Strength and muscle building can help and support each other. You can hardly build strength without muscle, just as you can’t build muscle without strength. But still there are differences.
When we talk about hypertrophy, it is important to remember that everybody is different. Two people can be on the exact same program and experience different results. However the underlying principles of hypertrophy, like strength training, are universal.
Remember, this plan is not designed to improve strength or power. This program is strictly for the purpose of gaining serious muscle size.
Use this plan for 6 – 8 Weeks, than change in order to stop the muscles getting too used to a certain workload.
How to Build Muscle – Combined vs Isolated Exercises
This program balances compound and isolation exercises in order to maximise muscle growth.
Weekly plan
- Day 1 – Chest / Triceps
- Day 2 – Legs
- Rest
- Day 3 – Shoulders
- Day 4 – Back / Biceps
- Rest
- Rest
Workouts
Build Muscle: Day 1 Chest/Triceps
Combined: Bench Press 2x 20 Warm Up , 5×5 Working Sets (vary weekly barbell and dumbbell to protect the rotator cuffs)
Isolated: Cable Flys with crossed over arms 3×12
Combined : Incline Bench 4x 6-8
Isolated: Butterflys close 2×20
Combined: Dips 4x to failure (minimum of 5)
Isolated: Triceps Rope PullDown 2×20
Add Core Work
Build Muscle: Day 2 Legs
Combined: Squats: 2×20 Warm Up, 5×5 Working Sets
Leg Extensions: 2×25
Combined: Stiffed Leg Deadlifts: 4×10 (watch the technique)
Isolated: Leg Curls: 2×25
Add Core Work
Build Muscle: Day 3 Shoulders
Combined: Military Press: 2×20 Warm Up, 5×5 Working Sets
Isolated: Side Laterals 3×12-15
Combined: Seated Dumbbell Press 2×20
Isolated: Reverse Butterfly: 4x 12-15
Isolated: Front Laterals: 3×12′
Add Core Work
Build Muscle: Day 4 Back/Biceps
Combined: Deadlift 2×20 Warm Up, 5×5 Working Sets
Isolated: Lat Pulldown Close Grip: 3×12-15 ( Feel muscle tension in the lats)
Combined: Barbell Rows: 3×12
Combined: Seated Cable Rows: 3×20 ( Do them as directly after the Barbell Rows, light weight, muscle tension)
Combined: Pull Ups: 5×5
Combined: Snatch Pulls: 3×10
Add Core Work
What is hypertrophy?
Hypertrophy is simply the increase in size of an organ or tissue through the enlargement of the cells that comprise it.
A hypertrophy program is designed not to increase strength or improve athletic performance (although there is an overlap, of course), but to primarily cause muscular growth by increasing the size of your muscle fibres.