Intro to a year round training program for muscle growth

Part 3 of Ebook 'Periodized Hypertophy Training': Strength, Tension, and Intensity (STI)

A Comprehensive Program for Year Round Muscle Growth

Below is a brief overview of the Ebook Periodized Hypertrophy Training that will be released in parts as a blog on this site. The introduction to time under tension and background information on what actually makes muscles grow have been posted already.

STI Key Principles

The STI training system for hypertrophy was designed to incorporate the number one strength and conditioning principle known as periodization. It allows you to go through different training cycles that incorporate volume, time under tension, and intensity intermixed with muscle confusion. Also, active rest, which will prevent overtraining and allow for overload to speed growth. These are principles that have been used in exercise science that are based on more collective years of experience then any one bodybuilder or guru has attained. The final and central principle of the program is that of the research proven time under tension and the relationship between mechanical load, IGF-1 release and hypertrophy (muscle growth). Time under tension and Overload can be maximized during the Intensity Phase using drop sets as well as the Rest Pause technique (15 seconds before resuming exercise in the same set). As mentioned during the ‘Time Under Tension’ tutorial, the short rest periods limit oxygen availability and aid in improving anaerobic (energy production with minimal oxygen) performance and muscle growth. The program is divided into 3 parts, ‘Strength’, ‘Tension’, and ‘Intensity’. These phases are divided as follows: Strength- 3 months, Tension- 3 1/2 months, and Intensity- 6 months. Records should be taken so that they can be broken during your training cycle.

Periodization-is the systematic planning of athletic or physical training. The aim is to reach the best possible performance/physique during a specic part of the year or training cycle. It involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period.

Below are citations for parts 1-3

Citations:

West DW, Burd NA, Staples AW, Phillips SM. Human exercise-mediated skeletal muscle hypertrophy is an intrinsic process. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2010 Sep;42(9):1371-5. Epub 2010 Jun 9
Marcas M. Bamman, James R. Shipp, Jie Jiang, Barbara A. Gower, Gary R. Hunter, Ashley Goodman, Charles L. McLafferty Jr., and Randall J. Urban. Mechanical load increases muscle IGF-I and androgen receptor mRNA concentrations in humans. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 280: E383-E390, 2001; 0193-1849/01.
K. M. Heinemeier, J. L. Olesen, P. Schjerling, F. Haddad, H. Langberg, K. M. Baldwin, and M. Kjaer. Short-term strength training and the expression of myostatin and IGF-I isoforms in rat muscle and tendon: differential effects of specific contraction types. J Appl Physiol 102: 573-581, 2007. First published October 12, 2006; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00866.2006 8750-7587/07
Nishimura A1, Sugita M, Kato K, Fukuda A, Sudo A, Uchida A. Hypoxia increases muscle hypertrophy induced by resistance training. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2010 Dec;5(4):497-508.
Bamman MM, Shipp JR, Jiang J, Gower BA, Hunter GR, Goodman A, McLafferty CL Jr, Urban RJ. Mechanical load increases muscle IGF-1 and androgen receptor mRNA concentrations in humans. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2001 Mar;280(3):E383-90.
Andreas Costa, Hicham Dalloul, Hargita Hegyesi, Peter Apor, Zsolt Csende, Levente Racz, Mark Vaczi and Jozsef Tihanyi. Impact of repeated bouts of eccentric exercise on myogenic gene expression. Volume 101, Number 4, 427-436, DOI: 10.1007/s00421-007-0510-z
Willardson, Jeffery M. A Brief Review: Factors Affecting the Length of the Rest Interval Between Resistance Exercise Sets. J of Strength and Cond. Research. November 2006 - Volume 20 - Issue 4