Hypertrophy: The Engine Behind Strength (“Ask Josh” – Part 1)

Hey Josh, is hypertrophy training really necessary for strength? My powerlifting coach says it’s just for weak-sauce mirror monkey Matildas?

IFBB Pro Joe Mackey pulls 910—with Josh’s coaching in his corner.

When we talk about hypertrophy around here, we’re talking about strength potential. Performance. Moving real weight—not shaking it on stage like some Chippendales reject greased up for a wine mom bachelorette party. 

Muscle hypertrophy isn’t just for show. It’s foundational to maximize strength. More muscle means more contractile units ready to lift heavy, wrestle gators at the snake farm off I-95, or handle anything that demands serious limit strength.

Hypertrophy lays the foundation for high-level force production. Neurological wiring isn’t enough—you need raw material to recruit. That’s muscle fiber. Intelligent hypertrophy builds leverage, boosts motor unit recruitment, and primes you for explosive performance.

You want to lift more weight? Build more muscle.

That’s why the bodybuilders I’ve trained who turned to powerlifting blow past PRs and become some of the strongest men in the world. It’s not just smart training—it’s a muscular base ready to be neurologically primed. Once that switch flips? Game over.

Leverage matters too. Born with T-Rex arms for deadlifting? Tough break. But you can build yourself into a human bench press machine. A 6’3” guy at 165 versus 365? That barrel chest is an advantage—shorter range of motion, more cushion, and often safer on the shoulders. You’re not stretching that bar to the floor when you’ve built a chesticular fortress. Bigger pecs = shorter stroke = more iron moved. Simple math.

Think of your body as a factory. The more employees (muscle fibers), the more product (strength) you can churn out. Even if those employees are lazy, green and untrained—built through some quazi pump-chasing, LA fitness bro bodybuilding—you can retrain them with the right neurological work. Muscle is just potential. But with the right training? You turn potential into performance.

Enter skill acquisition. Strength is a skill. You get better at what you repeatedly do. That’s why we chase maximum  bar speed (Compensatory Acceleration Training, RIP Fred Hatfield), do cluster sets, and grease the groove with submaximal loads moved at maximal intent. It’s neural patterning. It’s movement economy.

Like an old-school club fighter puffing a performance-enhancer cigarette—he makes a living off young bucks with better VO2 Max, body comp, and conditioning on paper. They waste effort with nerves. The old head hides better movement economy—that’s the key. He defines efficiency. Strength training is no different. Every step, setup, and rep—refined.

The secret sauce? Heavy and fast. First reps matter—train them with precision. Cluster sets create more first reps.

Submaximal barbell work should look like a rocket launch, not a slow grind. Treat light weights like they’re heavy, and heavy weights like they’re light.

Your CNS is the general—calling the shots, coordinating the troops. An efficient CNS recruits more motor units, faster. But high-threshold units don’t just show up—you’ve got to train them. That means max effort work (90%+ 1RM) to teach strain and tap into fast-twitch fibers, CAT work to sharpen neural drive, and jumps, sprints, and explosive throws to bridge the gap between the weight room and real-world performance.

 The more complex the lift, the more practice reps you need for mastery. A heavy single isn’t just about brute strength—it’s motor learning, technical mastery, and confidence under pressure. You don’t build that with random reps. You build it through calculated exposure and intelligent intensity.

 So when someone says hypertrophy is just for show, nod politely and let them keep missing PRs—you’ll be too busy walking away stronger, more efficient, and more dangerous under the bar. Build the base. Prime the system. Then dominate the platform. Strength is built—not gifted.

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