Hypertrophy training is considered to be the most promising type of training when it comes to building muscles. Hypertrophy training is said to significantly reduce the time it takes to build muscle. However, correct execution is necessary for this. Without background knowledge, mistakes can quickly occur and there will be no success.
To help you get the best results, we’ve answered all your hypertrophy training questions here. But first, let’s explain what it’s all about.
Hypertrophy Training For Intensive Muscle Building
Hypertrophy is actually a medical term and describes the enlargement of an organ or tissue caused by the growth of cells. Therefore, it is also known as muscle thickness growth. It is therefore an organic form of growth. There is a second one, namely hyperplasia. In this case, the volume of the individual cells does not increase, but their number increases.
In short, with the help of hypertrophy training, you want to achieve that the cross-section of the muscles is as large as possible and, as a result, visible muscle growth occurs. In order for this to work, an individually adapted training plan is required because everybody needs different stimuli. It is also important to take breaks because the muscles need time to regenerate. Only then can they grow visibly in a short time.
Get Strong And Muscular With A Single Form Of Exercise
Not only bigger muscles, but also more strength are the goals that probably every man who starts working out hopes to achieve. In order to be able to kill two birds with one stone, it is of course perfect to find a type of training that does both at the same time. So a method is needed that increases the muscle cross-section. The muscle not only increases in volume but also in strength.
To achieve this, organic growth must be stimulated, which is theoretically possible with hypertrophy and hyperplasia. The fact that hyperplasia makes sense in this respect has not yet been proven. While there are a few animal studies that have yielded positive results, hyperplasia for muscle building has not been successful in humans. This method only worked with the help of steroids.
If you want to build big muscles quickly naturally, you should rely on hypertrophy. It has been proven many times that the muscle cross-section can increase significantly with the help of this type of training.
Intensity And Regularity Are The Be-all And End-all
Hypertrophy training is designed to work the muscles as hard as possible and is therefore very intense. If you really want to get the maximum out of it, you should keep your strength training in a power range of 70 to 80%. You can achieve this with sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. However, opinions differ on this.
It is also often read that a power range of 60 to 80% is sufficient, which corresponds to 6 to 10 repetitions. Practice will show what is the best option for you. Everybody reacts differently to certain stimuli, which is why you simply have to test which number of repetitions is most effective for you.
In general, however, it can be said that you should increase the weight if you can easily do 10 to 12 repetitions. If you’re already failing with fewer than 6 repetitions, then reach for a lighter weight, even if it’s sometimes difficult.
Let’s get to the breaks. Your muscles also need some time during training to recover briefly. A 2 to 3-minute break between sets is ideal.
It is not only important that you make your training sessions as intense as possible, but also that you do them regularly. Only then do you use your muscles enough to achieve the best results? To properly boost growth, plan on doing at least 10 work sets per week for each muscle group.
Hypertrophy Training With Bodyweight Exercises - Does It Make Sense?
If you are just starting out with strength training, you can start with bodyweight exercises. However, you’ll soon reach the point where you can easily do 12 reps. Of course, you can then make the exercises more difficult and use one-armed push-ups or pistol squats, i.e. one-legged squats, for example. But at some point, even that won’t be enough and you can’t avoid using additional weights to really get the most out of it.
Maintain Muscle Mass Despite Dieting
Are you on a diet because you want to reduce your body fat percentage, but are you afraid of losing muscle mass as well? You are far from alone in this. Here, too, hypertrophy training is the savior in an emergency. Stick to your training plan and still get the maximum out of your strength.
However, what you also have to keep in mind during your diet is that you consume enough protein. It’s essential for maintaining muscle mass, so don’t skimp on the wrong end. 2.5 to 3 g of protein per lbs of body weight should be given per day. For example, if you weigh 175 lbs, you should consume at least 200 to 240 g of protein per day.
Hypertrophy Training: Variety As The Key To Success
Even if you keep using your strength to the maximum with the help of hypertrophy training, it can sometimes make sense to insert another type of training in between. In this way, you offer your body a change from time to time and set new stimuli. It is therefore definitely advantageous to incorporate strength endurance or maximum strength training from time to time.
The variety not only has a positive effect on your muscles, but also on your psyche. If you train the same way every time, you will quickly get bored and lose motivation. If you make a few changes from time to time, you can quickly regain the fun of it.
The Right Training Plan For Your Personal Goal
The perfect hypertrophy training plan includes compound exercises that form the foundation, as well as isolation exercises that target the muscles where you see deficits. In this way, you can set personal priorities and use areas that are weaker or less developed than others more specifically.
It is important that you always make sure that you use weights with which you can do at least 6 repetitions. When you get to the point where even 12 reps isn’t a problem, it’s time for more resistance.
