as you age hypertrophy becomes more important, because muscle mass is lost more easily as we age.
Hypertrophy Training
Traditional Hypertrophy Training that the Bodybuilders perform increases muscle mass at the expense of Maximum Strength, Power and Speed; when the Hypertrophy Training Protocol is solely performed.
Mark Rippetoe
As per Mark, "Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general."
While increasing muscle mass is important, it need to be...
Functional Hypertrophy
Functional Hypertrophy training means individual are just as strong as they look; as you know.
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld's Hypertrophy Research
Schoenfeld determined that these three factors increasing muscle mass...
1
) Mechanical Tension
This is Maxium Strength Training with heavy loads.
2) Metabolic Stress
This is produced with Traditional/Bodybuilding Hypertrophy Training.
3) Muscle Damage
This is elicited by stressing muscles; via pushing and exercise near the limit or to the limit in at the end of a Periodization Training Cycle.
This is also produced when Full Range Movement are performed.
As an example, in a Full Squat, a Loaded Stretch occurs in bottom part of the movement. This stress trigger muscle growth.
Loaded Stretches between Sets in a Exercise, Rest Period between Sets for around 30 seconds (Dr Jake Wilson) also elicit Hypertrophy.
Hypertrophy Program Design
A well written and performed Hypertrophy Training Program should incorporate all three of he above.
This also true for Maximum Strength Training
Dr. Michael Zourdos
Zourdos' (Powerlifter) research determine the same approach, as Schoenfield's, applies for the development of Maxium Strength.
Zourdos found days that specifically focued on one type of Strength optimized Maxium Strength.
1) Monday: Hypertrop;hy Training
2) Wednesday: Power Training
3) Friday: Maxium Strength Training
The Westside Powerlifting Method incorporate all three of these method into it's program: Repetition Method (Hypertrophy), Max Effort Method (Maximum Strength) and Speed Training (which is really Power Training).
Synergistic Effect
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
That mean the synergistic effect amount to adding 2 + 2 and getting 5.
With that in mind, a well written need to incorpoate these components in it for optimal results for increasing strength or muscle mass.
The training objective (as Steve stated) determines how the program is written and perform for Hypertrophy or Maxium Strength deveopment.
Another Approach To Functional Hypertrophy
Incorporating Hypertrophy Training into a program that also includes Maxium Strength and Power is one method, as Zourdos research demonstrated.
Another method is...
Dr Jonathan Oliver's Cluster Set Hypertrophy Training
Oliver's Objective was to find a method that increased athletes muscle mass without decreasing their Maimum Strength, Power and Speed with a Traditional Hypertrohy Training Program.
Oliver determined that Cluster Set Hypertrophy Training allowed athlete to do just that; increase muscle mass while maintained and/or increasing Speed, Power and Maximum Strength.
Loss of Muscle Mass With Aging
Diet is one of the main facotors this occur for most individual.
As you know, a certain amount of protein (Leucine) need to be consumed per meal to trigger mTOR (which turn on the anabolic, muscle building effect).
Dr Donald Layman's Meal Research
Layman's detemined that the majority of individual only have one meal a day with enough protein (Leucine) to maintain/promote muscle growth; Dinner.
They do not consume enough protein for Breakfast or Lunch to elicit the anabolic effect.
Pulse Feeding
This method has been show to work with older individual, around 60 years old.
It doesn't appear to be effectivce for younger individual.
The Refactory Period
Research on spacing high protein meals/intake ever 4 - 6 hour apart, has been shown to optimize Muscle Protein Synthesis.