Thread: Muscle Mass vs Muscle Strength?

Its not just the muscle fibers, it's your body's efficiency in using them. Muscles contract by nervous stimulation by neurons, a single neuron causes a certain group of muscle fibers to contract. These neurons "firing" simultaneously is what causes a total muscular contraction. The more efficient you get at synchronizing all this neural activity, the more muscle you will be able to contract at once, hence why you can get stronger without getting bigger.

Look at it like a glass. The size of the glass is the size of your muscle, where the water in the glass is your strength or neural efficiency. If you fill a glass halfway, a bigger glass will have more water in it than a smaller one. But its possible to fill a glass all the way to the top, making it hold more water without making the glass bigger. Eventually however, if you want to put more water in you'll have to get a bigger glass.

I.e. - You can get stronger at a certain level of muscle mass, up to a certain point when you'll reach your limits and have to put on more muscle. Putting on more muscle will make you stronger due to a larger cross-sectional area regardless of your neural efficiency.

This is why it's possible to have tiny 60kg olympic athletes lifting 3x and 4x their bodyweight, where a 120kg athlete may struggle with 2x. Strength is multi-dimensional.

Increased muscle size will lead to increased strength.

But it doesn't necessarily work the other way around because motor neurons play a large role in coordinating movements (contractions). That's why you see powerlifters who weigh 181 and can squat 920 lbs. while there are plenty of bodybuilders who can't get close to that.

Thanks repps. I look at it from a different way now.

One of my friends needed a massage right after one training session so another friend and I volunteered to help him. This kid was half my size but his muscles were so thick and dense I'd bet he could have lifted twice anything I could easily. He was actually so thick (dense) that we couldn't get in deep enough to do a proper massage without some improvised tools!

I know his bench was somewhere around 200-250 pounds - he was strong as hell. I honestly admire that a lot and am trying to get there myself. My back is very dense, thick and strong but not very large - I like that.

Originally Posted by tallcall

One of my friends needed a massage right after one training session so another friend and I volunteered to help him. This kid was half my size but his muscles were so thick and dense I'd bet he could have lifted twice anything I could easily. He was actually so thick (dense) that we couldn't get in deep enough to do a proper massage without some improvised tools!

I know his bench was somewhere around 200-250 pounds - he was strong as hell. I honestly admire that a lot and am trying to get there myself. My back is very dense, thick and strong but not very large - I like that.

John H???

is the glass half full or half empty gaz?

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Its not just the muscle fibers, it's your body's efficiency in using them. Muscles contract by nervous stimulation by neurons, a single neuron causes a certain group of muscle fibers to contract. These neurons "firing" simultaneously is what causes a total muscular contraction. The more efficient you get at synchronizing all this neural activity, the more muscle you will be able to contract at once, hence why you can get stronger without getting bigger.

Look at it like a glass. The size of the glass is the size of your muscle, where the water in the glass is your strength or neural efficiency. If you fill a glass halfway, a bigger glass will have more water in it than a smaller one. But its possible to fill a glass all the way to the top, making it hold more water without making the glass bigger. Eventually however, if you want to put more water in you'll have to get a bigger glass.

I.e. - You can get stronger at a certain level of muscle mass, up to a certain point when you'll reach your limits and have to put on more muscle. Putting on more muscle will make you stronger due to a larger cross-sectional area regardless of your neural efficiency.

This is why it's possible to have tiny 60kg olympic athletes lifting 3x and 4x their bodyweight, where a 120kg athlete may struggle with 2x. Strength is multi-dimensional.

Actually, I did the 531 method and my strength went through the roof. I also gained some size too.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

Actually, I did the 531 method and my strength went through the roof. I also gained some size too.

Thats one program i've always liked the look of but never tried out. It's Jim Wendler, isnt it?

Originally Posted by Patrick Bateman

John H???

I wish, my boy was gorgeous. He was an MMA fighter/friend of mine. My volunteering to massage him was for my pleasure, and I was pleasantly surprised!

Rofl

Originally Posted by tallcall

I wish, my boy was gorgeous. He was an MMA fighter/friend of mine. My volunteering to massage him was for my pleasure, and I was pleasantly surprised!

Why don't you say how you really feel? -lol-

Originally Posted by PushAndPull

Why don't you say how you really feel? -lol-

I thought I did!

Originally Posted by tallcall

I thought I did!

Before you read what I have to say I am WARNING YOU - you must read this as a Man and as a Man who is mature. If you can not please do NOT read what I have to say here:

MUSCLE - that is GUARANTEED - it IS to EVERY MAN who will honestly work for (earn) it. His VERY BEST and TOTALLY!!! That includes proper rest, proper nutrition, and proper exercises done properly from the start through to the finish and with every exercise.

The benefits: (WARNING) do NOT read further if you can not read this as a Mature Man:

Guys, you know what it is like to jack off. I want you to think about that very carefully and read this through carefully and THINK - you will see why I am saying what I am saying I believe and understand why I am putting it this way:

When jacking off (masturbating) you should take a very very long time. You should be sure you are in a place where you will not be interrupted until you have done what you have set out to do - THOROUGHLY! What I want you to THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT is WHILE YOU ARE jacking off THINK about the ENTIRE deed from start to finish CAREFULLY. Look at yourself WHILE you are jacking off. See the veins, see the hardness, etc. FEEL yourself very carefully - but do NOT blow off. DO NOT!!!!

NOW, imagine how your ENTIRE BODY WILL FEEL when you have ACHIEVED what you set out to do - BUILD THE VERY BEST MUSCLE a MAN CAN BUILD throughout his ENTIRE BODY - EVERY FIBER OF EVERY MUSCLE. And REMEMBER that MUSCLE IS TRULY GUARANTEED IF YOU WILL HONESTLY work out to BE YOUR VERY BEST - you WILL because you are honest about your intentions and your workouts and you follow through to SUCCESS which IS GUARANTEED EVERY MAN!!!

What does that TOTAL FITNESS feel like - remember what it feels like - what your cock feels like JUST BEFORE YOU blow off - well your ENTIRE BODY SHOULD FEEL THIS WAY AND IT WILL if you TRULY WORK OUT and DO THE VERY BEST YOU CAN - your ENTIRE BODY WILL BE ITS VERY BEST and that FEELING YOU WILL HAVE OVERALL WILL BE just as your cock feels immediately before you blow off. Your ENTIRE BODY will be super chiseled and rock hard and beautifully ripped!!! And THAT WILL EXPRESS your TOTAL FITNESS and your SUCCESS!!! Something to BE VERY PROUD OF!!!!!!!

Wouldn't you WANT TO BE THAT HEALTHY - TOTALLY - your ENTIRE BODY - well if you will follow through honestly you WILL HAVE THAT FEELING ALL OVER! And you will be DAMN GLAD you did work out to BE your very best!!!

Trust me!!! DO IT!!! AND STAY WITH IT!!!! It IS truly the one gift a Man can give to himself - the most important gift a gift that is lifelong - and a gift also to those who truly care about him.

GO FOR IT!!! BECAUSE YOU CAN!!!!!!

Take Care, John H.

Originally Posted by tallcall

I thought I did!

I take it you didn't get the joke?
I was being sarcastic.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Thats one program i've always liked the look of but never tried out. It's Jim Wendler, isnt it?

Yep, it's Wendler's creation and there's a lot of sense to it. It's simple but very logical. I'd like to try at some point.

Originally Posted by PushAndPull

I take it you didn't get the joke?
I was being sarcastic.

Yeah, I was joking too.