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It's a common misconception, but did you know the strength of your muscles has nothing to do with their size? Bigger people are typically stronger, but not always. Size and strength are two different muscle properties. Just like the size of a football stadium and the noise it can produce.
Follow me with this:
Some stadiums can be big and quiet.
Some stadiums can be small and loud.
Some stadiums can be big and VERY loud.
Similarly,
You can be small and not strong.
You can be small and strong.
You can be big and strong.
You can be big and very strong.
And of course, varying degrees in between.
If you're a visual person, you can almost think of each property on a sliding scale of its own.
Why Is This?
Just like any part of the human body, it's complicated. We are complicated creatures. Our bodies do not operate on simple "If X, then Y" functions. For a muscle to contract, it must have two major components: An electrical signal and a mechanical action.
Neurons, Motor units, and Electricity
The first part of any muscle contraction is the electrical signal that says "go!". If your brain decides to do a thing, brushing your teeth for instance, a signal is sent down the spinal cord into the corresponding muscles. That signal is dispersed into little branches that can contract small muscle fibers independently, like your fingers grabbing your toothbrush.
Then, you continue the action with more electrical signals to bring the toothbrush up and start your hygiene process.
During the process, your brain controls your motor units causing muscle contractions, which alternate the big muscles you use. This would be like alternating between pushing the brush and pulling the brush. It happens fast. It also happens lightly. Because you're a gentle tooth brusher.
Now imagine, for a moment, that during your nightly brushing routine a ghost appears out of the mirror with a sudden scream. Shocking!
Out of reflex, your brain sends a strong electrical signal to ALL of your motor units to contract. In doing so, your arms accelerate with the force of a professional boxer punching his way through your teeth. Every muscle is signaled to contract at MAXIMUM speed and force.
Time to call your dentist.
This absurd story is an example of how electrical signals control the speed, force, and strength of your muscles. More electrical signals mean more motor unit recruitment, meaning a stronger muscle contraction.
Now if I've made my point clearly, you might start thinking to yourself: But wouldn't more muscle mean a strong contraction?
Yes. Assuming the same electrical signal, the larger muscle fiber will contract with more force.
Bigger muscles have the capacity to contract with a larger force IF they are maximally contracted. But this is where it starts to get a little sneaky: The ability to maximally contract your muscles is a skill that must be practiced. It doesn't happen easily.
Maximal Effort, Minimum Size
To illustrate my point, I'd like to introduce you to an athlete named Chin Wei-Ling. A Taiwanese weightlifter and powerlifter who has set multiple world records.
In 2018, she squatted 462 lbs which is 4.5 times her body weight of 102 lbs.
That's not a typo.
She weighs 102 pounds, and squats 462 lbs. That's an amazing feat. But of course, she's spent her whole life in pursuit of this feat. It didn't happen by accident.
The ability to maximally contract all of your muscle is not something the average person can do. When a muscle is maximally contracted, it produces a LOT of stress on the tendons, ligaments, and joints. If done incorrectly (or too suddenly), major problems can appear.
I'm talking dislocations, broken bones, broken backs, and so on.
Your body has safety mechanisms built in place to prevent this from happening. Little sensors in the muscle and tendons that tell the brain to "stop" and tell the muscle to relax. But with the right motivation, and adrenaline, we can overcome these safety sensors.
Unlike the stories of moms who are lifting cars off of their trapped kids - fueled by adrenaline and fear - expert weight lifters spend lots of time strengthening their joints and training their bodies to handle this kind of stress. And the result - lots of weight can be moved.
So why doesn't all this practice make the muscle bigger? If expert weightlifters like Chen Wei-Ling are always moving weight, shouldn't their muscles get bigger?
Obviously not. She's only 102 pounds.
To build strength, you need less reps at a very heavy weight.
To build muscle, you need lots of reps at a kind-of heavy weight. And food. You need lots of food.
One Final Example
To finalize my point - I'll use a football stadium as an analogy.
Imagine you're at a game watching your favorite football team. Professional football stadiums can hold about 70,000 on average. It's packed, but the game is kind of boring and there's not a lot of action on the field. The stadium can hold a lot of people, but right now there's not much noise.
Now imagine a small college football game with a stadium that can hold only 30,000 people. It's a close game with the home team slightly behind on points. Suddenly, a spectacular play results in a huge winning score for the home team. The crowd ERUPTS in cheers, applause, whistles, and fanfare. It's loud. Really loud.
This is how strength and size are related.
The size of the muscle is much like the size of the football stadium. Some are big, some are small. The strength of the muscle is like the noise of the crowd - sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's loud.
Bigger stadiums can be louder - IF EVERYONE IS YELLING!
But smaller stadiums can be loud - if the conditions are right.
Apply It To Your Program
If your goal is to build raw strength, but you don't want any increase in muscle mass or body weight, here's an example program I would recommend to my clients:
Pick the right exercises - start with compound movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows throughout your training week. These exercises use multiple joints, more muscle and force production.
Pick the right repetition ranges - Beginners who've never lifted weights before should start with sets of 8-12. This will train your body to adapt to joint stresses and increase in central nervous system activity.
Intermediate lifters should focus on 3-5 sets of 5-6 reps at 75-85% of their maximum. Good form, of course.
Expert strength athletes will focus on 1-3 repetitions, for approximately 3-5 sets at 85-90% of their maximum. Some more, some less, depending on the goals and capabilities of the athlete.
Don't lift heavy every single session - Most expert strength athletes cycle their training plans to accommodate for deloading phases. These are periods of time where you don't lift heavy - and allow the body to rest.
Do the right assistance exercises - Help your joints and muscles out by doing assistance exercises. These are exercises that strengthen the right muscles without any wasted time or effort. For example, train your low back and hamstrings to improve your squat and deadlift.
Skip the biceps curls - If you want to be strong, but NOT big, skip the extra stuff like biceps curls.
Don't overeat - Eat the amount of food and protein you need to maintain your bodyweight. Any extra will cause you to gain weight. Simple enough.
Get plenty of sleep - Strength training is very demanding on the central nervous system. You're using a lot of electrical pathways throughout the body. This tends to make people tired. Get your 8 hours of sleep.
Conclusion
Next time you're near a 102 pound Taiwanese weightlifter, make sure not to underestimate her. You can never know how strong a person is just by looking at them.
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