We often see bodybuilding shows where both men and women show off sculpted bodies full of huge muscles all over. Even in the places that we thought could not be exercised. When comparing that anatomy with ours, we wonder how they did it.
Perhaps it is not your goal to have such a voluptuous body. However, maybe you want to be better defined or at least feel better about yourself, what can you do in that case?
The answer may seem like it at first glance: You should exercise. But knowing that does not mean that now you will start exercising in an unrestrained and irrational way. To achieve the goal of increasing your muscles, you must know what kind of exercises you can practice, how often you should do it and in which specific areas.
In general, we will need the help of a trainer. He will know what kind of exercises to assign us and at what pace we should work. In addition, he will be able to recommend a good diet and he will give us recommendations on how we should carry out our daily routine from now on.
The action of increasing muscle mass receives a scientific name, which you could confuse with some disease or accident, it is muscle hypertrophy.
Do you want to know what it is, how many types of hypertrophy exist, what routine to practice to develop it, among other things? This article was written with those people who want to improve their physical appearance in mind. Some will do it out of nonconformity. However, many others do it for health, to increase their sense of well-being.
So, from now on, pay close attention to what we have to tell you. You cannot miss a single line, since here you will find satisfactory answers to all your questions and you will be able to give your life a definitive turn. Let’s see how…
Instructions
When we talk about muscle hypertrophy, we refer to the increase in the size of the cells of a tissue, or even an organ, of our body. It usually occurs when too much effort is required of a certain cell; this causes it to generate greater protein synthesis and new components internally.
This is the increase in the transverse diameter of the muscle fiber. This increase arises thanks to protein synthesis, which causes the growth of contractile filaments. In a few and more understandable words, when weight is added to our body when training, multiple injuries occur in the muscle, that is, its fibers break.
In view of this, our body’s reaction, by nature, is to rebuild damaged tissue. This he does during the rest period. In it, the body not only repairs but also increases the size of the fibers, making them stronger.
Why does this result occur? To prevent other damage from occurring in the future when subjected to the same stimulus, that is, the weight. As a natural consequence, the muscle grows.
This happens every time we subject our body to a proper exercise routine, where we integrate weights and other similar instruments.
Now, how many types of hypertrophy do you know? there are two types of muscle hypertrophy. One of them is the sarcomere. This refers to the increase in muscle contractile proteins, these are actin and myosin.
These proteins cause the muscle to increase in size, in order to increase strength. However, it does not favor its aesthetics at all. This is the method that is generally applied by bodybuilders or powerlifting athletes. For this reason we can observe them in exaggeratedly large and even disproportionate bodies.
On the other hand, there is sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which aims to increase muscle plasma. In this way, an increase in size is produced but without affecting the weight too much, since a good part of the increase in muscle size is water.
Consequently, a much more stylized shape is achieved than in the case of sarcomere hypertrophy.
Muscle hypertrophy has two essential mechanisms. In one of them, the longer fibers are divided into smaller fibers. On the other hand, it also occurs because regenerative cells and muscle growth are activated.
However, muscle hypertrophy can have many causes. For this reason we will be talking about which are the most frequent:
- Muscle hypertrophy due to exercise: This occurs voluntarily, since we subject our body to regular training in order to increase muscle volume and strength. It is usually done to improve health, physical appearance, and quality of life.
Since this process can affect the body’s energy consumption, it is necessary that we submit to a diet with enough fat, protein and carbohydrates, so that there is compensation and thus maintain the caloric balance of our body.
- Hypertrophy of the muscles of mastication: This occurs when we chew excessively. For example, when chewing gum or another type of similar food. This causes the muscles to thicken and deforms the harmonious appearance of the person’s face.
This type of hypertrophy is usually suffered by people with teeth grinding, jaw compression due to stress, among other pathologies. It causes a lot of pain in the jaw and on the sides of the face.
- Heart hypertrophy: This is a thickening of the heart walls, due to overstimulation of the muscle. It can arise as a consequence of pathologies such as hypertension, which generates greater resistance to pumping.
A normal heart can weigh approximately 350g, while one with hypertensive heart disease, about 800g.
However, hypertension is not the only cause of cardiac hypertrophy. It can also occur due to heart defects, whether hereditary or acquired, intense and sudden physical exercise, obesity, among other factors.
Both atrophy and hypertrophy are muscle changes caused by hereditary or degenerative diseases such as Hoffman syndrome, congenital dystonia, among others that you could investigate using the Internet.
Now, is this all you need to know about muscle hypertrophy or do you need to know more? We will be talking about that in the next subtitle. So you cannot stop reading it so that you have a better understanding of the subject.
What do you need
If you want to exercise, now you know that you will suffer from muscle hypertrophy. That is, they will increase the size of your muscle fibers as well as your strength.
In order for you to obtain better and faster results, it will be essential that you combine your exercise routine with a good diet. In particular, you should increase the amount of protein you consume after an exercise routine, since it considerably decreases the reconstruction of muscle tissue.
On the other hand, it will make it easier to maintain excess energy, which will result in muscle growth in addition to increased muscle mass.
So protein is not only necessary for the reconstruction of muscle fibers but also for their strengthening and thickening. You can find protein in foods such as beef, tuna, chicken, and pork. Also in ripened cheeses, pumpkin seeds and soybeans.
In order to get a higher protein intake, you can eat portions of about 20 or 40 grams at the end of each workout.
Now, when it comes to fat, lowering your intake levels will also lower your levels of testosterone, which is an important hormone for muscle growth.
In order to increase testosterone production, you should aim to consume at least 30% fat in your meals each day. Especially if the foods you eat are eggs, avocado, oily fish, olive oil, etc.
Of course, remember that these are just some suggestions. In order to obtain better results, you can consult with your personal trainer or a nutritionist, since they will take into account aspects such as your size and weight.
However, do you need to know something else? Pay attention to the following tips.
Tips
In order for you to reach your goal of achieving muscle hypertrophy, you must establish an exercise routine, which must comply with the following aspects:
- The number of exercises: For large muscle groups, such as the chest, back and shoulders, you can perform a series of 4 exercises; for small muscle groups, like the biceps and triceps, you can do 2 or 3 exercises.
- The number of muscles to train per day: It is recommended to train the big ones first and then the small ones. Remember that muscle groups are not exercised in isolation. Usually when you train ones, so do the ones related to them.
- The number of series of the exercises: You can work based on 3 or 4 series.
- The number of repetitions: You could do between 6 and 12 with different combinations of exercises.
- The rest time between series: Try not to exceed 40 or 60 seconds. If you exceed this time, the intensity of the training will decrease.
- Training time: It should not be longer than 60 minutes, since after an hour testosterone decreases and the stress hormone, that is, cortisol, increases.
- The exercises to include in the routine: You can practice the same for about 4 to 8 weeks. Then you can change without excluding the basic exercises that you had integrated or the multiarticular ones.
It is important to note that these recommendations are useful for both men and women. Without affecting the size, weight or differences in physiology.
If you take these suggestions into account, you will surely achieve your goal: muscle hypertrophy. You will get the type of body you have wanted so much and you will feel comfortable with yourself.
