Hypertrophy Past and Present

014 Training Frequency - What the long-term studies actually show

21 snips
Aug 25, 2025
Discover the intriguing world of bodybuilding history with insights on Floyd Page’s 1952 workout routine. Dive into the nuances of training frequency and how it influences muscle growth. The discussion reveals why hitting the gym three times a week is often more beneficial than once a week. Unpack the complexities of research on hypertrophy, and learn about the challenges in analyzing muscle measurement techniques. The speakers also advocate for critical thinking and source verification in fitness to cut through the misinformation surrounding training practices.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Floyd Page’s 1952 Full‑Body Plan

  • Floyd Page's 1952 full-body routine used 8–10 reps, 2 sets per exercise and allowed up to five sets after adaptation.
  • The program lists ~12 exercises and reflects common mid-century full-body training patterns.
INSIGHT

Muscle Growth Is A Weekly Net Balance

  • Muscles alternate between growth and slight shrinkage; net weekly hypertrophy is the balance of those phases.
  • Maintenance training simply produces weekly hypertrophy equal to weekly atrophy, yielding net zero change.
INSIGHT

Nonlinear Volume Response

  • Hypertrophy responds to volume in a non-linear way with diminishing returns per extra set.
  • The first set contributes disproportionately more to growth than later sets due to fatigue and stimulus saturation.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app