041 New study shows twice as much volume doesn't cause extra muscle growth

041 New study shows twice as much volume doesn't cause extra muscle growth

From Hypertrophy Past and Present by Chris Beardsley and Jake Doleschal

March 2, 2026 · 55 min · Episode 49

About this episode

The episode discusses the relationship between training volume and muscle growth, referencing a new study and historical training practices.

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

People in this episode

Hosts: Jake Doleschal, Chris Beardsley

Topics covered

  • muscle growth
  • training volume
  • hypertrophy
  • Sergio Oliva
  • programming tips
  • fatigue management

Keywords

  • muscle hypertrophy
  • training volume
  • Sergio Oliva
  • fatigue
  • repair days
  • sarcomerogenesis
  • high volume training

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Hypertrophy Past & Present

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