The hypertrophy procedure is the right way to find additional muscle growth. Let’s remember that hypertrophy can be pathological when the enlargement is abnormal due to a medical condition, and it can also be the result of steroid use that has nothing to do with fitness. Instead, this routine, through effort and exercise, achieves the results many dreamed of: a sculpted body. Here we will give you some ideas on how to perform this procedure.
Hypertrophy: what is there and what they look like
Talking about a hypertrophy routine may not be entirely accurate, because in reality there is not just one routine, but many: different training regimes and schedules can be adopted to achieve additional muscle gain.
It is true that the “standard” or basic hypertrophy routine is what is known as HST, which means hypertrophy special training. And their patterns, one way or another, are present in other subroutines. This HST is characterized by the involvement of high frequency training, that is, avoiding multi-day training between sessions. Typically, there are at least 3 weekly sessions for each muscle.
On the other hand, the amount of exercise should be low so as not to lead to muscle wasting: 2 sets of each exercise may be sufficient. Periodization of sessions is also important in this procedure: it starts with more reps per session, but they gradually decrease until in the last few weeks only a third of the reps that were done at the beginning are completed. And just as important as getting enough rest in the last week of your calendar to reduce stress on your muscles and joints.
Finally, the increase in load that needs to be lifted or moved should also increase gradually and back in relation to reps: in the first weeks, more reps are done with light weight, later the values are inverted, and at the end a little reps will be done, but with heavy weight.
After explaining this standard procedure for hypertrophy, we must mention other options that serve the same purpose. One of these is PHUL, or Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower, which offers 4 days of work per week, splitting muscle groups for work: two for the upper and two for the lower. And for those looking for an even higher level of demand, there is also a very high frequency five-day program that requires very strict adherence to (small) expected rest and feeding.
Standard example
To better understand what the hypertrophy procedure consists of, let’s give an example:
- Duration: 9 weeks in total, divided into four micro-cycles (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) and an additional week (9th). Frequency of 3 sessions per week
- Exercises: 13, with one or two series per session:
- Squats
- Pulling with stiff legs
- Thigh curl
- Double height
- Tilting press
- Press rejected
- Remo Pendlay
- Pull to the chest
- Military press
- Facepulls
- Biceps Curl
- French press
- abdominal exercises
- Repetitions per Series:
- Weeks 1 and 2: 15 reps
- Weeks 3 and 4: 10 reps
- Weeks 5 and 6: 5 reps
- Weeks 7 and 8: negative
- Week 9: general rest
With these parameters, a hypertrophy routine should help you achieve your dream goal: to see an increase in muscle mass. But remember that you must also be very strict about rest and diet, which must also calculate your protein intake very carefully.