Equipment Feature | Technogym Pure Strength Plate Loaded

Next up in our series of fitness concepts we are going to tackle increasing lean body mass which we refer to as hypertrophy, or what your favorite non-weight-reracking gym bro likes to call…GAINZ. It will be difficult to tackle this topic in short form so expect several more discussions around all things hypertrophy in the coming months. Think of this as an introduction or an overview of a very complex topic. When we think of hypertrophy, we typically envision a bodybuilder type physique or that of a professional athlete who needs large amounts of mass to perform at peak levels and mitigate injury. However, when you take a step back and look at hypertrophy for what it actually is you will learn how crucial it is for overall wellness, an increased health span and optimal functioning in everyday activities. To get a better idea of what we are talking about let’s define hypertrophy. By the way, it is important to point out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a bodybuilder physique and they are some of the most dedicated athletes you’ll ever come across. Just don’t leave them alone around your grilled chicken.

Hypertrophy – an enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells.

So now that we know the definition of hypertrophy let’s put it into the context of training. Hypertrophy in fitness is considered an adaptation, and we know in many, if not all, cases of adaptation a stressor needs to be presented. Now we need to know what the stressor is to induce the adaptation of hypertrophy. In the case of hypertrophy, the stressor is you putting load on the body either globally (compound) or locally (isolated), which can be done in several ways, including bodyweight exercises, free weights, cables, plate loaded equipment, etc. There are three underpinning factors that contribute to hypertrophy.

1. Mechanical Tension – induced tension produced both by force generation and stretch or the force that you apply to muscles through a form of resistance or weights
2. Metabolic Stress – a physiological process that occurs during exercise in response to low energy that leads to metabolite accumulation (lactate, phosphate inorganic (Pi) and ions of hydrogen (H+)) in muscle cells
3. Muscle Damage – localized damage to muscle tissue which, under certain conditions, is theorized to generate a hypertrophic response. The jury is still out on this one.