Training for maximum Strength gains or Muscle gains

[quarry206]

An article that i found that might help alot of people that i have noticed having problems with the idea that training for powerlifting will not make you look like a bodybuilder




Muslce hypertrophy depends on muscle tension and the time the muscles are under tension. Also, the number of motor units recruited during training influences muscle size (a motor unit consists of a nerve and its muscle fibers). Training to failure maximizes the recruitment of slow and fast twitch motor units, which may not be optimal for gaining strength because fatigue reduces the force the muscles can generate. A research team from Spain, the United States and Great Britain showed that nonfailure training resulted in the greatest increasein mucsle power (ie max rep bench press), while failure training improved muscle endurance best (max reps on the bench press). People doing non-failure training had higher levels of IGF-1 and testosterone (important muscle growth factors) and lower levels of cortisol (breaks down muscles). Failure training caused an increase an increase in IGFBP-3, an important chemical that preserves IGF availability. Failure training is appropriate for maximized muscle endurance (e.g. MFL combine bench test), while non failure training is best for build peak strength (i.s. 1 rm bench press)

[krusher]

interesting do you apply this to your routine?

[MuscleScience]

To add to that there is two ways to increase the number of motor units recruited. The first is to fatique the muscle so that more motor units are activated to move the muscle under load. The second is by increasing resistance, the higher the resistance the greater the number of motor units recruited. Oh and this might piss some people off, the eccentric (negative) phase of the exercise does not cause an increase in muscle strength or size. So it appears from many many studies that those slow negatives we all do and love have no effect on other than to increase tensile strength of the muscle and improve isometric breaking strength.

[Doc.Sust]

negatives are just about worthless. good post MS

[Doc.Sust]

training to failure=size
not training to failure= strength

[spywizard]

that's why drop sets in the last set work so well for me...