In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down what the “perfect” workout actually looks like. The episode begins with a deep dive into a pre-steroid era full body program from Arthur Jones, before expanding into a framework for structuring training based on your goals, time, and priorities.

Key topics include:
• An analysis of Arthur Jones’ early full body program
• A framework for building programs: bare minimum, minimalist, and maximalist
• The difference between minimalist and “consolidated” training approaches
• How to adjust a program based on which muscles you do or don’t care about
• A common mistake science based lifters make: over-optimising one variable while ignoring others

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris tackle the question everyone wants to know - how fast can you actually progress? The episode begins with a deep dive into a golden era beginner program from Frank Zane, before exploring the realities of progressive overload, strength gains, and natural hypertrophy potential.

Key topics include:
• A breakdown of Frank Zane's full body beginner program
• Why most people misunderstand the relationship between strength and hypertrophy
• The difference between gaining strength with vs without muscle growth
• Why progressive overload is not the cause of growth, but proof that it occurred
• The problem with constantly changing exercises and why it can stall long-term progress
• Why most advanced lifters should only expect extremely slow strength gains
• How to estimate your natural ceiling using simple models and historical physiques
• Why Silver Era physiques may represent a more realistic target for most natural lifters

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down an often misunderstood programming question: how does full body training twice per week compare to an upper/lower split performed four times per week? The episode begins with a deep dive into a late 1960s program from Chuck Sipes, before discussing the key differences between full body and upper/lower when frequency is equated.

Key topics include:
• Why full body twice per week is one of the most underrated training splits
• A breakdown of a classic Chuck Sipes program
• The difference between within-session fatigue vs post-workout fatigue
• Why back-to-back training days may reduce motor unit recruitment
• Why doing more volume per session can actually limit long-term progress
• The trade-off between rate of growth vs ceiling of growth
• Practical considerations (time, lifestyle, gym access) that influence split selection

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down how to structure a training program during a dieting phase. The episode begins with a deep dive into how Silver Era bodybuilders approached “definition” training, including a reconstructed Reg Park program, before moving into the physiological realities of training in a calorie deficit.

Key topics include:

• Why Silver Era bodybuilders didn’t drastically change their training when dieting
• Reg Park’s “definition” routine
• Why exercise variety may help prevent atrophy during a calorie deficit
• Why high volume and excessive fatigue are counterproductive when cutting
• How to adjust reps, load, and exercise selection based on equipment and fatigue
• Practical programming strategies
• Why most modern “evidence-based” takes on programming miss key physiological details

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss how to build the biggest glutes possible. The episode begins with a rare Silver Era lower-body routine from a female 1940s strength athlete Abby “Pudgy” Stockton, before breaking down the most effective modern exercises for glute development.

Key topics include:

• Abby Stockton’s 1940s lower body routine
• The difference between upper and lower regions of the gluteus maximus
• Why seated hip abduction is one of the best exercises for the upper glutes
• Hip thrust vs glute bridge
• Why squats and leg presses can still stimulate glute growth in the stretched position
• Why glutes can often tolerate more training volume than upper body muscles
• A simple three exercise framework for maximizing glute development

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss how to build the biggest arms possible. The episode begins with a Golden Era arm routine from Chuck Sipes, before assessing the best exercises for both minimalist and maximalist arm programming.

Key topics include:

• Chuck Sipes’ Golden Era arm routine (biceps and triceps)
• How different exercises bias the brachialis, brachioradialis, and biceps brachii
• Why chin-ups are not actually a great biceps exercise
• Voluntary activation deficits and why exercise variety matters
• The difference between minimalist and maximalist programming
• Why arm muscles fatigue and damage more easily than most people think

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris dive into whether more volume is always better. The episode opens in the late Silver Era with Sergio Oliva’s high-volume split, then pivots into a brand-new study that compares “high” vs “super high” volumes in trained lifters.

Key topics include:

• Sergio Oliva’s late-Silver Era routine
• New study 18 vs ~32 sets per week
• Why “more volume” didn’t produce more hypertrophy
• Damage as “resource drain” vs damage as fatigue
• No fascicle length changes in trained lifters (and what that implies about sarcomerogenesis)
• Practical programming tip, reframing “rest days” as repair days

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris unpack a new hypertrophy study that illustrates how fatigue doesn’t just make training harder but can directly reduce the hypertrophic stimulus by lowering single-fibre mechanical tension. The episode opens in the Silver Era again with Henry Paschal’s 1950 “busy person” program then pivots into the core discussion: why fatigue mechanisms (CNS and calcium-ion related) dampen muscle growth, and what this implies for exercise order, rep ranges, and advanced training methods.

Key topics include:

• Henry Paschal’s 1950 routine
• A new “repetition duration” study
• How CNS fatigue and calcium-ion fatigue both serve the same function
• Why max effort and slow velocity don’t always equal max recruitment and max tension
• Programming implications: exercise order, rep ranges, RIR, clusters, and isometrics