Properly developed skeletal muscle has clear and significant positive health impacts including reduced injuries, athletic performance, longevity, metabolic health, and more. Dr. Andrew Huberman has recommended many science-backed strategies for building muscle and improving strength.
Huberman’s Foundational Principles for Maximizing Hypertrophy
- Mechanical Tension & Metabolic Stress: Huberman emphasizes the importance of both mechanical tension (lifting heavy weights close to failure) and metabolic stress (accumulating metabolites like lactate) for optimal muscle growth. He recommends using weights ranging from 30% to 80% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM). For hypertrophy, focus on higher repetitions (6-8) within this range. For strength, use weights at the higher end of this spectrum to for reps in the 3-5 range, while also incorporating higher-rep sets to induce metabolic stress. Perform sets until failure or near-failure to recruit high-threshold motor units.
- Volume & Frequency: Huberman suggests a minimum of 10 hard sets per muscle group per week, distributed across 2-3 strength workouts. This aligns with research showing that higher training volumes generally lead to greater muscle growth.
- Exercise Selection: Prioritize compound exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press) that recruit multiple muscle groups and allow for heavier loads. Include isolation exercises to target specific muscles and address weaknesses.
- Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the demands placed on your muscles over time by adding weight, reps, or sets. This is essential for continued adaptation and growth.
- Nutrition: Consume sufficient protein (1.6-2.2g/kg bodyweight) to support muscle protein synthesis. Huberman also emphasizes the importance of leucine, an essential amino acid critical for muscle growth. Aim for 2.5-3g of leucine per meal.
- Sleep & Recovery: Prioritize 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night. Sleep deprivation can impair muscle growth and recovery. Huberman also recommends non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) protocols like yoga nidra to enhance recovery.
Huberman Recommended Supplements for Muscle Growth
- Protein– Choose a high quality source like Whey to ensure adequate daily protein intake
- Creatine Monohydrate (powder or capsules)- Creatine is highly effective for muscle strength, power, and hypertrophy. It also has benefits for cognitive function and bone mineral density. The standard recommendation is 5 grams per day
- Leucine– Ingesting 700-3000 mg of leucine per meal is crucial for muscle hypertrophy and repair. While it’s best to get these amino acids from whole foods, supplementation might be necessary, especially for those with dietary restrictions like vegans and vegetarians
- Beta-Alanine– To gain benefits from beta-alanine, it needs to be taken consistently over time. It is primarily useful for those aiming to improve their fatigue management in exercise and muscle performance. The typical effective dose ranges between 2 and 5 grams
- Magnesium Malate– Useful for reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and supporting muscle function
- Vitamin D
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids– At least 1,000 mg of EPA per day can help keep inflammation low, aiding in muscle recovery