What is Hypertrophy- Mechanisms
Feel free to skip this section on Muscle Hypertrophy, but I think it will help dive into future areas. We are precisely here about Myofibrillar Hypertrophy, as Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy also called “cell Swelling,” is the growth of sarcoplasm semi-fluid interfibrillar substance, water (which is unimportant in this discussion). Essentially we aren’t bodybuilders.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy is the enlargement of a muscle fiber, which is part of a Motor unit. The fiber itself gains more myofibril proteins and, in turn, more actin and myosin filaments. Here is the brief description, and Highly suggest reading the “science of Practice of Strength training” to learn more as I don’t need this article to be any longer.
Here is a more straightforward way of looking at it brought to you by “the science and Practice of Strength training.”
Strength training, aka lifting weights, can prompt DNA signaling in the nucleus to build Actin and Myosin proteins. Contractile filaments are constructed to create new filaments and the density of these filaments increases. Essentially you have an increase in fibers, which means that you have increased muscle force production. This is because these Actin and Myosin FIlaments are what create contractions and allow your limbs to move.
That was as brief as I could make it, but the important takeaway is this: Getting Jacked gives you the potential to produce more force. A common misconception that I will rant on is only training in the 2-4 rep range to get stronger. You will not maximize your strength if you never intentionally gain weight and train for Hypertrophy. If you think it is essential to Bench 315 for your sport but don’t have a chest, don’t expect this to happen until you get bigger.
Correlations to being stronger
But I know a guy that can deadlift triple bodyweight, and weighs 150 pounds and doesn't look like he lifts. This can be common because strength has many variables that you can’t change besides Hypertrophy, which is also why it is so important. Yeah totally understand that; strength comes down to these specific traits (Thanks, Greg Nuckols):
Origins and insertions- Can’t do anything about it, blame your parents.
Motivation/arousal/fatigue: These are all critical factors and don’t matter in the long term.
Motor learning/neuromuscular efficiency: This is specific to the lift that you are doing. Which doesn’t matter if Powerlifting or Olympic weight lifting isn’t your sport. Your goal is to hit bombs, not become a deadlifting master.
Segments Lengths: Blame your parents.
Muscle fiber types: Again, blame your parents.
Muscle size: Boom, the only thing that you can change.
Your small and can lift a lot most likely have a more significant contribution than you on these factors. You can’t do anything about this, however, so not something that you should focus on. Your goal is to get strong to produce more force, not to become a master at deadlifting.
Let's look at a real-world example of how Hypertrophy or body mass contributes to strength gains. Powerlifting is an excellent example of a pure strength test, a great test of maximal force production.
Below are a couple of direct quotes from Brechue and Abe on “The Role of FFM Accumulation and Muscle Architecture in Powerlifting Performance.” European Journal of Applied Physiology. Performance of the SQT, BP, and DL was strongly correlated with FFM and FFM relative to standing height (r = 0.86 to 0.95, P < or = 0.001).” (4)
Also, Lovera and Keogh. “The Anthropometric Profile of Powerlifters: Differences as a Function of Bodyweight Class and Competitive Success.” The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. (3) More successful powerlifters typically have higher degrees of muscle mass expressed per unit height and bone mass, but similar segment lengths and segment length ratios to their less successful peers.”
Specifically, this means that in powerlifting, there is a strong correlation between Height and lifting performance. It is telling us that the shorter the person was in the class, the better their performance. Getting bigger directly correlated to Strength performance, more importantly meaning that these athletes could produce more significant force.
Just to make sure you can’t affect your height, the only thing you can do is get more significantly Jacked. Think about in this way, muscle mass as potential strength and potential force production. You still need to train for higher force production, but you will have a clear advantage over your previous self.
Now you might say, I’m a golfer, not a powerlifter? You, sir, are undoubtedly correct; however, we can agree that higher body weight correlates to further distance and a higher clubhead speed/bat velocity. If we can agree on that, we might want to wonder why that is the case. We will specifically talk about strength training later, but Hypertrophy gives you the potential for greater strength/force. Now last, we will tie this together, and these statements will make more sense.
Here Is some more evidence if you still are un-convinced Dr. Zatsiorsky (12) “ How to become strong: The manifestation of strength. Two primary factors must be manipulated to become strong:
1. Changes in the peripheral muscles
2. Changes in central nervous system coordination
Peripheral muscle factors for strength. The capacity of a muscle to produce force depends on its cross-sectional area, and in particular, the size of muscle fibers. Cross-sectional area increases as a result of muscle fiber size increases and not by fiber number gain (hypertrophy as opposed to hyperplasia)”.
Not only do we see moderate correlations in studies specifically to clubhead speed. There is a long-held belief in Sports Science that to improve force production/strength, you must gain as much muscle mass as you can. The bigger you are, the more significant potential you have to be strong. Dr. Zatsiorsky and his colleagues discuss this concept many times in their work. Put simply, if you want to get Strong, you need to get big first. If you have no pecs, you’re not going to bench big; one must come before the other.
Now we understand that being heavier correlates with Driving Distance and exit velocity. We know that you don’t just want to be fat, but gain muscle, which helps produce greater force (will explain in greater detail later). Now how do we gain lean body mass? I thought if you got stronger, you were getting bigger, ain’t that simple.
Hypertrophy vs. Strength
Hypertrophy and Strength are two distinctly different processes that are commonly confused as the same thing. As we learned earlier, Hypertrophy is the growth of muscle fibers, while Dr. Stone defines strength as “The Ability to produce external force by muscle contraction.” As you can see, these are two different related adaptations; one is gaining more muscle fibers while one is teaching those fibers to produce more force.
Yes, I am pedantic, but I believe that it is essential to think of these as two processes as we move forward. Mainly because you can adapt to so many traits simultaneously (periodization comes later), serving two masters simultaneously is a mistake. Can you imagine trying to learn two languages at the same time?
Citations
1. Alex Ehlert (2020): The correlations between physical attributes and golf club head speed: a systematic review with quantitative analyses, European Journal of Sport Science, DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2020.1829081
2. Institute of Sport and Recreation Research New Zealand, School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand; and 2 Centre of Physical Education Across the Lifespan, School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne Campus, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
3. Lovera and Keogh. “The Anthropometric Profile of Powerlifters: Differences as a Function of Bodyweight Class and Competitive Success.” The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. (2015).
4. Brechue and Abe. “The Role of FFM Accumulation and Muscle Architecture in Powerlifting Performance.” European Journal of Applied Physiology. (2002).
5. Stone, Michael & O’Bryant, et al. “Using the Isometric Mid-thigh Pull in the Monitoring of Weightlifters: 25+ Years of Experience”
6. Stone, Michael & O’Bryant, et al. (2019). “Using the Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull in the Monitoring of Weightlifters: 25+ Years of Experience”. 19-26.
8. School of Health Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. 2Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. 3NSW Injury Risk Manag
9. Hellström, J. (2008). The Relation between Physical Tests, Measures, and Clubhead Speed in Elite Golfers. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 3(1_suppl), 85–92. doi:10.1260/174795408785024207
10. Elizabeth J. Bradshaw, Justin W.L. Keogh, Patria A. Hume, Peter S. Maulder, Jacques Nortje & Michel Marnewick (2009) The Effect of Biological Movement Variability on the Performance of the Golf Swing in High- and Low-Handicapped Players, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 80:2, 185-196, DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2009.10599552
11. Keogh, J. W., Marnewick, M. C., Maulder, P. S., Nortje, J. P., Hume, P. A., & Bradshaw, E. J. (2009). Are Anthropometric, Flexibility, Muscular Strength, and Endurance Variables Related To Clubhead Velocity in Low- And High-Handicap Golfers? Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(6), 1841–1850. doi:10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181b73cb3
12. “Zatsiorsky, V.M. (1992). Intensity of strength training facts and theory: Russian and Eastern European approach. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal, 14 (5). 46-57.” States that there are two mechanisms to becoming strong:
13. Oranchuk, D. J., Mannerberg, J. M., Robinson, T. L., & Nelson, M. C. (2018). Eight Weeks of Strength and Power Training Improves Club Head Speed in Collegiate Golfers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000002505
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