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SIMPOSIO HIPERTROFIA MUSCULAR AND CORE Marc Folch Salom

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Degree in CC.A.F.D. (Ciencias de la Activity Physics y el Deporte) Univ. of A Coruña (UDC).
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There is considerable interest in the attainment of muscle hypertrophy among the regular users in gyms; this adaptive phenomenon consists of thickening of muscle fibers by the interaction of a series of biomarkers. A bibliographic review has been carried out to consider and analyze the different training variables: the intensity of effort, the frequency of training, the load, the range of repetitions and series, the volume of work, the duration of repetitions, the rest intervals, the range of motion and the selection and order of exercises; in order to extract practical applications and optimize training for muscle growth within physiological limits.

Keywords: hypertrophy; muscle growth; weight training; training variables; bodybuilding; training routines

There is considerable interest in achieving muscle hypertrophy among regular users in gyms; this adaptive phenomenon consists in the thickening of the muscle fibers by the interaction of a number of biomarkers. It has carried out a literature review to consider and analyze the different training variables: the intensity of effort, training frequency, load, range of reps and sets, training volume, repetition duration, rest intervals, range of motion and the selection and order of exercises; in order to extract practical applications and optimize training for muscle growth within physiological limits.

Keywords: hypertrophy; muscle growth; weight training; variable training; bodybuilding; training routines Marc Folch Salom (2014). Muscle hypertrophy: training program variables. I Symposium on Exercise and Sport Sciences.

Strength training generates adaptations that evolve from neuronal and structural, the latter known as hypertrophy or muscle growth. This adaptive phenomenon consists of the thickening of muscle fibers resulting in an increase in the cross-section of the skeletal muscle. JBHNews of biomarkers are known to act as mediators generating a hypertrophic response: hormonal levels (IGF-1, testosterone and growth hormone), activation of satellite cells, protein synthesis and genetic variation mainly.

When the skeletal muscle is subjected to an overload stimulus, a series of alterations are produced in the myofibrillas and the extracellular matrix that lead to an increase in the size and amounts of myofibrillary proteins actin and myosin, the total number of sarcomers, accompanied by an increase in the number of connective tissue and an increase in vascularization. There is no need to confuse the increase in the size of existing fibers (hypertrophy) with the increase in the amount of fibers (hyperplasia), the evidence is not clear about the latter, although it does not seem to have much consideration in humans (Antonio, J.).

Often, hypertrophy and performance don't go hand in hand. With hypertrophy, the muscle loses its functionality because it causes a precipitate activity of Golgi's biased organs, which inhibit intense muscle contraction (such as protective mechanism) and cause negative effects for the active motorbikes of the actine-miosine (Eylenz et al., 1990). Thibaudeau makes it clear: “It is absurd to add weight to your car without touching the engine. Your car is heavier but has no more power to balance that weight gain, it won't make it more efficient.” A halterophile may have a smaller body but be able to lift heavier loads than a more corpulent bodybuilder. This is because the body or structural training (series of 8-15 repetitions) does not entail stimulation and a consequent adaptation of the nervous system.

This fact leads us to establish two basic types of weight training: functional weight training and structural weight training (Verhoshansky and Siff, 2000). Although purely structural training does not exist, since all training is essentially functional, it basically aims to produce a muscle hypertrophy, while functional training is associated with different performance objectives. Thus, hypertrophy can become a necessary requirement for the improvement of strength, but at the same time negative and undesirable for the improvement of sports performance (Badillo and Serna, 2002).

Some authors maintain the existence of two types of hypertrophy according to the type of training: sarcommeric or myofibrillary hypertrophy and sarcoplasmatic hypertrophy, affecting in this case the volume of non-contactyl and semi-fluid plasma proteins between muscle fibers (Verhoshansky and Siff, 2000). Wang (1993) studied the structural composition of the skeletal muscle cell (Table 1). The largest space is occupied by myophylls composed of myofilaments of actin and myosin, while in the space between myophoibrillas the non-contactyl proteins are located. In addition, it conducted a body-type training for 18 weeks to a group of 24 untrained women to determine the size increase in the different fiber structures. So we can think of this increase in size because the whole fiber increased in general or part of the cell increased more than another?

The percentage of each variable analyzed maintained its constant value after training, so there was no increase in sarcoplasmic proteins beyond its initial value.

The aim of this review is to provide updated scientific information in order to optimize training for muscle growth within genetically determined physiological limits.

Although muscle hypertrophy can be achieved through a wide range of resistance training programs, the principle of specificity, which states that adaptations are specific to the nature of the stimulus applied, dictates that some programs will promote greater hypertrophy than others (Schoenfeld, 2014).

Thus, the planning of the training with loads forces us to consider certain variables that as a whole will judge the quality of our training and subsequent results for our objective: the intensity of effort, the frequency of training, the load, the range of repetitions and series, the volume of work, the cadence or duration of the repetitions, the density or intervals of rest, the range of movement and the selection and order of exercises.

Intensity of effort

The intensity of effort has been previously considered as the most likely influential variable to improve muscle strength (Fisher et al., 2011). According to Chicharro (2014), most trainers use as a minimum intensity to cause muscle hypertrophy 60% over 1RM.

Indicted by Badillo (1996), the nature of the effort is to adjust the workloads to perform a certain number of repetitions.

It is important to bear in mind that these values (Table 2) have been established for a general population, so that the range of repetitions can vary according to the predominance of muscle fibers of each subject: a subject with predominance of type I muscle fibers or slow contraction will perform a number of repetitions totally different from a subject with predominance of type II muscle fibers or rapid contraction.

Perhaps this is irrelevant to the question of the million in relation to the intensity of effort: is it necessary to reach the muscle failure for muscle growth?

According to Willardson (2007) and Schoenfeld (2013), more than necessary, it is a very beneficial practice to maximize muscle hypertrophy, this is due to increased recruitment of motorbikes, it allows to maximize muscle fibers (since they can be recruited but not stimulated to the maximum) and increases growth hormone secretion.

When muscle failure comes, the point where muscle strength is not able to overcome resistance, as a strategy we can reduce the load and continue with repeats immediately, is what we know as a descending series.

However, abusing work to muscle failure can increase cortisol and decrease testosterone. According to Izquierdo and Badillo (2006) you can induce about training, overload injuries and even affect our strength and muscle mass levels. We must dosage and use it with caution.

On the other hand, there is the hypothesis that the lifting with light loads to muscle failure activates the whole of motor units, without significant differences regarding heavy loads. Schoenfeld et al. (2014) compared training to muscle failure with a load of 30% or 75% in trained subjects. The results revealed a greater peak of activation for the set with a load of 75%, indicating that light loads do not come to activate the full range of motor units.

In non-trained subjects, Mitchell et al. (2012) evidence that both loads of 30% and 80% of muscle failure produce hypertrophy without significant differences, emphasizing that it is the activation of muscle fibers and the recruitment of motor units the fact that it seems to stimulate muscle responses to produce hypertrophy.

Training frequency

The ACSM (2009) determines that the training frequency should be organized according to volume, intensity, selection of exercises, level of conditioning, capacity of recovery and number of muscle groups/session. However, there is little evidence regarding the training frequency.

According to Candow and Burke (2007), 2-3 weekly sessions in initiates are sufficient to increase muscle mass and strength, without significant differences between training 2 or 3 sessions and thus giving greater importance to the training volume than at the same frequency. We talk full-bodied or full-body sessions. JBH News could even have a harmful effect on hypertrophy. Marc Folch Salom (2014). Muscle hypertrophy: training program variables.

For intermediate subjects we can also adopt full-body sessions or torso-pie routines, dye-push, etc. with 4 days of weekly training.

As the physical condition increases, more training frequency will be required. Bompa (2006) recommends 4-5 days of training for advanced and 5-6 for professionals if the goal we seek is hypertrophy, here the routines divided into which we can include from 1 to 3 muscle groups per session, allowing a large volume of training by muscle group.

Routines with double daily session with emphasis on different muscle groups are also common in professionals, resulting in 8-12 training sessions per week. Hakkinen and Kallinen (1994) reported increased increases in the muscle cross-section and strength when the training volume was divided into two sessions per day instead of one.

Polliquin (2010) states that if we look for structural adaptations (hypertrophy), we would have to respond well to a weekly stimulus and others that would need more.

Chen et al. (2011) measured muscle damage by means of creatine kinase (CK), neuronal or nervous damage by DHEA-S, the rate of variation of the heart rate and personal marks on 3RM. The CNS and the perception of pain would be recovered after 48 hours, 72 hours if it is a training after a long period without training. This information will be relevant to our planning.

Repetition Loading and Range

In relation to the intensity of effort, we should consider how the load raised (%1RM) and the number of repetitions affect the muscle hypertrophy.

Generally reference is made to a heavy load (1-5RM), moderate (6-15RM) or light (+15RM, corresponding to . As already said, hypertrophy usually uses loads greater than 60% 1RM.

According to Baechle and Earle (2000) and Badillo (2000), the most optimal range of repetitions for muscle mass increase is between 6-12 repetitions. Cometti (2005) even specifies more, between 8-10 repetitions. Thibaudeau (2007) recommends that 50% of every type of hypertrophy (functional or non-functional) be performed for more complete development (Table 3).

Recently, Schoenfeld et al. (2014) investigated muscle adaptations in well-trained youth. It supported a body-type protocol (3 10RM series with 90 seconds rest) and a powerlifting protocol (7 3RM series with 3 minutes rest). After 8 weeks, both increased muscle size without differences. This study compared a heavy load with a moderate load, remember that between a moderate and a light load until muscle failure, Schoenfeld already revealed a greater peak of activation for moderate load.

As a conclusion, if you are looking for hypertrophy it does not matter the range of repetitions (at least in the moderate-weight range). In untrained people the use of light loads could be a very valid option.

Volume and Series

According to Bompa (2006), the volume is the amount of work performed and can be measured according to the total repetitions or series, or to the total tonnages (kg).

Baechle and Earle (2000) recommend between 3-6 series per exercise, while Colado (2008) recommends between 6-9 series per muscle group, 12 series would be considered excessive. This may be due to ratios of defavorable cortisol/testosterone, the CNS may be overloaded and excess volume may affect levels of glycogen and signaling pathway AKT/mTor (Churchley, 2007; Creer, 2005).

Camera (2012) contradicts these studies stating that there would be no conditional low levels of post-exercise glycogen to inhibit these pathways. Alan Aragon (2013), quoting Robergs et al. (1991) and Roy et al. (1997), comments that 6-9 series/muscle group only reduces glucogen reserves between 36-39% and puts as an example a typical bodybuilder routine, with a muscle/semane group between series, would not represent a problem for glycogen resynthesis.

Thibaudeau (2007) recommends between 9-12 series/muscle group and leaves the door open to 16 series/muscle group according to the individual.

Hackkett et al. (2013) found a total of 127 competitive bodybuilders, 95% of them performed out of season between 3-6 series/exercise, 77% between 7-12RM/series and 68% between seconds of recovery/series. Approaching the competition, 3-4 series/exercise, 10-15RM/series and seconds of recovery/series were general trends, with a reduction in volume and intensity.

A meta-analysis carried out by Krieger (2010) suggests that the realization of several series/exercise is associated with higher hypertrophy gains by 40% compared to individual series, both in training and non-training.

Although literature lacks significant results and samples, training with several series to achieve a higher volume of training seems to lead to higher hypertrophy.

Cadence or duration of repetitions

The rhythm, cadence, tempo or speed of execution determines a fibrillary recruitment or another (Badillo and Rivas, 2002; Izquierdo, Badillo and Gorostiaga, 2006).

This rhythm will determine the time under tension (TUT), will not generate the same muscle tension to perform 1 or 5 seconds in each of the phases. The goal of extra time under stress is no other than to increase the potential of microtraumatisms and the degree of fatigue across the spectrum of muscle fibers. This seems to have greater applicability for the hypertrophy of slow contraction fibers, which have greater resistance capacity, although it is true that slow contraction fibers are not as sensitive to growth as fast contraction fibers (Schoenfeld, 2010).

As well as in force trainings, the repetitions are performed at maximum speed for the maximum recruitment of fast fibers, in relation to hypertrophy there is much controversy.

According to a meta-analysis of Roig et al. (2009), the eccentric phase favors a higher degree of hypertrophy, although Nogueira (2009) found greater hypertrophy in the group with high speeds.

Roschel et al. (2011) is not decanted by any type of execution speed for hypertrophy, since the cadence in eccentric activation would not influence protein synthesis, although Burd et al. (2012) did observe a greater protein synthesis in the group that executed both phases in 6 seconds compared to the group that performed both phases in 1 second.

Therefore, the speed of repetition does not appear to be a strong factor of modification of hypertrophy, at least in untrained subjects that is the sample of most studies.

According to Thibaudeau (2007), if we want to gain muscle mass the concentric movement must be fast or explosive, while the eccentric must be between 3-5 seconds.

García Manso (2002) recommends to increase muscle work, reduce cadences and, with this, achieve greater accumulated tension or activation time in all actions, concentric, eccentric and isometric.

As a conclusion, we must take into account the principle of variety. We must vary the type of contractions and the speed of contraction (slow, medium and fast) (Polliquin, 1997; Bompa, 2006).

Density or rest intervals

According to Nacleiro (2004), it is the relationship between the length of effort and the pause of recovery. The work density will vary according to our objective (Heredia, 2006):

We focus the rests on the recovery of ATP and phosphocreatin phosphogenes, the most immediate sources of energy. Wultnan (1967) estimated the percentage of recovery of muscle phosphogen (Table 6). Harris RC (1976) showed that phosphocreatin resynthesis was biphasic, with a fast component (21-22 seconds) and a slow component (+ 170 seconds).

To date, it has been suggested that the rest periods between seconds provide an optimal balance between mechanical tension and metabolic stress (primary mechanisms of the hypertrophic response) to improve anabolism, while for the force work we prioritize a break of 2 to 5 minutes.

Villanueva et al. (2012) showed that 3 series x 10 repetitions to 70%RM with 60 seconds of rest increased the total testosterone, even more with 90-second breaks. Limano et al. (2005) also evaluated 10RM with 120-second breaks, observing an increase in growth hormone and testosterone.

Also for a work of 10RM, Ahtiainen et al. (2005) found no differences in the acute hormonal magnitude or in the area of muscular cross-section between periods of rest of 2 minutes compared to 5 minutes in well-trained subjects.

Based on current research, it seems doubtful that the length of the rest interval has a substantial effect on muscle growth, although future research is required. For the time being, care should be taken not to reduce the volume at the expense of the use of short periods of rest. In this line, rest seconds can be higher than

Motion Range (ROM)

The amplitude or range of motion (ROM) is the degree of movement of a joint, from a complete bending to a complete extension.

Pinto et al. (2012) observed two training groups, one with full ROM (0 to 130 degrees) and one with partial ROM (50 to 100 degrees) in the preaching curl exercise. They found that both full and partial ROMs increased muscle thickness (9.52% and 7.37% respectively).

Bloomquist et al. (2013) did the same for the seating, a group with a deep seating ROM (0 to 120 degrees) and another with partial ROM (0 to 60 degrees). Differences were observed in the muscle thickness of 4-7% for the full ROM, in addition to an increase in strength levels. McMahon (2014) also found favorable significant results with a full ROM for the lower members.

Literature in this respect is limited, but the few studies we find point out that a full range of motion is superior to a partial or limited range for muscle hypertrophy, although a partial range also produces hypertrophy. Therefore, we should work in this range unless in a certain exercise we want to focus on a muscle group, overcome a stagnation point or even force some last repetitions.

Selection and Order of Exercises

Global or multi-articular exercises involving a large muscle mass favor a greater hormonal environment (Manso Guild, 1996), although it is true that both multi-articular and mono-articular exercises induce hypertrophy, as well as free weight work or machines. The evidence supports the logical conclusion that a muscle does not know against it; it simply contracts or relaxes (Fisher et al., 2013).

Farinatti (2013) first recommends working large and later small groups to avoid early fatigue. Pre-fatigue superseries (analytical + global exercise) do not seem advisable to get hypertrophy, as the second exercise would not be over 75% (Ward, 1997). Simao (2012) does not recommend it by not increasing the degree of neuromuscular recruitment in large muscle groups. It would be a more recommended method for muscle definition.

Instead, post-fatigue superseries do seem valid for increased muscle mass (Cometti, 1989).

Kraemer and Fleck (2007) recommend alternating traction and extension exercises (antagonists and agonists) and alternating the upper train with the lower train to maximize recovery, however, strength and power can be reduced if the exercises are performed consecutively (Maynard and Ebben, 2003).

Programming variable

Recommendation

Intensity of effort

You have to try to recruit as many motor units and consequently muscle fibers as possible, sometimes reaching muscle failure, usually in the last series of exercise. We can consider the descendant series as a strategic tool.

Training frequency

Initiates it is recommended 2-3 weekly sessions with full body routines and 48h rest between sessions. In intermediates you can opt for complete body routines or for torso-bone routines, dye-push, etc. with 4 weekly sessions. Advanced and professional are recommended between 4-6 sessions and may include divided routines (1-3 muscle groups per session), reaching 8-12 weekly sessions in routines with double daily session.

Repetition Loading and Range

In non-training, the technique with light-moderate loads prevails; in trained, a load must be selected in the moderate-weight range (P65%), which will generally correspond to 1-15RM, dosing the series to the muscle failure. One option would be to use force ranges (3-6RM) for multi-articular exercises, and ranges with greater work density (8-15RM) for complementary or analytical exercises.

Volume and Series

It will take place between 3-6 series/exercise, with a total of 9-12 series/muscle group per session, up to 16 series/muscle group in certain individuals very well genetically gifted.

Cadence or duration of repetitions

The principle of variety plays an important role in the speed of execution. A good option would be to carry out explosive repetitions for multi-articular exercises and repetitions with a controlled eccentric phase (2-3s) and even with isometric pause for complementary exercises, thus increasing time under tension.

Density or rest intervals

It seems doubtful that the length of the rest interval has a substantial effect on muscle growth. Care should be taken not to reduce the volume at the expense of the use of short periods of rest. In this line, rest seconds can be higher than

Motion Range (ROM)

A full range of motion is superior to a partial or limited range for muscle hypertrophy, although it is true both ranges

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