In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris break down Mike Mentzer’s “most productive” routine and use it as a turning point to discuss how training trends shifted across the Golden Era. From there, the conversation shifts to how anabolic steroid use increases tendon and ligament rupture risk and whether the rise of higher-rep training, shorter rest periods, machines, slower eccentrics, and lower frequency in the post-steroid bodybuilding era might partly reflect an unconscious attempt to manage connective tissue risk as drug use escalated.

Key topics include:

• Mike Mentzer’s two-way split (with rest days) and why it’s more “physiology-friendly” than most people expect
• The tendon problem with anabolics: collagen synthesis, collagen breakdown, and possible disorganised tendon structure
• Heavy vs light loads in enhanced lifters
• BFR as a tool to reduce injury risk in enhanced lifters
• Practical programming to reduce injury risk

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris shift from the Silver Era into the early anabolic era by analysing a Golden Era training plan from Ken Waller. Using Waller’s 1975 routine as a case study, they explore how bodybuilding training changed as anabolic use became more common. The discussion then transitions into a deep dive on the Weekly Net Stimulus model and why hypertrophy must be understood at the muscle fibre level.

Key topics include:

• Ken Waller’s 1975 Golden Era training split and how it contrasts with Silver Era full-body plans
• Why large volumes can appear “unrecoverable” on paper but may differ in practice
• Voluntary activation deficits and why muscles cannot be fully activated
• Muscle fibre–specific hypertrophy
• The Weekly Net Stimulus model: assumptions, limits, and what it can (and can’t) tell us
• The role of practical compromises, adherence, and time constraints in real-world programming

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 include:

-John Grimek’s full-body gaining routine and the practical logic of Silver Era plans

-MPS vs MPB and net protein balance

-Why you can’t assume elevated MPS always reflects hypertrophy or protection from atrophy

-How steroids physiologically make dieting and comp prep "easier"