Does anyone know why strength increase doesnt mean size increase?

**hugo11** · 08-04-2005, 07:29 PM

i dont understand how that works. if you get stronger shouldnt your muscles be growing?

**Booz** · 08-04-2005, 07:31 PM

the only reason that your muscles will grow is if you are feeding them enuff nutriants(food)to do so,you have to eat to get big.

**fballhoss51** · 08-04-2005, 07:32 PM

depends how your muscles grow, some people can pack more muscle into a smaller areas than others, like a 200 pound bear could be stronger than a 200 pound human

**hugo11** · 08-04-2005, 07:37 PM

people said when they take var or primo they notice a lot strength increase and hardly and wieght gain. also i know this guy whoes like 20 pounds heavier then me in muscle and i can lift heavier weights then him

**_Tiger_** · 08-04-2005, 07:38 PM

Strength is ...well strength..
building muscle is due to using that strength enough to do damage, and thus repair the muscle and make it larger

**greenpathy** · 08-04-2005, 08:00 PM

it also has to do with how dense your muscle is ..example....a monkey,,they are known for having ungodly strengh,,but the average monkeys arm size is small...reason being...there muscle fibers are dense..
rob

**fballhoss51** · 08-04-2005, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by greenpathy

it also has to do with how dense your muscle is ..example....a monkey,,they are known for having ungodly strengh,,but the average monkeys arm size is small...reason being...there muscle fibers are dense..
rob

yes tha point i tried to get across i just couldnt think of a good animal lol

**Liftgod84** · 08-04-2005, 08:04 PM

It also has to do with muslce density. As most things it all boils down to genetics and what your body type is more inclined to do. I have big muscles with moderate density. As a result I am pretty strong. Bench 510, Squat 835, Deadlift 705. But a buddy of mine, only about an inch and a half taller then I am, 185, very dense muslces, 100 pounds lighter then I am, he can bench 315, Squat 455, and deadlift 405 no problem, and for his size, very impressive. So it all depends on what your body is more inclined to do, have larger muscles or denser muscles, both can be equally as strong, all depends on you.

**RoidGut** · 08-04-2005, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Liftgod84

It also has to do with muslce density. As most things it all boils down to genetics and what your body type is more inclined to do. I have big muscles with moderate density. As a result I am pretty strong. Bench 510, Squat 835, Deadlift 705. But a buddy of mine, only about an inch and a half taller then I am, 185, very dense muslces, 100 pounds lighter then I am, he can bench 315, Squat 455, and deadlift 405 no problem, and for his size, very impressive. So it all depends on what your body is more inclined to do, have larger muscles or denser muscles, both can be equally as strong, all depends on you.

that's exactly right. If you really want to get up close and personal with the reason why:

Each muscle fiber is made up of smaller muscle cells...the more cells, the denser the muscle fiber will be and the harder it would be for the cells to pull appart, and therefore the more strain in can endure without failure.

"Bench 510, Squat 835, Deadlift 705." holly crap!!!....those numbers almost rival those of ronnie coleman himself.....GOOD JOB

**heckler45_2000** · 08-04-2005, 10:39 PM

Also one factor you can add in here is training. If your training for strength its different then actually training for hypertrophy. So sets,reps,volume,and rest in betwen sets all are factors also.

**Bigun** · 08-05-2005, 12:15 AM

A large proportion of strength increases are because of improved neuro-muscular efficieny meaning that your muscles are now being activated more because of your brain.

Strength is determined by many variables such limb length, mechanical advantage, % fast/slow twitch fibres, order of these fibres recruitment, your proprioceptors (golgi tendon organ and muscle spindles) and how these 2 affect your ability to generate force.

If you are looking to increase the size of your muscles, you need to increase the size of the fibres (actin, myosin, titin) which we know is hypertrophy and also increase the number of these fibres known as hyperplasia.

So to conclude, in the early stages of training, we gain strength quickly because be have learnt a new body movment pattern and like learning any skill we getting more efficient at it, out neuro-muscular efficiency has improved, we have probably increases the number of fast twitch fibres because of the new overload, and it is this that have the greatest potential for growth and this occurs in the first 6-8weeks of training.

I usually train in the 6-8 rep range to take advantage of some strength training (1-5 reps) and hypertrophy (8-12)

**ward065** · 08-05-2005, 12:22 AM

this is kind of weird, but i've been told it's more important to focus on the muscle versus the weight, and i've done that.

for example i used to be doing reps with really crappy form on dumbell flies, with like 105lbs. i was not extending my arms fully.

i lowered the weight to 80-85 lb dumbells and really was like hugging a tree (as arnold said he did) squeezed my pecs, got good reps. they have grown so much more then when i was tossing around the 105 lb dumbells

also i see some people do wide grip pulldowns and load up a ton of weight, and they are swinging their back in every direction. i used to do this too and when i lowered the weight to around 215, really squeezed my back with each rep and got at least 8 reps per set, my back has really grown too.

so it's not about the weight, i think it is also that "mind muscle connection" that builds big muscles

**Bigun** · 08-05-2005, 12:27 AM

Ward I agree with what you are saying about the mind/muscle connection, but this summer I experimented with Olympic style lifting this summer (just 1 day a week) where I used snatches and cleans in the 3-4 rep range. Whilst you dont get a pump here, you are recruiting your fast twitch fibres as these are near Maximal lifts. It is these FT fibres that have the most potential for growth and this is the best way to stimulate them.

This maybe an option for some with a sound technique to try. I had good gains from this training which I have kept post cycle.

**Warrior** · 08-05-2005, 02:24 AM

Bigun is all over this! Better mind-muscle connection and more effecient CNS ability...

You can increase strength simply by keeping overtraining to a minimum via proper recovery techniques. If you feel like sh!t - you are less likely to perform well. Your supercompensation curve for adaptation to resistance training involves the muscle growing larger - but also your CNS ability to keep on taking the punishments... and keeping proper form as well...

**Liftgod84** · 08-05-2005, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by RoidGut

"Bench 510, Squat 835, Deadlift 705." holly crap!!!....those numbers almost rival those of ronnie coleman himself.....GOOD JOB

Thanks buddy. A few differences between Ronnie and I. I am a powerlifter/strongman competitor. I am short, 5'9" and kinda heavy, 285, with a df around 13%, no where near the bf of Ronnie. Not to mention he just looks like a beast in all aspects, and I am just kinda big.