Hypertrophy Past and Present

124:31

072 Why you’re probably reading hypertrophy studies...

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/10/05

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris start with a bizarre 1950s workout from Barton Horvath before breaking down how to actually understand hypertrophy research. They discuss what common measurements such as muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, EMG and strength testing really tell us, where they can mislead us, and why understanding the physiology behind a study matters as much as reading its results.Key topics include:Barton Horvath’s 1950s “unusual”

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92:03

071 How to use AI to learn about hypertrophy

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/09/28

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris start with a 1947 Steve Reeves workout before accidentally going down an AI rabbit hole. They discuss the difference between “evidence-based” and “science-based” thinking, and how AI can be used to understand research and design training without simply accepting the first (usually incorrect) answer it gives you.Key topics include:Steve Reeves’ 1947 full-body routine, including his rest-pause approachThe difference between

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108:27

070 A 67 exercise upper body workout with Soren Lemrant

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/09/21

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris welcome their first-ever guest, Soren, the “67-set upper day guy.” Soren takes us through his upper-body workout exercise by exercise, explaining the reasoning behind some of his more unconventional setups.Key topics include:Soran’s 67-set upper-body workout and the philosophy behind training so many individual muscle functionsModifying pec decks ad pullover machines to target different regions of the chestTraining the lats

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86:58

069 Evaluating a new hypertrophy model

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/09/14

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with Vern Weaver’s 1961 two-day-per-week routine, providing an interesting example of how effective training can potentially be structured around only two weekly gym sessions. The conversation then shifts into the philosophy of hypertrophy research: what actually constitutes a scientific model, what a hypertrophy model is supposed to explain, and how different models have shaped both research and training

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77:16

068 Optimal volumes and frequencies for each muscle

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/09/07

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin by reviewing an early female bodybuilding routine: a six-day-per-week program. Despite some problems with the weekly structure, the relatively low number of sets per exercise and surprisingly comprehensive exercise selection make it one of the more interesting Golden-Era routines covered on so far!The conversation then turns to a common question: do different muscles actually require different numbers of sets or

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73:44

067 Why you’re not progressing (and why it might not...

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/08/31

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin by reviewing Stuart McRobert’s 1989 hardgainer routine, a minimalist two-day-per-week program designed as an alternative to the increasingly extreme bodybuilding routines of the late 1980s. The conversation then explores an important distinction: is every period of stalled progress really a plateau, or are there times when we should simply expect progress to slow or stop?Key topics include:Stuart McRobert’s 1989

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69:53

066 Do you need to feel a muscle for it to grow?

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/08/24

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with another Leroy Colbert routine, this time examining an over 100 set silver-era routine. The conversation then explores whether you actually need to “feel” a muscle for it to grow, what the pump can tell us about muscle recruitment, and where the mind-muscle connection may or may not be useful.Key topics include:Leroy Colbert’s extreme 10-set-per-exercise Silver Era routineWhy “feeling” a muscle and getting a pump

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97:09

065 How anabolics changed the fitness industry

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/08/17

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with Leroy Colbert’s late-1970s enormous volume training plan. The conversation then explores whether using pre-steroid bodybuilders as a model for natural training is really an “appeal to tradition,” before examining the evidence that anabolic steroids can directly stimulate muscle growth even without resistance training.Key topics include:Leroy Colbert’s high-volume late-1970s routineWhy bodybuilding training changed

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66:00

064 Is time under tension important for muscle growth?

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/08/11

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with Reg Park’s 1949 pre-contest routine, which involved training six days per week, twice per day, including the infamous 20-rep breathing squat. This leads into a deep dive on time under tension: Does making a set last longer actually increase muscle growth? Jake and Chris explore why total time under tension may be the wrong thing to measure and whether we should instead be thinking about “time under stimulating

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87:41

063 Are workouts over an hour killing your gains?

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/08/04

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with a full-body routine from legendary bodybuilding coach Vince Gironda and the unusual reliance on isolation exercises. The conversation then shifts to workout duration: Is there any truth to the claim that workouts must be kept under 45, 60 or 90 minutes? Jake and Chris examine what actually happens as a workout becomes longer, including declining motivation, cardiovascular fatigue, exercise-order effects, cortisol,

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84:05

062 How to overcome a hypertrophy plateau

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/07/27

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with an early 1950s “muscular bulk” routine from Jack Delinger. They discuss the minimalist, barbell-only full-body program and how exercise variety may need to gradually increase as a bodybuilder becomes more advanced.The conversation then shifts to training plateaus: what actually qualifies as a plateau, why slow progress is often mistaken for no progress, and how to distinguish between plateaus caused by accumulating

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89:53

061 Does training hard help or hinder hypertrophy?

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/07/21

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with a 1972 routine from Bradley J. Steiner and discuss what makes it one of the more sensible "golden era" bodybuilding programs they've reviewed so far and whether splitting exercises across consecutive days is likely to be more or less effective than performing all exercises in a single workout. The conversation then shifts towards the concept of "training hard." Jake and Chris unpack what hard training actually

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77:24

060 How to make your second set more stimulating

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/07/13

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with Steve Michalik’s enormous 1972 Mr. America routine and why silver-era routines are the best data set for natural training routines. From there, Jake and Chris explore how the hypertrophy dose-response relationship interacts with the stimulating reps model. They discuss why the second and third sets provide progressively less growth stimulus, whether this means they contain fewer stimulating repetitions, and how the

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107:59

059 Hypertrophy is muscle-fibre specific

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/07/06

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with Alan Stephan’s classic Silver Era full-body routine, which he reportedly followed for years while building enormous strength and muscle. This leads into a deeper discussion about exercise variation, whether exercises really “stop working”, and why good natural bodybuilding programs often end up looking repetitive.From there, Jake and Chris move into one of the most important physiological arguments behind the

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90:33

058 Does mTOR determine your optimal training frequency?

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/06/29

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin with a classic Clancy Ross full-body routine from the Silver Era, then move into a discussion about training frequency, mTOR, muscle protein synthesis, and whether training again before the previous hypertrophy stimulus has “finished” is actually a problem.Key topics include:• Clancy Ross’ 1940s full-body single set routine• Whether training a muscle every 48 hours can blunt hypertrophy• How repeated bout effect studies

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98:24

057 Full Body A/A/A vs A/B, which is right for you?

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/06/22

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss a full body training A/A/A program from Steve Reeves before exploring how to choose between repeating the same full body workout three times per week or alternating between two different full body workouts.Key topics include:• Steve Reeves’ full body AAA routine• Why many old-school routines online should be treated cautiously• The lying dumbbell front raise and how it may train different regions of the chest• Why

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75:29

056 Most deloads are too short

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/06/15

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss deloads. The episode begins with a look at a training program used by six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates before exploring the physiology of accumulated fatigue and recovery.Key topics include: • Dorian Yates' Olympia-era training program • Why training hard does not automatically mean you need a deload • The difference between planned deloads and reactive deloads • How accumulated fatigue affects hypertrophy training •

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82:24

055 How to build the biggest back possible

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/06/08

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss how to build the biggest back possible. The episode begins with a back specialization routine from Silver Era educator Peary Rader before breaking down the most effective modern exercises for lats, traps, rear delts, and spinal erectors. Key topics include: • Peary Rader's Silver Era back specialization routine • Why lats are best trained with both sagittal and frontal plane exercises • The most overrated back

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65:59

054 Strength vs Hypertrophy: Is Powerbuilding the...

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/06/01

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris analyse a Reg Park power-focused routine and use it as a starting point to discuss powerbuilding. The episode explores how lifters can structure training depending on whether they lean more toward bodybuilding, powerlifting, or a true middle ground.Key topics include:• Reg Park’s power routine from his Mr. Universe course• The difference between bodybuilding, powerlifting, and powerbuilding goals• How to modify a bodybuilding

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81:41

053 Progression Models and the Truth About...

Hypertrophy Past and Present ·

2026/05/25

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris analyse a 1940s training routine from silver era bodybuilder George Eiferman, including his progression model. The episode explores how silver era lifters approached progression and how confusion around progression models has influenced the modern bodybuilding.Key topics include:• George Eiferman’s 1940s full body training routine• Why silver era bodybuilders often used wider rep range• Understanding progression as an input

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