Why do people purchase
memberships to gyms, spend money on personal trainers, or start new diets to
change their lives? The answer is because they want to change the way that they
look in the mirror. The strength
training blog discussed the basic function and benefits to strength
training, such as muscle hypertrophy.
Muscle hypertrophy is the process
of muscle fiber enlargement that results from strength training.1
Hypertrophy is the goal of many lifters, as they are looking for the increase
of lean muscle mass to obtain higher metabolism, but they also want to change
the way their body is shaped.
Schoenfeld’s research on the
topic of muscle hypertrophy compares the two distinct training styles of
powerlifters and body builders. Powerlifters generally train with high
intensity loads and long rest intervals, while body builders train with moderate
intensity loads and short rest intervals.2 Schoenfeld suggests that
both methods improve muscle size, but his research is designed to find the best
way to improve hypertrophic gains.
Schoenfeld concluded that the
best training method to increase muscle hypertrophy is a training regimen with
moderate intensity loads, a repetition range from 6-12 and a rest interval of 60-90
seconds. Schoenfeld’s discovery essentially combines the two methods of body
building and powerlifting. The new method combines the higher repetition range
and intensity levels from body building, and the longer rest from power
lifting. Muscle failure is a key component that can be utilized during the
workout to promote more hypertrophy. Muscle failure is accomplished when
contractile force is no longer able to be exerted during a set.
The best method for hypertrophy
will be debated in gyms for years to come, but at this point, Schoenfeld has
the loudest voice. The first part to any fitness program is to establish goals.
Once goals have been established, the correct method of training needs to be
determined. If the goal is gaining muscle size or reshaping the body,
hypertrophy is your method of training. This design will begin to change the
body in a matter of weeks with a balanced diet to attack the body composition.
Next week’s discussion will be
over the topic of body composition. How it affects our physical and emotional
health, and how it can be changed.
1 Bryant, C., & Green, D. (2010). Ace personal trainer manual.
(4th ed.).
2 Schoenfeld, B.
J. (2010). The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training. Journal of Strength and
Conditioning Research, 24(10),
2857-2872.
I think this is a great topic. I like that part of your title is "making the desired body". Many people spend their entire workout strictly doing cardio and while they may get smaller, they do not see the changes in shape or get the muscle definition they desire. There are so many different sources available about the debate for proper repetition range and time for rest for hyperytrophy. Schoenfeld offers a very interesting concept here to combine body building and power lifting methods that I had never thought about.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very useful blog to me personally. I've been lifting for years and have always wondered which method would yield not only strength increases but physical noticeable increases. I'm very interested to learn more about Schoenfeld's research. This is the type of information that should be taught not only to experienced lifters who may no know, but the beginners as well. I've heard several different rep to rest ratios but this seems to be one I may have overlooked and need to give a try.
ReplyDeleteI think it is amazing how we can shape and change our bodies by doing different workouts or focusing on different things. Lifting is a very diverse topic, everyone kind of approaches it in their own way.
ReplyDelete