Hypertrophy Training
The desire to increase the size of their muscles is what attracts many individuals to first enter a gym. Images of the stereotypical 'ideal male' physique are abundant across a wide range of popular media sources. Magazines, advertisements, TV shows and films frequently contain and promote an image of masculinity that demands a certain level of lean muscular development. Images of rippling 'pecs', six-pack 'abs', and bulging biceps are commonplace. Young males in particular often feel compelled to aspire to these ideals.

Unfortunately, training to significantly increase muscular size is not particularly easy. Convincing the human body to synthesise and sustain higher levels of muscle mass than it would ordinarily support requires planning, application and sustained effort. Individuals wanting to increase their muscles mass need to carefully consider the training stimulus, ensure appropriate nutrition and plan adequate recovery. If any of the three key variables are missing or neglected, progress towards significant muscular gains will falter. The number of enthusiastic, but ultimately unsuccessful, 'wannabe' bodybuilders out there is testimony to how difficult hypertrophy is to achieve.

Hypertrophy training should not just be considered the domain of bodybuilders and young males wanting to 'get big.' Phases of hypertrophy training can be utilised by all individuals that participate in a wide variety of sports and athletic events. A moderate amount of hypertrophy training may, for example, also be beneficial to individuals that compete in power-oriented sports, such as sprinting, jumping and throwing events.

When planning a hypertrophy training phase for an individual with an overall sporting objective, it is worth considering the key and movement patterns that are required to successfully compete in that sport. The bodybuilding mentality of training for overall aesthetic balance and proportion may prove counterproductive if training for a sport in which certain muscle groups dominate. Consider the example of sprint track cycling. The majority of work performed during this sport is done by the musculature of the hips and thighs. Employing a generic hypertrophy routine for this sport may overdevelop the non-performance enhancing upper body muscle groups. This will essentially add non-functional (for the sport of cycling) weight that the cyclist will have to propel around the track. The addition of muscle not required for sporting performance could potentially negate any force production gains derived through resistance training.

Hormonal Responses (Anabolic / Catabolic)
The endocrine, or hormonal system, is highly influential in the success or failure of any hypertrophy based programme. Intense resistance training has been shown to significantly influence the secretion and suppression of a number of key hormones. Hormones can be divided into two general categories: anabolic and catabolic.

Anabolic hormones promote the building of structures within the body. With the aim of a hypertrophy training phase being the building of skeletal muscle, it would be prudent to maximise the effects of the anabolic hormones. The characteristic male sex hormone testosterone is known for its anabolic properties. Testosterone plays an important role in muscle growth due to its role in protein synthesis. Males exhibit approximately ten times greater testosterone concentrations than females (Hedrick, 1995). This is one reason why males are able to achieve significantly greater levels of hypertrophy than females.

Hedrick (1995), suggests that exercise guidelines for maximising an anabolic response are as follows:

	Select exercises that involve a large amount of muscle mass in order to stimulate growth hormone (e.g. squats, deadlifts etc.)
	Utilise a relatively heavy resistance (~85% 1RM)
	Use a moderate to high volume of training (multiple sets)
	Emphasise short rest periods between sets (~1 minute)

Catabolic hormones break structures down within the body. Chronically high levels of catabolic hormones within the body would be counterproductive to the objective of hypertrophy. Cortisol is one of the most catabolic hormones found within the human body. It is an important hormone as it maintains important physiological processes during times of prolonged stress. One of the major roles of Cortisol involves the conversion of stored protein (muscle) into glucose and glycogen. As well as catabolising existing protein, Cortisol decreases protein synthesis, thereby inhibiting muscular gain.

Cortisol levels become elevated with prolonged exposure to stressors. These could include trauma, anxiety, infections, aerobic exercise and resistance training. Jalali (2003), suggests the following tips for controlling Cortisol levels:

	Ensure that an adequate quantity and variety of nutrients is consumed on a regular basis.
	Avoid overtraining. Do not train 3 or more days in a row without a break, and keep workout duration under one hour.
	Avoid stress. Practice relaxation techniques.
	Try to sleep at least 8 hours each night.
	Spike insulin levels after a workout. Insulin levels may enhance post-workout.
	Cortisol clearance, promoting the switch to anabolism. Consumption of a high glycaemic index carbohydrate drink or snack will generate an insulin spike.

Nutrition Considerations:
When training to achieve hypertrophy the nutritional habits of the individual must be considered. The individual must east right to support the effect applied within the gym, as well as to facilitate the tissue level protein synthesis required while the individual is at rest. Many individuals that train for hypertrophy are aware of the importance of dietary protein. Indeed, protein requirements for hypertrophy trainers are higher than for sedentary individuals, as the body requires the extra amino acids to synthesis new muscle tissue. It is important however, that the individual is aware that eating too much protein can lead to unwanted body fat storage. A maximum protein intake of 2g per kg bodyweight has been suggested as the upper acceptable limit for individuals like you and me engaging in intense resistance exercise. Individuals on anabolic steroid enhancement products may require a higher intake of protein. This daily protein intake should be ingested over a number of small meals and snacks taken regularly throughout the day.

Pre and post exercise feedings are important for all exercisers and this is especially true for those training for hypertrophy. The catabolic process of protein degradation caused by intense resistance training may stimulate a hypertrophic response, but the body can only initiate anabolic protein synthesis if adequate nutrients are provided. Managing the extent of exercise induced catabolism through nutrition can also assist the post-exercise transition to anabolism. Krieder (1999), suggests that a pre-exercise meal of 30-50g of carbohydrate and 5-10g of protein may facilitate a reduction in exercise induced catabolism. Consumption of your pre-exercise meal should be at least 1 hour before training. Tipton and Wolfe (2001), suggest that skeletal muscle anabolism can be promoted post-workout through the ingestion of small amounts of amino acids (protein) combined with carbohydrates. Krieder (1999), suggests a post-workout feeding of 80-120g of carbohydrate and 15-40g of protein within 2 hours of the completion of exercise.

Programme Design
Progression from Endurance to Hypertrophy
As with any training objective, hypertrophy requires a long term strategy in order to ensure progression over time. The first priority is for me to ensure that you have achieved a suitable level of physical preparedness prior to embarking on a hypertrophy programme. This can be achieved by thoroughly assessing the training age of the individual, then selecting a suitable starting level and working up the basic progression pyramid picture below.

Strength

Hypertrophy

Endurance

Strength Endurance:
As your personal trainer I will be able to apply logic and the basic principles of progression to the programmes I'll design for you. Rather than jump straight into full-on hypertrophy training after an endurance phase, I will schedule a training phase that eases you in to the rigours of hypertrophy training. This half-way-house between endurance and hypertrophy can be referred to as strength endurance. The guidelines for strength endurance are listed in the table below.

Guidelines for Strength Endurance

Characteristic: Guideline: Intensity Moderate Load as % of 1RM 67-85% Rest between sets 1-2 mins Sets per exercise 2-4 Frequency per muscle 1-2 x per week Exercise per muscle 2-3

Changing the Stimulus:
Since the body has a tremendous ability to adapt to an exercise stimulus, your schedules will be planed ahead to ensure that the programme changes progressively on a relatively regular basis. Approximately every 4-8 weeks I'll be looking to modify the programme variables in such a way as to generate a new exercise stimulus for you. If planned correctly, this practice should help ensure physical progress as well as minimising the risk of retention problems through boredom. Care will be taken to ensure that the progression in volume and intensity from one programme to the next are both progressive and manageable e.g. conducting a strength endurance phase in between endurance and full-on hypertrophy phases.

Hypertrophy Guidelines:
As we move from muscular endurance to hypertrophy the training programmes change significantly. The general guideline for muscular endurance programmes is to perform whole body routines built around compound exercises.

When training for endurance it is not uncommon to repeat the same workout two to three times per week. When training for hypertrophy the number of sets performed per muscle group is far greater than for muscular endurance. Baechle et al (2000), suggest that multiple exercises (i.e. 3 or more per muscle group) is the most effective strategy for increasing hypertrophy. The training intensity (expressed as % of 1RM) is also significantly higher for hypertrophy than it is for muscular endurance. It can, therefore, be stated that the key feature of hypertrophy training is high volume combined with moderate to high exercise intensities.

Comparison between endurance and hypertrophy guidelines:

Characteristic: Endurance: Hypertrophy: Intensity Low Moderate Load as % of 1RM < 67% 67 - 85% Suggested rep range 12+ 6 - 12 Rest between sets 30 - 60 seconds 1 - 2 minutes Sets per exercise 2 - 3 3 - 6 Frequency per muscle 2 - 3 times per week 1 - 2 times per week Workout type Whole body Split routine

Split Routines:
Inevitably, when progressing from the initial use of whole body routines towards hypertrophy there will come a time when we cannot fit the volume of work required into the time available. The vast majority of individuals do not have the time, or the physical resilience to train for hours on end, and so a different approach to resistance training needs to be employed.

The split routine is a system employed by bodybuilders, strength athletes and recreational trainers the world over. Split routines involve moving away from the whole body approach by splitting the body up in to two or more groups of muscles. These groups of muscles can then be trained on separate days in a cyclical fashion.

The following are examples of popular hypertrophy training splits:

Option A (above splits the body into two distinct areas: upper body and lower body.
These areas are worked separately over two alternating workouts. The sequence depicted above would be reversed during the second week of the training phase, so that each workout is repeated three times every two weeks.

Option B takes the 2-way split concept from option A and progresses it by increasing the frequency of the workouts from three times every two weeks to twice per week.

This fits with the maximum recommended frequency for hypertrophy by repeating the same workout twice per week. It should be noted that this increase requires the individual to train an extra day each week. This must fit comfortably into your lifestyle or exercise adherence could suffer. Also the fact that there are two consecutive days of resistance training requires a careful selection of exercises that will not be negatively affected by fatigue accumulated from the previous day's activity.

Once the individual reaches the stage when the volume of work per muscle needs to be increased, we can progress the programme to a 3-way split system. Options C (a & b) above are two examples of 3-way splits. The splitting of the major muscle groups (the musculature of the chest, back and legs) is identical for both examples. This split is very a popular way to divide the key areas of the body. The way in which the smaller muscle groups are divided is very much a case of personal preference.

Once the individual has progressed through various 3 way split routines and desires an increase in exercise volume and workout frequency, it may be appropriate to adopt a 4 way split routine. This frequency of workout requires that the individual has good recovery strategies, is experienced and is prepared to commit more time to training. The advantages of the above split include increased frequency of lower body training, which is often an area neglected in recreational bodybuilders, and balancing of upper body musculature which should negate some of the typical postural abnormalities normally associated with typical bodybuilding routines.

The previous examples of training splits provide some ideas as to how resistance training workouts should be arranged. It is however, important that you understand why workouts are sequenced in a certain way if you wish to create your own weekly schedules.

Trainings Systems
Training systems add variety to resistance training. A number of training systems have been developed. Examples are:

	Multi-set system or setting
	Pyramid training
	Drop stets (strip sets)
	Supersets
	Pre-exhaust / post-exhaust
	Higher volume training systems e.g. 'German Volume Training' & 'Escalating Density Training'
	Super slow
	Matrix ('21s')
	Forced / Negative reps
	Contrast training

Appropriate inclusion of these training systems can enhance a workout by providing a new physical stimulus of the body to adapt to, as well as providing variety from a psychological point of view. These training systems should be thought of as "plateau busters" or ways of increasing the intensity of a workout dramatically. They will only be utilized within a structured periodised plan as over use of
such systems can rapidly result in over training and regression.