Hypertrophy and Strength

  • Thread starter imported_da1andonlychacha
  • Start date
I

imported_da1andonlychacha

Guest
I'm personally more inclined to do powerlifting than bodybuilding, as I see it as less vanity and more functional ability. After a month or so on a pseudo-WSB program, I've come to realize something. I think what's holding me back is not the neural side of my lifting, but my inherent smallness. I weigh 140 lbs. That's actually laughable for a powerlifter. I didn't want to get bigger, b/c I'd rather be strong for my size than get big and bulky about it, but really I think I need another 20 pounds before I can do much. So the question is, should I actually be (shh dont tell the other powerlifters this) bodybuilding to increase my body's muscle mass until i find my weight class? Or should I just go on w/ traditional pl routines and try to put on weight?

I considered using HST for a while to build myself up, but I'm not sure that it's designed that well for strength gain. Oh, the indecision.
 
Hey there chacha,

I'm like you, in that I'm more interested in strength than size, but want to get bigger so that I can get stronger. It's my present thinking that the best way to do it is do HST and every once in a while switch to a strength-orinted program. Say, 3-4 cycles of HST then a cycle of SST.

However, unlike you I have no desire to remain at a certain weight...if I can weigh 200 at 5'7 I'll do it! Not gonna happen, but it's cool to dream about.

Oh, I haven't shaved my head and gotten fat yet, so I'm not a real powerlifter, but give me a few months. *laugh*

Brian
 
Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. I need to switch up what I'm doing. I'm doing WSB, and it really is a great program, but I'm not experienced enough or familiar enough w/ myself to identify my weaknesses and match the correct exercises to them. I'm also not certain that I have a weakness holding me back, I think I'm just weak all over.
blush.gif
I also think the low rep work isnt good for me being under my optimal weight. It's helped me some, and I'd like to go back to it some time in the future, but for right now I need something more basic. I think some time on HST would be good for my overall development.

However, being a stubborn and meddlesome individual, I don't like giving up my maximal strength development. Would it completely wreck the HST system if I stuck a max day at the end of each 2 week block instead of the last workout? I don't think one heavy day every 2 weeks would interfere w/ my hypertrophy too much and it would be a good checkup for me on how I'm progressing. If that won't work, I'll just max after the negs before I SD.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Can J Appl Physiol. 2000 Jun;25(3):185-93.

Short-term training: when do repeated bouts of resistance exercise become training?

Phillips SM.

Dept of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

Chronic resistance training induces increases in muscle fibre cross-sectional area (CSA), otherwise known as hypertrophy. This is due to an increased volume percentage of myofibrillarproteins within a given fibre. The exact time-course for muscle fibre hypertrophy is not well-documented but appears to require at least 6-7 weeks of regular resistive training at reasonably high intensity before increases in fibre CSA are deemed significant. Proposed training-induced changes in neural drive are hypothesized to increase strength due to increased synchrony of motor unit firing, reducedant agonist muscle activity, and/or a reduction in any bilateral strength deficit. Nonetheless, increases in muscle protein synthesis were observed following an isolated bout of resistance exercise. In addition, muscle balance was positive, following resistance exercise when amino acids were infused/ingested. This showed that protein accretion occurred during the postexercise period. The implications of this hypothesis for training-induced increases in strength are discussed.

PMID: 10932036 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 
Am I reading this wrong, or is that saying that muscle hypertrophy doesn't occur until 6-7 weeks? That cant be right, but can someone explain maybe what that means...
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]The exact time-course for muscle fibre hypertrophy is not well-documented but appears to require at least 6-7 weeks of regular resistive training at reasonably high intensity before increases in fibre CSA are deemed significant.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (da1andonlychacha @ Feb. 03 2004,3:14)]Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. I need to switch up what I'm doing. I'm doing WSB, and it really is a great program, but I'm not experienced enough or familiar enough w/ myself to identify my weaknesses and match the correct exercises to them. I'm also not certain that I have a weakness holding me back, I think I'm just weak all over.
blush.gif
I also think the low rep work isnt good for me being under my optimal weight. It's helped me some, and I'd like to go back to it some time in the future, but for right now I need something more basic. I think some time on HST would be good for my overall development.
However, being a stubborn and meddlesome individual, I don't like giving up my maximal strength development. Would it completely wreck the HST system if I stuck a max day at the end of each 2 week block instead of the last workout? I don't think one heavy day every 2 weeks would interfere w/ my hypertrophy too much and it would be a good checkup for me on how I'm progressing. If that won't work, I'll just max after the negs before I SD.
chacha,

Based on my understanding of the principles behind HST, yeah the high-load work would interfere with your gains because it would 'signal' the protective tissue to grow a lot, and you wouldn't be able to get as much mechanically-induced contractile fiber damage when working again at lower weights.

BTW, I'm not saying that the protective tissue will grow all the way to the high-load level from just one workout. It's a relative thing.

Brian
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (thedrivethruguy @ Feb. 08 2004,4:10)]Am I reading this wrong, or is that saying that muscle hypertrophy doesn't occur until 6-7 weeks? That cant be right, but can someone explain maybe what that means...
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]The exact time-course for muscle fibre hypertrophy is not well-documented but appears to require at least 6-7 weeks of regular resistive training at reasonably high intensity before increases in fibre CSA are deemed significant.
No, its saying that measureable differences in hypertrophy dont happen for 6-7 weeks.

Hypertrophy will happen, its just a small process and adequate amounts need to happen before you can measure it on a group setting.
 
You smaller guys should know that powerlifters in the lighter weight classes are actually STRONGER pound for pound than the big guys. Many in the 130 to 140 lb. weight range can bench OVER THREE TIMES their own bodyweight! That's equivalent to a 250 lb. lifter benching 800 lbs.- not likely. Some of these guys look like skin and bones, but are stronger than a lot of the "puffy" guys in the gym. Look up some of the records and you'll see what I mean. You don't have to get bigger or put on weight to get stronger. Just thought you might want to know. :)
 
Back
Top