Hypertrophy Past and Present

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down a 1950s weightlifting plan from Paul Anderson, one of the strongest men to ever live. The episode begins with a deep dive into Anderson’s low volume, high frequency training structure, before expanding into a physiology-first explanation of why low per session volume and high frequency training still makes sense today. 
Key topics include:
• Paul Anderson’s 1954 weightlifting program
• Why separating squats into their own sessions may improve performance and recovery
• How extremely low volume can still build maximal muscle
• Why the first set in a workout provides the majority of the growth stimulus
• Why training frequency (not just weekly volume) is key
• How modern research might be distorted by muscle swelling
• Why social media isn't a good place for "education"

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down what fatigue actually is, and why most lifters misunderstand it. The episode begins with a deep dive into a late Silver Era full body program from Joe Abenda, before expanding into a practical framework for understanding intra-workout and post-workout fatigue, and how this relates to the total number of exercises in a session.
Key topics include:
• A breakdown of Joe Abenda’s Silver Era beginner full body program
• Why most people confuse fatigue with motivation
• The difference between intra-workout fatigue and post-workout fatigue
• How exercise selection, reps, and rest periods determine fatigue more than just total number of exercises
• How to structure workouts to minimise fatigue and maximise performance across the entire session

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