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Hypertrophy Program

The hypertrophy program is all about building your physique as quickly as possible. Again, do not switch to this program until you either have:

Been on the foundational program for 8 weeks
Or you have already been lifting for quite some time

If either of these applies to you, continue reading to learn how to optimize muscle growth.

Step 1: Get the workout routines

If you're reading on your phone and have Strong downloaded, you can import each day's routines onto your phone by clicking the headings below. If you don't have Strong, just copy the routines to your workout app or journal of choice.

Hypertrophy Program: Day 1 👈

Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest Time (min)
Bench Press (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Box Squat (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Wide Pull Up
3
8-10
3
Standing Calf Raise (Dumbell)
3
8-10
2
Cable Crunch
3
8-10
2
Lateral Raise (Machine)
3
8-10
2

Hypertrophy Program: Day 2 👈

Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest Time (min)
Deadlift (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Overhead Press (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Face Pull (Cable)
3
8-10
3
Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)
3
8-10
2
Triceps Extension (Cable)
3
8-10
2
Lying Leg Curl (Machine)
3
8-10
2

Hypertrophy Program: Day 3 👈

Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest Time (min)
Incline Bench Press (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Squat (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Seated Row (Cable)
3
8-10
3
Standing Calf Raise
3
8-10
2
Side Bend (Dumbell)
3
8-10
2
Lateral Raise (Machine)
3
8-10
2

Hypertrophy Program: Day 4 👈

Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest Time (min)
Sumo Deadlift (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Overhead Press (Barbell)
3
8-10
3
Face Pull (Cable)
3
8-10
3
Hammer Curl (Cable)
3
8-10
2
Triceps Extension (Cable)
3
8-10
2
Lying Leg Curl (Machine)
3
8-10
2

Step 2: The workout notes

The titles say it all but there's more info underneath each toggle if you have questions.

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Your primary goal is to increase your reps for every exercise
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Perform 8 to 10 reps for all exercises
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Rest for two to three minutes between sets
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Take your pre-workout an hour before working out
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Take a break between Day 2 and Day 3
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Resist the weight as you are lowering it
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Practice your mind-muscle connection
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Never bench or squat without a spotter

Step 3: How to Progress

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If you're already read this from the foundational program, you can skip this step!

Once you can get 10 reps for all three sets of a weighted exercise, add a total of 5lbs (2.2kg) to the exercise and try to get as many reps as you can again. Once you get 10 reps for all three sets with the increased weight, repeat the process. Here's a visual representation:

image

In week number two, this person was able to get 10 reps (in good form!) so they increased the weight of the exercise by 5lbs the following week. When they are able to reach 10 reps with the increased weight, they'll add another 5lbs and repeat.

For the first few weeks of the program, you should be able to add 5lbs per exercise every other week as you get the form down. If not either your nutrition, health or another factor hasn’t been taken care of!

Step 4: Record your progress

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If you're already used to this from the foundational program, you can skip this step!

How you record your progress depends on what method you chose to track your workouts. Read the options below to figure out how to do so with your preferred method:

How to do so on Strong:

  1. Enter the weight you used and then put your rep count under “reps”. Do not count those that you did not perform well.
  2. Then click the checkbox on the far right of the exercise.
  3. After clicking the checkbox, strong will automatically start your rest timer, so make sure that you make it set on the correct amount of time. Once the timer goes off, you should be lifting again!

On pencil and paper:

  1. Write down the weight you used and the reps you completed on the correct set number.
  2. Start a timer for the correct amount of rest time
  3. Once the timer goes off, start your next set!

The pace at which your body is molded into the ideal physique depends on your adherence to your nutrition, your health, and your training. Besides making sure that you have all of these components down, remember to take your progress photos each week!

If you plateau

If you ever get to the point where you cannot reach the top of the rep range for an exercise for all three sets twice in a row, you’ve plateaued. As an example, look at the table provided.

image

As you can see, this individual has been unable to reach 10 reps for all three sets after 2 weeks and therefore has plateaued.

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But this is not all doom and gloom! First, check your smart scale app to see if your muscle mass has increased in the last month. If you have Renpho—the recommended smart scale app—you can follow the steps on the Renpho page to see your muscle mass growth over time.

But, if your muscle mass has not increased, there is an easy fix to overcoming plateaus. By increasing the weight of an exercise and adding more rest time, you can skip plateaus as you reach them. Don’t worry, adding more time between sets does not decrease muscle growth [1, 2, 3] but it will make your workouts a little longer. Here's an example:

image

As shown above, the person that was initially struggling to get past their plateau at 15lbs was able to bypass it by increasing the weight and rest time.

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If increasing the weight and rep time doesn't work for you, take a de-load week.

Again, you will not do this during the cutting phase (unless you're a complete beginner). It is difficult to gain muscle while losing weight so be happy and satisfied if your muscle mass is staying stable. You will get back to muscle-building in the lean-bulking phase!

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