Barbell Hypertrophy specific training

[Nate]

Benefit of barbells (vs kettlebells) is that you can more easily increase load.
Would KB Squat at difficult RPE be less effective for hypertrophy than a much higher weight on barbell when though RPE may feel far easier?
Volume would favor barbell though RPE would favor kettlebell in this case... Does barbell win for hypertrophy regardless?
Thx

 

[Anna C]

Benefit of barbells (vs kettlebells) is that you can more easily increase load.
Would KB Squat at difficult RPE be less effective for hypertrophy than a much higher weight on barbell when though RPE may feel far easier?
Volume would favor barbell though RPE would favor kettlebell in this case... Does barbell win for hypertrophy regardless?
Thx

Just from my own thought process... I would think it matters more what type of hypertrophy you are trying for.

If you want global, whole-body hypertrophy -- i.e. increase lean body mass and put some meat on your bones and look like a lifter -- then you want to load the whole body in compound movements and train for strength. Barbell (especially squats) + caloric surplus is the way to go.

If you want specific hypertrophy in sort of a functional, fighter's physique, then kettlebell complexes are great. You can put in a lot of work and it does hit some specific areas and increase muscle, if not isolate to specific muscle groups.

If you want really specific hypertrophy in certain muscle groups (calves, biceps, serratus, pecs), then bodybuilding style workouts are the way to go: dumbbells and cables in higher rep sets and close to failure, to supplement basic barbell training.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

If you want global, whole-body hypertrophy -- ...Barbell (especially squats) + caloric

Calories

Consuming more calories is definitely the key to increasing overall mass.

Squats For Whole Body Hypertrophy

This is one of those myths that continues to be perpetuated.

Research shows that Squat alone don't very little to increasing whole body mass. The Squat, as with all body part targeted exercise, only increase muscle mass in the muscle being worked; Squat by themselves, are not going to produce a larger chest or arm bigger.

Biker Example

As you noted in previous post, Bikers have some of the best legs. However, have very small upper bodies.

That because they do very little training for their upper body.

Track Sprinter's upper bodies look slightly better but they are not noted for a large upper body, either.

 

[Anna C]

Research shows that Squat alone don't very little to increasing whole body mass.

Yes, agree... I should have clarified, "load the whole body in compound movements and train for strength. Barbell (especially squats) + caloric surplus is the way to go"
better as
"load the whole body in compound movements (squat, press, bench press, deadlift) and train for strength. Barbell (especially with an emphasis on heavy squats) + caloric surplus is the way to go."

You could also emphasize deadlifts instead of squats, but deadlifts have a small range of motion, therefore not as effective for the same volume of reps, IMO.

 

[Nate]

Would you say the RPE matters? A 70# goblet squat for 20 reps is a burner for me that I have to tough out. Yet a 135# back squat for 20 is a total breeze. Ergo, even though it feels far easier, the BB would be better than goblet bc of double the load?
Thanks.

 

[Anna C]

Would you say the RPE matters? A 70# goblet squat for 20 reps is a burner for me that I have to tough out. Yet a 135# back squat for 20 is a total breeze. Ergo, even though it feels far easier, the BB would be better than goblet bc of double the load?
Thanks.

I think with a back squat you have more muscle mass engaged in moving the load. So, "better" just depends on what you are after. If you specifically want to get stronger at goblet squats, or if you specifically want hypertrophy of the quads and lats and biceps and other muscles where you really feel the goblet squats, then you might be targeting them better with the goblet squats. If you want to make more muscle stronger or make more muscle in general, I'd go with back squats... but if 135# for 20 is a breeze you're not really triggering an adaptation.

Think in terms of target adaptations, and then pick an exercise, load, and rep/sets scheme, and progression (or better yet, a program that has all that figured out already) that targets that adaptation in response to the training stress. This is why we train, right? Other than, because it's fun...

 

[Nate]

I think with a back squat you have more muscle mass engaged in moving the load. So, "better" just depends on what you are after. If you specifically want to get stronger at goblet squats, or if you specifically want hypertrophy of the quads and lats and biceps and other muscles where you really feel the goblet squats, then you might be targeting them better with the goblet squats. If you want to make more muscle stronger or make more muscle in general, I'd go with back squats... but if 135# for 20 is a breeze you're not really triggering an adaptation.

Think in terms of target adaptations, and then pick an exercise, load, and rep/sets scheme, and progression (or better yet, a program that has all that figured out already) that targets that adaptation in response to the training stress. This is why we train, right? Other than, because it's fun...

Thanks, I was mainly pondering the comparison of volume load vs. failure/fatigue. Good input!

 

[Steve Freides]

Would KB Squat at difficult RPE be less effective for hypertrophy than a much higher weight on barbell when though RPE may feel far easier?

A lot of the difficulty of a heavy, two-bell front squat might be called "postural" - just keep the bells in the rack while you squat is something I find awkward and difficult at around bodyweight (2 x 32 kg for me). So one can't use RPE as a basis for comparing different lifts because the "E" in different lifts is different, and therefore the results will be different as well.

My answer to your question: for hypertrophy, put a bar on your back and squat triples with a 5RM, fives with an 8RM, etc., build up volume, make sure at least one week out of every four is easy, and to quote Pavel T., eat like a man and sleep like a baby.

-S-