What is muscle hypertrophy?
Muscular hypertrophy is the increase in the size of an organ or tissue by the enlargement of the cells that compose it. We can therefore consider it as a thickening of muscle fibers when the body has worked in sufficient quantity to create larger and stronger muscles. Therefore,
hypertrophy leads to an increase in muscle size and stimulates cell division.
Here are the three main benefits of hypertrophy:
Bigger muscles. By constantly stimulating them, their size increases.
An increase in strength. Stimulating muscles is a great way to lift more weight and have a greater work capacity.
An increase in calorie expenditure. This physical exercise allows you to burn more calories.
Hypertrophy in training:
Hypertrophy is triggered when muscles are pushed to their limit, which can sometimes be accompanied by muscle pain. But this doesn't happen overnight. Muscles need time to respond and adapt to stimuli.
Training that causes hypertrophy must include two concepts: mechanical stress and metabolic stress. Mechanical stress refers to resistance with weights or body weight when the muscle is under tension. “Metabolic” stress refers to when muscles start to “burn” when exercising.
You can use weights, your own body weight (or a TRX), or remove points of support to modulate the intensity of the exercise. Polyarticular exercises (deadlift with squats and pull-ups, bench press, etc.) allow you to work a large number of muscle fibers.
What happens during the hypertrophy process?
Without stimulus, there is no growth. This is especially true for athletes who want to develop their strength. Which means that your muscles must always be slightly overloaded to gain volume.
What exactly happens in the body after a series of squats, bicep curls or something else? The muscle that has been overloaded is strained and the muscle fibers show small tears, this is called microtrauma. The good thing is that our body is extremely forward-thinking and efficient.
During the recovery phase following training, muscle fibers repair themselves through the storage of new proteins (muscle food).
The body not only repairs the tears, it also strengthens the fibers to prepare the muscles for new stress of this kind. It adapts to the training volume by developing its muscle mass.
However, it is during the resting phase that hypertrophy occurs. Recovery is therefore the key to success.
How to cause this muscle hypertrophy?
More than the intensity to cause hypertrophy, the determining factor for gaining muscle mass is the number of repetitions in each series.
The number of repetitions in each set should cause a high level of fatigue. But care must be taken not to reach muscular failure, which could lead to excessive fatigue and increase the risk of injury.
As you can see, building muscle takes time, effort and dedication.
Diet and rest also play an important role in hypertrophy. Make sure you get enough sleep to allow your muscles to recover and your body to regain its energy.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 1 to 3 sets per exercise of 8 to 12 repetitions with 70 to 85% of one repetition maximum (1RM) for novices and 3 to 6 sets of 1 to 12 repetitions with 70 100% of 1RM for advanced individuals.
Conclusion :
Why cause muscle hypertrophy?
In addition to an aesthetic objective, having a certain muscle mass is a basic component of optimal physical condition. We should all want a base of mass, good muscle tone and for some, some definition.
Hypertrophy training encompasses all of these objectives and even prevents certain physical problems that occur with age.
In fact, after the age of 30, we lose 3-5% of our muscle mass each year by remaining inactive. This phenomenon is called sarcopenia. However, by remaining active, we can slow down this process.
Hypertrophy, or muscular hypertrophy, refers to the increase in the volume of muscle fibers, that is to say the gain of muscles.
For this phenomenon to occur, the muscles must, during training, be solicited beyond their usual performance level, for example by increasing the load, the number of repetitions and the speed of execution of the movements.
A well-structured training program and regular performance intensification form the basis for muscle development. To do this, base yourself on our seven training principles.
There are three strategies that athletes seeking hypertrophy can benefit from: metabolic stress, mechanical tension, and muscle damage.
Hypertrophy is a process that takes place during the recovery phase. It is therefore essential to recover well when you want to gain muscle.
Athletes can boost muscle hypertrophy by eating a balanced diet rich in protein and carbohydrates, and avoiding sources of stress.
