067 Why you’re not progressing (and why it might not be a plateau)

In this episode of Hypertrophy Past & Present, Jake and Chris begin by reviewing Stuart McRobert’s 1989 hardgainer routine, a minimalist two-day-per-week program designed as an alternative to the increasingly extreme bodybuilding routines of the late 1980s. The conversation then explores an important distinction: is every period of stalled progress really a plateau, or are there times when we should simply expect progress to slow or stop?

Key topics include:

• Stuart McRobert’s 1989 twice-weekly full-body hardgainer routine
• The difference between a true plateau and a program that was never capable of producing continued progress
• Why strength gains can sometimes make a poorly designed hypertrophy program appear to be working
• Why life stress, poor sleep, dieting, or adding other forms of exercise may cause you to stop progressing without necessarily creating a true plateau
• Why coaches should investigate what has changed before immediately modifying a client’s training program
• The difference between managing a temporary lack of progress and actively trying to “bust” a plateau
• Why temporary stressors may only require reducing training volume, while long-term lifestyle changes may require rebuilding the program entirely

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