Hypertrophy Past and Present 037 How to grow muscle only training once per week
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Feb 2, 2026 They examine how to structure effective training when you can only train once per week. Old-school two-way splits and exercise sequencing get a modern rewrite. Rep ranges, multi-joint then single-joint pairings, and why very high reps often miss the mark are debated. Practical once-per-week templates, cluster and circuit options, and splitting sessions across the day are explored.
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Do Full-Body Compounds Plus Finishers
- If you can only train once weekly, prioritize full-body compound lifts and follow them with single-joint finishers for the same muscle.
- This preserves recruitment and limits wasted multi-joint sets while maximizing stimulus per visit.
Review Of A 1960s McCallum Split
- Chris and Jake review a 1960s John McCallum two-way split that pairs multi-joint lifts with single-joint finishers.
- They note equipment limits shaped rep choices and that many silver-era plans prioritized similar sequencing.
Moderate High Reps Trigger Metabolite Growth; Extremes Don’t
- High-rep sets (≈30 reps) can still trigger hypertrophy because they occlude blood flow and build metabolites.
- Very light very-high-rep sets (≈100 reps) often fail because they lack vascular occlusion and reduce mechanotransduction.