Hi guys. It’s Fitness Coach Will Levin (61 years young) to talk about hypertrophy training. What I mean by “right way” to do hypertrophy training is the scientific way. This particular type of training has been studied–a lot! And it’s fascinating because physiological changes are made at the cellular level, which is not true of strength training or muscular endurance training. Are you ready to do this? Let’s go…
WHAT IS HYPERTROPHY TRAINING?
Hypertrophy training aims to build muscle mass. Hypertrophy training is what bodybuilders do. These guys build massive muscles. How do they do it? They adhere to the scientific formula for building massive muscles and work those muscles A LOT. Look, I’m not a bodybuilder and you probably aren’t either. But the science of what bodybuilders adhere to is the same science underlying Older Guys Fitness 40+ Muscle Mass program. The difference between me, you and Arnold Schwarzenegger, is the total volume of exercise. In other words, bodybuilders just do much more of it.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND HYPERTROPHY TRAINING
The science of hypertrophy training can be broken down into the amount of weight (load), the number of repetitions, the rate of each repetition and the rest period between sets. These four exercise variables need to be executed exactly.
The load in hypertrophy training should be around 75% of one repetition max (RM), which is the most you can lift one time. A rule of thumb for this is that your last repetition in the last set should be really hard, like you almost can’t do it. So with a load of 75% RM you should do 6-12 repetitions. I generally do 10, but it is common for me to only be able to do 8 reps. That’s actually good because it means I am exhausting my muscle’s capacity to lift the load. So I know if I can only 8 reps I have correct load.
That seems easy right? Ten hard reps for 3 sets. No, there is more to it. The rest period between sets is crucial and often overlooked. In order to get bigger muscles, you need to create metabolic stress, which stimulates the release of testosterone and the human growth hormone. Both of these hormones assist the body in increasing your muscle mass. How do you create metabolic stress? You rest only 30 to 60 seconds between sets. You should feel winded during a hypertrophy workout. This is a key element in hypertrophy training. You need to have your watch or cell phone to time the rest interval.
The final element in the scientific formula for hypertrophy training is the rate/tempo of each repetition. I see a lot of well-intentioned guys in the gym just pumping out their reps at 1:1 tempo, and frankly, I used to do the do the same thing. Although 1:1 rep tempo might result in some muscle gain (assuming the other exercise variables are adhered to), it won’t optimize your hypertrophy training. And by optimize I mean getting the results you want as efficiently as you can.
The ideal rate of each repetition should be 2 seconds lifting (the concentric phase) and 2 seconds returning the weight (the eccentric phase). Using the chest press as an example, you push the weight for 2 seconds and return the weight for 2 seconds. This is known as “time under tension” and it is essential for hypertrophy. Increased time under tension maximizes muscle recruitment and mediates intracellular anabolic signaling, resulting in increased muscle size.
So there it is. While hypertrophy training is often thought to be going to the gym an “pumping iron,” it’s more complex than that. You have to do it right. In my own hypertrophy workouts I follow the science. Once you know how to do it, it’s not that hard. You just need to get all the variables in your mind and execute. It eventually becomes a habit. If I can do it so can you. Older Guys Fitness 40+ Muscle Mass follows the science of hypertrophy training.
Do you want to build muscle the right way? I offer a FREE CONSULTATION to discuss your fitness goals.