11 Best Hypertrophy Programs of 2024

If you want bigger guns and buns, you need a hypertrophy program to grow those muscles. 

Aesthetically, having bigger “puffier” muscles looks great. More importantly, larger muscles developed in a hypertrophy training program help support your joint strength and integrity. 

Of course, you can have big muscles, move poorly, and still get injured. The technique is critical, so you only want to use tried-and-true training programs.

Here are the 11 best hypertrophy programs for 2024:

1. Starting Strength – Best for Beginners
2. PowerliftingTechnique.com – Best for Beginners Wanting Glute Development
3. 5/3/1 Building the Monolith – Best for Intermediate/Advanced
4. GZCLP – Great for Busy Beginners
5. PPL Split – Best for Beginners Who Want To Stick To 1 Program
6. Wendler 5/3/1 – Good for Beginners Looking For Strength & Hypertrophy
7. PHUL Program – Good Low-Volume Program
8. nSuns 5/3/1 – Good Simple High-Volume Program
9. Greyskull LP – Good for Adding Variety
10. PHAT Program – Good for Interesting Exercise Selection
11. German Volume Training – Great for Advanced Lifters

Many variables will influence your results if you’re considering a training program. Be sure to read to the end to reduce your chances of wasting time and effort on the wrong program. 

Whether you want to increase your joint strength or impress everyone at your next reunion, we’ve covered you with this list of the best hypertrophy programs. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Definition of hypertrophy training
• 11 Best Hypertrophy Programs
• How Powerlifting Technique Chose the Best Hypertrophy Programs
• How Hypertrophy Programs Are Structured
• Hypertrophy Program Examples
• Benefits of Hypertrophy Training
• Tips To Get The Most of Your Hypertrophy Training
• Frequently Asked Hypertrophy Training Questions

Top 3 Hypertrophy Training Programs

The best program for hypertrophy is the one you will do consistently. If consistency is not an issue for you and you want to get the most out of your training session, here’s what I recommend: 

1. Best for Beginners: Starting Strength
2. Best for Beginners Wanting Glute Development: PowerliftingTechnique.com
3. Best for Intermediate/Advanced: 5/3/1 Building the Monolith 

There are several other options out there if these do not fit the bill for you. Read on to learn about 11 of the best hypertrophy programs to choose the one that fits your training needs the best. 

The list will include important details like:

• Recommended lifting level
• Program length
• How many days/week you will be training
• Projected time/workout
• Pros and cons of each program
• Tips from our expert trainers

Before getting into the details, let’s build a foundation of knowledge with a simple definition of muscle growth training. 

What Is Hypertrophy Training?

Hypertrophy training is designed to stimulate muscle growth, also called hypertrophy. This type of training involves resistance exercises that target specific muscle groups. Think back and bicep or chest and tricep splits. 

The goal of hypertrophy training is to create small tears in the muscle fibers, which then repair and grow stronger and larger over time. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy and is achieved by progressively overloading the muscles by training with resistance.

Hypertrophy training usually involves:

• Higher weight and volume
• Sets of 6-12 repetitions
• Shorter rest periods 

This should keep a high level of intensity to encourage metabolic stress on the muscles, which will force them to grow. 

Hypertrophy training is popular among bodybuilders, strength athletes, and fitness enthusiasts who want to increase muscle size and improve their physique. However, it can also improve overall strength and function and support long-term health and well-being.

While the goals are all the same, you can manipulate the variables to get better results for your individual aims and preferences.

Benefits of Following a Hypertrophy Program

Improving physical aesthetics is high on the list of reasons to train using a hypertrophy program. There are several other reasons outside of physical appearance to train for hypertrophy. 

Increase Strength

Bigger muscles have a higher potential for strength gains. Being stronger helps improve performance in daily activities and sports. Strength also decreases the risk of injury and is critical when competing in sports like powerlifting. 

Increase Bone Mineral Density

Resistance training increases bone density, which is critical as we age. If you want to decrease the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia then hypertrophy training programs are for you. Hypertrophy training increases the integrity of the tendon-to-muscle and muscle-to-bone connections. 

Improved Metabolism

Muscle tissue is an extremely inefficient tissue. That may sound like a bad thing, but it means your body requires more energy to maintain muscle mass. Muscle is more active metabolically than fat tissue. An increase in muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day.

Better Insulin Sensitivity

Hypertrophy training doesn’t stop at muscle and strength development. Improving your physical health increases your ability to identify insulin. Improved insulin sensitivity helps prevent or manage conditions like type 2 diabetes. 

Improved Body Composition

Decreasing body fat is a common goal for anyone on a hypertrophy training program. The effort required to perform hypertrophy routines takes a lot out of a person. A consistent training routine will help you shave off those excess fat stores. 

Increased Muscle Size

Repeated stress on the muscles causes them to adapt and grow. This adaptation results in a more toned, defined appearance. While you know bone health, increasing your metabolism, and decreasing fat are important, filling out your clothes correctly is nice. 

Rest periods are anywhere from 30-90 seconds. This is enough time to catch your breath and regenerate energy before your next set. Resting longer than 90 seconds will negatively impact your hypertrophy goals. For hypertrophy to occur, the muscle needs to be fatigued. When coupled with the appropriate weight and rep scheme, a strict cut-off on rest periods will propel you forward.  

11 Best Hypertrophy Programs

1. Starting Strength – Best for Beginners

• Best for Beginners
• Price: Free and Paid Options
• Rating: 4 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 3-6 months
• Days/week: 3 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• Phenomenal for beginners
• Ample recovery time between workouts 
• Small, steady incremental weight increase

Cons

• Will grow out of the program
• Takes time, must be patient

Trainer Review

Starting Strength was created by renowned strength coach and author Mark Rippetoe. The program follows simple, gradual weight increases over several months to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains. 

For good reason, this has been a go-to for new weightlifters for a long time. It is effective, easy to follow, and simple to execute. There’s only one drawback: the program lasts 3-6 months, which will turn away the impatient. 

Here’s my two cents, developing a solid lifting foundation takes time. Building strength is a slow process, but those who are patient and consistent will be very satisfied with the results and move on to more advanced programs more easily. 

Starting Strength has seminars, books, coaching, and more. Hiring a strength coach is worth the price if you have never lifted in your life. If you’re more of an advanced beginner who has solid form and technique, you would be alright jumping into their beginner program. If you’re over 40, lifting is not just a “young persons” acitivty, here is a good read on how to incorporate lifting into your routine.

2. PowerliftingTechnique’s Glute Development for Muscle Growth & Strength – Best for Beginners Seeking Glute Development

• Best for Beginners
• Price: $$
• Rating: 4 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 12 weeks
• Days/week: n/a
• Time/workout: 1 hour

Pros

• Includes Bilateral and Unilateral Movements
• Clearly defined  Hypertrophy and Strength Blocks
• Specifically targets one of the most important muscles in the body

Cons

• Number of days/week not mentioned
• Pay wall

Trainer Review

Glutes are one of the most important muscles in the body that needs training. Powerlifting Technique puts together a comprehensive program that develops your hindquarters for muscle growth and strength. 

Despite training goals, the pitfall for many training programs is too much of the same. This 12-week glute development program quickly incorporates both unilateral and bilateral movements. 

Unilateral movements help develop coordination, balance, and stability. Bilateral movements provide an opportunity to increase overall strength. 

This is one of the few paid programs on the list, but I think the price is worth it. The price will only set you back the equivalent of one nice meal. The return on this investment is well worth the price tag. 

Think about it this way, pay a little for a great training program now or pay a lot for being weak and fat later. Might sound harsh, but as a powerlifting community, we understand the benefits and value of a solid training program. 

Plus, unlike other programs, you gain access to an easy-to-use app that you can follow along with on your phone at the gym. You can also easily track your progress in the app to keep your motivation high. Finally, you will gain access to 13 other powerlifting programs.

This program would be great for beginners or intermediate lifters who want to take their fitness to the next level. 

3. 5/3/1 Building the Monolith: Best for Intermediate/Advanced Lifters

• Best for Intermediate to Advanced 
• Price: Free
• Rating: 5 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 6 weeks 
• Days/week: 3 days
• Time/workout: 1-hour

Pros

• 6-week hypertrophy program
• Includes daily food plan 
• Great gains for those who can complete the program

Cons

• Not for beginners
• High intensity, high volume. Not for the faint of heart.

Trainer Review

Jim Wendler developed this program. It is a variation of his popular Wendler 5/3/1 program, but this iteration is geared more towards intermediate to advanced lifters. 

In my opinion, this is one of the best hypertrophy programs for intermediate lifters, but you WILL have to work HARD for these gains. 

If you want serious gains, this is the program for you. Take a look at the nutritional requirements for this hypertrophy program before you begin. The baseline recommendation for protein is 1.5 lbs of ground beef and a dozen eggs daily. If that doesn’t scare you, then continue reading.

The format is relatively simple. The only exercises required are the first three: a lower body movement, a pushing movement, and a pulling movement. The accessory exercises are for your own kicks and giggles. 

Cardio is mandatory at 3-4x/week. Nothing crazy, you’re not training for marathons. Although, the 20 reps of squats at the end of the week may seem like one. 

Overall, this program is great, but you must be willing to deal with a copious amount of the “suck” factor. The program's drawbacks are the sheer volume you will lift and eat. Additionally, purchasing that amount of food will get costly quickly, not that it isn’t worthwhile, but if you’re on a budget, it will also tax your wallet. 

4. GZCLP – Great for Busy Beginners 

• Best for Beginners
• Price: Free
• Rating: 4 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: Ongoing
• Days/week: 3 days
• Time/workout: 1-hour

Pros

• Flexibility to incorporate accessory lifts
• Full body workouts every time 
• Great plan to follow, even if you’re having a bad day

Cons

• Not good for advanced lifters
• Can get repetitive

Trainer Review

GZCLP is a linear progression for new lifters created by Cody LeFever, whose Reddit screen name is GZCL, the LP at the end is also short for linear periodization. This is a great beginner training program, especially if you can only commit to 3 workout sessions per week. 

The GZCLP program alternates between two workouts: Workout A and Workout B. Both workouts are structured into Tier One, Tier Two, and Tier Three exercises. 

• Tier one exercises are compound lifts, squats, and deadlifts. These are low-volume, high-intensity. 
• Tier two exercises are lighter compound lifts, overhead press, and bench press. These are moderate volume and moderate intensity. 
• Tier three exercises include all accessory exercises which are high volume and low intensity. 

The GZCLP program hints at some of the same strength principles as Starting Strength and Wendler 5/3/1. It adds more hypertrophic work via the tier two and tier three exercises. This is a good alternative for those who may be pressed for time or have erratic schedules but still want to gain strength and size. 

Additionally, you can add another training day for a total of four workouts in one week, so long as you allow for 1-2 rest days between each training session.

The GZCLP is a well-balanced program. You can complete this as a 6-week hypertrophy program, assess your results, add another 6 weeks, or make tweaks. The program is adaptable, which makes it a great place to start. 

5. PPL Split – Best for Beginners Who Want To Stick To 1 Program

• Best for Beginner
• Price: Free
• Rating: 5 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 12 weeks
• Days/week: 6 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• Split offer optimal recovery time
• 2 days for push, 2 for pull, 2 for legs
• Simple

Cons

• Can get stale

Trainer Review

PPL, is short for Push, Pull, Legs. The PPL is one of the best hypertrophy programs for beginners. The splits are easy to understand, the workout order and exercises are highly customizable, and each muscle group has ample recovery time. This program would be best utilized after a true beginner’s program, like Starting Strength. 

You can run this program for the rest of your training journey and be completely satisfied. So long as you consistently increase your weight and challenge yourself appropriately. Throw in a deload week every 4-6 weeks, and you’re set. 

One drawback of the PPL hypertrophy routine is the tendency for the workouts to get stale. So long as you change up your exercise selection occasionally, that’s easily preventable. I personally utilize an iteration of the PPL program for many of my clients. It’s simple and effective.

If you have never created your own workout program, it wouldn’t hurt to hire a fitness professional to help you get started. 

Additionally, PPL programs do not have a hard set rule to use the compound lifts for each training session. If you do not get help learning how to do the compound lifts correctly, this works in your favor. 

Full disclosure, I highly recommend you learn to do the compound lifts. They are common human movements and will help you prevent injury and increase workout potential. 

6. Wendler 5/3/1 – Good for Beginners Looking For Strength & Hypertrophy

• Best for Beginner-Intermediate
• Price: $
• Rating: 5 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 4 weeks
• Days/week: 4 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• Effective for all lifting abilities and levels
• Creates solid strength foundation 
• Highly customizable

Cons

• Needs some tweaking to get the hypertrophy experience
• Repetitive

Trainer Review

The Wendler 5/3/1 is a tried and true lifting program. Jim Wendler, the program's creator, created this strength and hypertrophy program for anyone looking to take a deeper dive. Its primary focus is developing strength for beginners. 

Due to the lack of volume, the Wendler program does not look like a traditional hypertrophy training program. Having sufficient strength is imperative to creating hypertrophy gains down the road, though. 

Completing the Wendler 5/3/1 requires a sufficient level of lifting experience. If you are training under the watchful eye of a fitness professional, you may be able to get away with starting sooner rather than later. 

Modifications to the core compound exercises will need to be made if your form in the squat, deadlift, and bench are not squared away. Once you get your form locked in, this program will help you develop a strong foundation to propel you forward in all training endeavors along your fitness journey. 

The program can become redundant after each 4-week cycle. Changing up the assistance exercises will help. You must change the assistance exercises to accommodate your goals to get a more hypertrophic pump from each workout. 

7. PHUL Program – Good Low-Volume Program

• Best for Intermediate
• Price: Free
• Rating: 4 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 12 weeks
• Days/week: 4 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• Trains each muscle group 2x per week
• Hypertrophy/Power splits
• Only 4 days a week

Cons

• 12 weeks may seem like forever 
• Not a great option for new lifters

Trainer Review

PHUL training, short for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower, provides a well-balanced hypertrophy training program. This hypertrophy routine capitalizes on strength gains to maximize results. 

You get the benefits of high-volume hypertrophy training and the strength gains of a low-volume powerlifting routine. This balance does not tax our tendons excessively, a common problem for people who train heavy too frequently. 

This program can be modified to account for the training ability of a late-novice lifter with some lifting experience. Hiring a fitness professional is recommended if you’re unsure of your abilities. 

Training four days a week is easy for all lifting abilities, but committing to an entire 12 weeks of training may turn away the faint of heart. 

Overall, this is a good intermediate hypertrophy program. Technique and form are always a priority, so it would be best for new lifters to build their base before starting this program.

8. nSuns 5/3/1 – Good Simple High-Volume Program

• Best for Intermediate
• Price: Free
• Rating: 3 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: Ongoing
• Days/week: 4-5 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• More volume than Wendler
• A blend of powerlifting and bodybuilding principles 
• Lots of resources/spreadsheets available on Reddit

Cons

• Daily maxes
• Must have great technique

Trainer Review

nSuns 5/3/1 is a blend of Wendler 5/3/1 and Sheiko Program, created by the Russian Powerlifting coach Boris Sheiko. 

If you don’t want to do the extra work in figuring out how to make the Wendler program more hypertrophic, nSuns 5/3/1 is your answer. This hypertrophy training routine blends the volume of Sheiko’s program with the simple strength-based approach of Wendler’s 5/3/1.

The program is certainly effective. The rating was not brought down to a 3 of 5 because it is ineffective. One of the main concerns with nSuns 5/3/1 is the idea of “maxing” out every day and then basing your subsequent reps based off the day’s max. 

Naturally, this will not be a true 1 rep max effort but a 1 rep max effort relative to the day. This is ill-advised for a beginner as the strain on tendons and ligaments for heavy one-rep max lifting is high. An injury will follow if time is not taken to build up the pre-requisite strength. 

Before starting the program, you must know your one rep max numbers. If beginning the nSuns programs requires establishing your first-ever one rep max, choose a different program. 

9. Greyskull LP – Good for Adding Variety

• Best for Intermediate
• Price: Free
• Rating: 4 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: Ongoing
• Days/week: 3 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour

Pros

• Built-in deloads to prevent plateaus
• Accessory exercises easily changeable to fit your training goals 
• AMRAP style sets allow for total muscle fatigue

Cons

• Deadlifts are underrepresented
• Tough to choose which accessory exercises to do if you’re unsure

Trainer Review

The Greyskull LP was developed by John Sheaffer, aka Johnny Pain, as a powerbuilding program. 

Each workout has a “base” plan that uses one of the four compound lifts, squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press. After completing the “base” plan, you modify and adapt the “plugins” or accessory exercises to fit your training goals. This is a great program to utilize if you’re making the switch from strength to hypertrophy training.

The ability to change the “plug-ins” or accessory exercises is great because you can change them every 3-4 weeks to prevent getting bored during the workouts. 

Additionally, the program has a sort of built-in deload cycle. If you cannot complete the prescribed number of reps for the day's weight, you simply decrease the weight by 10%. This prevents overtraining and ensures that all your reps are good reps. 

In the following weeks, you work your way back up to the weight you could not complete. Instead of banging your head against a wall and wrestling with the weight, you modify, adapt, and move on. 

While this is labeled as a beginner program, I would not recommend this for a newcomer to lifting. The AMRAP, or ‘as many reps as possible,’ style sets for each exercise requires solid technique to prevent injury. Also, if you’re selecting the “plug-in” exercises on your own, it can be confusing to know which ones to choose if you’ve never programmed your own workouts before.

Overall, this program is good for intermediate lifters who want to experiment with adding more variety on their own. To ensure success, the lifter must know their training goal to easily choose the appropriate “plug-in” exercise, reps, and sets. The Greyskull framework provides some structure but also provides room for individuality. If this program is right for you, deeply dive into the Greyskull LP. 

10. PHAT Program – Good for Interesting Exercise Selection

• Best for Advanced
• Price: Free
• Rating: 3 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: Ongoing
• Days/week: 5 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• High Intensity
• High Volume
• Hits each muscle group 2x a week

Cons

• Will be really sore the first few weeks 
• Overtraining factor high

Trainer Review

PHAT training, short for Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training, splits the training days into Power and Hypertrophy days. 

The first two days focus on upper/lower powerlifting style training. After a rest day, you focus on two upper-body days broken up by lower-body hypertrophy training. This is a good program, you just need to be mindful of proper recovery and rehabilitation.

This program has three upper body days, which isn’t unheard of, but can lead to shoulder injuries if you’re not squared away on your form. 

My biggest concern for anyone starting this program is that it is an ongoing training program, so you must take deload weeks. Layne Norton, the creator of this program, recommends taking a deload every 6-12 weeks for 1-3 weeks at 60-70% of your lifting max. 

Overall, this is a fine program, but it’s not as intuitive as some other options. The overtraining factor is high, and the exercise selection is interesting. For these reasons, the rating is a three of five.

11. German Volume Training – Great for Advanced Lifters

• Best for Advanced lifters
• Price: Free
• Rating: 5 of 5

Key Specs

• Length of program: 6-8 weeks
• Days/week: 4-5 days
• Time/workout: 1 hour +

Pros

• Few exercises/workout
• Upper/lower splits
• A lot of work in little time

Cons

• Tons of volume, can cause overtraining 
• Form MUST be immaculate

Trainer Review

German Volume Training is a great way to put on some serious muscle mass. Most templates for this hypertrophy program start with the first two exercises being done in 10 sets of 10 reps with only a 60-second rest period. 

For someone new to lifting, this is an aggressive starting point and is not recommended. Additionally, 10 sets of 10 reps for any exercise opens many opportunities for injury. If your form is not dialed in and squared away, this is not the program to start with. 

If you are looking for an advanced hypertrophy program, German Volume Training is a great program. I cannot stress enough the importance of good form. 

Like any hypertrophy program, food intake and recovery greatly affect program success. If you’re not eating enough or recovering well, you risk the chance of overtraining. If, after your training sessions, your joints hurt or you are out of commission for the next few days, hire a fitness professional. 

Training is more than just putting in a gratuitous amount of reps. You have to make sure your body has fuel to put in the work AND recover. 

Why You Should Trust PowerliftingTechnique

Our team comprises fitness professionals who have been in the industry for several years. We train real people with real problems.

We understand the importance of a good hypertrophy training program on your life. We understand because we have participated in and created hypertrophy programs for ourselves and our clients.

Your fitness is as important to us as our own. We strive to give you accurate, reliable and verified information via reputed research and personal experience. 

While we may have personal preferences, we understand everybody’s body differs. We do our best to eliminate bias and provide honest and transparent information. So you can make the best decision possible for your training needs. 

How To Choose The Best Hypertrophy Programs

Balance

To the untrained eye, hypertrophy programs may all look the same. To a fitness professional, there are variables that, if left unchecked, will result in copious amounts of joint pain. All training routines, hypertrophy routines, or otherwise, must consider balance. Balancing out the upper to lower volume, the anterior to posterior training, and more. 

Volume

We considered the recommended volume for each training session and each week. Too much volume and you will lose interest because you are always sore. Too easy and you will not be overloading your body to force any positive adaptation. 

Variability

There are several programs listed, not because there is one that’s better than all the others. Everybody’s body is different. What works for 10 other people may not work for you. Experimenting with different training styles, reps, sets, and exercise selections is important to see what helps you make the greatest progress. 

Science-Based

It’s not difficult to devise a workout that will leave a person sore for days on end. The goal is not to be the sorest every week. The goal is to be challenged but still functional the rest of your day. We chose programs backed by scientific research regarding sets, reps, rest periods, and more.

How Hypertrophy Programs Are Structured

Hypertrophy workout programs are meant to fatigue the muscles via moderate weight, high-volume repetitions, and minimal rest periods. 

The goal is to maximize muscle growth through progressive overload, which involves increasing the weight, reps, and sets over time. Here are a few key ingredients to create the best hypertrophy program:

Exercises Selection

Hypertrophy programs focus on a combination of compound and isolation exercises. Compound exercises use multiple muscle groups simultaneously and stress the body more physiologically than isolation exercises. 

Compound exercises include:

• Squats
• Bench presses
• Deadlifts
• Shoulder presses

Isolation exercises follow compound movements to help fatigue and target specific muscle groups which include: 

• Bicep curls
• Hamstring curls 
• Flys

Compound movements help you save time in the gym instead of having to focus on each muscle group individually. Isolation exercises stimulate specific muscle groups to help you fatigue the muscles thoroughly. 

Specific Rep Ranges

The rep ranges for hypertrophy training programs are moderate to high. You will see rep ranges anywhere from 6-12 repetitions per set. While not as common, some programs may have you go as high as 15-20 reps per set. 

Sets and Rest Periods

Multiple sets per exercise are ideal. You can guarantee movement integrity by breaking up your volume into smaller chunks. Attempting a lot of reps with a moderate weight will fatigue the muscles and cause a breakdown in technique. It’s important to train within a rep range that will challenge you but not break you. 

Progressive Overload

To prevent a training plateau, sets, reps, and weights must gradually increase over time. Increasing these three variables challenges the muscles and stimulates growth. 

Split Routines

Training the same muscles every day will lead to injury. Using a split routine to train different muscles on different days provides critical recovery time for each muscle group. For example, an upper/lower split will have one day focused on the upper body while the following day will focus on the lower body. 

Periodization

Changing the training intensity, volume, and exercise selection encourages better muscle adaptation. You will still cover the core exercises, but adding some variation to them and changing your assistance exercises will help you maximize your results. 

In summary, hypertrophy training programs promote muscle growth by providing a challenging, consistent stimulus. Challenging the muscles encourages adaptation and muscle growth over time. 

Hypertrophy Program Examples

Oversimplified View

Beginner Level Hypertrophy Workout Example

Using the GZCLP method. Here is Workout A:

Here is Workout B:

Intermediate Level Hypertrophy Workout Example

Using the PHUL Method, here is an upper hypertrophy day:

This is a lower hypertrophy day:

Advanced Level Hypertrophy Workout Example

Using German Volume Training Method for a squat workout:

Tips For Making The Most Out Of Your Hypertrophy Program

Regardless of which training program for hypertrophy you choose to follow here are a few tips that will benefit you. 

Be Consistent

The best-laid hypertrophy training program is a waste if you are not consistent. Don’t rely on motivation to achieve your goals, rely on consistency. There will be more days you do not want to show up to the gym than days you do, that’s okay, show up anyway. 

Just Start

There’s no such thing as a perfect training program. As you grow and become stronger, your goals will change anyway. Don’t wait to “get a little fitter” first, just start, you will get fit in the process.

Create Specific Goals

Do not be vague when setting your goals. Saying, “I want to lose some body fat” will not yield meaningful results. Saying, “I want to reach 15-20% body fat” is specific and measurable. Having specific numbers for your goals helps you envision a finish line to strive towards. 

Set A Deadline

Get out a calendar and create a logical timeline for the completion of your goal. Once you have that figured out, put it on your calendar as a hard due date. Nothing kills goals faster than leaving the finish line in the nebula of uncertainty. 

Keep Learning

Assuming you have it all figured out is the first step in reaching your next plateau. Read articles, listen to podcasts, or hire a trainer to help propel you to the next level. If you want to guarantee your success, keep learning. Get started by reading this article on whether or not powerlifters should do hypertrophy. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Take a deeper dive into 5×5 vs 3×10.

Final Verdict

The best program for hypertrophy is the one you will do consistently. If consistency is not an issue for you and you’re looking to get the most out of your training session, here’s what I recommend: 

Best for Beginners: Starting Strength

This is a no-fuss, no-frills training program. While it is not a true hypertrophy training program, building a strong lifting foundation is critical to any training program. Anyone new to lifting will benefit greatly from this hypertrophy training program. 

Best for Intermediate: PowerliftingTechnique.com

After completing a good beginner's program the next logical step is to maximize one of the most powerful muscles in your body. The glute development program from Powerliftingtechnique.com checks off this box. Their use of unilateral and bilateral movements and a 6-week training block for hypertrophy and strength make it a logical next step in the training progression.

Best for Advanced: 5/3/1 Building the Monolith 

A phenomenal advanced hypertrophy training program. Not to be approached half-heartedly. This is a tough program and if you do not have your form squared away or the tenacity to trudge through the program, take a seat. There is no shame in spending more time in a good intermediate-level lifting program before building up to something like the 5/3/1 Building the Monolith. 

No matter what hypertrophy training program you choose, prioritize technique during your training and protein intake for your recovery. A training program is only as good as the nutrition and recovery that follows. Train smart, train well, and stay sweaty.

About The Author

Trevor Bridges has a BS in Health and Exercise Science and has been training folks how to move pain-free and get stronger for over a decade. He is currently experimenting with different training programs that will make him most like Captain America. When he is not running his gym or creating content, you can usually find him playing with his dogs and praying for shorter summers and longer winters.