There are many different types and goals when it comes to weight training. In this blog I want to specifically talk about “Hypertrophy”.
Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle mass. Which is one of the most common goals we see and get asked about.
We see a lot of people working real hard, staying very consistent, but just not seeing those “Hypertrophy” results. Hopefully these tips will help speed up some progress.
3 Common mistakes when it comes to achieving Hypertrophy:
- Too much weight- This is probably the most common mistake we see when it comes to achieving hypertrophy. Problem is, when too much weight is used, first off chance for injury goes way up but also, it doesn’t allow us to keep maximum time under tension on the muscles. When too much weight is used, momentum has to be created to get the weight moving and into position. Momentum is the enemy when it comes to hypertrophy. What we want is slow, controlled movement to achieve the maximum amount of time under tension.
- Wrong angles– Angles are very crucial when it comes to maintaining maximum tension on the tissues. Gravity is our best friend when it comes to achieving hypertrophy with free weights. Gravity runs straight up and down. Not at and angle or in loops. For example, anytime we use barbells or dumbbells to achieve maximum tension on the tissues the weights need to move in a vertical line as much as possible. Once the DBs or BBs start to “loop” tension is lost. The best way to achieve this vertical path is to adjust our body’s angle. Sometimes we have to get creative to achieve this. Use and incline bench, hang on a bar, or even cut the range of motion short in some cases.
- Range Of Motion– When performing an exercise that allows us to keep constant tension on the tissues through the entire range of motion, we must move through that full range of motion. Example: Squats, Presses, Bent over rows, Deadlifts. All these compound movements, if done correctly will automatically move in a vertical line, therefore we will see much more benefit (Strength, flexibility, and Hypertrophy) if we do this. Now oftentimes on Isolation exercises such as bicep curls, front raise, triceps ext, reverse flys we have to create the vertical bar or DB path.. In order to keep maximum time under tension. We will need to create angles and then shorten the range of motion at some point because these movements turn into a “looping” motion if done through full range and will cause loss of tension at some points in the movement.
Take a look at these 3 tips and make the proper adjustments. Trust me, the hypertrophy will come much faster. Your ego may take a hit at first because we’ll have to drop some weight, slow down and get into some funny angles but it will be worth it.
