Strength and muscle quantity/growth

[Sohee]

Is increased strength in the gym necessarily an indicator of muscle growth?

For example, I'm bulking right now. I've been getting PRs every which way over the past few weeks in just about every exercise. Does this mean that my muscles are getting bigger or possibly just stronger?

[Blondell]

http://www.leanbodiesfitness.com/showthread.php?t=9849
Strength can come from improvements in muscle cross sectional area (increased size) or from neurological improvements (improved efficiency of the nervous system to recruit high threshold motor units).

Significant muscular and strength gains are generally not possible while eating significantly below maintenance. Notice, I said significant. In some cases, people can gain some muscle while losing fat and many, with intelligent dieting/training will gain some strength. I've seen this many times in my own clients (stable bodyweight yet decreased measurements). Same goes with strength gains, which I find even more common, particularly during the early stages.

That said, the gains pale in comparison to training with more substantial food intake as anyone who's gone from a diet to a 'bulk' can attest to.

But again, many strength improvements are neurologically based. Chances are if you're making even small strength gains on a diet, you're at the very least, maintaining your muscle. This is great, since many people, due to any number of reasons, lose at least some muscle when they diet. So if you're losing muscle, the neurological improvements will probably be overshadowed by those losses.

So the answer is yes, it means you're getting stronger without an increase in muscular size.

[Sohee]

Strength can come from improvements in muscle cross sectional area (increased size) or from neurological improvements (improved efficiency of the nervous system to recruit high threshold motor units).


What about on a surplus of food? If your weights are jumping up, up, up, then I would imagine there would be a point at which the neurological improvements cease, or at least move at a much slower rate.

[Noel Clark]

I would say that you are gaining some size Sohee. He was talking about on a deficit. Strength increase can be a good sign of muscle growth as well.

:thumb:

[Sohee]

I would say that you are gaining some size Sohee. He was talking about on a deficit.

That's why I was :scratch: because all of it was related to dieting.


Strength increase can be a good sign of muscle growth as well.

:thumb:

Cool :hamster:

[Noel Clark]

That's why I was :scratch: because all of it was related to dieting.



Cool :hamster:

His post still shows that just because there are strength gains doesn't always mean you're getting bigger. But because you are eating at a surplus, the fact that you are getting progressively stronger is a good sign.

[Erik]

Is increased strength in the gym necessarily an indicator of muscle growth?

For example, I'm bulking right now. I've been getting PRs every which way over the past few weeks in just about every exercise. Does this mean that my muscles are getting bigger or possibly just stronger?

It doesn't ensure you're getting bigger necessarily - BUT, it's generally a good sign when strength is climbing consistently and you're eating above maintenance calories. Good things are happening.

One can almost say that if they're gaining strength (with sufficient calories to support growth) they could be gaining muscle, but are not necessarily just based on the fact they're getting stronger. But if they're not getting any stronger, chances are higher that you're not getting any bigger.

[Anca]

My strength gains in the gym these past 12 months have far outweighed the amount of muscle I think I've gained. :shrug:

[Noel Clark]

My strength gains in the gym these past 12 months have far outweighed the amount of muscle I think I've gained. :shrug:

You were also dieting a lot of that 12 months right?

[Sohee]

It doesn't ensure you're getting bigger necessarily - BUT, it's generally a good sign when strength is climbing consistently and you're eating above maintenance calories. Good things are happening.

One can almost say that if they're gaining strength (with sufficient calories to support growth) they could be gaining muscle, but are not necessarily just based on the fact they're getting stronger. But if they're not getting any stronger, chances are higher that you're not getting any bigger.

:yippee:

[Anca]

You were also dieting a lot of that 12 months right?

Yep. 24 weeks bulk followed by 20 weeks of prep and 8 weeks at maintenance.
As I've returned to heavy lifting these past few weeks I've been very happy to see that, despite the long prep, I've maintained my strength. I'm starting this bulk at the PR levels I had reached at the end of the last one. :D