A Guide for Maximizing Hypertrophy with Calisthenics
- Thread starter raykay
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- bodyweight fitness
@myfaithislost Agreed. The sorneness idea is pretty out of date. We have a better understanding now.
fumbling_foo
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@fumbling_foo You could do it that way, or within the same workouts. My point being that you can mix and match different techniques. Really just pick out ones that easily fit into your training, and that give you good results.
For my case, I'm a really big fan of adding metabolic fatigue training at the end of a workout, supplemented by short rest periods. I like to do all my working sets with high tension and slow negatives, then push to failure with finishers at the end. But that's just what I like to do, there's many potential combinations.
Anything you're doing that hits all 3 growth mechanisms, is sustainable, and you can consistently recover from, that's what you should aim for.
For my case, I'm a really big fan of adding metabolic fatigue training at the end of a workout, supplemented by short rest periods. I like to do all my working sets with high tension and slow negatives, then push to failure with finishers at the end. But that's just what I like to do, there's many potential combinations.
Anything you're doing that hits all 3 growth mechanisms, is sustainable, and you can consistently recover from, that's what you should aim for.
fumbling_foo
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@fumbling_foo Yes, essentially.
fumbling_foo
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jeromiusintoonesimus
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jesusrescuedme
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@jesusrescuedme I'm currently a science student prepping for a master's program, so fitness is a hobby. I'm not specialized in exercise physiology or anything but my program involves a great deal of biology and chemistry. I started training very early on, right before adolescence, but my serious training began a few years later.
I'm not currently a fitness professional as I like to keep work and fun separate, although I'd say my circles run parallel to the industry. I've spent enough time (probably too much time) in higher up gyms so I've made friends with some people who are more closely tied to it.
As for my training, I've done a little bit of everything. I was a lifelong athlete and did one year in college, so lots of sports performance. I started calisthenics as a teenager after an abysmal wrestling season, then got into olympic weightlifting, powerlifting style training, bodybuilding, strongman, functional fitness training, isometrics, back to calisthenics again, then kettlebells and sandbags.
I enjoy the outdoors as well so I've usually maintained one or more forms of outdoor recreation like rock climbing, hiking, cycling, surfing, snowboarding, etc.
I'm a terrible specialist as I like to dabble in everything, and do just enough to get results before getting bored and pursuing something else. But I'm probably more well-rounded than most, because I've experimented more. By the average person's standards, my workouts are insane and masochistic.
I'm not currently a fitness professional as I like to keep work and fun separate, although I'd say my circles run parallel to the industry. I've spent enough time (probably too much time) in higher up gyms so I've made friends with some people who are more closely tied to it.
As for my training, I've done a little bit of everything. I was a lifelong athlete and did one year in college, so lots of sports performance. I started calisthenics as a teenager after an abysmal wrestling season, then got into olympic weightlifting, powerlifting style training, bodybuilding, strongman, functional fitness training, isometrics, back to calisthenics again, then kettlebells and sandbags.
I enjoy the outdoors as well so I've usually maintained one or more forms of outdoor recreation like rock climbing, hiking, cycling, surfing, snowboarding, etc.
I'm a terrible specialist as I like to dabble in everything, and do just enough to get results before getting bored and pursuing something else. But I'm probably more well-rounded than most, because I've experimented more. By the average person's standards, my workouts are insane and masochistic.
@raykay
For example there is maximum how much protein can be synthesized within a pair of filaments, so we arrive to what we call plateau, at which point we need to alter our training to include higher mechanical tension to help generate additional filament pairs and collagen connective tissue.
Rep Range Continuum is not challenged in the the study you linked. The rep range continuum is proven by studying proven high performance training regiments in different sports.
The most simple example is 100m and 200m sprint vs long distance running. Strength vs endurance calls for vastly different training and nobody is disputing or challenging this.
Indeed they are simplifications, but simplifications that cause wrong conclusions.
If a regular non-professional athlete doesn't have time to include all three different methods of hypertrophy in their workouts, an optimal solution is indeed 8-12 rep range to partially address all three. It is not a maximizing solution, and that is why it is called optimum solution.
- Correct there are three mechanisms for hypertrophy.
- But the three mechanisms are causing hypertrophy of three different components of the muscle. They all add to the muscular volume in their own capacity.
- Mechanical tension causes growth of the collagen based connective tissue and stimulus to multiply muscle fibers.
- Muscle damage is deconstruction of protein sliding filaments that enables new protein to be added during reconstruction.
- Metabolic stress grows energy and metabolites transporting tissue, and energy storage.
For example there is maximum how much protein can be synthesized within a pair of filaments, so we arrive to what we call plateau, at which point we need to alter our training to include higher mechanical tension to help generate additional filament pairs and collagen connective tissue.
Rep Range Continuum is not challenged in the the study you linked. The rep range continuum is proven by studying proven high performance training regiments in different sports.
The most simple example is 100m and 200m sprint vs long distance running. Strength vs endurance calls for vastly different training and nobody is disputing or challenging this.
Indeed they are simplifications, but simplifications that cause wrong conclusions.
If a regular non-professional athlete doesn't have time to include all three different methods of hypertrophy in their workouts, an optimal solution is indeed 8-12 rep range to partially address all three. It is not a maximizing solution, and that is why it is called optimum solution.
@ggg17 I'll try to address all of your points.
There is a point of plateau, hence the need for structured training and variety. I feel this is addressed in my post by advocating for use of several methods, as well as incorporating progressive overload and exercise variety.
I am referring to the rep range continuum in regards to training for hypertrophy, not whether it is useful for understanding the difference for training strength vs endurance. I do not think it is useless for that, but people have extrapolated the strength-endurance continuum to make simplistic assumptions about hypertrophy training. It has been a source of confusion.
You don't need to be a professional athlete to train outside of a given rep range, nor do your workouts need to be any longer or more frequent than they would have been otherwise. In fact, certain methods like the use of myoreps and shortened rest periods are extremely time-efficient, and are more than sufficient to offset the time it may take to complete more reps. Even if the sets take slightly longer, the distinction is arbitrary.
Example: 3 sets of 8, each rep takes 3 seconds (just making a rough guess on how long a rep would take), 120 seconds rest between sets. 8 reps x3 seconds = 24 seconds, multiply that by 3 sets to get 72 seconds total. Add 3 rest periods of 120 seconds (360), you end up with 432 seconds, or 7 minutes and 12 seconds.
Now compare this to 3 sets of 20, each rep takes 3 seconds, 90 seconds rest between sets. 20 reps x3 seconds = 60 seconds. Multiply by 3 sets and you get 180 seconds. Add 3 rest periods of 90 seconds (270) and you get 450 seconds, or 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
So the 3 sets of 20 with 90 seconds rest takes 18 seconds longer than the 3 sets of 8 with 120 seconds rest. An 18 second difference in 3 sets is arbitrary and is not enough time to add significant length to a workout.
There is a point of plateau, hence the need for structured training and variety. I feel this is addressed in my post by advocating for use of several methods, as well as incorporating progressive overload and exercise variety.
I am referring to the rep range continuum in regards to training for hypertrophy, not whether it is useful for understanding the difference for training strength vs endurance. I do not think it is useless for that, but people have extrapolated the strength-endurance continuum to make simplistic assumptions about hypertrophy training. It has been a source of confusion.
You don't need to be a professional athlete to train outside of a given rep range, nor do your workouts need to be any longer or more frequent than they would have been otherwise. In fact, certain methods like the use of myoreps and shortened rest periods are extremely time-efficient, and are more than sufficient to offset the time it may take to complete more reps. Even if the sets take slightly longer, the distinction is arbitrary.
Example: 3 sets of 8, each rep takes 3 seconds (just making a rough guess on how long a rep would take), 120 seconds rest between sets. 8 reps x3 seconds = 24 seconds, multiply that by 3 sets to get 72 seconds total. Add 3 rest periods of 120 seconds (360), you end up with 432 seconds, or 7 minutes and 12 seconds.
Now compare this to 3 sets of 20, each rep takes 3 seconds, 90 seconds rest between sets. 20 reps x3 seconds = 60 seconds. Multiply by 3 sets and you get 180 seconds. Add 3 rest periods of 90 seconds (270) and you get 450 seconds, or 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
So the 3 sets of 20 with 90 seconds rest takes 18 seconds longer than the 3 sets of 8 with 120 seconds rest. An 18 second difference in 3 sets is arbitrary and is not enough time to add significant length to a workout.
@raykay My main point is that three mechanisms are causing hypertrophy of three different components of the muscle and we need to train all three either periodized or combined. They all add to volume of the muscle in their own capacity.
For this reason it is wrong to say that high reps will achieve same results as low reps.
It is especially wrong to say that either low or high rep regiment will achieve the same result as both combined. They will result in growth of different part of the muscle.
Whether in long term a periodized approach achieves better result than a constant middle ground approach is not studied as far as I could find in literature, and for many it would be to small a difference to complicate the workout regiments.
For this reason it is wrong to say that high reps will achieve same results as low reps.
It is especially wrong to say that either low or high rep regiment will achieve the same result as both combined. They will result in growth of different part of the muscle.
Whether in long term a periodized approach achieves better result than a constant middle ground approach is not studied as far as I could find in literature, and for many it would be to small a difference to complicate the workout regiments.
@ggg17 Okay, I understand your point now. However, I'm not saying that either low reps or high reps is superior. I do agree that training methods need to be combined to emphasize different growth mechanisms. Which is why it is useful to train with a variety of rep ranges. I don't think we're in disagreement here.
Periodization is a little outside of the scope of this post, I did not want to go into it as I felt it would have made the post too lengthy.
Periodization is a little outside of the scope of this post, I did not want to go into it as I felt it would have made the post too lengthy.
thedrifter
New member
@thedrifter For the purpose of hypertrophy, it's not particularly important. For training other qualities, it can be helpful.