How to get Stronger without Getting Bigger
- Mtguy8787
- Jan 4, 2016
- 11 min read
When the topic of lifting is mentioned, it is easy to imagine a routine designed almost solely for the purpose of gaining as much lean mass as possible. But while it may be a foreign idea to those outside of the bodybuilding community, there are many people who wish to increase their strength and power without increasing their mass.
Why would anybody want to do this? Competitive athletes such as wrestlers and boxers must work hard to maintain their current weight class, while maximizing their performance. A workout designed to increase strength without increasing mass would certainly be useful for these athletes.
In regards to muscular strength, there are two major contributing factors to consider.
1. CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA:
The bigger the muscle fibers, the more force they will be able to exert. This is obviously not the way to go for someone looking to maintain size, so we must turn to the second factor.
2. NEURAL ADAPTIONS:
Each muscle group is made up of many individual motor units. When these motor units receive neural impulses, they contract. Any number of motor units may contract simultaneously to exert varying amounts of force. In most individuals, the number of motor units being recruited at any one time is far from the maximum capacity of the muscle. Even at maximal effort, the entire muscle group may only be exerting a fraction of its maximum force.
For someone who wants to gain strength without bulking up, the focus of their workouts must be on increasing the neural drive to their muscles. By doing so, a greater number of motor units will be able to fire simultaneously, thus generating more force.
THE WORKOUT
We know that with most people, only a fraction of the muscle group can be activated at any one time, even with maximal effort. In order to increase neural drive to the muscles, we must concentrate on lifting heavy weights in the 1-6 rep range.
The first step is to design a split that is tailored for the persons individual needs. The split should enable the lifter to focus on a few muscle groups during each workout & give the body enough time to fully recover from each workout.
The most basic split, which can be further adjusted based on the individual, is a 3 day split, with one day in between workouts. The body is divided up into 3 main areas. It is not necessary to workout more often than this, as long as each workout is intense & productive enough.
'Lower Body' - consists of the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and lower back.
'Upper Back' or 'Pulling' - consists of the lats, rhomboids, and traps. The biceps are also targeted in this part of the workout.
'Chest' or 'Pushing' - consists of the chest, shoulders, triceps, abs, and the forearms.
WORKOUT FUNDAMENTALS
1. WARM-UP:
It is very important to properly warmed up before beginning any workout. The first step in properly warming up is with a short, fairly intense session of cardio. This session should be 1-5 minutes long different people need varying lengths of warm-up. This helps to get the blood flowing throughout the entire body, increase mental focus, and prime the muscles for action.
The next aspect of warming up is an exercise specific warm-up. This is important to increase local blood flow to the muscle group, prevent injury, and maximize performance. Use approximately 50% of your 1 rep max, and perform 10-20 easy reps. You should not come close to exhaustion during this set.
2. ACCLIMATION SETS:
You should next do a set of around 5 reps with 60-70% of your 1 rep max. You should not come close to failure on this set; its purpose is to get your muscles & nervous system adjusted to the heavy weight you are about to lift.
Perform one more set with a moderately heavy weight; one that you could do nor more than 10-12 times. Perform 5 or 6 reps with this weight. Again, the purpose is not to tire yourself, but to 'acclimate' your body in order to lift the heaviest weight possible.
3. WORKING SETS:
After a couple minutes of rest, and a few sips of water, begin your working sets. Use a weight that you can do no more than 5 or 6 times with good form. If you can do more, increase the weight. Remember that it does not take much volume to build strength.
Even a single, very heavy and intense set can stimulate significant strength gains. 2-3 working sets is plenty, as long as they are heavy & intense enough. Be sure to be fully rested between sets. It may seem more intense to rest as little as possible, but do not be fooled into this line of thinking. You need to let your energy stores fully recharge so that you can lift as heavy weight as possible. Remember, this is strength training, not endurance training.
Always lower the weight in a slow, controlled manner. More than half of your results will come from the eccentric(lowering) part of the lift. Bouncing the weight off your chest or letting the barbell fall will not yield the best results.
4. COMPOUND VS. SUPPLEMENTARY LIFTS:
Compound lifts which activate multiple muscle groups & allow you to use more weight are superior to isolated lifts such as a biceps curl or triceps push-down.
Using heavier weights more effectively stimulates neural drive as well as increases functional strength.
Always perform compound or 'big' movements before you move on to supplementary lifts.
Bench press would come before triceps push-downs.
Squats would come before Leg Extensions.
Weighted pull-ups would come before biceps curls.
After the main lifts are competed, you can do more isolated lifts to further target a certain muscle or a motion specific to your sport or goals.
For example, during my 'chest' workout, I do 2 or 3 compound exercises targeting the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Afterwards, I will focus on my abs and possibly 1 additional set for my triceps. I also do 2 or 3 sets to target my forearms. I sometimes like to work my grip using Ironmind Heavy Grippers. But all of that is after I complete the main lifts.
5. COOL DOWN:
The purpose of a cool down is two-fold. It helps to flush metabolic wastes from your muscle tissue, which aids in recovery. It also helps to restore venuous blood flow to the heart. After a workout, blood is trapped in your muscle tissue. This trapped blood is responsible for the pumped feeling which is common after a workout.
Although this may feel good, it does nothing to aid strength gain or recovery. A cool down helps to release this blood and restore normal circulation. A typical cool down would be 5-10 minutes of light cardio.
6. RECORD ALL LIFTS:
Not keeping track of previous workouts is a very common mistake. Unless you can accurately remember your pasts week's workout, it is important to keep some kind of log.
The most important aspect of a weight training program, whether it be for size or strength, is progressive resistance. This means you should be lifting more weight with each workout. If you do not keep a log, you may end up using the same or less weight as before.
7. PROPER REST & RECOVERY:
Your strength gains are made outside of the weight room as much as in it. Without proper rest and recovery, your gains will be diminished. In some cases, overtraining can occur. When this happens, it is common to reach plateaus which seem to be impossible to overcome.
Many athletes try an overcome this by training harder. Ironically this was the cause of the problem in the first place. In severe cases, an athlete may actually get weaker as a result of overtraining.
It takes much less time in the gym to make optimum strength gains as many people might think. 3 sessions per week, if performed with intensity, is plenty. Remember, quality ALWAYS trumps quantity. If you have been strength training for a while, and have run into a wall, immediately take a week off. You will be surprised at how much stronger you come back.
A TYPICAL BASELINE WORKOUT FOR STRENGTH GAIN
WORKOUT 1 - LOWER BODY:
5 minute cardio warm-up
Squats Warm-up set : 50% of 1 RM, 10-20 reps Acclimation Set #1 : 60% of 1 RM, 8 reps Acclimation Set #2 : 80% of 1 RM, 6 reps Working Set #1 : 90% of 5 RM, 3-5 reps Working Set #2 : 95% of 5 RM, 3-5 reps Working Set #3 : 95% of 5 RM, 2 reps (If the previous two sets were intense, you may not be able to do a full 5 reps. Don't worry, this is good. 3-5 minutes rest & water break
Lunges (No need for warm-up or acclimation sets in this case) Working Set #1 : 6 reps (3 with each leg) Working Set #2 : 6 reps of the same weight Working Set #3 : Aim for 6 reps, but do not be surprised if you only get a few. 3-5 minute rest
Leg Curls (optional, for extra emphasis on the hamstrings) (No need for a warm-up) Working Set #1 : 5 reps Working Set #2 : 5 reps
Calves Brief Warm-up : 10-20 reps (Ideal because the calves have not yet been directly worked.) Working Set #1 : 5-6 reps Working Set #2 : 5-6 reps Working Set #3 : As many reps as possible
5-10 minute cool down
WORKOUT 2 - BACK:
5 minute warm-up
Weighted Pull-ups Warm-up Set : 10-20 reps (You may want to use the cable pull-down machine for this) Acclimation Set #1 : 8 reps (Cable pull-down or non-weighted pull-ups) Acclamation Set #2 : 6 reps (Same as above) Working Set #1 : 3-5 reps Working Set #2 : 3-5 reps, or as many as you can Working Set #3 : As many as you can 3-5 minute rest
Bent Over Rows Brief Acclimation Set : 8-10 reps Working Set #1 : 3-5 reps Working Set #2 : 3-5 reps, or as many as you can Working Set #3 : As many as you can 3-5 minute rest
Bicep Curls (Optional because the biceps are already worked during pulling exercises) Working Set #1 : 3-5 reps Working Set #2 : 3-5 reps
WORKOUT 3 - CHEST, SHOULDERS & ABS:
5 minute warm-up
Bench Press Warm-up Set : 10-20 reps Acclimation Set : 8 reps Acclimation Set : 6 reps Working Set #1 : 3-5 reps Working Set #2 : 3-5 reps Working Set #3 : 3-5 reps, or as many as you can do
Military Press or Other Shoulder Press Brief Acclamation Set : 8 reps Working Set #1 : 3-5 reps Working Set #2 : 3-5 reps Working Set #3 : 3-5 reps, or as many as you can do
Abs exercise of your choosing Warm-up Set : 10-20 reps Acclimation Set : 8 reps Working Set #1 : 5-10 reps Working Set #2 : Use slightly heavier weight, as many reps as possible.
Wrist Curls (No warm-up necessary at this point) Working Set #1 : 3-5 reps followed by a static hold till failure Working Set #2 : Same as above
Reverse Wrist Curls Working Set #1 : Same as above Working Set #2 : Same as above
5-10 minute cool down
HAND STRENGTH
We use our hands and forearms in virtually every manual task we perform. Hand & Forearm strength is important for so many things from everyday manual tasks, to sports such as wrestling and boxing.
Hand Strength - It is a common myth that grip strength comes from the forearms. While some forearm strength does translate into grip strength, the majority of hand strength comes from the muscles within the hand itself. Who would've guessed?
An excellent way to develop crushing grip strength, useful for manual labor as well sports such as wrestling, is by using hand grippers. You can find light-weight hand grippers in a Wal-mart or sporting goods store. However, most of these only give around 40-50 lbs of resistance. This is woefully insufficient for most people to develop hand strength with.
OTHER FACTORS EFFECTING STRENGTH
PROPER DIET:
Proper diet is essential for maximizing workout productivity as well as performance. Without a proper diet, athletes will experience decrease workout performance, productivity, and recovery. Endurance and competition performance will also be negatively affected.
CARBS:
Carbohydrates provide crucial glucose to replenish muscle glycogen. Glycogen is the main source of energy used when doing high intensity strength training, power lifting, and competing in wrestling and boxing tournaments.
PROTEIN:
Protein is essential, even if you are not looking to build mass. Any high intensity exercise wears down your muscle tissue. You need adequate protein in order to repair & maintain your muscles.
DIETARY FAT:
Dietary fat is also an important part of strength and athletic performance. Dietary fat is important for connective tissue & joint health. Your tendons and ligaments are what translate the force of your muscles into movement. If these are not healthy and strong, your strength will be limited by this weak link.
WATER:
Water is a crucial component of performance. Even slight dehydration can cause strength loss of 15-20%. It is recommended that you drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Keep in mind that this is for the typical, inactive person. Athletes may need twice as much water as the sedentary individual.
TIPS:
Eat a balanced meal approximately 2 hours before each workout. This helps to insure maximum energy levels.
Watch your calorie intake. To maintain weight while building strength, it is best to avoid a large surplus or deficiency. If you find yourself keeping pace with your bodybuilding buddies, you may find yourself slipping up to the next weight class. Aim to eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than 3 large meals a day.
ELIMINATE HIDDEN POUNDS & REPLACE IT WITH MUSCLE FOR EVEN MORE STRENGTH:
With our increasing consumption of unhealthy, processed foods, constipation is becoming an ever prevalent problem. Even among younger, supposedly "healthier" individuals, constipation is still a common problem. With some quick research using Google, one can easily find information which estimates that the average 'healthy' American has between 5 and 15 pounds of fecal matter trapped in their colon.
I am pretty sure that this does not contribute to strength! Imagine if you could lose that much weight, and replace it with muscle. You could stand to make some very nice strength gains while keeping the same body weight. I know of several wrestlers who dropped an entire weight class by taking measures to clean their bowel.
A doctor may be able to offer a prescription laxative, but if you do not want to use drugs, there are many alternative methods available. Colonics use large amount of water to flush the colon out. There are also many type of herbal laxatives available at health food stores. Some of these were quite effective when I tried them some time ago.
SUPPLEMENTS:
Supplements to increase strength and performance have been around since before many of us were born. Many athletes take supplements they believe will enhance their strength. In reality, many of these athletes do not have a clue what the supplements are really doing.
Supplements can provide benefits, but in any case, 95% of the results will come from your workout and a good diet. If you are not getting good results, and are tempted to try a supplement that you saw in a magazine, or one that your buddy says is good, think again.
Before trying any supplements, review your entire workout routine, diet, and lifestyle. You may simply be overtrained, which is fixable by a period of rest from the weight room.
CREATINE:
In a nutshell, creatine gives you more energy. Creatine Phosphate is the primary source of energy used in very intense, very short activities lasting around 10 seconds or less. After this, glycogen becomes the primary source.
You get a limited amount of creatine from meat and from synthesis, but this supply gets used up rather quickly. Supplementing with creatine increases these stores, thus filling that particular energy tank up a bit higher.
Yes Or No?
Creatine can be a useful supplement for those looking to bulk, or those looking to gain strength without regard to mass. However, for those looking to gain strength while maintaining body weight, creatine is probably not a good choice.
Creatine and glycogen stored in the muscle tissue naturally retain several times their weight in water. Supplementing with creatine can cause you to store 5-15 extra pounds of water. This is enough to move an athlete up an entire weight class, without providing enough benefit to compensate.
PROTEIN:
It is amazing how so simple a substance could have so many ridiculous myths surrounding it. I have heard people say that protein powders contain "near-steroid" substances in them. I have spoken with athletes who think that simply consuming a protein powder will boost strength, all on its own.
Some seem to think that protein powder is the ultimate source of protein, and that a single post workout shake will meet their protein requirements for the entire day. Protein is a dried form of food, nothing more. Its advantage lies mostly in its convenience. It is much easier to whip up a shake than to cook a whole meal.
Yes Or No?
A protein powder such as whey is a handy supplement to have around. Whey protein is great for a post workout shake; it is easy to make, and is quickly absorbed. However, do not be fooled into thinking that a protein powder is "better" than whole foods, or that using it will somehow make you super strong. It is a convenient substitute, nothing more.
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