning the efficacy of comm…
- 009 Work capacity - what it is and how to improve it
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present features Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley analyzing an Alan Stephen bulking routine to define and improve work capacity. They discuss how cardiovascular endurance, rather than volume or reps,…
- 008 Training Frequency - what to consider if you want to train every day
Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss the feasibility and practicalities of daily full body training, contrasting it with traditional programming. They examine MYOPS behavior and key variables for implementing high-frequency training,…
- 007 Do all training programs maximise hypertrophy eventually?
This episode examines Reg Park's training programs, comparing his advanced and abbreviated routines. Hosts Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley investigate if all training programs ultimately maximize hypertrophy and delve into the variables…
- 006 Strength - the mechanisms that increase strength, and why hypertrophy must make us stronger
This episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present explores Marvin Eder's training routine and delves into the mechanisms of strength gain. Hosts Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss why strength is not a single adaptation and how hypertr…
- 005 Training volume and post workout fatigue - how many sets are recoverable in 48 hours?
This episode examines Reg Park's 1950s 'Mr. Universe Bulk Course,' contrasting its high-set volume approach with previous episodes. It also delves into post-workout fatigue, discussing its causes, common misconceptions, and the role of cal…
- 004 Training splits and exercise selection - 3 sets of 1 exercise or 1 set of 3 exercises?
This episode discusses Steve Reeves' 1950s full-body routines, comparing single-set per exercise versus multi-exercise approaches for muscle hypertrophy. It covers exercise variation, neuromechanical matching, and efficient programming for…
- 003 Training splits - what to consider when splitting full body workouts into upper / lower workouts
This episode explores Clancy Ross's 1940s upper/lower body training split, predating modern splits. Hosts Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss its implications for fatigue management, muscle damage, and cardiovascular recovery.
- 002 How long does the growth stimulus last after a training session?
This episode examines the 1951 York Barbell Mr America Course, discussing its evolution from earlier plans and the impact of changes like sets and exercise selection. It explores how training history relates to modern muscle physiology, sp…