Logan Steele
Muscular hypertrophy is an increase in muscular size achieved through exercise. Weightlifting is the most common way to increase hypertrophy, but it's important to continuously challenge muscles to see growth. This can be achieved through lifting heavy weights for fewer repetitions or performing many repetitions at a lower weight. The way you lift will determine how your muscles grow and change. For maximum gains, there needs to be significant metabolic stress on the muscles, plus a moderate degree of muscle tension.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to achieve hypertrophy | Weightlifting, especially heavy weights |
| Muscle tension | Moderate degree |
| Movement speed | Fast-to-moderate speeds for 1-3 seconds (concentric) and slower speeds for 2-4 seconds (eccentric) |
| Protein intake | Up to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day |
| Energy balance | Positive (more calories consumed than burned) |
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What You'll Learn
Weightlifting schedules
If you want to increase hypertrophy, lifting weights is the most common way to do so. You can perform many repetitions (reps) at a lower weight or lift a heavy weight for fewer reps. The way you lift will determine the way your muscles grow and change. For example, if you want to increase muscle size, you should lift a heavy weight for fewer reps.
To achieve maximum gains, there needs to be significant metabolic stress on the muscles, plus a moderate degree of muscle tension. One study found exercises that involve shortening (concentric) movements at fast-to-moderate speeds for 1-3 seconds and elongating (eccentric) at slower speeds (2-4 seconds) to be highly effective. One example of a concentric movement is raising the weight during a bicep curl to your shoulder.
It's important to continuously break down and challenge muscles in order to see growth. You should also focus on a protein-rich diet, trying to eat or drink a protein source within 30 minutes of a workout.
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Protein-rich diets
To achieve muscle hypertrophy, it's important to continuously break down and challenge muscles through weightlifting and to have a protein-rich diet.
In addition to protein-rich diets, it is important to have a positive energy balance, where more calories are consumed than burned. This helps with anabolism and muscle hypertrophy.
The way you lift weights will also determine how your muscles grow and change. You can perform many repetitions at a lower weight or lift a heavy weight for fewer reps. For maximum gains, it is recommended to have significant metabolic stress on the muscles, along with a moderate degree of muscle tension. This can be achieved through exercises that involve concentric and eccentric movements. An example of a concentric movement is raising the weight during a bicep curl to your shoulder, and then slowly lowering it back down (eccentric).
It is important to note that the frequency, intensity, and total volume of your workouts will also directly affect muscle hypertrophy. A gradual increase in these training variables will yield results.
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Muscle tension
To achieve muscle hypertrophy, you need to continuously break down and challenge muscles. This can be done through weightlifting, which can be performed in different ways to achieve different results. For example, performing many repetitions (reps) at a lower weight will lead to different muscle growth compared to lifting a heavy weight for fewer reps.
A 2010 study found that for maximum gains, there needs to be significant metabolic stress on the muscles, plus a moderate degree of muscle tension. This can be achieved through exercises that involve shortening (concentric) movements at fast-to-moderate speeds for 1-3 seconds and elongating (eccentric) at slower speeds (2-4 seconds). An example of a concentric movement is raising the weight during a bicep curl to your shoulder, and then returning to the starting position (eccentric).
The amount of muscle tension you put on your muscles will depend on your fitness goals. If you are looking to increase muscle strength and speed, you should focus on myofibrillar training, which involves lifting heavy weights for fewer reps. On the other hand, if you are looking for more sustained energy for endurance athletic events, you should focus on sarcoplasmic growth, which involves lifting lighter weights for more reps.
It's important to note that before starting a new exercise routine, you should see your doctor to determine if heavy lifting is safe for you.
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Training variables
When weightlifting, you can perform many repetitions (reps) at a lower weight or lift a heavy weight for fewer reps. The way you lift will determine the way your muscles grow and change. For example, myofibrillar training will help with strength and speed, while sarcoplasmic growth helps give your body more sustained energy for endurance athletic events.
To achieve maximum gains, there needs to be significant metabolic stress on the muscles, as well as a moderate degree of muscle tension. Researchers have found that exercises involving shortening (concentric) movements at fast-to-moderate speeds for 1-3 seconds and elongating (eccentric) at slower speeds (2-4 seconds) are highly effective for muscle hypertrophy.
Additionally, a gradual increase in training variables such as frequency, intensity, and total volume will directly affect the increase of muscle hypertrophy.
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Myofibrillar training
Muscular hypertrophy is an increase in muscular size achieved through exercise. Weightlifting is the most common way to increase hypertrophy. Myofibrillar training will help with strength and speed.
When weightlifting, you can perform many repetitions (reps) at a lower weight or lift a heavy weight for fewer reps. The way you lift will determine the way your muscles grow and change. For example, lifting a heavy weight for fewer reps will help with strength and speed, while lifting a lower weight for more reps will help with endurance.
To achieve maximum gains, there needs to be significant metabolic stress on the muscles, plus a moderate degree of muscle tension. Researchers have found exercises that involve shortening (concentric) movements at fast-to-moderate speeds for 1-3 seconds and elongating (eccentric) at slower speeds (2-4 seconds) to be highly effective. One example of a concentric movement is raising the weight during a bicep curl to your shoulder. The return to the starting position would be eccentric.
How often you need to exercise to achieve muscular hypertrophy depends on your goals. You could try one of these weight-lifting schedules: lifting (especially heavy weights) three days a week. A gradual increase in training variables such as frequency, intensity, and total volume will also directly affect the increase of muscle hypertrophy.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle hypertrophy is an increase and growth of muscle cells, achieved through exercise.
This depends on your goals. You can perform many repetitions (reps) at a lower weight or lift a heavy weight for fewer reps. The way you lift will determine the way your muscles grow and change.
This depends on your goals. One weight-lifting schedule that can be effective is lifting (especially heavy weights) three days a week.
One study found that for maximum gains, there needs to be significant metabolic stress on the muscles, plus a moderate degree of muscle tension. Researchers found exercises that involve shortening (concentric) movements at fast-to-moderate speeds for 1-3 seconds and elongating (eccentric) at slower speeds (2-4 seconds) to be highly effective.
A protein-rich diet is important for muscle growth. Focus on lean protein sources like plant-based protein powder, lean meat, chicken, and fish. Try to eat or drink a protein source within 30 minutes of a workout. Research suggests that getting more than 1.62 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is unlikely to produce additional benefits.
