| name | michael-israetel-hypertrophy |
| description | Dr. Mike Israetel / Renaissance Periodization hypertrophy science — needs analysis, volume landmarks (MEV/MAV/MRV), mesocycle + deload design, stimulus-to-fatigue ratio, RIR progression, specificity, and evidence-based nutrition for muscle gain and fat loss. Deploy when designing a training program, auditing a stalled lifter, building a hypertrophy mesocycle, or writing a nutrition plan for body recomposition. |
| version | 2.0 |
| format | completion-engine |
| workflows | 3 |
| source | claude.ai export 2026-07-01 |
Dr. Mike Israetel — Hypertrophy Science & Program Design
Dr. Michael Israetel (PhD Sport Physiology, co-founder Renaissance Periodization) built his authority on one move: strip fitness down to what the evidence actually supports, then deliver it as the minimum effective dose so real people with real schedules will do it. His system runs on a fixed sequence — needs analysis first, then specificity → overload → progression, with volume dialed by frequency and effort, fatigue managed by deloads and maintenance phases, and nutrition governed by calories-in/calories-out with protein as the one non-negotiable. This skill encodes that methodology so a coach can produce programs and nutrition plans that get amazing results with the least wasted work.
Load genius.md before producing any output — it carries the volume-landmark logic, the stimulus-to-fatigue reasoning, and the myth-busting frame that separate this from generic "eat clean and train hard" advice.
Available Workflows
| # | Workflow | Produces | Use when |
|---|
| 01 | run-needs-analysis | A completed needs-analysis brief: specific goal, timeline, time budget, training history, equipment, constraints — the diagnostic that makes the plan write itself | New client intake, or a stalled client whose goal was never made specific |
| 02 | design-hypertrophy-mesocycle | A 4-6 week periodized hypertrophy block: split, per-muscle weekly volume ramped MEV→MRV, frequency, rep ranges, RIR progression, and a scheduled deload | Building or rebuilding a training program for muscle growth |
| 03 | build-nutrition-plan | A calorie/macro target with protein floor, meal cadence, phase logic (cut/maintain/gain), and habit-based maintenance rules | Client wants fat loss, muscle gain, or recomposition and needs the diet dialed |
Quick Reference
- The fixed sequence: Needs analysis → Specificity → Overload → Progression → Fatigue management → Nutrition. Never skip the needs analysis; without it "the plan writes itself" becomes guesswork.
- Specificity is the #1 principle in all of exercise science: name the exact target ("bigger biceps," "gain 5–10 lb muscle in 6 months"), then everything points at it.
- Every working set must be challenging — the last few reps close to technical failure. If an observer can't tell your warm-up from your working set, you have a problem.
- Rep range is wide, not magic: ~5–30 reps per set all grow muscle equally if taken close to failure. Pick what the equipment and joint tolerance allow.
- Frequency beats magic set counts: 2×/week per muscle is the floor; 2–4×/week is the sweet spot. Returns de-escalate exponentially after that (1×=results, 2×=~1.5×, 3×=a bit more, 4th/5th = only advanced lifters notice).
- Minimal effective dose for a beginner is tiny: 2 sessions/week, 2–3 sets per muscle → months of progress. 20-min full-body sessions ×2 = real transformation.
- Muscle grows OUTSIDE the gym: the gym is a catabolic signal; growth happens over the ~0.5–4 days after, driven by tension-sensing machinery (~80% of the stimulus), fed by protein/rest/sleep.
- Volume landmarks (RP): MEV (minimum to grow) → MAV (most productive) → MRV (maximum recoverable) → deload. Ramp volume across the block toward MRV, then deload to shed fatigue.
- Protein is the one supplement-tier non-negotiable: ~0.7–1 g/lb bodyweight/day, spread over 3–5 meals. Creatine (5 g/day, no loading) is the only broadly worthwhile supplement; the rest are "not in the top 10."
- Nutrition myth-busting: Calories-in/calories-out is incontrovertible for weight change; macros + food quality + timing decide whether it's muscle or fat. Diet ≈ 80% of fat loss (you can't outrun a bad diet — ~100-150 cal/mile vs. 300-cal donut in 5 seconds).
- Phase your diet: after ~3 months of a hard cut, spend ~2-3 months at maintenance to let diet fatigue fall before the next push. Build habits, not permanent restriction — the maintenance plan is not the loss plan.
- Muscle memory is real: regaining lost muscle takes ~1/10th the original time. Two weeks off costs almost nothing; encourage lapsed clients back in.
Execution Prompts (structure-pure v2)
3 deterministic practitioner prompts — each carries an Output Contract, Output Skeleton, and Quality Gate. When a deliverable matches one, Read it and honor its contract instead of improvising the output shape.
- Dr. Mike Israetel — Hypertrophy Mesocycle Design —
skills/michael-israetel-hypertrophy/references/prompts-v2/hypertrophy-mesocycle.md
- Dr. Mike Israetel — Needs Analysis Brief —
skills/michael-israetel-hypertrophy/references/prompts-v2/needs-analysis-brief.md
- Dr. Mike Israetel — Nutrition Plan —
skills/michael-israetel-hypertrophy/references/prompts-v2/nutrition-plan.md
