There are over 650 muscles in the human body and not all muscles are created equal. Especially between one person and another.
There has been much talk about muscle hypertrophy recently that I thought I would write an article on this topic to uncover what I and well many more qualified people than myself have discovered.
Muscle hypertrophy is essentially the ability to grow muscle skeletal muscle.
There are three types of muscle:
1) Skeletal muscle
2) Smooth muscle
3) Cardiac muscle
Skeletal muscle are those which attach to bones and have the main function of contracting to facilitate movement of our skeletons. They are the striations that you see on a bodybuilder or someone in great shape. (1)
Smooth muscle is also sometimes known as Involuntary muscle due to our inability to control its movements, or Unstriated as it does not have the stripy appearance of Skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs such as the Stomach, Oesophagus, Bronchi and in the walls of blood vessels. (2)
Cardiac (Heart) muscle is found solely in the walls of the heart. It has similarities with skeletal muscles in that it is striated and with smooth muscles in that its contractions are not under conscious control. (3)
The Skeletal muscle is what I will be focusing on as I discuss muscle hypertrophy.
There are two types of muscle hypertrophy: myofibrillar or functional hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic or non-functional hypertrophy.
The best way I like to remember each is that functional hypertrophy is for strength (Strongmen) and non-functional is for growth (Bodybuilders). I want to preface, that in no way am I saying that strongmen/women do not grow muscles nor am I stating that bodybuilders are not strong. Both are far bigger than me and can whoop my butt hands down. This is just a generalization.
When it comes to muscle hypertrophy its a good idea to know what your goals are and train accordingly.
Here is a pretty useful table that goes over the amount of reps versus rest that you would need based on the type of muscle hypertrophy you are interested in:
| Desired Outcome | Growth Vs Strength | Reps Per Set | Rest Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explosive Power | Strength | 4-7 Reps | 3+ Minutes |
| Peak Strength (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy/Functional) | Strength | 1-3 Reps | 5+ Minutes |
| Strength (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy/Functional) | Strength | 4-6 Reps | 2-3 Minutes |
| Hypertrophy (Sarcoplasmic/Non-Functional) | Growth | 8-12 Reps | 60-90 Seconds |
| Muscle Endurance (Sarcoplasmic/Non-Functional) | Growth | 12-20+ Reps | 30-60 Seconds |
In addition, to knowing your goals it’s also important to factor in your physical type. As all of us are different, there is no one size fits all approach. Especially when it comes to the human body.
Image courtesy of Govt. of Western Aust. Dept. of Health
Here is nice little table I created from an article by Alex Borja (4):
| Body Type | Ectomorph | Endomorph | Mesomorph |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical traits | Small joints Skinny appearance Fast metabolism Can eat whatever they want Get full easily Small chest and buttocks Difficulty building muscle Difficulty gaining weight Low body fat Narrow frame (“pencil frame”) | Large amount of fat accumulation Often fatigue easily Insatiable appetite Try various diet and exercise programs to failure Cannot seem to drop weight Eat larger meals or several smaller sized meals Low muscle definition due to adipose tissue Larger frame | Symmetrical build Wide shoulders Small waist Low body fat Large musculature Seems to put on muscle easily Seems to burn fat easily Eats in moderation |
| Training Tips | Train heavier with repetitions in the 5-10 range Take longer rest breaks (due to higher weights used) Do compound lifts Do not do cardio If you must do cardio make sure its HIIT style cardio | Train in the 15+ repetition range Take 30-45 second rest periods between sets Do as much cardio as possible! Do compound lifts to burn more calories | Training in the 8-12 repetition rep range 30-1 min rest periods between sets Enough cardio to stay lean but not a ton |
| Dieting Tips | Eat high density weight gainers for added calories Try high density foods such as almonds, avocado, or peanut butter Break calories up into several small meals if you cannot stomach big meals Eat at least 50-60% carbohydrates Eat foods you enjoy even if they are a little unhealthy (in moderation) | Portion your meals appropriately- 1 fist size equals one serving Eat 30-40% carbohydrates Eat non processed foods and get whole grains Eat tons of vegetables to Drink plenty of water to keep you full Don’t flash diet (cut out things cold turkey) Divide your daily caloric intake by 5-6 meals Take in 200-500 less than your maintance caloric intake | Keep carbohydrates at 40-60% Portion meals by balling up your fist – that’ 1 portion size Break meals into 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day Eat enough calories to maintain muscle mass |
As Alex mentions in his article, there is really no “pure” body types, we are most likely all a combination of all three in some shape or form (no pun intended)
I think its also worth mentioning that although many of us aspire to be like the top calisthenic bodyweight/street workout experts and to have a rock solid physique. We must take into consideration that there are some people that no matter what they did they would be lean, cut, athletic and rock solid.
Probably one of the best videos by Elliot Hulse, that really demystifies the challenges that the average joe isn’t making the gains that the elite athletes make. Please note, in the video he references cross fit athletes, but you can substitute “cross-fit” with whatever sport or training you are interested in (Time: 3:45 minutes).
Basically genetics, can play a huge role, and we sometimes forget that each and everyone of us is made and built differently.
In conclusion, you can study muscle hypertrophy until you are blue in the face, literally, but if you don’t factor into the equation, genetics and many other factors that make you different from all the rest, you will be ignoring the fundamental reason we are here on this planet, to full express your true potential. Not the potential of another, not to look, act and be like another person. But to be the very best you can be with what you have and where you are at this moment in time, right now.
References
(1) http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_muscle.php
(2) http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_muscle.php
(3) http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_muscle.php
(4) http://www.directlyfitness.com/store/3-body-types-explained-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph/
