People Swear by 'Hypertrophy' Workouts for Bigger Arms: 'The Best Bicep Pump of Your Life'
If you're looking to boost muscle growth and build sleeve-busting biceps, "hypertrophy" workouts are the name of the game. Fitness pros and gym-goers alike on TikTok swear by certain hypertrophy workouts to sculpt a more muscular frame, so we chatted with Tyler Read, BSc, CPT, the founder of PTPioneer.com and a personal trainer who has been involved in the health and fitness world for the past 15 years, to talk about the benefits.
Keep reading to learn how hypertrophy training can help you achieve bigger arms. And when you're finished, be sure to check out the 10 Best Total-Body Exercises To Look 10 Years Younger After 40.
What is hypertrophy training?
"Hypertrophy is just the scientific way of saying increases in muscle size," explains Read. "Hypertrophy training revolves around using exercises and workout structures focused on an increase in muscle size.
In its most basic form, a hypertrophy workout will likely include isolation resistance and compound exercises with a weight that results in failure anywhere between eight to 15 reps. "This range is considered optimal when you want to favor muscle size adaptations, although you will also get strength and fitness benefits as well," Read adds.
How are hypertrophy workouts beneficial for those who want to build bigger arms?
If building bigger arms is your fitness goal, then hypertrophy training is a must, Read stresses. Why? You need to perform exercises that fire up the major muscle groups in and surrounding your arms, including your triceps, biceps, forearms, and shoulders.
"Compound movements like rows and overhead presses are a good foundation, then doing some isolation exercises like bicep curls and tricep extensions can give some extra targeting to your arm muscles and round off your workout," Read explains. "Typically, you're going to perform slightly heavier sets on the compound movements, perhaps in the eight-to-12-repetition range, and then somewhat higher reps on the isolation movements such as 10 to 15 repetitions."
When all is said and done, the most important thing is that the weight you choose is challenging for the number of reps you perform, as this will lead to muscle growth. Your goal should be to select a weight "where you have no more than one repetition in the tank by the end of your set," says Read, and muscle failure that falls within the "hypertrophy range" of eight to 15 reps is perfectly okay. If performing eight reps with your chosen weight isn't doable, feel free to opt for a slight weight reduction that allows you to perform complete sets.
People swear by hypertrophy workouts for bigger arms.
TikTok user @sam.zakka explained the hypertrophy training workout in his video will be "the best bicep pump of your life." He came across the routine thanks to Joe Bennett, also known as the "Hypertrophy Coach." Zakka said in his clip, "I knew I had to try it. The workout consists of three exercises with no rest in between, and each one is a drop set. You start with dumbbell spider curls, you then move into incline dumbbell curls, and then you finish the workout with dumbbell hammer curls. I can confidently say that this was one of the best pumps I've had. It even hurt a little bit."
Sign up for our newsletter!
