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Hypertrophy Past and Present: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Chris Beardsley and Jake Doleschal
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.
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- 4 days ago2h 4m
072 Why you’re probably reading hypertrophy studies wrong
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” routineWhat researchers actually mean when they measure “hypertrophy,” and the differences between muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, muscle volume and muscle biopsiesWhat EMG can and cannot tell us about muscle activation, recruitment and exercise selectionWhat researchers actually mean by “recovery"Why vertical jump performance can be more sensitive to fatigue than maximal isometric strengthThe difference between a large numerical effect and a statistically significant effectWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- 1 weeks ago1h 32m
071 How to use AI to learn about hypertrophy
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 evidence-based and science-based approaches to interpreting training researchWhy AI often defaults to conventional answers when asked about training and hypertrophyHow giving AI source material can dramatically change its answersUsing AI to interrogate research, identify patterns in studies, test hypotheses, and accelerate learningThe limitations of using AI to write bodybuilding programs from scratchHow coaches and lifters can use AI without outsourcing their critical thinkingWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- 2 weeks ago1h 48m
070 A 67 exercise upper body workout with Soren Lemrant
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 through sagittal, frontal, and scapular-plane movementsDirect training for the traps, scapular muscles, neck, and shoulder rotatorsHow Soren manages 67 exercises without spending several hours in the gymCheck out Soren on social media at lemrant_da_liftaWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- 3 weeks ago1h 26m
069 Evaluating a new hypertrophy model
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 recommendations. Chris traces the progression from muscle damage and metabolic stress explanations through to the stimulating reps model, before examining a recently proposed alternative in which every repetition provides some degree of hypertrophy stimulus.Key topics include:Vern Weaver’s 1961 two-day-per-week bodybuilding routineWhat a scientific model actually isHow the muscle damage and metabolic stress models arose to explain unexpected findings in the strength-training literatureWhether criticisms of “the last five reps” are actually criticisms of the stimulating reps model or simply disagreements about its practical applicationA recently proposed model in which every repetition provides some hypertrophy stimulusHow someone might go about constructing a new hypertrophy modelWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- Sep 7, 20261h 17m
068 Optimal volumes and frequencies for each muscle
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 different training frequencies?Key topics include:An early female bodybuilding six-day-per-week routine and how it differs from modern female training programsWhy hypertrophy being muscle-fibre specific challenges the idea that larger muscles inherently require more setsWhether slow-twitch dominant muscles such as the calves, quads, glutes and traps can tolerate more training volumeWhy being able to recover from additional sets does not necessarily mean those sets will produce substantially more hypertrophyHow exercise selection changes volume tolerance, including the difference between exercises that load muscles in lengthened versus shortened positionsHow to adjust volume slightly upward or downward depending on the muscle, exercise, individual recovery and training goalsWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- Aug 31, 20261h 13m
067 Why you’re not progressing (and why it might not be a plateau)
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 twice-weekly full-body hardgainer routineThe difference between a true plateau and a program that was never capable of producing continued progressWhy strength gains can sometimes make a poorly designed hypertrophy program appear to be workingWhy life stress, poor sleep, dieting, or adding other forms of exercise may cause you to stop progressing without necessarily creating a true plateauWhy coaches should investigate what has changed before immediately modifying a client’s training programThe difference between managing a temporary lack of progress and actively trying to “bust” a plateauWhy temporary stressors may only require reducing training volume, while long-term lifestyle changes may require rebuilding the program entirelyWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- Aug 24, 20261h 9m
066 Do you need to feel a muscle for it to grow?
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 are not necessarily the same thingWhy stretch, cramping, and soreness can be misleading indicators of muscle activationMind-muscle connection, internal focus, and how they change muscle recruitmentWhy exercise selection may be a better solution than trying to force a mind-muscle connectionWhen mind-muscle connection and isometric contractions may actually be usefulWhy constantly using a mind-muscle connection can interfere with progressive overloadWhy pre-fatiguing a muscle doesn’t cause the other muscles in a compound exercise to “do more work”What motor learning research tells us about training and practising skills while fatiguedJoin our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
- Aug 17, 20261h 37m
065 How anabolics changed the fitness industry
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 so dramatically after the introduction of anabolic steroidsForcing Chris into a philosophy conversation: appeal to tradition fallacy, Chesterton’s fence, the Lindy effect, and Occam’s razorEvidence that anabolic steroids can build muscle without a resistance-training stimulusWhy steroid-induced muscle growth cannot simply be dismissed as water weight or sarcoplasmic hypertrophyThe dose-response relationship between testosterone and muscle growthWhy “replacement” doses of testosterone may still produce supraphysiological effects at the muscleJoin our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com
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About Hypertrophy Past and Present
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.
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