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STRENGTH TRAINING FOR THE MARTIAL ARTS PART II: DEVELOPING MUSCLE HYPERTROPHY

The Importance of Muscle Hypertrophy

In the world of sport science, muscle hypertrophy is a term used to describe the cellular process by which a skeletal muscle fibre increases in size. Hypertrophy involves the creation of new muscle proteins which can include enzymes that are involved in energy producing chemical reactions. Hypertrophy can also result in the creation of new contractile proteins. These contractile proteins are important as they are the force generating structures of a muscle.

Regular strength training can result in a tremendous increase in muscle size, and this is mainly due to the creation of new contractile proteins. As the size of a muscle is increased the force generating capabilities will increase due to the fact that the force produced by a muscle is directly proportional to its size. This increase in size will result in greater strength and power, and as discussed in "Strength Training for the Martial Arts Part I", this is of considerable importance for martial artists and fighters.

In addition to improvements in the force generating capabilities of muscle, increasing muscle hypertrophy can also provide other benefits. For example, increasing muscle hypertrophy is one of the best methods of losing fat and increasing lean body mass. Muscle is a very energy-demanding tissue, and by increasing muscle mass there will be a direct increase in the daily energy expenditure. This can produce extremely positive results for those individuals who need to lose body fat.

For martial artists, increasing muscle mass is an excellent method of increasing overall body mass to either move up a weight category or to maximize weight for a given weight category. This is highly preferred over increasing fat mass as by increasing muscle tissue it is possible to improve performance and body composition.

At this point it should be clear why increasing muscle hypertrophy is important for fighters and martial artists. In the next section I will outline the optimal methods for developing muscle hypertrophy.


Methods to Increase Muscle Hypertrophy

Training methods designed to increase muscle hypertrophy result in some of hardest programs that you can do in the weight room. These workouts often contain a relatively high volume of work and result in the accumulation of lactic acid that can leave you feeling nauseous and exhausted. It is only through this hard training though that significant muscle hypertrophy can be gained.

Research indicates that the optimal loading zone for developing muscle hypertrophy is 6 to 12 RM (please see Table 1 for an explanation of strength training terminology), and the time under tension should be between 40 and 60 seconds per set. So, if you were performing a 10RM set on the bench press you would have to take at least four seconds to complete each repetition in order to meet the desired time under tension. Appropriate tempos would therefore be 2/0/2 (i.e. 2 seconds to lower the weight and 2 seconds to raise the weight) or 3/0/1 (i.e. 3 seconds to lower the weight and 1 second to raise the weight). In addition, it is necessary to perform at least three to five sets per exercise with a total of 12 to 15 sets per body part. Rest intervals should be at least three minutes when the repetition range is between 6 to 8RM, two to three minutes when the range is 8 to 10RM, and 60 seconds to 90 seconds when the repetition range is 10 to 12RM.

Using the training parameters described above can result in extremely lengthy workouts. It is critical though that the workout last no more than 60 minutes after the first hard set. One solution to this problem is to pair opposite muscle groups in a superset fashion which is commonly referred to as agonist/antagonist supersets. For example, pressing movements can be paired with pulling movements or a biceps exercise can be paired with a triceps exercise. Training in this fashion will increase the work density while still satisfying the rest requirements. Remember that while you are performing a set of dumbbell triceps extension your biceps muscle is able to rest. Training using agonist/antagonist supersets will also increase the hormonal response to the strength training session and this will have a positive effect on body composition and assist in increasing muscle mass.

Finally, proper nutrition is critical to increasing muscle hypertrophy. It is important to eat meals at regular intervals throughout the day (i.e. every two hours), and a small serving of protein should be consumed with each meal. It is also important to consume fibre rich carbohydrates and to completely avoid simple sugars and processed carbohydrates.


Table 1: Strength Terminology

TERM	DEFINITION
Repetitions Maximum (RM)	Number of correct repetitions that can be performed at a given load without a significant rest period.
Tempo	Speed at which the load is moved during a repetition (e.g. 3/0/1). The first number refers to the eccentric action or the action involving the stretch of the muscle. The middle number refers to a pause in the movement, and the third number refers to the concentric action or the action involving the contraction of the muscle. (e.g. if you were performing an incline bench press on a 3/0/1 tempo, it would take you three seconds to lower the barbell and one second to raise the barbell).
Time Under Tension	Time that a muscle is under tension in a given set (e.g. suppose you performed 10 repetitions of a pull up on a 3/0/2 tempo- it would take you two seconds to raise your body and three seconds to lower your body- each repetition would be five seconds of tension multiplied by 10 repetitions which would give 50 seconds/set).
Rest Interval	Amount of time taken between sets of a given exercise (usually measured in seconds).
Superset	Involves performing a pair of exercises back to back (e.g. if you were supersetting three sets of a flat bench press and chin ups, you would first perform a set of flat bench press, then a set of chin ups, and you would repeat until three sets of each had been accomplished)

Table 2: Sample Hypertrophy Program

	Exercise Description	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
1A	Close Grip Incline Press	4	8-12RM	3/0/1	60 sec
1B	Neutral Grip Pull Up	4	8-12RM	3/0/1	60 sec
2A	Flat Dumbbell Press	4	8-12RM	3/0/1	60 sec
2B	Bent Over Row	4	8-12RM	3/0/1	60 sec
3A	Incline Dumbbell Fly	3	10-12RM	3/03	60 sec
3B	Neutral Grip Seated Row	3	10-12RM	3/03	60 sec

Table Note: The exercises listed above are paired. This is indicated by the notation "1A/1B, 2A/2B, 3A/3B.