In this podcast episode, Rich Richey talks with Dr. Brad Schoenfeld about hypertrophy. Dr. Shoenfield's research is mostly focused on body composition and hypertrophy, so he is a great person to talk to about the subject! More specifically, both he and Rich discuss the following aspects of the subject:
- When it comes to building muscle and getting bigger, training hard and consistently is the most important!
- There is no "hypertrophy range" of reps and sets that are optimal for hypertrophy. Instead, working close to failure (at least on some of the sets) is more important.
- For sufficient muscle growth, you need enough protein and calories in your diet. Brad suggests for those who want to maximize muscle growth for 0.8 - 1.0 grams of protein per pound.
- A Keto diet is not optimal for muscle growth. Omega 6 and Omega 3 are essential!
- "Time under tension" is still relevant. What's irrelevant is that any particular set should have a specific "time" under tension.
Rick Richey is a NASM-CPT, CES, PES, and Master Trainer.
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld is a researcher, an author of The Science and Development of Hypertrophy, and an expert on fitness and sports nutrition among many other aspects of fitness
episode Overview
To start the episode, Brad explains that you can achieve a fair bit of hypertrophy just by training consistently and with enough intensity. When it comes down to it, hypertrophy requires that you "optimize your genetics".
When breaking down hypertrophy from a nutritional standpoint, Brad says that you need adequate protein and calories to gain muscle. But he also mentions that to lose weight, there is a significant evidence that protein can help satiate your appetite. Which, ultimately, will lead to weight loss if strategically implemented.
Part way through the episode, Rich brings up the subject of "time under tension". Dr. Brad explains that the time spent under a particular set doesn't really matter. In fact, he did his dissertation on that very subject.
He says that it's nuanced, but that the more relevant question for building muscle comes down to the quality of the tension versus the time itself.
This is just a snapshot of the entire episode. Be sure to listen in for more and check out the following links below.
KEy Resources On Hypertrophy
There's a huge reason why the NASM OPT model has hypertrophy as it's 3rd phase: it's an essential stage for building muscle and looking great!
For an overview on 3 ways you can utilize hypertrophy for bodybuilding and growing muscle, check this resource out.
And for another more general overview of the basics of hypertrophy, follow the link!
