Is There A Bodybuilding Training Routine To Get Big and Strong at the Same Time?

Gaining muscle size and gaining strength are two different adaptations.  Gaining muscle size requires the muscle fibre to increase its diameter through the accumulation of protein and other energy substrates such as glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and even some fats (intramuscular fats).  This is called muscle hypertrophy and in order to train for it one must use repetition ranges of around 6-15 reps, generally speaking, and keep the rest periods to a minimum in between sets (between 60-90 seconds).  When training in this manner, some strength gain is experienced but not nearly as much as if one trained just for strength.

Gaining maximal muscle strength however is a totally different type of adaptation.  Basically the brain has to become better at activating as many muscle fibres as possible in order to move a weight from point A to point B.  This is called a neural adaptation because it happens at the nervous system level.  The more muscle size one has, the more strength potential an athlete possesses.   In order to train for maximal strength, one has to train with nearly maximal weights; mostly hovering in the 2-6 repetition range, and also, one has to rest 3-4 minutes in between sets of the same exercise.  In this case, muscle hypertrophy will be minimal but strength gains will be maximized.

It would seem that one cannot achieve maximum muscle size and maximal strength gains at the same time, but if one uses clever periodisation training techniques, you can have the best of both worlds.  As a matter of fact, top experts like Charles Poliquin propose that it is imperative for the bodybuilder to include maximal strength training in the bodybuilding program as after enough muscle size is achieved, one needs to train that new size for strength as well in order to ensure continued growth.

Source
By Hugo Rivera, About.com Guide to Bodybuilding since 2005

Technorati Tags: Muscle Building,Strength Training,Bodybuilding,How can I train to be stronger,Weight Lifting,Weight Training