The difference between building muscle and increasing strength.
Strength training
Strength training, also called weight training or weight lifting, has a number of benefits for your physical and mental health. Lifting weights can help improve metabolism, reduce body fat, and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases. And if you feel stressed, strength training can reduce anxiety and even improve your mood.
When you start training with weights, you will probably gain strength and muscle mass at the same time. As you continue and become more advanced, you need to focus on building strength or muscle to achieve your goals faster.
Hypertrophy versus strength
The construction of muscles is aimed at causing hypertrophy of muscle tissue, in which the muscle gains overall size. On the other hand, strength training is aimed at increasing the functional capabilities of the muscles.
When comparing hypertrophy and strength training, several key differences come to mind. Hypertrophy training requires a larger training volume with more frequent workouts and shorter rest periods between sets. Workouts include more sets and repetitions with less weight.
Strength training has a smaller training volume (fewer days, longer rest periods), but a higher intensity. The goal is to lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions and sets.
Even the nutritional and dietary needs in these two programs differ. Bodybuilding, or hypertrophy training, uses training protocols that are primarily focused on increasing muscle size, so a balanced nutrition program that maintains a low level of body fat and sufficient protein for muscle gain is vital. If you participate in competitions, there is preparation both for the season and outside it. The meal plan will also change depending on the category under consideration. During strength training, nutrition is necessary for the recovery and restoration of muscles.
Exercises for hypertrophy training
Muscle building programs use simulators for most of the training, but free-weight exercises and self-weight exercises are also used. Examples of hypertrophy exercises include · * Flexing the arms on the biceps · Bench press · Deadlift * Squats Training for hypertrophy involves progressive overload, which is necessary for maximum use of muscle fibers and increasing their size. For beginners and intermediate athletes, use a moderate load: from 65% to 80-85% of your maximum per repetition, 6-12 repetitions in the approach, 1-3 sets in the exercise. Rest should be from 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes between approaches.
For advanced training, perform from 67% to 85% of the load, 6-12 repetitions in the approach, at least 3 sets in the exercise. Rest should be from 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes between approaches.
Strength exercises
Strength training is usually focused around complex exercises (as opposed to hypertrophy training, which uses both complex and isolating exercises). Examples of strength training include: * Lunges · Overhead press · Push-ups · Triceps extensions
Experienced trainers tend to use more weight and fewer repetitions for strength training.
Benefits of Hypertrophy training
The goal of hypertrophic training is to achieve an aesthetic appearance with larger and more massive muscles. But this is not the only advantage.
* Calorie consumption
* Confidence and self-esteem
* Large muscle mass
* Metabolism
· Power
The benefits of strength training
Strength training is aimed at improving your functional form so that you can transfer the workouts that you do in the gym to everyday life. You will find that the stronger you become, the easier it is to carry food, play with children and lift heavy objects, such as furniture.
The benefits do not end there. Strength training helps to gain physical and psychological well-being.
* Increases confidence
* Improvement of sports results
· Increase in strength
* Increased bone density and muscle mass
* Lower body fat reduction
* Reduce stress, anxiety and fatigue
* Reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases
* Reducing the risk of injury and joint pain
* Improves mood
* Accelerates the metabolism
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hypertrophic workouts or strength training have a greater impact on the appearance of muscles?
Hypertrophy training has a greater impact on the appearance of muscles than strength training.
Should you train your strength first or increase your muscles immediately?
If you start training with weights, you increase your muscles and strength at the same time. Then you can choose a strength training program or a muscle building program (hypertrophy), depending on what you are striving for.
Result
A suitable combination of strength and muscle training will be most useful for most amateur athletes and fitness trainers. However, it is worth knowing how to adapt your workout once you reach an average level of physical fitness with weights. It is also useful to work with a personal trainer to work on your form and learn how to prevent injuries.
Regardless of whether you are training for strength, for muscles, or combining everything at once, you need to adhere to the appropriate exercises and programs to achieve success. But you should also listen to your body. Be careful with certain risks, such as skipping a warm-up, gaining weight too quickly, incorrect technique, or lack of time for rest and recovery.
