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Explain muscle hypertrophy as you would to a capable student, in 3-4 sentences.

Muscle hypertrophy is the growth of muscle fibers in response to resistance training and proper nutrition. When you lift weights, you create microscopic damage to muscle fibers, triggering your body to repair them by adding protein to make them larger and stronger—a process requiring adequate protein intake and rest. This growth happens primarily through an increase in the size of existing muscle fibers (myofibrillar hypertrophy) and an expansion of the fluid and energy stores within the muscle (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). Progressive overload—gradually increasing the weight, reps, or training volume over time—is essential because your muscles adapt to stress and need continually greater challenges to keep growing.