GAINING MUSCLE FOR POWERLIFTING: GET JACKED TO GET STRONG
Gaining size. It’s a huge motivator to work out for most, there’s even an entire sport dedicated to it. Many lifters chase more definition, better flexing angles, seeing their hard work pay off. How does this specifically relate to Powerlifting though? You may hear lifters going down weight classes, and people saying they want to be “strong, not big,” so why would hypertrophy matter? The truth is size and strength gains are interrelated. If you want to push heavy weight, gaining muscle mass will help you do that. You’ll reach a point where your current body composition can’t get you to the lifts you want to achieve. Your training and nutrition programs should intentionally focus (during certain phases) on helping you build some mass. Let’s go over what this may look like & how it will benefit you.
Why does hypertrophy matter for strength?
Some may say that strength and size have no connection, that you can get stronger without getting bigger, and that incorporating higher reps/volume/”bodybuilding” stuff is a waste of time.
The truth is, while strength and size aren’t directly correlated, size does support strength. Muscle mass and force production aren’t completely separate, they affect one another.
Strength gains happen via either neural or physical adaptations. To quote Chad Wesley Smith, “muscle size supplies the literal machinery for contraction.”
Improved rate of force development, motor coding, and movement proficiency all lead to strength gains regardless of whether you’ve built muscle.
But, adding muscle mass plays a role in the physical aspect.
What is the expression of strength? It’s force production.
A muscle with a greater cross-sectional area has the potential to produce more force. A bigger muscle is more capable of moving more weight. The body needs muscle to help it be more efficient at lifting. A skinnier, leaner lifter with less mass generally won’t be able to move as much weight as a lifter with more muscle mass. (Though this is not always the case- highlighting that while they're related, other factors go into strength development).
A recent study found a high correlation between one-rep max and muscle size, emphasizing the connection between the two.
More muscle mass will also improve your leverages. When you’ve got bigger glutes, your butt will be less likely to come up off the bench when you’re pressing. You’ll be able to engage that muscle more readily during your squats and deadlifts.
It makes sense to dedicate a separate phase to adding mass, as trying to combine size with heavy strength training can have too much interference. The volumes required for hypertrophy accumulate a lot of fatigue, which affects your 3RM squat or top Bench single when you’re in a strength or peaking phase. Additionally, hypertrophy is less “specific” to Powerlifting even though it has some carryover, which is why it’s prioritized further out from a meet.
This process isn’t about looking as jacked or shredded as possible- even if you can’t SEE your muscles, spending time building them should still be a priority if you want to get strong. If you entirely ignore hypertrophy, you’ll be limiting your potential. Powerlifting is about doing whatever it takes and putting in the work to reach your goals. That includes some hypertrophy work.
2. What should your program look like?
When in a hypertrophy-focused phase, your program will be slightly different from other cycles. These changes are mainly in exercise selection and set/rep schemes. The goal is to maintain strength while focusing more on adding mass.
A) Volume-
During a hypertrophy block, your training volume will likely increase. While training a variety of rep ranges is beneficial, primarily sets of 1-5 are better for building strength than size.
Your overall work will uptick in both sets and reps. You will likely include mostly 3-5 sets and 6-12 reps. However, there are some fun & unique ways to go about it, too:
Drop sets:
Drop sets are a fun way to accumulate extra volume and get a nice pump going.
To incorporate them, you do one set at a certain weight, immediately drop it 10-20 lbs, do more reps, then immediately drop it another 10-20 lbs. These work best for cable/machine movements as it’s easy to drop the weight-leg extensions, cable rows, tricep pushdowns, hamstring curls, etc., but dumbbells can also be used.
If you want to get fancy, Chain-Floor-Press-Drop-Sets are lots of fun. Using a barbell or swiss bar, start with 2-3 chains per side, do a few reps, take off one chain per side, do a few reps, then with 0-1 chains, burn it out.
A favorite tricep pushdown drop set is starting with ten reps at one weight, dropping it 10 lbs, 15 reps at that weight, then dropping it again and doing 20.
I love incorporating these as a burner after your main work.
AMRAPs:
AMRAPs are a great way to test your limits, overreach a little bit (inducing better gains) and get that work capacity going. I like incorporating them after other heavy stuff or at the end of a 4-week block to reflect the progress you’ve made.
AMRAP stands for “as many reps as possible.” These can be used on almost anything- from main lifts to accessories.
Squats, bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, pushdowns, leg extensions, goblet squats, chin-ups, push-ups, etc. all work.
Within a program example: Squat/bench press variation, start with 3x6, then for the final set, drop 10 lbs and get as many reps as possible.
At the end of a program: choose a certain percentage (75-85%, per se) and go for as many reps as you possibly can.
Reverse Volume:
If you’re trying to maintain strength, your body feels beat up from high-rep work, and/or you need variety, reverse volume is another solid approach. You still get a lot of the benefits of typical high-volume stuff, but usually with more weight & less fatigue.
This method could even be an undulating day during a hypertrophy cycle. You still want some high-rep stuff but may choose higher sets/lower reps for other exercises. I like using this approach for deadlifts, as I’m typically not so keen on programming, say, a 4x8 competition deadlift.
Some examples of reverse volume rep schemes are: 6 x 3, 8 x 4, 10 x 2, things like that- the sets are a lot higher, but the reps are lower, so you’re a bit more recovered and more likely to maintain technique.
B) Variations-
During a volume phase, specificity will likely be lower, and variation will be greater.
The reasoning behind this is you want to save those comp-specific lifts for when you’re closer to a meet, focused more on building strength, and because there are better variations than straight-bar SBD that you can choose for hypertrophy. This sentiment DOES NOT mean that your main barbell lifts must be excluded entirely, especially if you’ve got number goals, but you may incorporate more accessory movements.
Determine your weaknesses to attack. Weak quads? Weak triceps? Weak upper back? Base your variations on this.
For example, you might choose a close-grip bench press or high-bar back squat to build up lagging muscle groups. Exercise selection should be based on building overall muscle and bringing up groups that you feel are holding you back.
C) Accessory work-
During a hypertrophy phase, you may also have more accessories. This makes sense-
Accessories are designed to bring up weaknesses and target individual muscle groups. There’s a reason most Bodybuilders train primarily with machines, dumbbells, and cables, splitting up sessions into different muscle groups.
Always, but especially during a hypertrophy phase, push your accessories with intention. Train them to higher RPEs. Don’t be sandbagging your tricep pushdowns, then complain about struggling to make gains.
Determine which muscle groups are your weakest, and train those with more frequency and volume. Ensure that you’re still incorporating others, too.
For example, if your upper back is your weakness, you may include those accessories 3x a week, where you only have one day with leg-focused movements. Use more variety and new techniques with your accessories since they are an even more important part of a hypertrophy program. Try new exercises, incorporate supersets or giant sets, Drop sets/AMRAPs like mentioned before, etc.
Simply pushing your accessories harder can be just what you need to stimulate growth.
3. How should you change your nutrition?
Nutrition in a muscle-building phase may look different than year-round, or it may not! It all depends on where you’re starting. With performance, especially muscle-building, nutrition plays an integral role in your success. Don’t expect major gains if you’re not paying attention to your diet.
It doesn’t need to be overly complicated, simply doing the following can prove very effective:
A) Eat at maintenance/calorie surplus.
Unless your goal is only to maintain muscle while cutting (another topic entirely), don’t expect to grow if you’re eating in a deficit. You’re trying to focus on two separate goals simultaneously, and you won’t see the best results with either.
Calories should be at LEAST around your maintenance level, and eating in a slight surplus optimizes muscle growth.* This surplus doesn’t need to be drastic- an additional 100-300 calories/day is adequate.
Not only is this necessary for building lean tissue, but it will also help you have higher-quality training sessions. It’s really difficult (if not impossible) to push the volume and effort when you’re undereating. Most of your time should be spent fueling adequately, anyways!
B) Eat adequate protein.
You’ve probably heard this a million times, so I’m not going to over-explain it. Protein is vital for growing and maintaining lean muscle mass and optimizing recovery. This habit should be a focus no matter what phase you’re in, especially when the goal is growth.
Aim for a minimum of 0.7-0.8g of protein per lb of bodyweight per day or 1g per lb of lean mass. Try spacing your protein out throughout each meal, aiming for a specific target each time you eat. Doing so can help optimize muscle protein synthesis & make it easier to reach your goal.
C) Eat plenty of carbs.
Yep, we’re not about the carb demonization over here. As a strength athlete, carbs are essential to your performance. They also improve muscle recovery and help you train at your best. You will see a drastic improvement in energy levels & workouts when you start eating adequate levels of carbohydrates. Aim for about 4-8g/kg of body weight per day and/or a source at most/every meal.
D) Eat lower-volume foods.
If you struggle with eating enough food, this tip is for you! When you’re filling up on lean protein and vegetables, it’ll be difficult to reach your calorie target: since those foods are so high in volume. While high volume may be conducive to those in a calorie deficit, you will feel full on fewer calories, making it hard to meet your needs. This fact does NOT mean to exclude lean proteins and vegetables, but find ways to add calories, like:
-cooking in oil
-choosing higher-fat protein sources
-choosing more starchy vegetables
-adding in healthy fat sources- nuts, nut butter, avocado, dark chocolate, seeds
-Drinking your calories: from juice, smoothies, protein shakes, etc
-Incorporating more snacks throughout the day
That way, your stomach won’t feel so full, and you’ll be able to get the food your body needs!
E) Time nutrition around workouts.
Growing muscle is hard, and every little detail matters. While your overall nutrition is the most important, prioritizing certain nutrients at certain times can help you see better progress.
There are a lot of myths around pre and post-workout nutrition, so let’s dismantle a few:
-While the “30-minute anabolic window” isn’t true:** you have more time than a half-hour, getting in protein after a workout is important. The exact timing will depend on the time of your last protein feeding, but try to get it in as soon as you reasonably can.
-Simple, fast-digesting carbohydrate sources are not inherently “bad” or “unhealthy.” In fact, they are helpful before a grueling workout!
A few simple ways to prioritize nutrient timing include:
-Getting a solid serving of carbohydrates before a workout (at least 25-50g), preferably faster-digesting (such as white rice, bread, bagels, juice, dried fruit, cereal, etc.)
-If your workouts last longer than 1-1.5 hours, adding in an intra-workout carb source (a banana, some juice, dried fruit) may be helpful
-Including a solid serving of protein, about 20-40g, after a workout, preferably with some carbs, too.
-Staying hydrated!
While these tips may seem simple, that’s the goal, and they can drastically improve performance and recovery!
Even though most lifters don’t get into Powerlifting to get as jacked as possible, building muscle is vital for maximizing your potential in the sport. Bigger muscles pave the road for stronger lifts. Spending dedicated training blocks focused on hypertrophy will help you achieve this goal, improving your strength down the road. During a hypertrophy phase, your training will look different- more volume, different rep schemes, and less specificity to help you focus on the goal. Nutrition also may change, and prioritizing your diet is extremely important for the best results. During a muscle-building phase, put your focus and intention on your goal, even if it’s a less exciting one. Dedicating time to hypertrophy will make you a better athlete, which is what we’re all in this for!
References
1) *Slater GJ, Dieter BP, Marsh DJ, Helms ER, Shaw G, Iraki J. Is an Energy Surplus Required to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Associated With Resistance Training. Front Nutr. 2019 Aug 20;6:131. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2019.00131. PMID: 31482093; PMCID: PMC6710320.
2) **Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (2018). Is there a postworkout anabolic window of opportunity for nutrient consumption? clearing up controversies. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 48(12), 911–914. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2018.0615
3) Marcel B. Lanza, Hugo C. Martins-Costa, Carolina C. De Souza, Fernando V. Lima, Rodrigo C.R. Diniz, Mauro H. Chagas,
Muscle volume vs. anatomical cross-sectional area: Different muscle assessment does not affect the muscle size-strength relationship, Journal of Biomechanics, Volume 132, 2022, 110956, ISSN 0021-9290,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.110956 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002192902200015X)
4) Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (2018). Is there a postworkout anabolic window of opportunity for nutrient consumption? clearing up controversies. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 48(12), 911–914. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2018.0615
5) King, A., Helms, E., Zinn, C. et al. The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01716-w
