Essay On Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is defined as growth in the size of an organ by an increase in cell growth. Hypertrophy is what bodybuilders are searching for, an increase in the size of their muscles. A person whose training is focused on strength and power might not look as strong as someone who focuses on hypertrophy, but still be able to out lift them. Many of the popular bodybuilding magazines and websites prescribe all sorts of ‘magical’ workouts and supplements that will get you humongous in no time. Although it is relieving to believe that it is as easy as the media portrays it to be, the reality is that nothing will get you as big as the models in the pictures except for lots and lots of hard work. Years spent in the gym and the right diet is simply

what it boils down to, but there are a few different ideas that can aid in the process of hypertrophy.
I’ll start with the high frequency principal. Although a specific muscle group may feel sore for up to a week, that does not mean that it is still growing for that entire week. After working out a muscle group there is about two days spent growing and the other three or four days in a semi anti-catabolic state, also known as recovery. Research has shown that you can train a muscle group every forty-eight hours (before it’s fully recovered structurally) and not inhibit its ability to continue to recover. The high frequency principle suggests that you train each muscle group at least two times a week to stay ahead of the structural recovery curve.
The next thing I will cover is progressive load, arguably one of the most important principles in bodybuilding. Your body is quite effective at adapting to the mechanical load that you put on it. Some research even suggests that this change can happen in as little as forty-eight hours. When this happens, and you continue to use the same amount of weight, hypertrophy will stop and all you will be doing in the gym is maintaining the muscle you already have. Progressive load consists of increasing the weight that you are training with every two weeks, if not weekly. This is one of the most important principles in bodybuilding. It is also a great way to measure your growth and motivate yourself.
At some point in their lives most athletes experience a slow in their results, known as a ‘plateau’.

When you hit a plateau, you will notice that hypertrophy is stunted, and you will lose the capability to add weight to the bar on a consistent basis. The easiest way to shatter a weightlifting plateau is by switching things up, which can be done in many ways. The most effective method I have found is switching up your training style. Lifters who are accustomed to brute strength training will most likely find favorable results if they start training based around speed and explosiveness. Based on the same idea, explosive or speed based lifters will likely see good results if they transition to adding more weight to the bar. Switching up your frequency, splits, volume, and exercises are other effective ways to switch things up. When it comes to improving your one rep max on a specific compound lift, training specific ranges of motion can bring forth lots of improvement. When you determine a sticking point in an exercise, you can work on training that specific range of motion to improve it. This can be done with every single compound lift, for example, the last third portion of a bench press rep. Although training a specific range of motion can be helpful, you must also continue to practice full reps along with other ranges of

motion.
The final and most important aspect that I will cover is food intake. Nutrition is another area where you can find tons of unnecessary information on exactly what you need to eat to get the results you desire. Diets you may find online can get ridiculously complex, containing information on exactly what you can eat, when you can eat, and how many calories you can intake. In reality, what you need to do is quite simple. On training days, you want to greatly increase your caloric intake. The amount of calories you should ingest relies greatly on your goals and current size. A basic reference point is to take in 20 calories per pound of bodyweight. Eating 5-7 meals a day makes it easier for your body to utilize the nutrients, but there are many alternative methods that work to almost the same effectiveness. For example, some people like to front load calories (eat a larger meal at the start of the day) while some like to eat three balanced meals. What’s important is that you eat a substantial amount of calories (Carbohydrates, protein, and fats) before a workout, along with a caloric filled snack afterwards. This brings me to what you should be eating. Protein, carbohydrates, and fats are the keys to gaining muscle mass. No matter how often and how hard you are working out, you will not see results without eating lots of carbs and protein. When ingesting large amounts of food you need to make sure that your sources are clean. If you are getting all of your carbs from white bread and deserts, you will gain a substantial amount of body fat along with the muscle you’ve desired. I recommend eating lots of lean meat, whole wheats, vegetables, and fruits.
In conclusion, these are the principles you should follow if your goals revolve around hypertrophy. Remember to switch up your training styles/routines and personalize a plan to fit your needs and goals. It is crucial that you adhere to that plan, because temptations and laziness can very easily destroy everything you’ve been working towards. This doesn’t mean you’re doomed and should give up if you fall off track or eat a few crappy meals; it just means that you should get right back up before you fall into a deeper hole.