Hypertrophy training is often misunderstood or confused with strength training, but these are two different workout approaches.
For most clients, exercising and training are about quality of life, getting fitter, losing weight, being stronger, more capable and resilient to injuries or falls. However, in the world of hypertrophy, athletes train with one goal in mind: to grow muscle size.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t some great ways to blend strength training and hypertrophy to improve your body composition, boost your confidence, and ensure you have the physique you’ve always dreamed of.
Instead, it means educating clients about the pros, cons, and uses of hypertrophy training is always important to ensure they make the right choices regarding the workouts, nutrition, and supplements they use.
Strength Training vs Hypertrophy
As I’ve mentioned, hypertrophy is a type of training discipline that focuses solely on building more muscle mass, usually through a combination of resistance training and nutrition. Importantly, size and strength aren’t the same because you could have lean, strong, and functional muscles without having a larger-than-average muscle mass.
If we consider two different groups in the gym, it becomes easier to understand the contrasts between hypertrophy and strength training:
- Strength competitors want to be as strong as possible and need each specific muscle group to exert maximum force for one effort. They might train using very heavy weights or machines, performing low repetitions or small sets with a break in between.
- Bodybuilding competitors want to look as large and sculpted as possible, so they concentrate on developing their muscles, focusing on the size of the muscle fibres. They use more moderate weights and loads for more repetitions, and faster sets with a lower weight to build muscle mass.
Of course, there are crossovers between these two training approaches. Anyone who is new to strength training or hypertrophy workouts will typically start to see real improvements in their strength within a few weeks, along with some degree of fat loss and muscle growth.
However, strength training is generally used as a tool to gradually build strength, with numerous beneficial side effects. It isn’t about boosting the physical size of your muscles as a main goal or in favour of achieving improvements in strength.
Does Hypertrophy Training Carry Health Risks?
Any form of exercise routine could potentially be harmful if taken to extremes. Still, hypertrophy isn’t inherently bad and can be a useful way to improve muscle mass, especially if you have a naturally leaner build and want to develop visible muscles.
Hypertrophy workouts can also be ideal for sports-specific training without the severe nutritional restrictions seen in physique and bodybuilding competitions. It’s essential to recognise that elite competitors who invest hours in a hypertrophy training program also do so in cycles and are often keenly aware of why a restrictive lifestyle should only be sustained for very short periods.
The key to achieving muscle hypertrophy and developing the appearance you want is to ensure you’re eating the right foods, including plenty of protein, and have support from a trainer or coach who can guide you through the movements and rest patterns you need to achieve muscle gains safely and sustainably.
However, building muscle mass can take a lot of time and is influenced by factors like genetics and age.
Younger men usually gain muscle mass faster than any other demographic purely because of their physical characteristics, but it’s also possible to have a slighter build and find you need to spend more time committing to a regular, well-controlled training and nutrition regime before you see marked results.
A Cheat Sheet to Hypertrophy Workouts Compared to Strength Exercises
For those who are already seasoned gym goers and interested in the right ways to modify their workouts to promote muscle growth, here’s a snapshot of the contrasts to be conscious of:
- Volumes and sets in strength training can be lower and heavier, say two to six sets of each movement, with each set consisting of up to six repetitions. In hypertrophy training, higher volumes for three or more sets are recommended.
- The goal in hypertrophy is to work with weights that are 85% or more of your one-rep max (or heaviest-ever lift), compared to a lower percentage for more reps and sets in strength training
You’ll already have a good idea of your capabilities and need for rest, but the norm is to aim for two or more minutes between strength training sets and cap rest time to up to a minute when working towards hypertrophy.
How Do I Know Whether Hypertrophy or Strength Training is the Best Option for Me?
There’s no prescribed or universal approach to health and fitness, so any qualified, experienced personal trainer will want to sit down and chat about your goals, aspirations, current fitness levels, health background and injury history before making recommendations.
For many people, the ideal balance is to combine resistance training with cardio and aerobic workouts for a holistic, whole-person improvement in their well-being and fitness. However, it’s more than possible to mix in hypertrophy workouts if you’re keen to see bigger muscles—and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look stronger if that’s a target for you.
The Standout Advantages of Strength and Hypertrophy Training
While I’ve talked before about why resistance-based training is beneficial for almost anyone at any age, as a quick recap:
- Feeling stronger and more capable is always a positive. Lifting weights can help to augment bone strength and mass and is a known way to reduce the risks of conditions like osteoporosis.
- Regular exercise that raises your heart rate has distinct advantages in combating the risks of heart disease, reducing cholesterol levels, and keeping blood pressure under control. It is also commonly linked with weight loss, reducing body fat levels, and improving body composition.
- Working on and for yourself is a great way to maintain good mental health, reduce stress levels, combat fatigue and anxiety, and ensure you invest in your self-esteem by committing to activities that help you feel stronger and fitter.
The usual caveat is that it’s essential to consult a trained fitness professional or potentially your GP if you’re thinking of starting a training program, especially if you have had injuries or illnesses in the past that might impact the types of workouts that will be ideal for you.
If you’d like to learn more about hypertrophy workouts, and how to work towards bigger, more visible muscles in a safe way, you’re as always very welcome to get in touch.
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