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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.
29 Episodes
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In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris revisit the Silver Era through one of the most iconic Silver Era bodybuilders, John Grimek, and his bulking plan. They then discuss what muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB) really mean, dismantling the idea that “elevated MPS = muscle growth”. Key topics include:-John Grimek’s full-body gaining routine and the practical logic of Silver Era plans-MPS vs MPB and net protein balance-Why you can’t assume elevated MPS always reflects hypertrophy or protection from atrophy-How steroids physiologically make dieting and comp prep "easier"
In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris go back to 1945 and break down Clancy Ross’ pre-contest “definition” routine to show how Silver Era lifters tried to get lean using their gym programming. From there they pivot into dieting and how caloric restriction, stress, glycogen, and glucocorticoids actually affect muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown. Key topics include:Clancy Ross’ 1945 full-body “reducing routine” and why even this questionable plan still beats most modern fat-loss programsA muscle-physiology model of dieting: suppressed MPS and when deficits become a stressor that ramps up muscle protein breakdownWhy anabolics (and even TRT) largely sidestep these dieting problemsPractical tips for naturals: adjusting training volume, keeping frequency high, pre-workout carbs, carb mouth-rinse, post-workout protein, and subjective stress load
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris use a 1967 Bill Pearl program to jump from the silver era into the early steroid era, showing how training volume exploded once anabolics entered the picture. They contrast Bill Pearl’s high-volume, six-day split and contrast it with his earlier natural-era programming, before diving into a new study comparing heavy versus light loads in trained lifters and what it really means for stimulating reps, volume load, and rep range choices.Key topics include:Bill Pearl’s 1967 high-volume, six-day split and how it differs from his natural-era routinesHow anabolic steroids break the feedback loop and drive the shift toward extreme training volumesA new heavy vs light load study in trained liftersWhat this means for the stimulating reps model, volume load, and rep ranges for natural vs enhanced lifters
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris dive into a Bill Pearl full-body routine, using it as a bridge between the pre-steroid silver era and the early anabolic era. From there, they shift into part two of their sleep series, unpacking how sleep loss influences muscle atrophy and recovery in natural lifters.Key topics include:Bill Pearl’s 1957 full-body planThe difference between immobilisation/diet-induced atrophy vs stress/sleep-loss-induced atrophy Practical programming changes when sleep is poorWhy dieting hard while sleep-deprived is a recipe for muscle loss in naturals, and why enhanced lifters often don’t experience the same downside
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down Bob Hoffman’s basic athletic program through a modern physiology lens and unpack how insufficient sleep impacts training performance.Key topics include:Bob Hoffman’s silver era full-body athlete hypertrophy programSleep deprivation vs restriction vs cumulative sleep debtHow insufficient sleep affects hypertrophy training performancePractical strategies for adjusting a workout after poor sleep
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss Silver-Era author Peary Rader’s “training as you get older” guidelines and dive into how to construct a modern, physiology-led template for older lifters.Key topics include:Why recovery, not “low stimulus sensitivity” likely limits muscle growth in older liftersIntra-session fatigue control in older liftersProgramming for older lifters: volume, RIR, exercise selection, frequencyIsometrics for older lifters
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris unpack a Silver-Era routine passed from 1950 Mr America John Farbotnik to Gene Mozee at a time where high volume plans were taking over bodybuilding. From there they go deep into accumulating fatigue, how excitation–contraction coupling failure, muscle damage, and supraspinal CNS fatigue interact across sessions, why exercise novelty and split design can make this worse, and how to calculate and clear your “fatigue debt” without losing muscle.Key topics include:John Farbotnik full body routineBack-off sets: why back-offs add soreness but little stimulusThe three post-workout fatigue mechanisms (ECC failure, muscle damage, supraspinal CNS): timelines, interactions, and accumulationHow swapping exercises can re-hit damaged fibres and accumulate fatiguePractical programming, typical recovery times, and fatigue-debt math
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris unpack Steve Reeves’ 1947 pre-competition full-body routine, then dive into why the Silver-Era were such advocates of orange juice + honey during training. We assess the building research on carbohydrate mouth-rinsing, what this tells us about supraspinal CNS fatigue, and how the performance increase from carbohydrate mouth-rinsing differs from the performance increase from creatine supplementation. Key topics include:Steve Reeves’ 1947 pre-comp full-body planWhat carbohydrate mouth-rinsing is doing and intra-workout carbohydratesWhy everyone experiences supraspinal CNS fatigue during strength training and what you can do about itWhy creatine adds reps without adding stimulus, but carbs can add stimulating reps
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris break down Dick DuBois’ 1954 full-body routine (and we finally have some pull-ups!). They then tackle the “half-set” myth, why counting half sets for secondary muscles make any sense and how to adjust multi joint exercises to bias growth in a particular muscle.Key topics include:• Dick DuBois’ 1954 full-body plan• The “Half-Set” problem • Damage in secondary muscles• Using multi joint exercises in beginner vs advanced lifters
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris use Peary Rader’s leg routine to outline a practical, physiology-led blueprint for muscle specialisation.Key topics include:Peary Rader’s pre-steroid era leg routine (and the changes we would make today)A framework for designing a muscle specialisation phase for any muscleWhen to specialise and how to integrate it into your main plan without losing your progressWriting programs using science-based (mechanisms) vs evidence-based (outcomes)
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris start by discussing one of the most widely used methods of the Silver Era; the 20 rep squat. They then dive into the physiology of cluster sets: what they are, how they differ from rest-pause and drop sets, and how cluster sets can be programmed to offer benefits over traditional straight sets. Key topics include:• Reg Park chest specialisation phase (including the classic 20-rep breathing squat method)• Fatigue mechanisms in clusters explained: metabolite, calcium-ion, spinal, and supraspinal fatigue• Clusters vs rest-pause vs drop sets• Practical guidelines for programming clusters
In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris unpack Reg Park’s calf-specialisation phase before discussing the physiology of pauses: when they work, when they don’t, and how they compare to partial reps.Key topics include: • Reg Park’s 1952 calf-specialisation program • Straight-leg vs bent-leg calf work and how they bias gastroc vs soleus • The physiology of pause fatigue: metabolite vs calcium-related mechanisms • Why static “passive” stretching isn’t the same as active pause contractions • How to assess whether a given exercise will actually benefit from pauses
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
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