What Most Bodybuilders Are Missing In Their Training
Nowadays the usual bodybuilding strategy for gaining weight is aiming for 6-15 reps and using isolation lifts to focus on one muscle at a time.
It's well known in the bodybuilding community that that range of reps optimizes hypertrophy.
What less people are aware of is the fact that there are 2 different types of muscle hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy.
On the one hand, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is an increase in the volume of the cell fluid, sarcoplasm.
This fluid accounts for 25-30% of the muscle's size.
Although the cross sectional area of the muscle increases, the density of muscle fibers per unit area decreases, and there is no increase in muscular strength.
This is the type of hypertrophy the standard bodybuilder weight gain strategy optimizes.
Practically this means that too much focus on the 10-15 rep range will make you bigger, but not stronger.
That's why most of today's bodybuilders are all-show-no-go.
On the other hand, myofibrillar hypertrophy is an enlargement of the muscle fiber as it gains more myofibrils, which contract and generate tension in the muscle.
With this type of hypertrophy, the area density of myofibrils increases and there is a significantly greater ability to exert muscular strength.
This type of hypertrophy is best accomplished by training with heavy weights for reps in the range of 1-5.
With other words, the contracting part of the muscle grows thus making you not only bigger, but also stronger.
Any bodybuilder would improve greatly by introducing strength training to his workouts.
Doing heavy compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and overhead presses for reps in the 1-5 range is the best way to optimize myofibrillar hypertrophy and build massive dense muscle that not only looks strong, but actually is strong.
The difference between the 2 types of hypertrophy is the reason why strongmen and weight lifters can lift weights that put most bodybuilders to shame.
But the merits from incorporating strength training in your workouts don't stop here.
Strength training is the foundation of all athletic abilities.
If a trainee lacks relative strength (strength in relation to your body weight) he will never be able to sprint fast or increase his vertical jump because explosive power = strength x speed.
Since the trainee can increase his explosive power by directly increasing his strength through strength training that's what he should focus on.
Strength training will also strengthen your joints, improve your posture, lower your blood pressure and increase your flexibility.
In conclusion, incorporating strength training in your workouts will be the best thing that has happened to you!
It's well known in the bodybuilding community that that range of reps optimizes hypertrophy.
What less people are aware of is the fact that there are 2 different types of muscle hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy.
On the one hand, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is an increase in the volume of the cell fluid, sarcoplasm.
This fluid accounts for 25-30% of the muscle's size.
Although the cross sectional area of the muscle increases, the density of muscle fibers per unit area decreases, and there is no increase in muscular strength.
This is the type of hypertrophy the standard bodybuilder weight gain strategy optimizes.
Practically this means that too much focus on the 10-15 rep range will make you bigger, but not stronger.
That's why most of today's bodybuilders are all-show-no-go.
On the other hand, myofibrillar hypertrophy is an enlargement of the muscle fiber as it gains more myofibrils, which contract and generate tension in the muscle.
With this type of hypertrophy, the area density of myofibrils increases and there is a significantly greater ability to exert muscular strength.
This type of hypertrophy is best accomplished by training with heavy weights for reps in the range of 1-5.
With other words, the contracting part of the muscle grows thus making you not only bigger, but also stronger.
Any bodybuilder would improve greatly by introducing strength training to his workouts.
Doing heavy compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and overhead presses for reps in the 1-5 range is the best way to optimize myofibrillar hypertrophy and build massive dense muscle that not only looks strong, but actually is strong.
The difference between the 2 types of hypertrophy is the reason why strongmen and weight lifters can lift weights that put most bodybuilders to shame.
But the merits from incorporating strength training in your workouts don't stop here.
Strength training is the foundation of all athletic abilities.
If a trainee lacks relative strength (strength in relation to your body weight) he will never be able to sprint fast or increase his vertical jump because explosive power = strength x speed.
Since the trainee can increase his explosive power by directly increasing his strength through strength training that's what he should focus on.
Strength training will also strengthen your joints, improve your posture, lower your blood pressure and increase your flexibility.
In conclusion, incorporating strength training in your workouts will be the best thing that has happened to you!
