mighty_wombat

Just got a few questions about strength, i'm a newbie when it comes to training but i have a good diet, i get about 190 grams of protein a day, i'm 5'8" 183 lbs and i think i have a endo-ectomorph body.

1) lifting heavier weights allows you to build more mass (bigger muscles)?

2) gaining more weight allows you to lift heavier?

3) if the first two are true, how is it possible for skinny people to have so much strength? (a lot of basketball players i know bench a ton and lift heavy, is it a energy thing?)

based on basic dumbbell curls, when I weighed 165 (before my protein diet), 8 to 10 reps of 25 lbs. was what i could do but took a lot of effort. now at 183, 25 lbs. dumbbells are very easy to do but when i go up to 30 lbs. the 1st set of 8 to 10 rebs is a real struggle after 4 reps, and the 2nd set my arm is quivering and dead by about the 4th rep...and those i don't consider sets since they are so poorly done. with almost 20 lbs. of added weight i thought 30 lbs. dumbbells would be no problem...any training and supplement advice for gaining strength? thanks for your time reading this and any help would be great.

Toughenuff

An endo-ectomorph body???

1) You dont need to gain weight to enhance your strength

2) Ive gained weight recently from training and my strength has gone up a bit so id say yes

3) Powerlifters arent as big as bodybuilders yet i heard they are much stronger, skinny guys can still have a lot of strength

8 - 12 reps is good for mass gaining purposes and i think for strength training you focus on around 1 - 4 reps

Okay you shouldnt stick to just doing 25 lbs all the time until it gets easy, try and increase the weight each week or 2 by a slight amount and try and stick to the same amount of reps, this is a good way to train if you want to bulk up

For strength, i dont much about strength training

Squaggleboggin

Concerning weight and strength: it isn't necessary to gain weight to gain strength, but a gain in weight is typically followed by a gain in strength. Even at higher BF%s, most people are stronger than when they were thinner and weighed less (more mass = more mass lifted in most situations, even with higher BF). It is true that powerlifters are typically stronger than bodybuilders, even though bodybuilders typically have more mass. This is because powerlifters lift to specifically develop strength, and bodybuilders to develop mass. There are powerlifters who weigh 130 pounds who can deadlift over 600 pounds. Obviously, technique and training goals can overcome the general rule that more mass = more mass lifted.

Regarding the first question, lifting with medium intensity for about 6-12 reps will build mass, and with maximum intensity for about 1-7 reps will develop strength.

Push yourself. Enjoy yourself. Be yourself.
Knowledge is power. Obsessed with functional strength. Journal

ihateschoolmt

Myofibriliar hyperthrophy.