Ok, it seems to me that changing most training parameters (e.g. #reps, rest time between sets, etc.) will either improve strength or hypertrophy, but usually not both. So if you reduce rest time between sets, holding all else constant, that should improve hypertrophy, but at the expense of building strength.
The one exception seems to be pausing at the bottom of a lift. I would agree that this mainly builds strength, but if you increase pause time at the bottom, you a) increase time under tension (assuming you stay thight at the bottom, and not relax your muscles (e.g. if you sit comfortably back in a box squat), and b) force you to use your muscles rather than the stretch reflex. This should result in hypertrophy, I would think.
Are there any other training parameters that one could change to achieve greater strength and hypertrophy? I know, it sounds like having your cake and eating it too, but the cost can be high: pausing at the bottom of most lifts can be brutal.
But assuming that I am going close to failure already, increasing the weight would force me to reduce the # of reps or time under tension (both of which should work in favour of strength, but possibly against hypertrophy).
I guess you can make the same kind of argument with any parameter you change. In my example (pausing at the bottom), I had to reduce the weight…however, it seems like my strength and mass gains have more than made up for this.
[quote]Dr. Pangloss wrote:
Increasing the weight?
Shouldn’t that be at the top of the list, or am I misunderstanding the question?[/quote]
Is your development at a point where you’re only able to achieve one goal and by necessity, it will come at the expense of the other? I’m thinking of an advanced bodybuilder or powerlifter.
I think if you’re able to achieve gains in strength and size by pausing at the bottom, then keep doing what you’re doing as it’s obviously working. Although, as you point out, your method does require you to reduce the weight being lifted.
[quote]MarcF wrote:
Ok, it seems to me that changing most training parameters (e.g. #reps, rest time between sets, etc.) will either improve strength or hypertrophy, but usually not both. So if you reduce rest time between sets, holding all else constant, that should improve hypertrophy, but at the expense of building strength.
[/quote]
I disagree with this based on my own experiences. I do not find strength or hypertrophy to be a dichotomy, but something that can be accomplished at the same time.
I’m curious as to why you would want parameters to achieve both size and strength in what you are referring to as one set or at least a sequence of sets of the one exercise.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to push hard at well known techniques to build strength for a given exercise or day or week whatever that cycle may be. Then for size we could push hard at well known hypertropy techniques that work. I don’t really see a reason why you would actually want to find ways of doing both at the exact same time.
For example powerbuilding is all about building strength in a given exercise then following up with hypertrophy training techniques in the same session.
I understands that you’re just asking the question of whether it can happen and there probably are some methods which overlap. Christian Thibaudeau’s layer method seems to give results of both size and strength but again that isn’t just one set creating the results it’s a combination of a few different ideas.
To give you a simple answer I have read by coaches such as Poliquin that isometric holds are useful for strength and hypertrophy as well as long eccentrics. I personally got nothing out of them at all but I’m sure some have.
I should have specified more details: I am time-constrained. What Angus1 suggests makes perfect sense (separating strength and hypertrophy), but I simply don’t have time for it. Pause squats (and other lifts) seem to solve my problem so I’ll keep doing it. I’ll also look up what Poliquin suggests.