The Use of Specialized Training Techniques to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy

1. By: Matt Fleekop The Use of Specialized Training Techniques to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy

2. What promotes muscle growth? • Mechanical Tension- intensity (amount of load/resistance) and time and under tension (duration/volume of lifting the load). This recruits the most motor units, increasing in a muscle’s cross sectional area which leads to muscle growth. • . Muscle Damage- caused by resistance training causing an inflammatory response, leading to the productions myokines. Myokines release a variety of growth factors that regulate cell proliferation (growth/increase) and differentiation (separates/isolates). • Metabolic Stress- again caused by resistance training, mainly through anaerobic glycolysis. ATP is produced and this ATP releases other metabolites. These metabolites promote an anabolic effect through hormones. (IGF-1, testosterone, and GH).

3. Training Techniques • Forced Repetitions • Drop Sets • Supersets • Heavy Negatives

4. Forced Repetitions • “assisted reps” • The spotter helps the lifter perform additional reps after failure is reached • Break the “sticking point” • Stimulates motor unit fatigue and metabolic stress • Study shows: significant increases in GH in exercisers who performed 12 FORCED REPS over those performing a 12 REP MAX. Forced Reps help enhance the growth of type I and type II muscle fibers, leading to muscle hypertrophy. • Forced Repetition Example

5. Drop Sets • “descending sets” • Train the muscle until failure with a given load, then immediately reduce load, and again train until failure. • Spotter is not necessary, lifter has full control of weight being loaded. • Induces great muscular unit fatigue. • Increased time under tension will enhance metabolic stress and stimulate anabolism. • Study shows: after assessing a low intensity drop set (50% 1RM) immediately following a high intensity set, studies show a significant spike in GH. Further studies conclude that the addition of a drop set to a standard strength training protocol will result in a significant increase in the muscle’s cross sectional area as opposed to the strength training program alone. Increase cross sectional area = hypertrophy. • Drop Set Example

6. Supersets • “paired sets” • 2 exercises performed back to back without rest. • The reduced rest between sets increases muscle fatigue and metabolic stress, which may lead to hypertrophy. • Usually performed with an agonist and antagonist muscle. • Study shows: supersets allow for a greater number of reps in a shorter time, without reducing the intensity of the training. Increased training density leads to increased muscle fatigue, which will contribute to hypertrophy. • Superset Example

7. Heavy Negatives • “supramaximal loaded eccentric training” • Perform eccentric contractions with a resistance greater (105-125%) than your 1RM. • Spotter is necessary to raise the weight in the concentric phase, while the lifter slowly (2-3 second tempo) performs eccentric reps. • This type of training again leads to motor unit fatigue, increasing hypertrophy. • Study shows: greater gains in lean muscle are associated with ECCENTRIC EXERCISE as opposed to CONCENTRIC or ISOMETRIC EXERCISE. Maximal muscle hypertrophy is not attained unless eccentric actions are performed. • Eccentric actions rapidly increase protein synthesis and enhance the activity of IGF-1.

8. Contd……. • Greater muscular damage leading to hypertrophy. • Recruits a large amount of fast twitch muscle fibers and inactive motor units. This yields for an increase in mechanical tension in type II fibers, which leads to muscular growth. • Also causes metabolic stress. Lactate gets built up and anabolic hormone levels begin to rise. • Heavy Negative Example