Strength and muscle building can help and support the 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.
Some athletes get jacked using bodyweight movements, or just by looking at the weights, whilst others have to work twice as hard to put on the same amount of muscle. This is an important reminder.
You can choose to follow the practices of the biggest guy or fittest female in the gym, but the methods that work for them might not work at all for you. Once you understand the principles then you can adapt and apply the right methods in order to find the best way for you.
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.
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.
This one is a killer. You do not use heavy weights, but you won´t need them.
How to Build Muscle: 4 Day Split Program
- Day 1 – Back and Biceps
- Day 2 – Chest and Triceps
- Day 3 – OFF
- Day 4 – Quads, Hamstrings and Calves
- Day 5 – Shoulders, Traps and Forearms
- Day 6 – OFF
- Day 7 – OFF
| Day 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back and Biceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Deadlift | 2 | 5 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Wide Grip Pull Up or Lat Pull Down | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Seated Cable Row or Machine Row | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| EZ Bar Preacher Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Seated Dumbbell Curl | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Day 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest and Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Bench Press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Chest Dip | 3 | AMAP* |
| Cable Crossover or Pec Dec | 3 | 12-15 |
| Machine Press or Dumbbell Bench Press | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| EZ Bar Skullcrusher | 3 | 8-12 |
| Two Arm Seated Dumbbell Extension | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cable Tricep Extension | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Day 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quads, Hamstrings and Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squat | 3 | 6-10 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 15-20 |
| Hack Squat or Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 8-12 |
| Leg Extension | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 8-12 |
| Leg Curl | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Day 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders, Traps and Forearms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Seated Barbell Press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Seated Arnold Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| Hammer Strength Press or Smith Press | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Upright Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Barbell Shrug or Dumbbell Shrug | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Seated Barbell Wrist Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| Barbell Static Hold | 5 Minutes | Burn |
*AMAP = As many as possible.
Barbell Static Holds. Instead of performing reps you simply hold the bar as long as possible.