All You Need to Know About Weightlifting for Size

Weight Training: HYPERTROPHY
By: Randy Goodman, BA Kinesiology

For a couple reasons, we're going to start this weight training series by focusing on the "Hypertrophy" column of the chart. The bodybuilding protocol. First of all, this is what most people think of when they think of weight training. Going to the gym to get your swole on, bro! The other reason is in a periodized athletic program, an athlete that wants to put on muscle should do so immediately after the end of a season, as far away as possible from the next competitive season. This is due to the slow, unathletic nature of hypertrophy training and the risk of injury that is associated with attempting to perform athletic movements while muscle fibers are broken down. Basically, athletics and bodybuilding don't mix so you do your bodybuilding first before you get fast, agile and powerful.

Variables

Load- Amount of weight lifted in lbs or kgs.
Rep- Lift weight one time up and down.
Set- A given number of reps done at once without a break.
Duration- Estimate of how long a set should last.
Speed per rep- Tempo of one lift. Time up, time at top, time down, time at bottom of the lift.
Rest- Between sets and between workouts


When it comes to weight training, these are the variables that are manipulated to achieve the desired outcomes of power, max strength, hypertrophy or muscular endurance. 

Break Down Muscle Fibers

When we look at the Hypertrophy column we can see that high training volume, moderate to heavy weight, and short inter-set rest periods are associated with muscle growth. The goal is to break down the muscle fibers during the training session and allow them a full week of recovery to repair and build back up bigger and stronger.

How Much Weight to Lift

The load percentage refers to the amount of weight you lift in relation to your 1 rep max (1RM). The process of finding out how much you can lift for 1 rep is not recommended for beginners. The important thing to know is that you want to be lifting a weight with good form for 8-15 reps. No more and no less. You should "fail" within that rep range. Because you are aiming to fail (to unsuccessfully lift the weight on your own) on your final one or two reps, it is highly recommended you use a spotter. A spotter is a lifting partner that helps you safely get through your final reps in a set. Those failure reps can induce major trauma on muscle fibers and help yield the size gains you are looking for.

Single Workout Volume

Each time you lift the weight 8-15 times, you have completed one set. Perform 3 or more sets per exercise then move onto the next exercise. Perform 4-5 exercises per muscle group with 60-90 seconds rest between sets. The idea behind the short rest is that you want to hit the muscle before it's fully recovered to inflict as much trauma on the muscle fibers as possible. This is a key difference in training for size verses training for maximum strength or power. You break down the muscle fibers and when your body repairs them they are built back up bigger and stronger to adapt to the stress of the lifts.

Lifting Tempo and Types of Lifts

The "Speed per rep (% of max)" for bodybuilding is set at 60-90. To simplify this, use a count of 2 seconds up- 1 at the top- 2 down- 1 at the bottom (2-1-2-1). In other words, use a slow deliberate tempo that promotes muscle fiber demolishing time under tension.

When you’re picking exercises for a workout you want to perform 2-3 compound exercises first. Compound movements are exercises where more than one joint is moving through a range of motion (ROM), like a squat, dead lift, bench press, or shoulder press. These movements allow you to move heavier weight which is key for building muscle. You then “finish” the muscles with isolation exercises, where only one joint is moving through a ROM, that allow you to safely feel out or concentrate on the muscle fibers you are working. These include exercises like leg extensions, bicep curls and chest flys. While performing isolation exercises you should be attempting to achieve a deep mind/muscle connection, picturing the muscle fibers as they lengthen and shorten and fill with blood during each rep.

Example of a Weekly Training Split

Monday: Legs, Lower Back

Tuesday: Shoulders, Forearms

Wednesday: Back, Biceps

Thursday: Chest, Triceps

Friday: Core, Maintenance

* Abs and Calves done daily between sets. These muscles respond best to excessively high training volumes. 

Weekend: Active recovery to promote blood flow and healing.

Hugh Jackman puts on muscle for another Wolverine role.

Muscle Soreness

Approximately two days after a muscle group has been hit, you will experience DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness). This is when inflammation associated with muscular repair is at its greatest. Muscles will be very sore and will lack function during this time. DOMS is felt more with Hypertrophy training than any other form of weight training.

Build Muscle to Burn More Calories

As an added benefit, as you pack more calorie burning muscle onto your frame, it becomes much easier to stay lean. First of all, it takes energy to repair muscle after you break it down during a workout. Secondly, larger muscles use more energy throughout the day. Combined with a nutrition program, a hypertrophy weight training program is a great way to burn fat and get that lean, toned look.

Summary

Squats using the hypertrophy protocol will help you build that big round booty.

To increase the size of your muscles you want high enough volume and intensity to sufficiently break down the muscle fibers. The body then utilizes protein building blocks called amino acids to repair and upgrade the muscle fibers in an attempt to adapt to the new stimulus. This is why it's important to continue to increase the stimulus from week to week. You need to continue to increase the stimulus to promote further adaptation and growth. Rest periods between sets are short enough that you hit the muscle before it has fully recovered from the last set in order to create maximum trauma in the muscle fibers. Inter-workout rest for a given muscle group should be about a week to allow for full recovery and adaptation. It is during rest that growth occurs. At this time it is normal to feel soreness and a decrease in function, with soreness peaking about two days after the workout (DOMS). It is not recommended to perform athletic feats at this time due to risk of injury.

There you have it, once you have spent some time in the gym and know how to safely perform each lift, you can take this info and create your own hypertrophy program. This is the style of weight training that will add shape and curves to your body. Hypertrophy training isn't just for meat heads. Whether you're someone that wants to change how their body looks or an athlete that wants to put on some size, this is how you do it. You want that big booty or broad shouldered, V-shape torso? Don't want to get thrown around in the corners next hockey season? Follow this protocol and you will begin to gain lean calorie burning muscle mass within a month or so. Happy lifting!