If you’ve read our blog on Hypertrophy training or completed the 2021 Spring Challenge, you’ll know why we love a good hypertrophy split.
Hypertrophy is the growth of muscle cells, which in turn, causes our muscles to increase in size by creating stress and tension. You might experience more soreness than usual because hypertrophy training is the act of creating microtears in your muscles to increase the size of the individual muscle fibers. This style of training can not only help you build bigger muscles, but it might help you lose weight due to the increased number of calories you’ll be burning.
Heading into #FBKCelebr8, we’re going to do a mix of functional hypertrophy, metabolic conditioning and metabolic training.
3 MAIN STYLES OF TRAINING
FUNCTIONAL HYPERTROPHY
The first 3 weeks of #FBKCelebr8 will focus on functional hypertrophy. Functional hypertrophy will consist of 4-8 reps whereas traditional hypertrophy calls for 8-12 reps. This will allow you to lift heavier weights while still creating enough tension to create hypertrophy.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING
In the next 2 weeks, we’ll move into metabolic conditioning (MetCon). Think of metabolic conditioning as a more efficient form of training. Using both moderate-intensity and high-intensity movements, your body will more efficiently burn calories. During these 2 weeks, your weight will decrease and reps will increase. Each week will focus on 2 supersets and 1-2 other accessory exercises.
METABOLIC TRAINING
The last 3 weeks of the challenge will consist of metabolic training which challenges the energy systems of the body and assists with nutrient partitioning, the process by which the body decides what to do - fat or muscle - with the energy you get from your diet.
Metabolic training will have more reps, less rest, and more supersets at play. The goal here is to increase your metabolic rate during and after the workout to allow for adaptations of the cell and increased caloric burn long after your workout has ended.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Head into the next 8 weeks with these helpful tips from our coaches:
WATER
Drink more water, girl! No, seriously. We strongly encourage you to get a minimum of 20oz of water before, during, and after your training. Not only will this help you train better, but you will have 60oz of water down on your 1 gallon water goal!
PERI-WORKOUT NUTRITION
Your peri-workout nutrition is just another fancy way of saying your pre-workout meal. You might see some of the FBK coaches use this terminology in your check-ins if you’re doing the coached challenge. Here are some helpful tips for nailing that pre-workout meal.
If you train early in the morning:
- You can eat a larger carb meal for your dinner the night before (at least 2 hours before bed so it has time to digest and not disrupt your sleep)! Use that as your "pre-workout" meal for the morning.
- You can grab a small snack before heading to the gym if you feel like your energy and performance is lacking when you train fasted. Get some quick carbs in like orange juice, rice cakes, or fruit. Pro-tip- your liver loves fruit in the morning!
- Try an intra-workout supplement if you feel as though your energy and performance is dwindling. An intra-workout supplement is similar to a pre or post workout drink but is consumed during a workout to keep your body fueled with nutrients. Not sure that’s the right supplement for you? A normal gatorade will also work!
- You can 100% train fasted if you prefer, but we do suggest making sure you get in a great post workout meal!
If you train fed:
- We recommend your pre-workout meal be 1-3 hours before you train.
- We recommend eating your post workout meal within 2 hours after your training. Wait for your heart rate to come down to around (or within) 10 beats of your resting heart rate to properly digest your food.
REST
Your rest in between sets is very important in order to activate each training style. Try to really focus on your mind to muscle contraction, and pay close attention to the recommended rest times each week. You may be resting for longer periods during a functional hypertrophy workout while a more metabolic based workout will require decreased rest to increase your metabolic rate.