In this article, we are going to learn how muscles grow and what is the hypertrophy tripod. To make it easier to understand, I will highly recommend you to read my previous two blogs before you read this one:
1. Classification of Skeletal Muscles
2. What Does Fitness Mean?
The most optimum way to burn fat is by increasing muscle mass. The higher the muscle mass, the higher is the basal metabolic rate or BMR and the higher is the fat (adipose tissue) burn. Strength training is the most optimum way to achieve dramatic results in shortest possible time with least efforts. As a lifestyle consultant, I want to educate you about what works the best or what guarantees you the highest return on investment with the least cost (time and effort).
Let’s focus on hypertrophy for now.
Primarily, hypertrophy rests on three pillars:
1. Progressive overload
2. Nutrition
3. Rest and recovery
To make it easier to understand, let’s compare these three pillars of hypertrophy to the three pillars of a camera tripod.
Suggestions/ questions/ grammar corrections and constructive criticism are highly welcome.
1. Classification of Skeletal Muscles
2. What Does Fitness Mean?
The most optimum way to burn fat is by increasing muscle mass. The higher the muscle mass, the higher is the basal metabolic rate or BMR and the higher is the fat (adipose tissue) burn. Strength training is the most optimum way to achieve dramatic results in shortest possible time with least efforts. As a lifestyle consultant, I want to educate you about what works the best or what guarantees you the highest return on investment with the least cost (time and effort).
Let’s dive deep into understanding how muscles grow.
Primarily, there are two ways muscles grow:
1. Hyperplasia
2. Hypertrophy
Hyperplasia:
Primarily, there are two ways muscles grow:
1. Hyperplasia
2. Hypertrophy
Hyperplasia:
Hyperplasia relates to the increase in the number of cells resulting in muscle growth. It is observed during the growth phase of humans due to the action of anabolic hormones like insulin-like growth factor 1 also known as somatomedin C, a hormone whose molecular structure is similar to insulin. It’s mostly unknown whether hyperplasia can occur due to exercise.
Hypertrophy:
Hypertrophy relates to the increase in the size of existing muscle cells. As weight training enthusiasts, we should be only concerned with hypertrophy as science has proved it.
| Hypertrophy vs. Hyperplasia |
The above picture depicts the primary difference between hypertrophy and hyperplasia.
Let’s focus on hypertrophy for now.
Primarily, hypertrophy rests on three pillars:
1. Progressive overload
2. Nutrition
3. Rest and recovery
To make it easier to understand, let’s compare these three pillars of hypertrophy to the three pillars of a camera tripod.
| The Hypertrophy Tripod |
As seen in the picture above, just like a camera tripod which has three pillars, hypertrophy tripod also has three pillars. Of the three legs of a camera tripod, if one leg is shorter or longer, the camera will become unstable, loose equilibrium and fall. In a similar analogy, if any leg of the hypertrophy tripod is shorter, longer or missing altogether, it may result in poor or no hypertrophy at all.
Let’s try understanding what each leg of the hypertrophy tripod means and why is each leg equally important.
Progressive Overload:
We bench press, dead-lift, squat etc.; deploying resistance to the muscles. With each repetition, muscles are challenged to work beyond their capability. When muscles face this type of challenge, microtrauma occurs at the cellular level. Workout by itself is highly catabolic; it breaks down the muscle; this is unacceptable to the body, and it immediately starts repairing the damage (in this case, microtrauma at the cellular level). Unless the body has a strong reason to strengthen itself, it will not strengthen itself. In this case, the body senses a need to strengthen itself and adapt to the excess stress caused by exercising.
As the body adapts, it not only brings the muscle cells to its original size but also super compensates by increasing their size, making them stronger and bigger. Once the body adapts, the same weight/ repetitions/ speed is less of a challenge; your body has become stronger and is capable of handling the same amount of stress in a better way.
Now, there should be a more significant challenge for the body; this would mean increasing the intensity of your resistance training or weight training and lifting heavier weights or increasing speed or increasing number of repetitions etc. To initiate hypertrophy once again, overloading has to increase progressively. Please remember, unless you give a need to the body to strengthen itself, it won’t strengthen itself. Progressive overload is a stimulant for hypertrophy.
Let’s try understanding what each leg of the hypertrophy tripod means and why is each leg equally important.
Progressive Overload:
We bench press, dead-lift, squat etc.; deploying resistance to the muscles. With each repetition, muscles are challenged to work beyond their capability. When muscles face this type of challenge, microtrauma occurs at the cellular level. Workout by itself is highly catabolic; it breaks down the muscle; this is unacceptable to the body, and it immediately starts repairing the damage (in this case, microtrauma at the cellular level). Unless the body has a strong reason to strengthen itself, it will not strengthen itself. In this case, the body senses a need to strengthen itself and adapt to the excess stress caused by exercising.
As the body adapts, it not only brings the muscle cells to its original size but also super compensates by increasing their size, making them stronger and bigger. Once the body adapts, the same weight/ repetitions/ speed is less of a challenge; your body has become stronger and is capable of handling the same amount of stress in a better way.
Now, there should be a more significant challenge for the body; this would mean increasing the intensity of your resistance training or weight training and lifting heavier weights or increasing speed or increasing number of repetitions etc. To initiate hypertrophy once again, overloading has to increase progressively. Please remember, unless you give a need to the body to strengthen itself, it won’t strengthen itself. Progressive overload is a stimulant for hypertrophy.
| Alex is progressively overloading and hypertrophying. |
Nutrition:
Nutrition for muscle building comes into picture once the stimulus is given to the body to initiate hypertrophy. The most important raw material to build more muscle is first class protein. Progressive overload would only remain a stimulus for hypertrophy unless your diet is fortified or supplemented with enough first class protein. Protein is the only component capable of muscle repair. Protein will repair the microtrauma caused by progressive overload and would help the body in the process of super compensation making you stronger and fitter.
Nutrition for muscle building comes into picture once the stimulus is given to the body to initiate hypertrophy. The most important raw material to build more muscle is first class protein. Progressive overload would only remain a stimulus for hypertrophy unless your diet is fortified or supplemented with enough first class protein. Protein is the only component capable of muscle repair. Protein will repair the microtrauma caused by progressive overload and would help the body in the process of super compensation making you stronger and fitter.
The amount of first class protein consumption depends on the extent of microtrauma damage. If you end up falling short of first class protein, hypertrophy may not occur. First class protein relates to animal sources of protein like milk, curd, meat, eggs etc. and should be ideally chosen over the inferior second class protein relating to plant sources like pulses, cereals etc. First class proteins are better absorbed as they are complete protein sources while second class proteins are not efficiently absorbed as they are incomplete proteins.
With first class protein, all other macronutrients and micronutrients should be consumed in enough quantities to ensure optimal hypertrophy. Always choose nutrients with high biological value. Micronutrients like calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, trace elements etc. play a key role in repairing microtrauma. To avoid problems, please do not exceed the recommended dosage of fat-soluble micronutrients as they are incapable of dissolving in water and would be toxic to the body if consumed in excess. For example, vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and its recommended dose falls between 400 to 600 mg per day. Anything higher than that can be potentially dangerous.
Rest and Recovery:
Rest and recovery form the third leg of the hypertrophy tripod. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t build muscle when you exercise; you build the muscle when you are resting (sleeping), recovering and recuperating. During the recovery phase, you give time to your body to build muscle and repair the damage using micronutrients and macronutrients. Please do not over train as this will cause excess catabolism and would not allow anabolism to take over catabolism, and you may suffer from muscle loss.
Summing it up:
All three legs of the hypertrophy tripod are equally essential, and shortening/ lengthening/ missing any of the legs would crash the hypertrophy tripod.
The bottom line:
With first class protein, all other macronutrients and micronutrients should be consumed in enough quantities to ensure optimal hypertrophy. Always choose nutrients with high biological value. Micronutrients like calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, trace elements etc. play a key role in repairing microtrauma. To avoid problems, please do not exceed the recommended dosage of fat-soluble micronutrients as they are incapable of dissolving in water and would be toxic to the body if consumed in excess. For example, vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and its recommended dose falls between 400 to 600 mg per day. Anything higher than that can be potentially dangerous.
Rest and Recovery:
Rest and recovery form the third leg of the hypertrophy tripod. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t build muscle when you exercise; you build the muscle when you are resting (sleeping), recovering and recuperating. During the recovery phase, you give time to your body to build muscle and repair the damage using micronutrients and macronutrients. Please do not over train as this will cause excess catabolism and would not allow anabolism to take over catabolism, and you may suffer from muscle loss.
| Anabolism and Catabolism |
Summing it up:
All three legs of the hypertrophy tripod are equally essential, and shortening/ lengthening/ missing any of the legs would crash the hypertrophy tripod.
The bottom line:
You should train with sufficient intensity to cause microtrauma at the cellular level, maintain proper micronutrition and macronutrition intake and have enough rest and recovery between workouts.
Follow the fitness lifestyle and hypertrophy is inevitable.
| Alex hypertrophying over a period of one year |
Suggestions/ questions/ grammar corrections and constructive criticism are highly welcome.
I would love to hear from you. Let me know how helpful was the blog by commenting in the comments section. Feel free to connect with me on [email protected]
See you.
-Akshay Ankalikar
