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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.
17 Episodes
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In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris discuss Sig Klein’s extensive routine and use it as a springboard to tackle one of the biggest programming questions: how much exercise variety do you really need for maximal growth?Key topics include:How neuromechanical matching explains which motor units get recruited firstVoluntary activation deficits - why bigger muscles and bigger lifts mean some motor units aren't recruitedHow to use unilateral work to meaningfully increase recruitmentWhy some muscles require greater exercise variation than others
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris revisit Joe Weider’s early 1940 full-body program before breaking down the central problem that all split routines face: supraspinal CNS fatigue.Key topics include: • How calcium-ion–related fatigue and inflammation create global CNS fatigue • Why back-to-back training days reduce recruitment, even for unrelated muscles • Why full-body AAA and AB formats avoid these issues
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris explore Sig Klein’s early A/B full body routine from the pre-steroid bodybuilding era before examining the claim that elevated myofibrillar protein synthesis blunts the effectiveness of subsequent workouts.Key topics include:Sig Klein’s beginner routine The difference between myofibrillar protein synthesis and hypertrophy stimulusWhat comparing one vs three set studies shows us about elevated synthesis timelinesWhy any overlap effect is small (and irrelevant for single-set workouts)Why the weekly net stimulus still favours three times per week over two times per week training
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris explore the lesser-known silver-era bodybuilder Floyd Page’s 1952 full-body routine before unpacking the topic of training frequency, long-term training studies, and physiological models.Key topics include:Floyd Page’s 1952 “favourite routine” and its historical contextThe non-linear dose-response of sets and why frequency changes the outcomePhysiological models vs. long-term training study dataWhat the Currier (2023) network meta-analysis really showsWhy three times per week consistently beats once per week, and where two times fits inThe role of models in filling research gaps and guiding practical programmingHow to navigate conflicting information
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley unpack one of Peary Rader’s Silver Era “advanced beginner” routines, before a deep dive into the principle of Neuromechanical Matching.Key topics include:What Rader’s “advanced beginner” (intermediate) plan looked likeA deep dive into the neuromechanical matching principleCommon misconceptions and critiques of NMMHow it interacts with the size principle and fatiguePractical implications for programming
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down an isometric method from bodybuilding legend and first Mr Universe, John Grimek. They explore how maximal-effort isometrics can stimulate muscle growth and the key differences between overcoming and yielding isometrics.Key topics include:How isometrics produce hypertrophyThe role of joint angle specificityYielding isometrics versus overcoming isometrics Practical ways to program isometrics
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley dive into a 1955 arm specialization routine from Peary Rader and use it as a launchpad to challenge one of the most common misconceptions in hypertrophy programming today.They explore whether exercises can “bias” specific muscle regions, and what the implications are for hypertrophy programming.Key topics include:What it really means to “bias” a region of a muscleWhy the idea that a single exercise can train the whole muscle and “bias” a region is falseThe critical role of voluntary activation deficits and neuromechanical matchingPractical implications for programming, periodisation, and avoiding fibre-specific atrophy
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley unpack the very first York Barbell course, discussing its warm-up approach and how it compares to other silver era routines.The second half of the episode zooms out to explore warm-ups more broadly, what they actually do (and don’t do), whether they affect hypertrophy, and why most warm-up advice might be misguided.Key topics:The three physiological effects of warming up: temperature, PAP, and PAPEWhy most common warm-up routines may do nothing for hypertrophy or injury preventionHow to structure warm-ups that actually do something
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down a pre-steroid bulking routine from Alan Stephen, an underrated Silver Era bodybuilder who trained with a pretty unique method. They explore how this high volume, low rep program makes sense with the stimulating reps model, and use it as a springboard to unpack one of the most misunderstood training concepts: work capacity.Key Topics: • The three definitions of “work capacity” and which one actually matters • Why volume doesn’t improve your ability to do more work • How cardiovascular endurance (and not higher reps or more sets) influences gym performance
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley explore whether full body training can be done every day, and what that really looks like. Drawing inspiration from Bronze Era strongman George Hackenschmidt, they unpack creative strategies for making high frequency training work.Key Topics:How training every day differs from traditional 3x per week programmingHow MYOPS behaves and whether it must return to baseline before training againWhat programming variables to consider when training full body daily
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley return to Reg Park, but this time explore one of his most advanced programs. They compare this higher volume plan to Park’s earlier abbreviated routine before exploring whether all training programs eventually lead to the same outcome, and which variables actually determine your muscular potential.Key Topics:How Reg Park’s exercise selection evolved from bulk to shapeThe physiology behind fibre-specific muscle damageWhy exercise selection and frequency determine your end resultWhat volume actually does (and doesn’t) achieve when it comes to muscle growthWhy different exercises once a week is often worse than repeating the same exercise twice
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss one of the strongest bodybuilders of the Silver Era, and the third man to ever bench 500 pounds, Marvin Eder's training routine. The second half of the episode takes a deep dive into the mechanisms of strength, why strength isn’t a single adaptation, and why hypertrophy does contribute to strength.Key Topics:The alignment between old-school programming and recoverability dataWhy strength isn’t one thingThe 6 mechanisms of strength gains (and how they interact)What lateral force transmission is
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley dissect Reg Park’s 1950s “Mr. Universe Bulk Course”. Unlike the high-variation, single-set approach of Steve Reeves discussed in the previous episdoe, Reg Park’s plan featured fewer exercises but high set volume, low reps, and heavy loads. The second half of the episode shifts into a deep dive on post-workout fatigue; what it actually is, what causes it, and why the common beliefs about fatigue and recovery might be wrong. Key topics:The surprising recoverability of low rep, high set trainingWhy post-workout fatigue is driven by calcium ion accumulationThe four types of post-workout fatigueWhy understanding the mechanisms of fatigue helps unlock more efficient programming
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down Steve Reeves’ favourite full-body routines from the early 1950s. They explore how Reeves trained each muscle with three different exercises, and why this multi-exercise, single-set approach might still be one of the most efficient ways to train if programmed correctly. The episode dives into the physiology behind exercise variation, the concept of neuromechanical matching, and how advanced lifters can apply full-body A/B splits to maximise hypertrophy.Key topics:The difference between single sets per muscle vs. per exerciseWhy muscle hypertrophy and atrophy are muscle fibre-specific (not muscle-specific)How neuromechanical matching determines which fibres get trained in each exerciseHow to program more efficiently to achieve more growth with less work
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley examine Clancy Ross’ 1940s split set routine - an early experiment in dividing upper and lower body training that predated modern training splits. They break down how Ross evolved his training by splitting full-body workouts into AM/PM upper/lower sessions and discuss what this teaches us about fatigue management, muscle damage, and cardiovascular recovery. Key topics:How Clancy Ross experimented with splitting his full body sessions into upper/lowerThe two types of supraspinal CNS fatigue (intra-workout vs. post-workout)How cardiovascular fitness governs your session capacityWhy some lifters respond better to either full-body 3x per week or upper/lower 6x per week
In this second episode, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down the York Barbell Mr America Course, a program from 1951 that evolved from the earlier Milo Barbell plan. They explore what changed in the decades following the first mass-produced bodybuilding programs, including the introduction of sets, improved exercise selection, and targeted variations. They then connect these historical shifts to modern muscle physiology, focusing on how long the hypertrophy stimulus lasts after a workout, and why full-body training remains superior. Key topics: How the York Barbell Course built on the Milo planWhy the shift from reps to sets was a turning pointHow to interpret MPS/MYOPS data without confusing stimulus and damageWhy most hypertrophy occurs within 24–36 hours of a sessionHow this insight changes everything about training frequency
1In this debut episode, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley dissect the very first mass-produced bodybuilding program: the Milo Barbell Course. They explore how early bodybuilders trained before steroids existed and what their exercise choices reveal about muscle understanding. They then connect these historical methods to modern muscle physiology, focusing on the stimulating reps model and the critical role of training frequency. You'll learn why full-body training 3x per week was not just a product of the time, but may still be the optimal approach for natural hypertrophy today.Key topics:What the Milo Barbell Course included (and what it left out)How pre-steroid era training evolvedHow early lifters intuitively selected exercises based on regional hypertrophyWhy high-frequency training (e.g. 3x per week) is physiologically superior (even without factoring in atrophy!)The nonlinear dose-response of training volume: why first sets matter most
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