
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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- 054 Strength vs Hypertrophy: Is Powerbuilding the Solution? · June 1, 2026 · 1h 6m
- 053 Progression Models and the Truth About Progressive Overload · May 25, 2026 · 1h 22m
- 052 Resting 2-3 minutes between sets isn't "optimal" · May 18, 2026 · 1h 26m
- 051 The silver era perfected drop sets 75 years ago · May 11, 2026 · 1h 16m
- 050 Are circuits for hypertrophy the next big thing? · May 5, 2026 · 1h 11m
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