What is muscle hypertrophy?
You may be wondering what this big Greek word means. Simply stated, it is an increase in muscle mass. Through increased anaerobic exercise and protein intake, the individual cells of each muscle fiber expand in size.
Hypertrophy vs Strength Training
Hypertrophy training is a workout program designed specifically to maximize muscle growth. Hypertrophy training prioritizes muscle building while strength training prioritizes power.
There is a lot of overlap between hypertrophy and strength training, yet there are also significant differences between the two.
Hypertrophy Training = Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy training aims to increase muscle size with symmetry and proportion to create an aesthetic physique.
Strength Training = Power lifting
On the other hand, the goal of strength training is to maximize power and move as much weight as possible.
Muscle size will increase, particularly for beginners. However, muscle growth will not be maximized. This is because it’s not always necessary for a muscle to get bigger in order to get stronger.
Should beginners do hypertrophy?
Now that you have a general understanding of muscle hypertrophy and how to accomplish it, should one attempt to hypertrophy muscles when beginning resistance training?
The answer to this is a huge YES!
Best beginner hypertrophy workout plan principles.
Regardless of how you arrange your training or the methods used, there are four principles that should be considered when constructing any training program:
· Overload
· Specificity
· Variation
· Fatigue management
Overload principle
Overload is possibly the most important principle for muscle hypertrophy. This means increasing the amount of weight you are lifting (the load). When the overload is presented again and again, at progressively higher amounts, muscle hypertrophy occurs.
· Increase the repetitions by 1-2 every other session for 4 weeks, then increase the load and repeat. Increase the load by 2-3% every 2-3 sessions
· Increase the sets per exercise by 1 every 2-3 weeks for up to 6-8 weeks
Specificity principle
Specificity is selecting movements, volumes, loads, and speeds that match the outcomes you are trying to achieve. Enough movements to cover all the major muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, pecs, deltoids, traps, lats, biceps, and triceps)
· Bigger muscle groups require more movements/volume
Variation principle
Variation is necessary to prevent plateaus in gains. Even with progressive overload, performing the same exercises, reps, and sets will eventually lead to diminishing returns and an increased risk of injury. When this occurs, changing some of the exercises and the set and rep scheme is necessary. Alter the rep and load scheme every 4-8 weeks (i.e.: begin with higher reps and lighter weight then change to lower reps and heavier weight).
· Alter some of the exercise selection every 4-10 weeks (i.e.: begin with bench press and pec deck then change to incline press and dumbbell flies)
Fatigue management
Fatigue management should provide time between sessions to allow for recovery and adaptation, and to reduce the risk of injury and burnoutWeekly: Provide at least a day of rest before training the same muscle group again.
· Monthly: Perform a week of low-effort workouts (deload) once every 4-10 weeks