By Jude Huck-Reymond

Strength and hypertrophy are two concepts that are often used interchangeably, but they are actually different. Strength refers to the ability of the muscles to exert force against resistance, while hypertrophy is the increase in muscle size due to an increase in the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers. While both are important for fitness, they require different training strategies.

Unleashing Your Inner Strength

Strength training is critical for all ages as it helps maintain the functions of life. Exercise is not just about looking good, but it is also about feeling good and being able to be active in every aspect of life. Resistance training has a wide range of effects on your body. Not only will it increase strength, but it can also increase bone strength and even benefit memory and neuron health. However, to build strength, you need to focus on lifting heavier weights at a faster velocity. This is because strength is actually your nervous system’s ability to activate muscle fibers quickly. Strength training will even grow new nuclei in your muscle fibers, and having those nuclei can create more efficient strength and muscle growth later in life, even if muscle mass is lost.

Mastering Hypertrophy

On the other hand, hypertrophy training is all about increasing muscle size. While simply eating protein can initiate protein synthesis, it is not enough to build muscle size. Hypertrophy training involves lifting weights at a slower velocity with pausing mid-reps to develop extreme control over the weight in use. This is because hypertrophy is more about the total mechanical stress placed on the muscle fibers, and slowing down the movement will create more mechanical tension.

Training Strategies

Consistency is essential for both strength and hypertrophy training. Regardless, a progressive increase in resistance is necessary for both adaptations. This means that you need to increase the work you do over time to continue seeing progress. The 3-5 method is an effective strategy for both strength and hypertrophy training. This involves training 3-5 days a week with 3-5 exercises, 3-5 sets, and 3-5 reps. Make sure to use the necessary rest you need between sets to lower your heart rate. High intent, or intense focus, is also necessary to ensure that you are pushing your limits and getting the most out of your training.

While endurance or cardio training is great for cardiovascular health, it can have negative effects on muscle growth. This is because endurance training is more about cardiovascular efficiency and stamina rather than strength or hypertrophy. In contrast, strength training can even grow new nuclei in minuscule fibers, and having those nuclei can create more efficient strength and muscle growth later in life, even if muscle mass is lost.

When it comes to exercise periodization, there are two types: linear and undulating. Linear periodization involves training one adaptation at a time. This can lead to weakness in other adaptations but can also provide exaggerated results in the specific training you’re focusing on. Undulating periodization involves training multiple adaptations at a time, which can lead to less drastic improvement overall, but there will be an improvement in all adaptations.

Warm-up is also crucial but can vary drastically between athletes. In general, do as much warm-up as what makes you feel strongest and most focused. Volume is crucial for hypertrophy, while intensity is important for speed, power, and strength. Repetition cadence is also crucial, with a faster velocity being ideal for strength training and a slower velocity with pausing mid-reps being more ideal for hypertrophy. Extreme control over the weight in use is essential for hypertrophy.

Conclusions

In conclusion, while strength and hypertrophy are often confused, they require different training strategies. Strength is about lifting heavier weights at a faster velocity, while hypertrophy is about lifting weights at a slower velocity with pausing mid-reps to create extreme control over the weight in use. Understanding the differences between the two and the appropriate training strategies can help you achieve your desired fitness goals.

All of the information in this article is sourced from an episode of Andrew Huberman’s podcast Huberman Lab featuring Dr. Andy Galpin. If you found this article useful or informative I’d strongly encourage you to check out his work. Let me know if you can think of any way I can improve my work, I hope I can help you to look forward to the future.