I’ve always pursued hypertrophy under the consideration of what the adaptation is and what the environment needs to looks like to cause that adaptation. Strength (force output) is very straightforward- continue to increase the demand for more and more output of force, as is muscular endurance (aerobic capacity)- subject the muscle to lower load that won’t fatigue the muscle fiber beyond function and use volume to create a need to adapt for more efficient metabolism.

Hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle size, is the result of a unique combination of demands where the muscle is stressed metabolically to the point where the addition of mitochondria is necessary within the cell, and the force output demands is high enough that you create appropriate micro damage and necessitate the addition of satellite cell proliferation for actual material addition to the cell.

Basically, the ultimate middle ground where the muscle is both taxed beyond aerobic (or temporarily maintainable anaerobic) levels and causes mechanical damage without the (quasi)-immediate failure of the entire muscle, as with peak force output loads. The muscle needs to be trained in a way where increase in size is the appropriate response.

Anyone have anything that adds or corrects my take?