Methods of Strength Development

Hypertrophy

As mentioned earlier, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) plays a key role in contributing to higher strength levels. Hypertrophy training is the method of increasing muscle cross-sectional area and, hence, increasing muscle mass, which allows female players to produce more force, which can have a positive effect on performance in specific scenarios such as tackling and ball carrying. It is important to differentiate between hypertrophy training and “bodybuilding” so that female players know that although they are performing hypertrophy training doesn’t mean that they will be “big and bulky” like a bodybuilder. We will discuss this further later in the module.

Hypertrophy training generally occurs during the off-season, as the high volume and fatiguing nature of hypertrophy training would not be suited to in-season. During hypertrophy training, both mechanical tension and metabolic stress play a crucial role in eliciting muscle hypertrophy, so it is important that there is a good mix of both volume (no. of reps and sets) and intensity (weight lifted). Some hypertrophy training guidelines are outlined below, outlining the recommended number of reps and sets per exercise when the goal of the training is hypertrophy (Haff and Triplett, 2015):

Table 1. Hypertrophy Training Guidelines