Do you want muscles that you can be proud of? If that's the case, a hypertrophy workout routine might be just what you've been looking for. These workouts are designed to enhance your muscle growth, making it obvious that you've been exercising. On top of that, a hypertrophic workout (along with following a good diet plan) can help you lose weight, more so than standard weight training.
If you're interested in learning more about this type of workout, including the benefits, how it's done, and why you should give it a shot, then keep reading. We'll clear up all of those mysteries here.
What Is a Hypertrophy Training Workout?
Designed to help you develop bigger muscles that are fairly bulky, similar to those of professional bodybuilders, a hypertrophy workout is done differently from standard strength training. While you don't need to go to the extremes of those professional bodybuilders, this form of training can help you develop muscles that you can show off in a bathing suit, shorts, or a tank top.
Basically, this type of workout builds the muscles bigger, rather than setting you up for picking up heavy objects.
How Do Hypertrophic Workouts Differ From Strength Training?
Unlike strength training, which is done to strengthen the muscles, not simply enhance them, a hypertrophic workout consists of doing numerous sets of lifts and plenty of reps of each as a challenge to gain muscle mass. The overall weights go down slightly over time, and the rest period between each rep and lift tends to last for between one and three minutes.
Compare this to strength training, where the number of sets and reps is limited, and the weights gradually increase over time. In addition, the rest period for strength training tends to be between three and five minutes for each set and rep.
What Are the Benefits of Hypertrophic Workouts?
While the clearest benefit of hypertrophic workouts is the rapid gain of muscle mass, there are a few additional benefits as well. They are:
- Burning More Calories – The quick reps and little rest time of hypertrophic workouts is a great way to burn more calories than traditional weight training. You'll also be able to increase your metabolism and lose fat as you gain that muscle mass.
- Gaining Strength and Power – Although the goal of hypertrophic workouts is to see your muscle mass increase quickly, you will also increase the amount of strength and overall power you have. The two go hand in hand since you're working out your muscles.
- Balancing Your Muscle Mass – With standard weight training, it can be easy to accidentally increase the muscle mass on one side of your body over the other. This means that you may have a slightly lopsided look. When you stick to hypertrophic workouts, you'll wind up with a more balanced physique.
How Quickly Will You Gain Muscle Mass with Hypertrophic Training?
In general,hypertrophic training is designed to help you build muscle mass very quickly. Some bodybuilders use the method to enhance their already existing muscles before a competition, and athletes utilize it before game days so that they're ready to take to the field.
With that said, you may find that your upper body will gain muscle mass first, or vice versa, despite the different weight lifting methods that you use. It all depends on your overall body type and genetic predisposition. Everyone gains muscle mass differently, so what happens to one person when they utilize the hypertrophic training method may be quite different for someone else.
The key is to keep at it, and eventually, you'll see the results you desire.
What About Cardio?
Even though those who start hypertrophic workouts likely want to gain muscle mass quickly and lose weight at the same time (which are both benefits of the exercise style), cardio shouldn't be counted out. Since no one wants to injure themselves while exercising or end up overdoing it and injuring their muscles by doing the same things over and over, it's a good idea to add some cardio to the mix.
For example, you can do a hypertrophic workout one day, then cardio the next. Or spend two days in a row on the hypertrophic workout followed by one day of cardio and then one day of rest. By switching things up in this manner, you're more likely to get the full-body workout that you want.
Plus, cardio helps to increase your metabolism and boost weight loss much as a hypertrophic workout does without risking injuries. The healthier you are, the more you can work out, after all.
What's Best? Hypertrophic Workouts or Strength Training?
Do you need to decide between a hypertrophic workout and standard strength training? Well, both have their own sets of pros and cons, such as:
Hypertrophic Workouts
Pros:
- Use progressively lower amounts of weight, making it good for weight lifting beginners.
- Gain muscle mass quickly through increased sets and reps with little time in between.
- Helps with weight loss and burning belly fat.
- Good for people who want a balanced amount of muscle mass.
Cons:
- Strength isn't built up as quickly as with strength training.
- Risks of injury due to those increased sets and reps.
Strength Training
Pros:
- Helps gain strength and some muscle mass at the same time.
- Fewer sets and reps mean that workouts take less time.
- Some weight loss effects.
Cons:
- Weights get progressively heavier, allowing for the possibility of injury if rushed.
- Lower amount of weight loss and fat burning.
Since there is a balanced number of pros and cons for each type of weight lifting, it all comes down to which version you prefer and what your goals are. If you want more muscle mass than strength, then a hypertrophic workout is the clear answer.
Putting Together a Hypertrophic Workout
Once you've decided to start doing hypertrophic workouts, the next step is to put together an exercise plan. One that focuses on weight lighting includes the use of both sets and reps.
- Sets – A set is a number of repetitions. If you have four sets of five, you do the lifts five times, rest, and then do them again until you have four sets. If you're looking for a weight lifting plan, you'll need to keep an eye on the number of sets because a hypertrophic plan includes more sets than a standard strength training one.
- Reps – Reps, short for repetitions, are the number of lifts you do in a set. Following the example above, with four sets of five, the "four" stands for the number of sets, while the "five" is the number of lifts you do within each set. As with sets, a hypertrophic workout plan contains more reps than a typical strength training workout. As a result, look for suggested plans with plenty of reps at a lower amount of weight.
It's always a good idea to track the number of sets and reps you do for each type of weight. Note how heavy those weights are as well, as this information can help track your progress and ensure that you stay on course.
Use Caution When Lifting Weights
When doing any kind of training with weights, including hypertrophic workouts, the goal is to be careful and exercise wisely so that you don't injure yourself.
This means that you shouldn't try to lift weights that are far heavier than what you're used to. For example, if you usually use a 20-pound kettlebell, then reaching for a 50 pound one without working your way up over time can lead to injuries like strained or torn muscles.
In addition, you shouldn't hyperextend your joints when lifting weights, and you need to focus on keeping your movements natural. Moving too quickly or extending your arms and legs more than is natural can cause joint sprains and strains. Both will leave you out of the gym until they're healed.
Plus, you should take some time off in between workouts. This means that focusing on your hypertrophic exercises every other day and alternating rest days and cardio workouts in between is the best way to prevent injury.
Finally, then you're lifting weights, don't hold your breath. You might be tempted to do so, especially if the weight seems a little heavier than what you're used to. However, holding your breath while lifting can lead to hernias or increased blood pressure. Both can lead to additional health problems, so it's best to focus on your breathing when lifting weights. Ready, set, lift!
Sources:
Hypertrophy Training vs Strength Training: Pros and Cons | Healthline
The Difference Between Strength Training and Hypertrophy Training | WebMD
About Author: Mario Mendias
