Build muscle effectively and efficiently
Backed by science
Everything You Need to Know About Training - Nothing You Don't
Designed for serious lifters who want to make the most out of their time in the gym, Hypertrophy University is a deep dive into the world of training to build muscle.
This course is NOT a series of workouts (though one is included!) - it is a series of techniques, approaches, and theories to employ that you will use for the rest of your training career.
Full course AVAILABLE NOW!
How much volume? Rep ranges? What's the right weight?
Everyone has their 'secret recipe' for success that only they know, and is probably convoluted as heck. Any 'special tricks' are to be avoided like the plague!
Most people fall into the trap of doing what they see in the gym or what "someone" told them to do, but without explaining WHY we want to do things a certain way.
Just because people have been doing it for years does NOT make it smart, effective, or ensure it isn't a terrible idea
Hypertrophy University
Answers the Burning Questions
Stop wondering if you're doing things the optimal way and KNOW for sure.
We go into great detail on every facet of training theory.
The Hypertrophy Hierarchy
Many factors go into building muscle - with the Hierarchy we break down which of those you can control, what's most important, and how they can be controlled and manipulated.
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It's not sexy, but rest and recovery are the unsung heroes of growth - but how do you know if you're getting enough? And how does your overall training volume play into that?
Form vs. Weight
Is it ok to go as heavy as you can, even if your form breaks down a bit? My answer is 'yes' but there have to be some clear guidelines in place to keep things from getting sloppy.
Progressive Overload Explained
It's the basic, fundamental principle of bodybuilding, but still progressive overload is either not commonly followed or is radically misunderstood - we'll break the correct application down in here thoroughly.
Adjusting Your Plan
Sometimes, a training program as written can only take you so far. When we dive into 'autoregulation' we'll talk about making intelligent adjustments to program variables - why we'd want to do that, and when.
Set Extenders and Intensifiers
When it comes to things like drop sets, rest/pause, partial reps and more - there's a wide range of opinions. You'll get mine here as well as guidance on how to implement all of these protocols correctly, when to do it, and when bringing them in might do more harm than good.
20+ Distinct Video Chapters
Super detailed, high quality videos broken down into a logical order that's easy to follow. Download notes for all chapters in PDF format also.
Lifetime Access & Updates
You'll have lifetime access to the course including all updates made to it over time - always evolving! Includes
6 hours of video content at launch with more to come!
Free Starting Program
Enroll in Hypertrophy University and choose a FREE training program available from Five Starr Physique - over 50 to choose from!
MASTER Your Time in the Gym
Learn About Volume
How much volume - or total sets per session, or workload - is appropriate? Is it the same for everyone? If not, how do you know what's right for you?
The first step is to make sure you're tracking volume in an intelligent way - just counting your total sets performed might not be the best indicator.
Learn what to track and how to identify if your volume is too low, too high, or right in that Golidlocks zone where growth and recovery are both optimal.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is the backbone and training for size, and yet it's very
misunderstood by most people.
It is not just about pushing more weight over time - that's part of it, but it's the most simplistic approach that misses many details and will still leave you stuck in the long term.
In this course I teach all
of the variables that should be considered, and develop a logical approach that doesn't require spreadsheets, calculators, or apps to make work.
Tension Reducers
The main thing that drives muscle growth is mechanical tension in the muscle - so how do we make more of that or - flipped around - how can we make sure we're not doing things that reduce
tension?
One chapter of Hypertrophy University is dedicated solely to listing out that mistakes we all make that reduce our muscular tension, and provide strategies for fixing them.
This in turn leads to better growth overall, for the
long-term - and as a side benefit, these tips all reduce your risk of injury in the long run as well.
What's covered in Hypertrophy University?
Chapter 1: Why Hypertrophy University Exists
Chapter 2: The Hypertrophy Hierarchy
Chapter 3: All About Consistency
Chapter 4: Managing Your Fatigue & Workload
Chapter 5: Training Age & Expectations
Chapter 6: How to Warm Up
Chapter 7: Form vs. Weight
Chapter 8: Types of Sets
Chapter 9: Tension Reducers
Chapter 10: Improving Proprioception
Chapter 11: Progressive Overload - A Deep Dive
Chapter 12: Workout Logging - The Secret Sauce
Chapter 13: Autoregulation - Next Level Training
Chapter 14: Defining 'Recovered'
Chapter 15: Stimulus-to-Fatigue Ratio
Chapter 16: Set Extenders and Intensifiers
Chapter 17: Maximizing Focus
Chapter 18: Building Your Own Program
Chapter 19: Putting it All Together
Chapter 20: Understanding individual muscle roles
Meet Your Instructor
My name is Darin Starr and I've been a full-time online contest prep and body transformation coach for 15 years. Before that, I was an in-person trainer in various studios. Before that, I was studying Civil Engineering and working in tech. It's been a bit of a journey.
I've coached thousands of clients, competitors and non-competitors alike, and I've learned some big lessons along the way.
Don't assume anyone knows anything.
Always encourage people to think more deeply about their training.
Peel back more layers.
Take the complex stuff and distill it down to things we can easily take action on.
Always show WHY we're doing something, not just how to do it.
I created Hypertrophy University so that I could take everything I know and distill it into one comprehensive classroom course for anyone who wants a solid, irrefutable, "will always work, forever" approach to their training.
This course is loaded up with everything I've learned over the last 25 years in bodybuilding. This comes from my own training, learning from other coaches, tons of additional research, and looking over studies to find what's useful, what might be misleading, and what's something that might "technically" be optimal but doesn't really help us in a practical setting.
One thing I've learned not only from coaching so many people but also from my own bodybuilding journey, is this:
"The effectiveness with which you train - your ability to really understand what intensity truly is and how to increase it, is the single biggest key to success in bodybuilding."
And seeing over the course of my coaching career how many people truly don't take the time to dig in on this stuff - the need for Hypertrophy University became very clear.
I'm super excited to share this course with you and I can't wait for you to dive in, learn everything you can, and help me make this course better over time as it will continue to evolve based on your feedback.
So dig in. Learn everything you can, grab your free workout from the library on FiveStarrPhysique.com, and get to work building a better physique.
See you in there!
Who Is This Course For?
You want to learn how to get maximize the results you see from your work in the gym
You value learning, technique, and skill development as they relate to training
People who expect more from themselves. People who are greedy about progress and willing to work for it.
Who Is This Course NOT For?
Your aren't willing to take instructions and prefer to figure things out on your own with trial and error.
You're set in your ways and know everything already (yes, I'm being passive aggressive now)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much experience do I need to be successful?
Anywhere from 'none' to 'a lot'.
Honestly, I wish this course had been running on a TV the first day I walked into a gym, and that it was a required orientation that I had to sit through. That would have saved me a ton of grief over the years.
More advanced lifters will nod their head in agreement through some of this but will still learn a ton.
The only requirement is that you come into Hypertrophy University with an open mind. Some of your long-held beliefs will be challenged, and I consider that a good thing.
The opportunity to try new things opens the door for more growth.
How much experience do I need to be successful?
Anywhere from 'none' to 'a lot'.
Honestly, I wish this course had been running on a TV the first day I walked into a gym, and that it was a required orientation that I had to sit through. That would have saved me a ton of grief over the years.
More advanced lifters will nod their head in agreement through some of this but will still learn a ton.
The only requirement is that you come into Hypertrophy University with an open mind. Some of your long-held beliefs will be challenged, and I consider that a good thing.
The opportunity to try new things opens the door for more growth.
Do I need a gym membership?
The contents of Hypertrophy University will apply whether you're training in a commercial gym or at home. If training at home, make sure you redeem your voucher for a free training program on one designed for a typical home gym configuration.
Is this still for me if I don't want to compete?
Absolutely! Hypertrophy University is all about building muscle the right way, regardless of what your end goal is.
Can't I learn all of this on YouTube?
Let's be clear, pretty much the entirety of all human knowledge is available online for free if you know where to look for it and have the patience to sift through it all.
What I'm offering with this course is one-stop shopping for everything you need to know - organized, presented and delivered in a way that makes it easy to digest and put into use immediately.
