When people think of hypertrophy (muscle growth), they often imagine ultra-complicated training programs, spreadsheets, supplements, and the perfect routine. But at Ascend, we simplify the process to what actually works—consistently and effectively.

Let’s break down how we approach hypertrophy, from prep to performance.

Phase 1: Build the Foundation

Before jumping into heavy training, we spend 4–6 weeks improving:

• Movement quality

• Mobility

• Imbalances

Why? Because cleaning these up early prevents injuries and roadblocks later. It’s not a waste of time—it’s an investment in long-term results.

Phase 2: Dial In Nutrition

In the early stages, we:

• Identify maintenance calories

• Discover the client’s ideal macronutrient ratio

This helps us tailor nutrition to match training intensity and recovery needs, whether that means a small surplus for muscle gain or a deficit for fat loss.

Phase 3: Training With Intent

When it comes to building muscle, how hard you train matters more than what exercises you do.

💡 Key Principle: The closer you train to muscular failure, the more stimulus you provide for growth.

Exercise selection matters less than:

• Effort

• Execution

• Progression

Small Surplus > Big Gains?

Many people think eating a ton is the key to gains. Not quite.

A small caloric surplus is enough for growth. Beyond that, training intensity and recovery ability are the real limiters—not food.

Training Structure: Frequency > Split Type

We aim to train each muscle group 2x per week. Why?

Most muscles recover in about 48–72 hours. If they’re not stimulated again in that window, you risk missed opportunities for growth—or even muscle loss due to inactivity.

Split structure doesn’t matter much. Practicality and consistency matter more.

Deloads: Life Will Handle That

We don’t typically schedule deloads for most clients.

Why?
Life already provides natural breaks—think: work, travel, kids, etc.

Instead, we use reactive deloads when needed—scaling back for a few days to allow proper recovery when performance dips or fatigue builds up.

Recovery Isn’t Just About Training

Muscle doesn't grow in the gym—it grows when you're:

• Sleeping well 😴

• Eating enough 🍽️

• Managing stress 🧠

Under-recovery (not overtraining) is usually the issue. We focus on optimizing these basics.

Progression: Milk the Movement

We don’t swap exercises constantly.

Stick with movements as long as you're:

• Making progress in reps or load

• Maintaining great form

Only rotate when:

• Progress stalls long-term

• Joints feel beat up

This approach builds long-term gains with minimal distraction.

Bottom Line: Hypertrophy Can Be Simple

To grow muscle effectively: ✅ Train hard, close to failure
✅ Recover well
✅ Eat with intention
✅ Progress consistently

Follow these core principles, and you’ll have a lifelong strategy for hypertrophy success—no fluff needed.