Hypertrophy hints

Hypertrophy means the enlargement of tissues...in fitness, specifically the enlargement of skeletal muscles. Exercises aiming toward hypertrophy make you BIGGER and stronger. [#hypertrophy]

Success with this approach requires special tactics when working out. Some of these are listed below.

Isolate — These exercises often isolate specific muscles, rather than engaging the total body. For example, you may have a day where you concentrate only on the arm muscles.

Failure — Our goal is to perform exercises until the failure of the target muscle(s). When muscles fail and need to repair themselves, this is when hypertrophy occurs in the body. As a result, the final reps in a set are the most important.

Activation set — The first set of exercises is called the activation set. The goal of this set is to begin working the muscle(s) toward failure in the 2nd set and beyond. In other words, your initial weight should be heavy enough that you are near failure at the end of your activation set.

Complete your set — If muscles fail before you end a set, then stop...pause for 10-15 seconds...resume lifting and try to complete the set. This is key because the later reps in a set are most important.
This stop-start technique is called "myo-reps", www.menshealth.com/fitness/a35032638/myo-reps

Slow tempo — It's good to have a nice rhythm to your lifting. Slowing down your tempo can help you achieve the best hypertrophy results. Here are two popular choices.

"Two and two"...try a simple tempo of 2 seconds for your lift (concentric) and 2 seconds to return (eccentric).
Try a 4/2/1 tempo: 1 second power lift, 4 seconds to return, and 2 seconds stationary at the bottom (isometric). The 4/2/1 tempo provides extra burn...and extra results.

AMRAP — One way to reach muscle failure...do more reps. AMRAP is an acronym for As Many Reps As Possible. This means that you repeat the exercise as many times as needed to achieve muscle failure (yes, "achieve failure").

Soreness — If total body training results in a "good sore", those seeking hypertrophy are looking for a more intense, "bad sore". This indicates that the muscles are damaged and being repaired (and enlarged). One way to mitigate "bad" soreness: stretch at the end of your workout.
Muscle soreness usually peaks 1-2 days after your workout. This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

DOMS — After a vigorous workout..."When soreness doesn’t occur until 24 hours following exercise and persists for up to 3-7 days it is typically referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS.", NASM blog, blog.nasm.org/doms-muscle-sorenes

Quote of the Day (QOTD)

DOMS is considered a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of the adaptation process by which the muscles recover as they undergo hypertrophy (an increase in muscle size).
- NASM article, www.verywellfit.com/muscle-pain-and-soreness-after-exercise-3119254

Video: Some good nutrition habits for hypertrophy, "5 Tips for Growing Muscle Mass" by Bodybuilding.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GNOuehJOi0

Increase calorie intake (300-500 calories per day)
Set protein consumption goal (0.7 - 1.0 grams protein per pound bodyweight)
Make half your plate complex carbohydrates
Supplement with creatine monohydrate
Rest and recover

Summary article — This article is a good hypertrophy summary that also contains lots of specific tips. Example: "Train to failure. By taking each set to failure, you are making each set more stimulative."
Article: www.t3.com/how-to/the-most-efficient-way-to-pack-on-muscle-according-to-a-sports-science-researcher

In-depth article — In this blog post, NASM goes deep into many aspects of training for hypertrophy. Excellent!
Article: blog.nasm.org/sports-performance/defining-muscular-hypertrophy-and-training-growth-best-practices

Article: "Hypertrophy vs Strength Training: What Are The Differences?", fitbod.me/blog/hypertrophy-vs-strength-training

Finally, for the best and BIGGEST hypertrophy results, be aggressive in your workouts...power through!