Simplified Hypertrophy

Discussion in 'General Training' started by Downward Spiral, Dec 20, 2005.

  1. Downward Spiral

    Downward Spiral New Member

    From what I understand, the best way to induce hypertrophy is to increase your strength in a hypertrophy-friendly rep-range, while eating an excess of calories. This will increase sarcomere hypertrophy.

    The only thing one would really need outside of this would be a set or two of metabolic work after the main exercise for a bodypart, in order to make the muscle look "less flat", which is sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

    Am I right in this? To me it seems odd that it's this simple, but I can't see anything else. You get stronger. When you're ready to have that "full" look to your muscle, you throw in some higher repped stuff for the bodyparts you want to stand out (i.e., incline DB curls, skull crushers, and incline flies for arms and chest).
     
  2. Sort of yes.

    The full look you are speaking about is temporary cell volume shifts due to higher metabolic demand.

    Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is more of a matter of conditioning state than the reps range used. Even with lighter reps the contractile proteins are still elevated and even with heavy reps the sarcoplasmic proteins are elevated. Since you are doing more metabolic work with lower weight reps the cell volume increases because of influx of metabolites and nutrients, also there is an increase in enzymes (proteins) within the sarcoplasm to provide for anaerobic metabolism.
     

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