How To Train For Size Vs. Strength
Hey Liquid! In this article I’ll be going over how to modify your training to meet your personal goals.
For gym beginners, training for bigger and stronger muscles may seem like one and the same. However, this is not entirely true. While there is certainly overlap between the two categories, it is possible to specialize your training to focus on one or the other, especially as you progress through your fitness journey.
First of all, it is important to understand how your body adapts and builds muscle. By training and putting various muscles under stress, you are signalling to your body that it needs to get stronger in order to survive. Every time you lift weights, you create micro-tears in the muscle fibers, otherwise known as myofibrils. Then, while you rest after your workout, your body repairs the damaged muscle, leading to muscle growth. This is a process called hypertrophy. There are two types of hypertrophy: myofibrillar hypertrophy, which will increase the number of myofibrils and therefore strength, and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which is an increase in the sarcoplasmic fluid in your muscles that surround your myofibrils. This type doesn’t actually increase strength; rather, what you are seeing is a temporary increase in muscle volume, such as the "pump" we get during a workout. So how do you train to target each of these?
The main differentiation in training between the two will be the number of reps done each set. In order to train for strength, it is optimal to lift heavier weights for a lower amount of reps (~1-5 reps). Conversely for size, it is best to lift more reps at a lower weight (~8-15 reps). It is also the case that for hypertrophy or size training, you will be lifting more total volume.
The two also differ in how you want to progress as you improve: for strength training, the most critical factor is to progressively overload in weight. In other words, to gradually increase the weight lifted with time. While it is also important to progressively overload weight in size training, increasing total volume also becomes a larger factor compared to strength training. For example, it would be optimal to add 10 pounds to a lift for someone training for strength, but for someone training for size, adding 5 pounds and a set will likely be more beneficial (and also result in a greater increase in total volume).
There will also be a different frequency of workouts and rest days between the two. While the actual number of days will vary depending on the individual, strength training will generally require longer rest periods between workouts. This also translates to rests between sets in the gym, where breaks for strength training will generally take longer than that of size training.
In the end, it is important to remember that it is best to not exclusively train for one or the other, and that there are benefits to both approaches. It is also important to remember that everyone’s body reacts differently to stimuli, so take this as general advice and find what works best for you. See you in the gym!
References
Bumgardner, T. (2020, April 24). The basics of training for size or strength. Bodybuilding.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-basics-of-training-for-size-or-strength.html
Kandola, A. (2020, September 28). Muscular hypertrophy: Definition, causes, and how to achieve it. Medical News Today. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/muscle-hypertrophy
Leonard, J. (2020, January 8). Building muscle with exercise: How muscle builds, routines, and Diet. Medical News Today. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319151#how-does-muscle-grow-in-the-body
Nuckols, G. (2020, January 26). Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy: The Bros were probably right. Stronger by Science. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.strongerbyscience.com/sarcoplasmic-vs-myofibrillar-hypertrophy/
PictureFit. (2019, July 5). Building Muscle Vs Building Strength - What's the Difference? [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imNWaHtGwnw&ab_channel=PictureFit.
RenaissancePeriodization. (2020, June 17). The Differences Between Training for Size Vs Strength. YouTube. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3abdfR8M5XY&t=497s&ab_channel=RenaissancePeriodization.
Sarcoplasmic vs myofibrillar muscle growth: What's the difference? myfitnessgear. (2021, November 5). Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://myfitnessgear.co.uk/muscle-growth/sarcoplasmic-vs-myofibrillar-muscle-growth-whats-the-difference/