Lots of us put a ton of work into increasing muscle mass without knowing anything about how it works.  As opposed to muscle toning, some exercises result in ‘muscle growth’ as the muscles that are worked get bulkier over time.  But how do we ‘grow’ muscles?

The differences in the ways muscles grow illustrate the difference between a natural result and one brought on by artificial substances.  So the issue of muscle growth can lead to a debate about steroid and other “enhancers”.

Basically, the human body has a set amount of muscle fiber.  The human body does not “get more” muscle fiber (the scientific term used is “hyperplasia”) naturally, but studies have shown that steroid use and other substances can lead to some form of ‘muscle splitting’ or additional muscle fiber.

But the general public also knows that there are specific and undesirable side effects to these kinds of medications.  Regardless of how things work in the professional world (with athletes getting routinely caught for ‘doping’), it’s unlikely that the amateur would want to use these dangerous drugs to increase muscle mass.

So how do we make our muscles “bigger”?  A more moderate gain of muscle size results from “hypertrophy”.  What is this term?  Well, it’s the opposite of “atrophy”, a somewhat more common word in the English language.  The difference in hypertrophy and atrophy boils down to the old slogan “Use it or lose it” which can be applied to muscle mass.

Essentially, certain kinds of muscle use promote hypertrophy, where a muscle gains strength and often a little in size from regular use.  Conversely, a muscle that it not used at all atrophies or “withers away”.  It’s this kind of thing that regular gym trainers are probably looking to guard against, and with natural weight training, muscles stay strong and capable.  While they may not become “huge pythons” or “gun show” muscle sets, they will have the additional power that comes with steady, responsible use.

The kinds of exercises that lead to good hypertrophy are different for different individuals, but generally, doing repetitive weight training sets of 8-10 reps is the standard.  Often, doing a higher weight set of reps will result in a bulky muscle, but doing lots of training sets with sub-maximal weights will make a muscle stronger and promote good muscle tone.

In short, if you’re looking to grow a muscle, don’t overwork it, and don’t go looking for wonder drugs to “pump it up”.  Put in your hours and do regular checks on your muscles, and you’ll see them build capability over time.  Good, natural results take 8-10 weeks or sometimes a little longer, so keep an eye out for the kind of muscle growth that is “sustainable” and healthy for you.