Gym bros associate hypertrophy training with doing a lot of “junk volume” (high amounts of reps) and doing a bunch of sets with moderately heavy weight. But what actually is hypertrophy training, and how good is it for muscle growth? Today, I will give you my personal opinion on this question.
Why do gym bros love hypertrophy training?
Based on the amount of hype hypertrophy training has been getting over the past couple of years, you would think it was the perfect way to get the most amount of muscle stimulus. Some individuals prefer hypertrophy training for its high rep volume and low weight intensity, paired with going beyond muscle failure in every set.
This type of training is perfect for individuals who want a decent amount of muscle growth in a short period of time.
How do you do hypertrophy training for maximum growth?
Hypertrophy training is done by doing a high number of reps with exercises that are not that taxing on the joints or on the CNS (central nervous system).
Hypertrophy training is best paired with machine work that allows you to go to absolute failure with every set without worrying about getting hurt. Getting 14 to 20 sets per muscle group a week is the best and most effective way of doing hypertrophy training; those sets consist of reps as low as 8 reps per set, where the goal is to achieve failure.
When doing exercises for hypertrophy training, your form and time under tension are crucial for muscle growth, so keep in mind that slowing down the eccentric is very important while keeping the form the same for every rep/set. Doing hypertrophy training is not as taxing on the body as doing strength training, meaning that deload weeks come in after 8 weeks of training consistently.
For maximum muscle hypertrophy, it is very crucial to get 8 to 9 hours of good sleep while eating plenty of food, preferably in a caloric surplus.
What are the benefits of doing hypertrophy training?
A big plus in hypertrophy training is that you can do isolation work for the muscle groups you want to make bigger, meaning that if your rear deal is lacking, you can focus on it more with slower and more controlled reps.
As said, doing hypertrophy training is less taxing on the body, so going as hard as you can on your sets should be a priority. Another positive side is that you don’t need to rest for longer than 2 minutes per set, meaning your workouts will be shorter.
What are the negatives of doing hypertrophy training?
When doing hypertrophy training, you must keep in mind that form and time under tension are everything, meaning that if you are a beginner, I suggest you stay away from this kind of training style.
While hypertrophy training allows you to grow as much as you want, it is not very efficient at getting you as strong as possible. Hypertrophy training is done with lighter weights that you can rep for a substantial number of times, meaning that your muscles won’t get stronger any time soon.
Also, you cannot constantly do hypertrophy training because eventually you will reach a braking point where you will need to increase the weight, leading to a more hybrid style of lifting that is a mix of progressive overloading and hypertrophy training.
In conclusion, the biggest negative of hypertrophy training is that you must be at least an intermediate lifter to start doing it properly without any setbacks.
Is it better to only do hypertrophy training?
If you want to get big muscles and a small amount of strength gain, sticking to a single hypertrophy plan is perfect for you. Hypertrophy training plans are superior for muscle gain but are not the most efficient way of getting strong and big at the same time.
People tend to do hypertrophy training for 8 weeks, then do a 1-week deload, then go with a strength-based training plan for 4 to 6 weeks and repeat the cycle. With this way of doing hypertrophy training, you will get the best of both worlds, meaning you will constantly gain a significant amount of strength, nicely paired with getting bigger by the day.
My personal suggestion is to not only do hypertrophy training but also incorporate some kind of strength training or if you plan on doing only hypertrophy, do it in a progressive overload fashion.