In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris go back to 1945 and break down Clancy Ross’ pre-contest “definition” routine to show how Silver Era lifters tried to get lean using their gym programming. From there they pivot into dieting and how caloric restriction, stress, glycogen, and glucocorticoids actually affect muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown.
Key topics include:
- Clancy Ross’ 1945 full-body “reducing routine” and why even this questionable plan still beats most modern fat-loss programs
- A muscle-physiology model of dieting: suppressed MPS and when deficits become a stressor that ramps up muscle protein breakdown
- Why anabolics (and even TRT) largely sidestep these dieting problems
- Practical tips for naturals: adjusting training volume, keeping frequency high, pre-workout carbs, carb mouth-rinse, post-workout protein, and subjective stress load
