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
What is 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.