Shows
Hypertrophy Past and Present010 Warming up - what does it really achieve?In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley unpack the very first York Barbell course, discussing its warm-up approach and how it compares to other silver era routines.The second half of the episode zooms out to explore warm-ups more broadly, what they actually do (and don’t do), whether they affect hypertrophy, and why most warm-up advice might be misguided.Key topics:The three physiological effects of warming up: temperature, PAP, and PAPEWhy most common warm-up routines may do nothing for hypertrophy or injury preventionHow to structure warm-ups th...2025-07-281h 13Hypertrophy Past and Present009 Work capacity - what it is and how to improve itIn this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down a pre-steroid bulking routine from Alan Stephen, an underrated Silver Era bodybuilder who trained with a pretty unique method. They explore how this high volume, low rep program makes sense with the stimulating reps model, and use it as a springboard to unpack one of the most misunderstood training concepts: work capacity.Key Topics: • The three definitions of “work capacity” and which one actually matters • Why volume doesn’t improve your ability to do more work • How cardiovascular endurance (and not high...2025-07-2042 minHypertrophy Past and Present008 Training Frequency - what to consider if you want to train every dayIn this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley explore whether full body training can be done every day, and what that really looks like. Drawing inspiration from Bronze Era strongman George Hackenschmidt, they unpack creative strategies for making high frequency training work.Key Topics:How training every day differs from traditional 3x per week programmingHow MYOPS behaves and whether it must return to baseline before training againWhat programming variables to consider when training full body daily2025-07-1353 minHypertrophy Past and Present007 Do all training programs maximise hypertrophy eventually?In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley return to Reg Park, but this time explore one of his most advanced programs. They compare this higher volume plan to Park’s earlier abbreviated routine before exploring whether all training programs eventually lead to the same outcome, and which variables actually determine your muscular potential.Key Topics:How Reg Park’s exercise selection evolved from bulk to shapeThe physiology behind fibre-specific muscle damageWhy exercise selection and frequency determine your end resultWhat volume actually does (and doesn’t) achieve when it comes to muscle...2025-07-0659 minHypertrophy Past and Present006 Strength - the mechanisms that increase strength, and why hypertrophy must make us strongerIn this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley discuss one of the strongest bodybuilders of the Silver Era, and the third man to ever bench 500 pounds, Marvin Eder's training routine. The second half of the episode takes a deep dive into the mechanisms of strength, why strength isn’t a single adaptation, and why hypertrophy does contribute to strength.Key Topics:The alignment between old-school programming and recoverability dataWhy strength isn’t one thingThe 6 mechanisms of strength gains (and how they interact)What lateral force transmission is2025-06-291h 14Hypertrophy Past and Present005 Training volume and post workout fatigue - how many sets are recoverable in 48 hours?In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley dissect Reg Park’s 1950s “Mr. Universe Bulk Course”. Unlike the high-variation, single-set approach of Steve Reeves discussed in the previous episdoe, Reg Park’s plan featured fewer exercises but high set volume, low reps, and heavy loads. The second half of the episode shifts into a deep dive on post-workout fatigue; what it actually is, what causes it, and why the common beliefs about fatigue and recovery might be wrong. Key topics:The surprising recoverability of low rep, high set trainingWh...2025-06-221h 19Hypertrophy Past and Present004 Training splits and exercise selection - 3 sets of 1 exercise or 1 set of 3 exercises?In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down Steve Reeves’ favourite full-body routines from the early 1950s. They explore how Reeves trained each muscle with three different exercises, and why this multi-exercise, single-set approach might still be one of the most efficient ways to train if programmed correctly. The episode dives into the physiology behind exercise variation, the concept of neuromechanical matching, and how advanced lifters can apply full-body A/B splits to maximise hypertrophy.Key topics:The difference between single sets per muscle vs. per exerciseWhy muscle hypertrophy an...2025-06-151h 02Hypertrophy Past and Present003 Training splits - what to consider when splitting full body workouts into upper / lower workoutsIn this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley examine Clancy Ross’ 1940s split set routine - an early experiment in dividing upper and lower body training that predated modern training splits. They break down how Ross evolved his training by splitting full-body workouts into AM/PM upper/lower sessions and discuss what this teaches us about fatigue management, muscle damage, and cardiovascular recovery. Key topics:How Clancy Ross experimented with splitting his full body sessions into upper/lowerThe two types of supraspinal CNS fatigue (intra-workout vs. post-workout)How cardiovascular fitness governs you...2025-06-0857 minHypertrophy Past and Present002 How long does the growth stimulus last after a training session?In this second episode, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down the York Barbell Mr America Course, a program from 1951 that evolved from the earlier Milo Barbell plan. They explore what changed in the decades following the first mass-produced bodybuilding programs, including the introduction of sets, improved exercise selection, and targeted variations. They then connect these historical shifts to modern muscle physiology, focusing on how long the hypertrophy stimulus lasts after a workout, and why full-body training remains superior. Key topics: How the York Barbell Course built on the Milo planWhy the shift from reps to se...2025-06-011h 06Hypertrophy Past and Present001 Training frequency - why the diminishing returns of volume makes higher frequencies betterIn this debut episode, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley dissect the very first mass-produced bodybuilding program: the Milo Barbell Course. They explore how early bodybuilders trained before steroids existed and what their exercise choices reveal about muscle understanding. They then connect these historical methods to modern muscle physiology, focusing on the stimulating reps model and the critical role of training frequency. You'll learn why full-body training 3x per week was not just a product of the time, but may still be the optimal approach for natural hypertrophy today.Key topics:What the Milo Barbell Course included...2025-05-2549 min
A Gut FeelingHow to train to build muscle when you have gut issuesHow should you train if you have gut issues, SIBO, experience anxiety, fatigue, restlessness? We explain the WHY and the HOW to you (processes in your body)the negative symptoms you might be experiencing if your training is not optimal for youour prescriptions and suggestions (training style options and exercise selection)and ultimately this episode answers the question on what your training (any exercise selection) should look like for optimal functional hypertrophy.You may or may not know that Dave and Jake actually had their start in the fitness industry and share a big...2023-09-091h 00