What is hypertrophy?
 
Hypertrophy denotes the increase in the muscle cell size/muscle growth in response to stimuli such as training. Muscle hypertrophy is among bodybuilders’ and strength trainers’ fundamental goals. Is increasing muscle mass your training goal? Then you need to understand how to perform workouts for optimum hypertrophy.
 
Hypertrophy occurs in two steps; myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. In myofibrillar hypertrophy, the stimuli trigger growth in the muscle fiber’s contractile aspects. This results in muscle strength increase and athlete’s speed owing to the increased ability and force with which the muscles contract. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy involves the muscle fiber’s non-contractile elements growth. Such elements include the glycogen storage areas and energy production organelles. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy enhances the muscle fiber’s endurance and energy storage capabilities. Ideal muscle hypertrophy increases the number and size of muscle fibers, thus, resulting in long-term muscle enlargement.
 
What are the 3 mechanisms of hypertrophy and how do they work? 
 
The three mechanisms of complete muscle hypertrophy include mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage.
 
Strength trainers create mechanical tension through exercise and heavy load lifting over time. The more time you subject a muscle to a heavy load, such as a dumbbell or barbell, the more mechanical tension. For maximum mechanical tension and growth, lift the loads/weights controllably and in a full array of motion.
 
In muscle-building, muscle damage is a fundamental aspect that results from resistance training; eccentric and concentric shrinkage. After hypertrophy training, one may experience delayed onset of muscle soreness owing to minor tears from muscle damage. Although both contraction types yield muscle damage, eccentric contractions exceed the concentric contractions degree of damage. Bodybuilders counter the muscle damage through negative repetitions to activate protein synthesis that initiates damaged muscle repair.
 
During resistance training, one may experience burnout toward the end of the training set. The continuous contraction and relaxation of muscles result in a blood pooling impact from within the muscle cell. As a result, muscle blood flow is restricted (occlusion). This means there is no oxygenated blood to fuel the consistent muscle contractions. Occlusion subjects the muscle to metabolic stress because of the accumulation of metabolites such as hydrogen ions and lactase. Metabolic stress affects the anabolic process.
 
What is the recommended about of sets per week for each muscle group? 
 
The recommended number of sets per week for every muscle group depends on various factors, including your skeletal figure and genetic endowment. Nevertheless, the following are the recommended sets for each muscle group weekly.
• 10-15 sets per week for each muscle group if you are training thoroughly in less than a year.
• 15-20 sets weekly if you’re the period you have trained thoroughly is between one and five years.
• 20-25 sets each week if you have thoroughly trained for over five years.
• 25-30 sets per week for elite power lifters or bodybuilders.
If you are an athlete and trying to determine your appropriate sets per week relative to bodybuilders and powerlifters, you need to consider other factors such as:
1. Your specific sports training.
2. Caloric supply.
3. The level of stress in your life.
 
Why is there no perfect training split? 
 
There are many ways to kill a rat. Athletes and trainers have different strategies for training split. Whereas some bodybuilders prefer super-heavy lifting at low repetitions, others do light weights but increase the number of repetitions. The rest period between sets also varies with individuals. 
 
The only thing common among bodybuilders is the training frequency. The other variables may be unique for each bodybuilder. Trainers stick to their training patterns, rest periods between sets, and the specific type of training. Since there is no perfect training split, you must find and adhere to what works for you for the best results.
 
Why is recovery important for hypertrophy?
 
Hypertrophy trainers understand that muscle growth occurs during rest periods between sets rather than when working out. Continuous muscle stress adapts the cells better to respond well to exercise stimuli. Muscles get micro-tears during exercise and require time for healing and recovery to prevent inflammation, exhaustion, and swelling of the muscles.
 
Rest deficiency may subject you to overstraining syndrome and decrease your performance. If you develop the overtraining syndrome, you may suffer other related issues, including chronic muscle and joint pains, constant exhaustion, and suppressed immune system.
 
Recovery helps to prevent the adverse effects of workout processes and promotes muscle healing and growth. You can take a two- or three-day break from intensive training to promote recovery for optimum muscle repair and mass growth. However, this depends on whether the training/exercise is on your list of strategies for emotional health in the long run.
 
If workouts are part of your long-term emotional and mental health strategies, active rest periods involving activities like brisk walking and yoga can boost muscle repair and growth. While it is healthy to work out, beware of strenuous activities that can subject your body to stress or overstrain and activate the nervous system. When training, the happy hormone (endorphins) is activated and improves mood. 
 
On the contrary, overstraining results in performance decline, reduces your appetite, and makes you irritable and unable to sleep well. All these effects make you fatigued and mentally exhausted. 
 
The bottom line is that every hypertrophy trainer should understand their specific goals and adopt training spits and rest periods between sets that best work for them. Moreover, adequate rest and recovery periods are fundamental for the repair and growth of muscle cells.