YourBodylee E Brown, EdD, CSCS,*0

Hypertrophy Training = Volume

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muscles enlarge and thereby pro-

duce greater force. This muscle

ypertrophy is simply the term we

use to define the process whereby

enlargement is particularly valuable to athletes concerned

with performance in events requiring strength and power.

Obviously, resistance training is the key to hypertrophy, but

the workout must be framed properly to ifisure we meet our

goal. There are two questions we need to answer during this

discussion. First, what really happens at the cellular level to

produce hypertrophy and second, what type of resistance

training shouldwe engagein to maximizehypertrophy?

Cellular AdaptationsBefore we begin to lool{at how to train it is desirable to takea quick look at what is actually occurring deep inside themuscle during resistance training. In earlier columns we havediscussed the structure of muscle fibers and examined the

small filaments that make up muscle fibers. The main proteinelements of muscle contraction are the small actin and

myosin filaments that together create the sliding crossbridges that produce force. There are thousands of these fil-aments in every muscle and simply stated, the more crossbridges that are attached the greater the force and power out-put capabilities. Following resistance training, the bodyadapts by increasing muscle cross sectional area through anincrease in the SIZE of actin and myosin filaments2. Thisresults in the addition of sarcomeres (the basic contractilepackage) to existing muscle tissue. It should be noted thatthere is probably no increase in the actual number of musclefibers, but rather only an increase in their size4.Furthermore,these increases occur in a selective manner primariJy to fasttwitch muscle fibers and may take as long as eight weeks tobecome evidentl.

NSCA's Perlonnance Training Joumal 6 Volume1 Number 6 Iwww.nsca-lift.org/perform

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Typeof TrainingNow that we are aware of the actual process the muscleundergoes to produce hypertrophy.it is time to investigatewhat type of program we should engage in to maximizethose size increases.Clearly.it requires repeated repetitionsof a lift in order to gain muscle size. But, how many.howoften and how heavy?They key to this equationis volume2.Volumeis most easily definedas the number of sets of anexercise multiplied by the number of repetitions (sets xreps). In other words,performingthree sets of 10repetitionswould result in a volumeof 30. This is the simplestway totrack resistance training over a period of days and weeks.Implicit in this volumediscussionhowever,is the fact that aset of 10 is performed with a resistance that allows nogreater than 10repetitions to be completedand is not mere-ly terminated because an arbitrary goal number of repeti-tions has beenreachOO5.In short, the resistancemust beequalto the task in order for the equation to fit our hypertro-phy/volume model.

Hypertrophy is most efficientlyproduced through high vol-ume exercise which is a result of several sets of an exer-cise--usually betweenthree and fivesets of eight to 20 rep-etitions.This type of training will obviouslyrequire a rela-tively low intensity as measuredby the actual resistance lift-005.It is the repeateduse of sets and reps that stimulatesthebody to adapt by increasing muscle size and therebystrength.

ConclusionIn the finalanalysisthe key to resistancetraining is volume.Specificgoals maybereachedthrough the use of specificsetsand reps3.If hypertrophy is the goal of your exercise regi-men then plan to increaseyour volumeby performing 3 - 5sets along with 8 - 20 repetitions and realize it may take aslong as two months for results to appear.

NSCA's Performance Training Joumal

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References1. BaecWe TR, Earle RW (Eds). (2000). Essentialsof strength

training and conditioning. 2nd Ed Champaign, IL: HumanKinetics.

2. Fleck SJ & Kraemer W1. (1997). Designing resistancetrain-

ing programs, 2nd Ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

3. Jones NL, McCartney N, McComas Aj. (Eds). (1986).Human musclepower. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

4. McComas A1. (1996). Skeletal muscle. Champaign, IL:Human Kinetics.

5. Stone MH, Q'Bryant H, Garhammer 1. (1981). A hypo-thetical model for strength training. Journal of SportsMedidne, 21:344.

About the AuthorLee E Brown, EdD, EPC, CSCS, *D, is Assistant ProfessorandDirectorof theHuman PerformanceLahoratoryat Arkansas State

University.He receivedhis Doctorateat Florida AtlanticUniversity, wherehe was Health Sdences Lab Coordinator.Dr.Brown is a Fellowof the American Collegeof Sports Medicine,aUSA W Certified Club Coach and a Certified Strength and

Conditioning SpeciaUst with Distinction (CSCS,*D) with theNSCA. He will be exploring topics of human physiology eachmonth in this column.

c 7 Volume1 Number 6 Iwww.nsca-lift.org/perform