“I’ll bulk up if I do weight training”
Today Longevity Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Pymble and Balmain, and Neutral Bay discuss gaining muscle through training! A very common misconception for newcomers is resistance training will make you bulky fast.
In short, gaining muscle mass isn’t an easy task, nor is it something that occurs naturally very fast. Gaining muscle mass requires a lot of consistent and appropriate training, along with a strong emphasis on nutrition to match the work completed in the gym.
Training for hypertrophy – Volume (Sets/Reps)
Hypertrophy is the enlargement of our skeletal muscle through two components, which include our muscles myofibrillar size, and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (muscles ability to store glycogen).
When training to gain muscle mass, the first thing to look at is the volume of work completed – that is sets and reps completed by the muscle group targeted per week. In a meta-analysis carried out by Brad J Schoenfield, they found that 10+ sets per week per muscle group elicited greater hypertrophy than <10 sets[i]. This would be a great starting point, and this volume can be increased overtime e.g. 20 weekly sets per muscle group.
Secondly comes repetitions, that is, how many times you complete a movement in a set. Research has shown that hypertrophy can be attained across a wide spectrum of rep ranges – as high as 30 repetitions/set. The number of reps needed for hypertrophy can change based on one’s specific training goals. If strength is a primary goal but hypertrophy is needed, training with heavier loads and less reps is appropriate, and for endurance, lighter loads and higher reps would be appropriate. If training for primarily size, training across a spectrum of rep ranges is appropriate to ensure maximal stimulation of all fibres.
Training for hypertrophy – Intensity
Intensity – how hard each set is. There is quite a lot of conflicting evidence on how much effort is required for muscle growth but certainly training a high level of effort at least some of the time to sufficiently challenge the neuromuscular system is needed for positive adaptation. However, research indicates you don’t need to train to all-out failure all the time for maximal benefit. Reps in reserve (RIR) is a great way to gauge intensity, working around the 2 to 1 RIR is a great intensity to work around for hypertrophy.
Why won’t this happen to you instantly
Muscular hypertrophy isn’t something that occurs straight away typically for a person just beginning resistance training. Persistence in training and diet is essential for this to occur as well. Research has shown that muscle growth occurs mainly in the later phases of consistent training (6-10 weeks), involving all the factors mentioned above[ii].
All our Exercise Physiologists are professionals at prescribing exercise according to your goals and health conditions. If you are interested in resistance training, but not sure where to start – we are the people to help you! With 2022 just around the corner, let’s set up goals together, get consistent with our training and tackle 2022 healthier than ever!
If you have any questions or would like to book in, please call 1300 964 002 for a free 15-minute consultation.
Written by Guy Beynon
References
[i] Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of sports sciences, 35(11), 1073–1082. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1210197
[ii] Damas, F., Libardi, C. A., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2018). The development of skeletal muscle hypertrophy through resistance training: the role of muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis. European journal of applied physiology, 118(3), 485–500. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3792-9