Best Jake Doleschal Podcasts (2025)

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029 Elevated MPS ≠ muscle growth 1:18:44

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14h ago1:18:44

1:18:44

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris revisit the Silver Era through one of the most iconic Silver Era bodybuilders, John Grimek, and his bulking plan. They then discuss what muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB) really mean, dismantling the idea that “elevated MPS = muscle growth”. Key topics inc…

1
028 How does dieting affect hypertrophy? 1:27:43

8d ago1:27:43

1:27:43

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 …

1
027 Are 4 reps optimal?! New study: stimulating reps vs volume load 1:12:37

15d ago1:12:37

1:12:37

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris use a 1967 Bill Pearl program to jump from the silver era into the early steroid era, showing how training volume exploded once anabolics entered the picture. They contrast Bill Pearl’s high-volume, six-day split and contrast it with his earlier natural-era programming, before diving in…

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026 How does insufficient sleep affect hypertrophy / atrophy? 1:19:57

22d ago1:19:57

1:19:57

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris dive into a Bill Pearl full-body routine, using it as a bridge between the pre-steroid silver era and the early anabolic era. From there, they shift into part two of their sleep series, unpacking how sleep loss influences muscle atrophy and recovery in natural lifters. Key topics includ…

1
025 How does insufficient sleep affect training? 55:51

29d ago55:51

55:51

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down Bob Hoffman’s basic athletic program through a modern physiology lens and unpack how insufficient sleep impacts training performance. Key topics include: Bob Hoffman’s silver era full-body athlete hypertrophy program Sleep deprivation vs restriction vs cumulative sleep debt H…

1
024 Training, hypertrophy, and recovery for older people 1:04:26

1M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past & Present, Jake and Chris discuss Silver-Era author Peary Rader’s “training as you get older” guidelines and dive into how to construct a modern, physiology-led template for older lifters. Key topics include: Why recovery, not “low stimulus sensitivity” likely limits muscle growth in older lifters Intra-session …

1
023 Fatigue accumulation and what to do about it. 1:06:03

1M ago1:06:03

1:06:03

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris unpack a Silver-Era routine passed from 1950 Mr America John Farbotnik to Gene Mozee at a time where high volume plans were taking over bodybuilding. From there they go deep into accumulating fatigue, how excitation–contraction coupling failure, muscle damage, and supraspinal CNS fati…

1
022 How intra-workout carbohydrates reduce supraspinal CNS fatigue 58:14

2M ago58:14

58:14

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris unpack Steve Reeves’ 1947 pre-competition full-body routine, then dive into why the Silver-Era were such advocates of orange juice + honey during training. We assess the building research on carbohydrate mouth-rinsing, what this tells us about supraspinal CNS fatigue, and how the perf…

1
021 Why Counting “Half Sets” for Secondary Muscles Doesn't Make Sense 1:07:30

2M ago1:07:30

1:07:30

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris break down Dick DuBois’ 1954 full-body routine (and we finally have some pull-ups!). They then tackle the “half-set” myth, why counting half sets for secondary muscles make any sense and how to adjust multi joint exercises to bias growth in a particular muscle. Key topics include: • D…

1
020 How to program a muscle specialisation phase 1:21:08

2M ago1:21:08

1:21:08

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris use Peary Rader’s leg routine to outline a practical, physiology-led blueprint for muscle specialisation. Key topics include: Peary Rader’s pre-steroid era leg routine (and the changes we would make today) A framework for designing a muscle specialisation phase for any muscle When to …

1
019 Cluster Sets – How they work and how to use them 1:21:18

2M ago1:21:18

1:21:18

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris start by discussing one of the most widely used methods of the Silver Era; the 20 rep squat. They then dive into the physiology of cluster sets: what they are, how they differ from rest-pause and drop sets, and how cluster sets can be programmed to offer benefits over traditional stra…

1
018 Pauses, Stretching, and Partials 1:24:22

3M ago1:24:22

1:24:22

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris unpack Reg Park’s calf-specialisation phase before discussing the physiology of pauses: when they work, when they don’t, and how they compare to partial reps. Key topics include: • Reg Park’s 1952 calf-specialisation program • Straight-leg vs bent-leg calf work and how they bias gastr…

1
017 Exercise Selection - How to pick the exercises needed to maximally develop a muscle 1:22:27

3M ago1:22:27

1:22:27

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris discuss Sig Klein’s extensive routine and use it as a springboard to tackle one of the biggest programming questions: how much exercise variety do you really need for maximal growth? Key topics include: How neuromechanical matching explains which motor units get recruited first Volunt…

1
016 Training Splits - Why upper/lower, torso/limbs, push/pull, and other split routines face the same problem 1:14:16

3M ago1:14:16

1:14:16

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris revisit Joe Weider’s early 1940 full-body program before breaking down the central problem that all split routines face: supraspinal CNS fatigue. Key topics include: • How calcium-ion–related fatigue and inflammation create global CNS fatigue • Why back-to-back training days reduce re…

1
015 Training Frequency - Why 3x per week beats 2x even if MYOPS is still elevated 1:12:15

3M ago1:12:15

1:12:15

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris explore Sig Klein’s early A/B full body routine from the pre-steroid bodybuilding era before examining the claim that elevated myofibrillar protein synthesis blunts the effectiveness of subsequent workouts. Key topics include: Sig Klein’s beginner routine The difference between myofib…

1
014 Training Frequency - What the long-term studies actually show 1:14:41

3M ago1:14:41

1:14:41

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake and Chris explore the lesser-known silver-era bodybuilder Floyd Page’s 1952 full-body routine before unpacking the topic of training frequency, long-term training studies, and physiological models. Key topics include: Floyd Page’s 1952 “favourite routine” and its historical context The non-line…

1
013 Neuromechanical Matching: Everything you need to know (but few do) 1:29:45

4M ago1:29:45

1:29:45

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley unpack one of Peary Rader’s Silver Era “advanced beginner” routines, before a deep dive into the principle of Neuromechanical Matching. Key topics include: What Rader’s “advanced beginner” (intermediate) plan looked like A deep dive into the neuromechanical matchin…

1
012 How to build muscle with isometric training 1:08:11

4M ago1:08:11

1:08:11

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley break down an isometric method from bodybuilding legend and first Mr Universe, John Grimek. They explore how maximal-effort isometrics can stimulate muscle growth and the key differences between overcoming and yielding isometrics. Key topics include: How isometrics…

1
011 Why the idea that a single exercise can train the whole muscle and “bias” a region is false 1:06:28

4M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

In this episode of Hypertrophy: Past and Present, Jake Doleschal and Chris Beardsley dive into a 1955 arm specialization routine from Peary Rader and use it as a launchpad to challenge one of the most common misconceptions in hypertrophy programming today. They explore whether exercises can “bias” specific muscle regions, and what the implications …

1
010 Warming up - what does it really achieve? 1:13:55

4M ago1:13:55

1:13:55

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 hypertr…

1
009 Work capacity - what it is and how to improve it 42:51

5M ago42:51

42:51

In 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 …

1
008 Training Frequency - what to consider if you want to train every day 53:10

5M ago53:10

53:10

In 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 da…

1
007 Do all training programs maximise hypertrophy eventually? 59:40

5M ago59:40

59:40

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 …

1
006 Strength - the mechanisms that increase strength, and why hypertrophy must make us stronger 1:14:25

5M ago1:14:25

1:14:25

In 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 wh…

1
005 Training volume and post workout fatigue - how many sets are recoverable in 48 hours? 1:19:09

6M ago1:19:09

1:19:09

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 ep…

1
004 Training splits and exercise selection - 3 sets of 1 exercise or 1 set of 3 exercises? 1:02:09

6M ago1:02:09

1:02:09

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 progra…

1
003 Training splits - what to consider when splitting full body workouts into upper / lower workouts 57:14

6M ago57:14

57:14

In 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 disc…

1
002 How long does the growth stimulus last after a training session? 1:06:26

6M ago1:06:26

1:06:26

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…

1
001 Training frequency - why the diminishing returns of volume makes higher frequencies better 49:57

7M ago49:57

49:57

In 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, f…

Jake Doleschal Podcasts

1
Hypertrophy Past and Present

Chris Beardsley and Jake Doleschal

1
029 Elevated MPS ≠ muscle growth 1:18:44

1
028 How does dieting affect hypertrophy? 1:27:43

1
027 Are 4 reps optimal?! New study: stimulating reps vs volume load 1:12:37

1
026 How does insufficient sleep affect hypertrophy / atrophy? 1:19:57

1
025 How does insufficient sleep affect training? 55:51

1
024 Training, hypertrophy, and recovery for older people 1:04:26

1
023 Fatigue accumulation and what to do about it. 1:06:03

1
022 How intra-workout carbohydrates reduce supraspinal CNS fatigue 58:14

1
021 Why Counting “Half Sets” for Secondary Muscles Doesn't Make Sense 1:07:30

1
020 How to program a muscle specialisation phase 1:21:08

1
019 Cluster Sets – How they work and how to use them 1:21:18

1
018 Pauses, Stretching, and Partials 1:24:22

1
017 Exercise Selection - How to pick the exercises needed to maximally develop a muscle 1:22:27

1
016 Training Splits - Why upper/lower, torso/limbs, push/pull, and other split routines face the same problem 1:14:16

1
015 Training Frequency - Why 3x per week beats 2x even if MYOPS is still elevated 1:12:15

1
014 Training Frequency - What the long-term studies actually show 1:14:41

1
013 Neuromechanical Matching: Everything you need to know (but few do) 1:29:45

1
012 How to build muscle with isometric training 1:08:11

1
011 Why the idea that a single exercise can train the whole muscle and “bias” a region is false 1:06:28

1
010 Warming up - what does it really achieve? 1:13:55

1
009 Work capacity - what it is and how to improve it 42:51

1
008 Training Frequency - what to consider if you want to train every day 53:10

1
007 Do all training programs maximise hypertrophy eventually? 59:40

1
006 Strength - the mechanisms that increase strength, and why hypertrophy must make us stronger 1:14:25

1
005 Training volume and post workout fatigue - how many sets are recoverable in 48 hours? 1:19:09

1
004 Training splits and exercise selection - 3 sets of 1 exercise or 1 set of 3 exercises? 1:02:09

1
003 Training splits - what to consider when splitting full body workouts into upper / lower workouts 57:14

1
002 How long does the growth stimulus last after a training session? 1:06:26

1
001 Training frequency - why the diminishing returns of volume makes higher frequencies better 49:57