A method for amplifying a plurality of nucleic acid templates, comprising: a) providing a plurality of forward primers immobilized on a support, wherein the plurality of forward primers includes a first forward primer and a second forward primer, wherein the plurality of forward primers have substantially identical sequences; b) providing a nucleic acid reverse strand from the plurality of nucleic acid templates, wherein the nucleic acid reverse strand comprises a forward primer-binding sequence that is complementary to a sequence of the first forward primer and a sequence of the second forward primer; c) attaching the nucleic acid reverse strand to the support by hybridizing the first forward primer to the complementary forward primer-binding sequence on the nucleic acid reverse strand; d) generating an extended first forward strand that is a substantially full-length complement of the nucleic acid reverse strand and is hybridized thereto, by primer extension of the first forward primer using the nucleic acid reverse strand as a template; e) denaturing at least a portion of the nucleic acid reverse strand from the extended first forward strand such that at least a portion of the forward primer-binding sequence on the nucleic acid reverse strand is in single-stranded form, and hybridizing the second forward primer to the forward primer-binding sequence on the nucleic acid reverse strand, wherein a portion of the nucleic acid reverse strand is also hybridized to the extended first forward strand; f) generating an extended second forward strand that is a substantially full-length complement of the nucleic acid reverse strand and is hybridized thereto, by primer extension of the second forward primer using the nucleic acid reverse strand as a template; and g) amplifying the plurality of nucleic acid reverse strands simultaneously in a single continuous liquid phase, by performing one or more amplification cycles comprising steps (d) - (f) under isothermal conditions to form clonal nucleic acid populations, wherein the second forward primer of step (e) of an amplification cycle acts as the first forward primer of step (d) of a subsequent amplification cycle; and wherein the denaturing in step (e) is achieved by adjusting the isothermal conditions to a temperature that is higher than the T m of all forward primers, but lower than the T m of the nucleic acid reverse strands. a) providing a plurality of forward primers immobilized on a support, wherein the plurality of forward primers includes a first forward primer and a second forward primer, wherein the plurality of forward primers have substantially identical sequences; b) providing a nucleic acid reverse strand from the plurality of nucleic acid templates, wherein the nucleic acid reverse strand comprises a forward primer-binding sequence that is complementary to a sequence of the first forward primer and a sequence of the second forward primer; c) attaching the nucleic acid reverse strand to the support by hybridizing the first forward primer to the complementary forward primer-binding sequence on the nucleic acid reverse strand; d) generating an extended first forward strand that is a substantially full-length complement of the nucleic acid reverse strand and is hybridized thereto, by primer extension of the first forward primer using the nucleic acid reverse strand as a template; e) denaturing at least a portion of the nucleic acid reverse strand from the extended first forward strand such that at least a portion of the forward primer-binding sequence on the nucleic acid reverse strand is in single-stranded form, and hybridizing the second forward primer to the forward primer-binding sequence on the nucleic acid reverse strand, wherein a portion of the nucleic acid reverse strand is also hybridized to the extended first forward strand; f) generating an extended second forward strand that is a substantially full-length complement of the nucleic acid reverse strand and is hybridized thereto, by primer extension of the second forward primer using the nucleic acid reverse strand as a template; and g) amplifying the plurality of nucleic acid reverse strands simultaneously in a single continuous liquid phase, by performing one or more amplification cycles comprising steps (d) - (f) under isothermal conditions to form clonal nucleic acid populations, wherein the second forward primer of step (e) of an amplification cycle acts as the first forward primer of step (d) of a subsequent amplification cycle; and