Do you get confused by the wild variations in hypertrophy protocols? The trends are all over the place and may fill you with wonder, worry and anxiety…
Am I doing too much? Not enough? Are my reps too high? Too low? Should my rest between sets be 20 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes? Or whatever it takes for my training partner to snap a few pics?
Look to science, you say? As I’ve mentioned, you can find a study to verify just about any style of training…
It’s why I hesitated to include 7 key hypertrophy studies in Old Man Young Muscle 2. But people put a lot of stock in research studies, so I began most chapters with one—each patting me on the back, of course. But there are other studies that contradict them. Here’s some clarity…
According to Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., at McMasters University: “We performed the largest-ever network meta-analysis on resistance training (178 studies, 5,097 participants for strength; 119 studies, 3,364 participants for hypertrophy). Main takeaway: ALL resistance-training prescriptions improved strength and hypertrophy…and there was actually NO statistically significant difference between them.”
Even contrasting training styles are near equal in hypertrophy results in most cases. Why?
1) Most studies are only 8 to 12 weeks. How much muscle can you gain in that short block of time?
2) The subjects vary widely—genetics, eating, motivation and lifestyle can be all over the map. Plus, untrained subjects can have unique responses.
3) Drugs: If trained athletes are included, a couple of steroid users or past users in a group can skew results significantly.
So how do you process all of this to get the muscle you’re after faster? Stay tuned…
Note: Never Stop Growing will help you build more muscle. It’s safe resistance training that emphasizes the best mass-building move for each body part—the best of the best. It includes a look at biomechanics expert and drug-free Mr. Universe Doug Brignole’s training as well t complete STX and SSS workouts.Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
X-Rep.com
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