Hypertrophy 101

Lately, I’ve been focused on gaining muscle (aka: hypertrophy).

With hypertrophy, there are two major things at play: inciting microtrauma to the muscles and recovery. For recovery, I need to increase protein intake and give my muscles time to rest. Basic shit. But the art of practicing optimal microtrauma is such a tricky skill. It’s not only about moving weights; it’s about moving them with the right intention and mechanics.

I’ve been lifting for more than 20 years, but I still feel like this is an area I need to improve on, especially since my gym time is limited with all my other projects.

To upgrade my abilities, I signed up for a 10-week hypertrophy program. Yesterday was my first day. Here’s what I learned.

Maximize (safe) range of motion.

This is a key difference between strength training and hypertrophy training. In strength training, the goal is to lift the maximum weight possible, often by limiting the range of motion.

However, for hypertrophy (muscle growth), the focus shifts to recruiting as many muscle fibers as possible and increasing the time under tension. This leads to greater muscle breakdown, which is essential for subsequent growth and repair.

Improve mind-muscle connection.

Focus on the main muscle you intend to work. Closing you eyes tends to help.

Here’s a pro-tip that my coach taught me to activate the right muscle:

This cue helped me stop using my high neck muscles to aid my dumbbell lateral raises. Before this, I would tense my neck and traps before pulling the dumbbell outward. That caused unnecessary strain on my neck. Thanks, Lucas!

Kevin Isomoto

Kevin’s YouTube and Instagram

Kevin is easy on the eyes. Big smile, bright eyes. He immediately gives off a warm vibe. If you spotted him on the street, you might find him with a camera in hand, wearing a custom bag crafted out of a vintage shirt—always well dressed.

Kevin and I met at a Creative Mornings event, less than a week after calling New York City home. We’ve been close friends ever since.

Kevin has been creating a weekly vlog for 14 years.

14 fucking years. He’s never missed a week.

As of this week’s writing, he’s posted week 715. He’s applied to Guinness World Records for the longest-running weekly vlog. But they’re lazy asshats. I guess no one wants to verify all 715 videos.

On the surface, Kevin seems like just a guy who wants to have a good time—someone down for anything. Which he is. But beneath that genuine layer of good nature is a deeply driven motor.

He typically works for 14 hours with short breaks thrown in. That’s not including time for the gym and powering a thriving social life. Kevin is a sleeper agent. My first impression of him was, “what a wholesome great guy!” And he is! But there’s a side to Kevin I don’t think many people get to meet.

I don’t know if you’ll get to see this side of him. But if you do, the encounter will inspire you to move too.

Kevin’s “Shirt Bag”

I want to showcase one of his craftings: the shirt bag (this is a name I fancy, while he might not). It’s a tote made from an up-cycled shirt that become too small for him. Here’s the materials and the final product.

Follow Kevin’s journey on YouTube and connect with him on Instagram.

What are you currently experimenting with?

I’m currently deep in my sewing era. I picked up a machine last year and have been experimenting with fashion ever since. Who knew thread counts could be so fascinating?

What’s one habit you believe contributes most to your effectiveness?

I have a particular way in which I organize my digital life.

Everything I film gets saved based on dates and key words pertaining to the footage (locations, event names, people in the video, notable moments, etc.). This saves a lot of time when recalling old footage for new videos. For example, if I’m making a video about transportation in NYC, the day I met Mike, or my favorite restaurant, I could immediately pull up the relevant clips from my archive by searching, “Grand Central,” “meeting Mike Rapadas,” or “Denny’s.”

What book or podcast do you consistently recommend to others?

These are my top 3 most recommended podcast episodes:

• “Britney” - Mystery Show

• “129 Cars” - This American Life

• “The Case of the Missing Hit” - Reply All

All three are fun escapes and absolutely incredible stories from start to finish.

What's one trend everyone is excited about but you’re skeptical of?

Online, everyone strives for high production value, cinematic quality videos (extreme resolution; blurry, bokeh-filled backgrounds, soft, color-accurate lighting).

However, I’m all in on the look of low-tier, point-and-shoot phone footage. Auto-exposure, face filters that don’t perfectly “stick” in z-space, digital zoom that pixelates and falls apart at the long end— I find all of its limitations charming. In the future, “2020s iPhone footage” will be a nostalgic style that, when emulated in media, will make people go, “Aww, look at how retro this looks. I miss the good ol’ days.”

What’s one thing you preach but struggle to practice?

I know the importance of being in the presence of others while working (sitting in a coffee shop, co-working with a friend, collaborating with others, etc.), but most often, I find myself staying in and working at home the entire day.

Brag, Ask, Give

Brag: What’s your biggest, baddest, real brag? Lay it on thick. Flex on 'em.

My greatest sidequest in life is musical performance. I’ve been practicing drums for over 20 years and in 2008, I played at Carnegie Hall.

Ask: What or who are you on the hunt for right now?

I’m working on an online video project in which I document my life through a weekly vlog series. I’m continually on the hunt for new ways to take the mundane things in my orbit and turn them into stories worth telling.

Give: What can you offer to potential collaborators/mentees/clients?

I’m basically a walking encyclopedia of YouTube-culture knowledge.

Also, a skill of mine that I never get to flex: my ability to read percussion notation. If you’ve ever wanted to know about paradiddles, I’m your guy!

Photo of the week - Golden hour on 5th