Strength, Power or Hypertrophy

Strength, power, and hypertrophy are often lumped together, but they’re not the same thing—and training for one doesn’t automatically improve the others.

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Before we go into the details, I want to stress that our group classes are programmed for the general population. What that means is that we don’t specialize in one thing, for instance only workouts that will prepare you to step on stage in a bodybuilding show or those aimed to build maximal strength in order to win a powerlifting meet.

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The six-week training phases we design fluctuate in their intent. Some of our phases will incorporate more athletic, power-based movements, while others will focus more on compound lifts. In most, we do sprinkle in hypertrophy (muscle growth). The goal is always to move better and get stronger - strength is the base for all athletic endeavors (even conditioning because you’ve got to produce power).

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Let’s break down strength, power and hypertrophy training.

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Strength = Maximum Force

  •   Movements: Think compound lifts like the squat, bench press, or deadlift.

  •   Focus: Low reps (1–5), high intensity (you go heavy), longer rest (so you can maintain intensity through each set).

  •   Goal: Recruit and train the body and nervous system to lift the heaviest load possible.

  •   Common method: Heavy compound lifts, progressive overload, strict tempo control.

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Power = Force + Speed

  •   Movements: Olympic lifts, jumping, sprints.

  •   Focus: Low reps, light-to-moderate load, explosive execution.

  •   Goal: Train muscles and nervous system to produce force quickly.

  •   Common method: Cleans, snatches, box jumps, med ball throws.

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Hypertrophy = Muscle Growth

  •   Movements: Bodybuilding-style muscle development (lots of single-joint movements like curls, tricep extensions mixed with compound movements and an emphasis on the person’s “lagging” body parts).

  •   Focus: Moderate reps (6–12), moderate weight, short rest.

  •   Goal: Maximize muscle fiber fatigue and metabolic stress for size.

  •   Common method: Isolation work, volume training, varied rep ranges.

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So… what should you focus on?

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If you’re looking to step on stage in a bikini or compete in a Powerlifting or Olympic Lifting meet, you would want to focus on one area. And in focusing on one area, making you a specialist, means that other areas may fall behind.

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Training only for strength or only hypertrophy is like only having a hammer in your toolbox. Sure, it’s useful—but not every problem is a nail. When your training touches on strength, power, and hypertrophy, you’re building a complete set of tools. The hammer (strength) is there for heavy lifting, the drill (power) for speed and explosiveness, and the wrench (hypertrophy) for structural support and durability.

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In short, for long-term health and performance, it’s smart to cycle all three over time. And that’s why you will see various focus points in our training phases...and we continually touch on all of them.

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A well-structured program doesn’t just build strength or size—it creates resilient, athletic humans who move well and feel strong doing it.