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Hypertrophy Phase

Should cyclists and other endurance athletes focus on building muscle mass during their strength-training program? That is a question that arises among many cyclists and coaches, "I want to get stronger, but I don't want to gain a lot of mass and weight." First we must realize that bigger does not mean stronger. Bigger individuals do not necessarily have a lot of lean muscle mass, which is what makes you strong. The larger the muscle, the more force it can produce, plain and simple. So should cyclists and other endurance athletes include a hypertrophy, muscle building, phase into their strength-training program?

It is no big surprise that the highest rated cyclists within the USCF (United States Cycling Federation) also have the highest anaerobic power outputs. This higher anaerobic power gives these cyclists the ability to attack, respond, climb short steep hills, and sprint faster than those with less anaerobic power, which enhances their chance of success in competition.

Studies researching the effects of weight-training and cycling performance show improved short-term anaerobic power performance as well as long-term cycling performance signified by increased time to exhaustion at a given sub-maximal workload (Hickson et al.1988, Marcinik et al. 1991). The increase in cycling performance of the aforementioned studies correlate well with the increase in leg strength of the subjects involved. However, the muscular adaptations responsible for the increases in anaerobic power and work capacity are still unknown. These gains in performance may be the result of increased muscle fiber size and the changes in contractile properties induced by strength training. The increased myofiber size following weight training may improve slow twitch muscle fiber velocity (VMax) and reverse the decline in VMax of fast twitch muscle fibers and peak tension development in all fibers (Fitts and Widrick 1996). Since larger, stronger, faster muscle fibers generate more force, cyclists who strength train, and include a specific hypertrophy phase to increase muscle fiber size, may be able to exercise or perform longer at a given sub-maximal workload due to stimulation of less muscle mass and reducing the force contribution from each active muscle fiber.

The basic premise behind this hypertrophy training is that a bigger muscle is more forceful. A muscles cross-sectional area is directly related to its strength. By adding a muscle building (hypertrophy) phase in our strength-training program, we can maximize the size of the muscle early on, when endurance training volume is low, and maintain these bigger muscles throughout the rest of the program. Many do not realize that endurance training actually reduces the size and power of the muscles over the course of the training year. By starting the season with larger muscles, you will end the year with more muscle mass than if you had not weight-trained at all.

To get the best results of hypertrophy training the best results come from the method of body builders. It is important to realize that this phase does not cause nervous system adaptation and mostly results in increased muscular size. Training the nervous system will be the focus of later phases. This method of training will be focused on the prime movers of cycling, the glute, hamstring, and quadricep muscles. The primary objective of this phase is to cause large chemical changes in the muscle, which affect the muscle fiber components. This method uses moderate loads, 70-80% 1RM, while performing as many repetitions as possible, usually between 8-12. It is very important to execute the maximal number of repetitions possible, to the point of muscle failure, and in some cases continuing to hold the contraction as long as possible. The goal is to maximally fatigue the muscle. Obviously there are certain exercises where this method will be contraindicated, i.e. free squats, and advised only with a spotter.

To reassess your strength after the adaptation phase and update your training loads you should re-test for 1RM. Begin the hypertrophy phase lifting 70-80% 1RM, one that allows only 10-12 repetitions. If you can perform 15 repetitions it is time to increase the weight until you are back within the 10-12 range.

The number of exercises will decrease form the previous phase to 5-8. All of these exercises should be the prime movers of cycling while continuing abdominal and back exercises. The speed of execution should be moderate to fast during the concentric (lifting) phase of the exercise and slower for the eccentric (lowering) phase to simulate the speed of contraction used during cycling.

Perform between 4-6 sets of each exercise and allow 2-3 minutes of rest between each set and 3-5 minutes between each exercise. Remember, the goal is to exhaust the muscle, so start with an exercise and complete all sets before moving to the next one.

Be sure to stretch the muscles following the workout. A stretched muscle will recover much faster by aiding blood flow to the area and maintain muscle fiber length. It is also important to replenish energy stores following such exhausting workouts. Proper nutrition will aid in training recovery and allow you to train as hard as possible.

There are many other methods of hypertrophy training, each with their own masochistic twist but the difference between them is most likely marginal as long as the basic concept of muscular failure is followed.

Good luck, and good training!

References:
Fitts, R.H., Widrick, J.J. (1996). Muscle mechanics: adaptations with exercise training. Exerc. Sports Sci.. Rev. 24: 427-73.
Hickson, R.C., Dvorak, B.A., Gorostiaga, E.M., Kurowski, T.T., Foster, C. 1988. Potential for strength and endurance training to amplify endurance performance. J. Appl. Physiol. 65: 2285-2290.
Marcinik, E.J., Potts, J.,Schlabach, G., Will, S., Dawson, P., Hurley, B.F. (1991) Effects of strength training on lactate threshold and endurance performance. Med. Sci Sports Exerc. 23: 739-743.

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Chad Butts (chadbutts@earthlink.net) is a personal trainer in the Ithaca area and Cat 2 cyclist for the Maxxis-SpokePost.com Cycling team. He has 8 years of training and racing experience and coaches endurance athletes in and around the central New York region. He is also currently finishing his Masters degree in exercise physiology at Ithaca College.