The Best Way To Train For Muscle Growth

Gaining muscle seems simple, but the process is actually guided by specific mechanisms. Learning what these mechanisms are can help you use your time more effectively in the gym by focusing on what matters most.

The method behind building muscle is simple at its core: train, eat, sleep, and grow. However, the science behind growth is one of the most sought-after topics in the fitness industry, with often differing methods to help aspiring lifters get the results they want.

The goal of this article is to simplify and summarize the key things you should focus on if your goal is muscle hypertrophy, ie. muscle growth.

Mechanisms of Muscular Hypertrophy

Muscle growth comes from a specific stimulus. In order to increase your muscle size, it's important to first understand which mechanisms are believed to play a role:

1. Mechanical Tension

2. Metabolic Stress

3. Muscle Damage

You can think of these as muscle growth “pathways,” and they can be heightened or lessened by how you train. For example, heavy weightlifting emphasizes progressive mechanical tension and muscle damage. Working with lighter weights and higher rep ranges, however, emphasizes metabolic stress, especially when the rest times in between sets are relatively short.

Mechanical Tension

The primary stimulus for muscle growth is sufficiently high and prolonged tension