What Is Hypertrophy? How To Train To Sculpt Your Muscles,...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: Plus, exactly what happens to your body when you train for hypertrophy.

Achieving strong, defined arms or legs is about more than just lifting weights . A ton goes into growing your muscles—and that includes proper nutrition, recovery, and working out in a specific way. (and honestly, same)

That’s where hypertrophy training comes in.

The Details

Put simply, hypertrophy means to build muscle. “It means to increase muscle tissue—the actual muscle fiber itself grows in size and diameter,” says Laura Miranda, PT, DPT, CSCS, a trainer in New York City.

“You don’t grow more fibers, the ones you have just get bigger. ” Meet the the experts: Laura Miranda , PT, DPT, CSCS, is a trainer in New York City.

Why This Matters

Reed , PhD, ACSM-EP, is an exercise physiologist in Athens, Georgia. Tyneka Pack , CPT, is a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, strength and flexibility coach, and founder and CEO of Impackt Fitness. But hypertrophy training isn’t just beneficial for sculpting your muscles.

This is the kind of health news that affects everyday decisions.

Key Takeaways

• “Having muscle is the baseline of health; it keeps you moving and protects you from injury,” Miranda says.
• It can also decrease body fat, stave off diabetes , and improve strength, she says.

The Bottom Line

Volume Focus on four- to six-week training cycles to fr see results, Miranda recommends—progressing in weight, reps, or sets as you move through each week. In general, hypertrophy training focuses on moderate weight —like 65 to 85 percent of your one-rep max, or the most weight you could lift in a certain move for a single time.

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