072 Why you’re probably reading hypertrophy studies wrong

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down Peary Rader’s minimalist full-body routine from the 1940s before digging into Rader’s advice to train later in the day. Could afternoon workouts give you an edge, and does better performance in the gym translate into more muscle growth?Key topics includePeary Rader’s five-exercise routine, including the 20-rep breathing squat, and how Jake and Chris would modernise itWhy Rader favoured late-afternoon and evening workoutsHow muscle temperature, motivation, and motor unit recruitment could influence training performance throughout the dayHow to get more out of early-morning workoutsWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past & Present Training group on TrainHeroic, featuring Silver-Era-inspired training programs adapted using modern exercise science.https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/hypertrophy-past-and-present

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris explore the high-volume, full-body training routine of Silver-Era bodybuilder Al Berman and how they would modify it using modern exercise science. They then dive into the science of maximising muscle growth, discussing why maximising the hypertrophy stimulus of a single workout may not be the best strategy for maximising growth over the week, and how training volume, frequency, fatigue and stimulus saturation all influence the results.Key topics include:Al Berman's 1951 full-body training routine and how Jake and Chris would modernise itCan a single set stimulate muscle growth, or is there a minimum volume threshold?Diminishing returns: Why each additional set provides progressively less muscle growthHow fatigue and stimulus saturation limit the hypertrophy stimulus of a workoutWhy maximising the stimulus of a single workout isn't necessarily the best way to maximise weekly muscle growthWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past & Present Training group on TrainHeroic, featuring Silver-Era-inspired training programs adapted using modern exercise science.https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/hypertrophy-past-and-present

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris explore the training routine of Mr Universe short division winner John Isaacs and why Silver-Era bodybuilders increased their training volumes before competitions. They then dive into the science of accumulated fatigue, discussing how excessive training can influence muscle swelling, recovery, and hypertrophy, and why more training isn't necessarily better.Key topics include:John Isaacs' Silver-Era training routine and how Reg Park modified it before competitionWhy bodybuilders increased training volume before competitions, and whether muscle swelling was part of the goalDoes training fatigue accumulate? Why different studies have produced conflicting findingsHow muscle damage, inflammation, and fatigue influence recovery and muscle growthWhy some individuals can recover from significantly more training volume than othersHow long accumulated fatigue takes to dissipate, and whether you need to stop training to recoverWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past & Present Training group on TrainHeroic, featuring Silver-Era-inspired training programs adapted using modern exercise science.https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/hypertrophy-past-and-present

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris explore the concept of indirect training volume and whether exercises like bench presses and pulldowns can maximise growth in the triceps and biceps. Chris explains how motor unit recruitment changes our understanding of indirect sets, and why evidence-based and science-based approaches can lead to very different conclusions. Key topics include:A silver-era training routine from Mr America and Mr Universe winner, Jack DelingerDo indirect sets count towards muscle growth?Motor unit recruitment and why indirect training may lead to earlier hypertrophy plateausThe differences between evidence-based and science-based approaches to hypertrophyWhy more training volume isn't necessarily betterWant to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris are joined once again by Soren Lemrant for part two of his unconventional training routine. This time, Soren breaks down his lower-body workout, explaining his unique exercise selections, creative uses of gym machines, and attempts to target muscles that most bodybuilders overlook.Key topics include:Training the upper abs, lower abs, and obliquesWhy hip internal and external rotation is usually neglectedUnconventional exercises for the lower body musclesThe similarities between Soren's approach and Silver-Era bodybuilding methodsCheck out Soren on social media at lemrant_da_lifta2Want to train like a Silver-Era bodybuilder? Join our Hypertrophy Past and Present Training group on TrainHeroic.com

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

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

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

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

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