Vintage Sports Memorabilia

If you would like to understand how to build muscle, you must understand that your target rep range needs to be on the lower side and you need to lift heavy weights. Your success depends on it, particularly if you are a hardgainer. Besides receiving dense muscles, pumping heavy iron correctly will also build a foundation of strength, adding to the hardness of your bones, tendon and ligament strength, and explosive muscular power.

 

Since you now have an understanding of that, it’s crucial to understand that there are 2 different types of hypertrophy training. In other words, muscles grow in size by these two different ways: Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy and Myofibrillar Hypertrophy.

 

Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is used all the time by body builders and it’s accomplished by moving iron in the higher rep range and lifting fairly heavy weights. Eight to twelve (8-12) repetitions, generally. Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy involves the increase of sarcoplasm, which is a fluid like substance inside the cell. This type of development causes the muscle to appear larger. While, this higher volume training does little for maximum strength, it does aid with ATP (energy) production and strength endurance. Many consider this non-functional muscle growth, nevertheless sarcoplasmic hypertrophy still has a place when seeking to increase the size and appearance of a muscle.

 

Hard, solid muscles (also known as Muscle Density) are the consequences of using the second type of muscle growth- Myofibrillar Hypertrophy. This density comes solely from lifting heavy weights in the lower rep ranges. Typically one to five (1-5) reps. Myofibrillar Hypertrophy is well known amongst the powerlifting community and also the individuals that are lifting eighty to ninety percent of their 1 rep max. This type of growth develops increases in maximum strength, explosiveness, as well as, causing growth size in the muscle. It builds fully functional muscle by raisingthe number of myosin/actin filaments (sarcomeres) inside the cell.

 

If you want to have your cake and eat it too then, you should focus on building a foundation of strength by focusing onmyofibrillar development and becomingstronger in the squat, deadlift, bench press, rows, overhead press and pull-ups. You will want to work the middle ground by working in the 5-8 reps range. Then sporadically throw in some singles, doubles and triples from time to time as you develop and become better at performing those exercises.

 

Compound, multi-joint exercises like these can be highly technical lifts. All of them require some skill and practice to perform correctly, but I would pay special attention to the squats and deadlifts especially. Before you jump in and start lifting heavy, I would advise starting off slow until you learn the right form and then gradually begin to increase the amount of reps or weights. This is very important to understand, you can get really hurt if you do not follow proper form and safety for these exercises.

 

For assistance exercises you can use exercises with higher rep ranges like lunges, step-ups, split-squats, push-ups, dumbbell presses, chin-ups, dips, ab wheel, hanging knee raises, glute bridges, curls etc. This will help to build the size and form of the muscles, therefore bettering your visual aspect of yourself and sarcoplasmic growth.

 

In this way you can work through a variety of rep ranges to create growth from both sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy. Yet always keeping the heavy power exercises as the central core of your training philosophy for building real, functional muscle.

 

Two to three (2-3) heavy work sets ought to be more than enough. Still, when preforming an exercise like squats, deadlifts, bench press or any other MAIN exercise, make sure to do several warm-up sets. Particularly if you are working up to a max or lifting heavy weight in the 5-8 rep range.

 

For instance let us say you are going to work up to a 5 rep max in squats with 315lbs. Most likely to be safe you will want to do anywhere from 5 to 10 escalating warm-up sets. The amount of warm up sets depends on how heavy the weight is going to be.

 

Use what follows bellow as a guide, but adjust the total amount of sets and weight increments in regards to your own personal strength level:

Set 1: the bar for 10 reps

Set 2: 95lbs for 5 reps

Set 3: 135lbs for 5 reps

Set 4: 185lbs for 5 reps

Set 5: 225lbs for 3 reps

Set 6: 255lbs for 2 reps

Set 7: 275lbs for 1 rep

Set 8: 295lbs for 1 rep

Set 9: 315lbs for 5 reps <=== WORK Set #1.

Set 10: 315lbs for 5 reps <=== WORK Set #2

Set 11: 275lbs for 10 reps <=== WORK Set #3 (Back off set)

 

This may seem tedious but by doing this it will ramp up your nervous system and properly warm-up your muscles for the heavy lift while reducing the chance of injury. If you jump straight to heavy weight without adequately warming up your muscles, you may seriously injure yourself. Becoming badly injured can possibly keep you skinny and weak forever, so I would advise not to take any chances.

 

Let’s say, now you were going to perform another lower body exercise after that one. You can skip the warm-up sets entirely then because you should already be warmed up from the squats. Simply move right into the following exercise, of course that is after you have rested properly. However, if you plan on doing an upper body exercise, I would advise going ahead and doing a few warm-up sets before you start lifting heavy.

 

CONCLUSION:

 

If you would like to achieve maximal power and size then I recommend that you should focus on lifting heavy weights under 8 reps to create Myofibrillar Hypertrophy and increase your muscle density. Compound multi-joint exercises should be the center point of your training program. To round out and improve your muscles size and appearance you should also incorporate higher volume training from time to time. By using the 8-12 rep range on your assistance and isolation exercises you will cause Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy inside the muscle. This allows you to achieve both types of hypertrophy and reap the best of both.

 

Until next time!

Brandon Cook

 

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About the Author:

Brandon Cook is creator of The Awakened Warrior Blog, and co-creator of HardgainerMuscleBuilding.com, a website specifically configured to teach the ectomorph the laws and scientific principles for building a classic, muscular and functional physique.

HardgainerMuscleBuilding.com offers many resources to help you accomplish your goals.  We have a free email class, hundreds of free informative articles, videos and the Awakened Warrior Blog.

Please visit us at http://hardgainermusclebuilding.com

Tags: Atp Energy, Body Builders, Energy Production, Hardgainer, Heavy Weights, Hypertrophy Training, Ligament, Maximum Strength, Muscle Growth, Muscle Hypertrophy, Muscular Power, Myosin, Rep Max, Repetitions, Sarcoplasm, Strength Endurance, Target, Tendon, Two Different Ways, Volume Training