Hypertrophy is the term for the growth and increase in size of muscle cells. The most common type of muscle hypertrophy occurs as a result of physical exercise such as weightlifting, and the term is often associated with weight training. You will learn more about hypertrophy from Toshe Zafirov, who has been dealing with how to build muscles for years.
Key Takeaways:
- Progressive overload is essential for stimulating muscle growth by increasing the intensity or volume of your workouts over time.
- Being regular and patient is the most important thing; building muscle takes time and requires a long-term commitment.
- Form and technique are key to maximizing muscle activation and minimizing the risk of injury.
- Consider working with a qualified professional fitness trainer to design a personalized program.
What Is Hypertrophy?
Hypertrophy is a way to stimulate muscle growth. Most of the time, growth is achieved through exercise and training that involves strength training – lifting weights is the most common way to achieve hypertrophy.
There are two main types of muscle hypertrophy – sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the physical enlargement of your muscles and is what most people think of when they refer to hypertrophy training. Meanwhile, myofibrillar hypertrophy is when the muscle becomes denser and more compact.
If increasing muscle size is your goal, your exercise routine should be designed to optimize and increase muscle mass. Generally, this means that you should lift weights and gradually increase the volume of your workouts to change the size and shape of your muscles.
Goals of Hypertrophy Training
Hypertrophy training is a type of resistance training that involves focusing on specific techniques that will increase your muscle tone, size and mass. Although everyone has different exercise goals, many people follow hypertrophy training to support their health goals.
Developing adequate levels of muscle mass plays an important role in your health. For example, low levels of muscle mass are associated with an increased risk of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Low muscle mass can also affect the development of cardio-metabolic problems, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and even increase the risk of falling.
Benefits of Hypertrophy Training
Building muscle mass through hypertrophy training can benefit your health in a number of ways. In fact, it is recommended that everyone include muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week in their exercise regimen. Here are some of the potential benefits of hypertrophy training.
You feel stronger: When you build muscle through strength training, you get stronger. Your muscles can lift heavier objects. Strength training has also been shown to strengthen your bones.
Osteoporosis and arthritis: Strength training increases bone mass and bone strength. Early strength training can help prevent osteoporosis and can reduce the pain and complications of arthritis.
Heart disease: By exercising regularly and increasing your heart rate, you reduce the risk of heart disease. Strength training can also help you improve cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
Weight loss: Regular exercise reduces the risk of being overweight. Strength training can help you reduce body fat levels and improve body composition.
Mental health: Regular exercise is good for your mental health as it can help reduce stress. Regular strength training can help reduce your anxiety and reduce fatigue. It is also associated with better self-esteem as you get stronger.
Pro Tip
numerous health benefits. Aim to engage in muscle-strengthening activities at
least twice a week.
Risks of Hypertrophy Training
When done correctly, hypertrophy training is typically a safe and effective way to build muscle mass. However, the key is to make sure this type of training is appropriate given your medical history and current fitness level.
Additionally, make sure you perform the exercises with good form when training to reduce the risk of injury. If you are not sure how to perform an exercise, it can be useful to talk to one of our professional fitness trainers who will guide you through it, for more information visit Toshe Zafirov’s fitness group
Another way to reduce the risk of hypertrophy training is to focus on the basics first. This will help you build muscle mass naturally without putting your body at risk. You should also focus on lifting the right amount of weight. Lifting too much can put you at risk of injury.
It’s also important to recognize that in some cases, increasing the size of your muscles doesn’t always equate to greater strength. Also, if you don’t plan your routine carefully or if you try to do too much, there is a chance of getting an overuse injury.
Note
Assess your fitness level, use proper form, seek guidance when needed, focus on the basics, lift appropriate weights, remember that muscle size does not always equal strength, and avoid overuse injuries.
An example of hypertrophy training
If you are looking to grow your muscle mass, here are some exercises you can try at home, but you will need more exercises than these to build muscle mass
Triceps extension “skull crushers”
- Lie face up on a bench with your entire body on the bench except for your shins.
- Make sure your knees are bent and your feet are flat on the floor.
- Stretch your arms above your chest, elbows at shoulder width, you can perform the exercise with a rope or one-handed dumbbells
- Bend your elbows and lower your weight toward the top of your skull.
- Continue lowering the weight behind your head.
- Reverse the movement until the weight is above your chest in the original starting position.
- Do three sets of six to 12 repetitions, with zero to 60 seconds of rest between each set.
If you want the exercise or other hypertrophy exercises to be demonstrated in more detail, visit our group
Pros and Cons of Hypertrophy Training
When starting hypertrophy workouts, you’ll want to make sure you’re eating plenty of protein. By training this way, you put your muscles into hypertrophy. This means that your muscles are being built more than they are being broken down. This leads to building bigger muscles.
Hypertrophy training is commonly used by bodybuilders who want to achieve maximum muscle size. Athletes will also use this form of training to quickly build strength and mass.
You will first see the results of hypertrophy training in the way you feel. The upper body is likely to gain muscle mass faster than the lower body. Genetics, age, and other factors play into how quickly you can gain muscle mass.
Warning
The problem with hypertrophy training is that you can expect to build muscle quickly. But it is limited by your natural predisposition. Your genes will also play a role in whether you can put on a lot of mass. Try not to get discouraged and keep working towards your goals, even if they take longer than you expected.
The Bottom Line
Hypertrophy is an increase in muscle mass that is achieved through exercises like resistance training. People pursue hypertrophy training to support their health goals, prevent injury, and improve their appearance. To get the results you want, it is important to maintain good form.
While there is no well-established consensus on how your training variables should be altered to achieve muscle growth, hypertrophy usually involves working at a lower intensity with more reps than those doing traditional strength training.
