March 2, 2026
041 New study shows twice as much volume doesn't cause extra muscle growth
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
