Hypertrophy Vs Strength Training: What's The Difference?

Strength training is one of the most popular training styles on the Sweat app and for good reason - it feels amazing. Lifting weights isn't just about building physical strength; it's also about building mental strength, confidence and resilience.

But strength training is a broad term that can encompass everything from bodyweight workouts at home to powerlifting in the gym. Hypertrophy-style strength training is super popular with the Sweat Community, and is geared towards increasing muscle size.

Let’s dive into the difference between what it means to train for hypertrophy (as opposed to pure strength training), and everything you need to know to get started.

Hypertrophy vs strength training: what’s the difference?

Although hypertrophy training involves lifting weights and will absolutely improve your strength, its primary goal is to increase muscle size. As a result, hypertrophy programs are structured differently from strength-focused programs which aim to help you lift heavier and maximise force production.

A workout geared towards strength gains typically includes:

• Heavier weights (around 80–100% of your one-rep max is recommended)

• Low repetitions (generally 1–5 reps — if you can do more, the weight isn’t heavy enough)

• Longer rest periods between sets to allow full recovery

A workout geared towards muscle growth (hypertrophy) typically includes:

• Moderate repetitions to increase time under tension (usually 8–15 reps)

• Three or more sets per exercise

• Challenging weights, but not your max (roughly 60–80% of your one-rep max)

• Shorter rest periods or superset-style structures. In Sweat programs, Mariah, Kayla and Katie use a mix of sets, supersets, tri-sets, drop sets, circuits and burnouts to encourage muscle fatigue and growth.

Hypertrophy and strength training aren’t mutually exclusive and you can combine them for well-rounded results. You'll still get stronger while following a hypertrophy program, and your muscles will grow in size with pure strength training - they just have a slightly different training structure if you have a specific goal in mind.

When will you see results from hypertrophy training?

When you first start lifting weights, it's common to feel the benefits long before you see physical changes. Muscle growth is a gradual process that requires patience and consistency. Stick to these fundamentals and you’ll be well on your way:

• Follow a structured program designed for hypertrophy, like Grow with Mariah

• Know that it’s okay to miss the odd workout, but generally you need to be consistent to see results

• Focus on eating enough protein each day with a variety of different protein sources across your meals

• Have a dedicated rest day each week - your muscles recover and grow in between your workouts, not during them

• Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, so if you want to see physical changes, it can help to take photos or measurements rather than use the scales

• Although your focus is more on increasing muscle size than strength, you should still notice your strength has definitely improved after a few weeks and increasing your weights gradually will keep your body challenged

“It’s important to remember that not all progress is linear and making gains every single week is not expected,” Katie says. 

How much weight should you lift?

Weight selection is an important part of hypertrophy training and can help you get the most out of every workout to achieve results faster.

You should choose weights that are heavy enough to feel challenging (especially for the last few reps of each set) but still allow you to perform every single rep with correct form. Katie recommends lifting at roughly 70% of your 1RM or one rep max - that’s the heaviest you can lift with correct form for a single rep.

“Being consistent with your form and technique will go much further than increasing the weight to the detriment of the quality of your movement. Good form before anything else… ALWAYS!” Katie says.

If your form is poor or you can’t complete the full range of reps, go lighter. If you don’t need the required rest time or each set feels easy, you probably need to lift heavier. If you’re starting out, it will take some trial and error to find that sweet spot, so don’t be afraid to change your weights if they’re not right for you.

Over time, what was once challenging will feel easy - a sign you’re ready to lift heavier! This is the magic of progressive overload in action.

Benefits of hypertrophy training

Here are some of Mariah, Kayla, Katie and the Sweat Community’s top reasons why they have fallen in love with this style of weight training: 

• It helps to build muscle mass and improve overall body composition

• It can help to maintain bone density and avoid osteoporosis, which is particularly important for women as we get older 

• It’s low-impact, meaning it’s challenging without being hard on your joints (or noisy for your neighbours!)

• It’s sustainable and a way of training you can continue to enjoy for years to come without feeling burnt out

• It’s empowering - building strength is a great mood and confidence booster

“There’s something so empowering about seeing what you are capable of, physically and mentally,” says Katie.

Consistency is key 

Excited to try one of our programs and see what all the hype is about? Start your Sweat journey today and get ready to build muscle, confidence and a workout routine you truly love.