Couple Questions

[Wapadaigo]

1) Would eating close to the same things everyday cause my body to learn to use it more efficiently? Or would constantly switching it up be more beneficial due to the fact it challenges the body to adapt, causing it to work harder and therefore burn more calories.
( thinking in terms of how you stimulate muscle growth my muscle confusion)


2) How long does it take to create muscle hypertrophy? Recently I was told SIX WEEKS! I researched it( shamingly i'll admit it was very little) but, if this were true does that mean what I do in the gym today won't effect me ( as far as muscle growth) until six weeks from now?

3) My workout partner and I are currently cutting and have been doing so since January. I am consistently dropping weight(hopefully majority fat) but I have noticed on several of my lifts I have still increase in strength. I can see that I am losing muscle( from mirror) but how I am increasing strength? Does this mean muscle size and muscle strength have no correlation?

These sound like good Q's in my head and I hope they all make sense to you guys. Let me know if I need to clarify.
Any info is appreciated, I know there are people on here with alot of knowledge in these areas and if you could back up your answer with some legit sources I'd appreciate.

Thanks,

[Wapadaigo]

Should I have put this in diff category?

[Frank87]

1) eating the same things over and over again without changing it will cause the body to absorb it LESS efficiently.

Just like when you plateau doing the same workouts over and over again, your stomach will do the same when your diet never changes. This is why change is key.

[msuwo]

1) Never actually looked at this before, but interesting question. I'd like to see some credible readings on this.

2) It's not 6 weeks at all. Protein synthesis is elevated fairly soon post-workout, and remains elevated for several days afterward. Sounds like complete broscience to me. You could try it; find a noob, work him out for a month and a half, and see if he doesn't gain a single pound until the end of that period.

3) You're right, strength isn't necessarily dependent on muscle size. More muscle couldn't hurt, but you don't need to be mad swole to lift heavy. Hell, I was lifting almost the same weight at 145 as I am at 165.

[Wapadaigo]

1) eating the same things over and over again without changing it will cause the body to absorb it LESS efficiently.

Just like when you plateau doing the same workouts over and over again, your stomach will do the same when your diet never changes. This is why change is key.

Not disagreeing, but can you back up this claim? Or is this personal experience/theory?

[Wapadaigo]

1) Never actually looked at this before, but interesting question. I'd like to see some credible readings on this.

2) It's not 6 weeks at all. Protein synthesis is elevated fairly soon post-workout, and remains elevated for several days afterward. Sounds like complete broscience to me. You could try it; find a noob, work him out for a month and a half, and see if he doesn't gain a single pound until the end of that period.

3) You're right, strength isn't necessarily dependent on muscle size. More muscle couldn't hurt, but you don't need to be mad swole to lift heavy. Hell, I was lifting almost the same weight at 145 as I am at 165.

3)So your saying by getting "stronger" I am not necessarily going to have an increase in muscle size?

[MikeK46]

3)So your saying by getting "stronger" I am not necessarily going to have an increase in muscle size?

Not necessarily. An increase in the ability to recruit more muscle fibers to perform a specific exercise will result in more strength without added mass. Improvement in electrical signaling from the brain can likewise make you stronger independent of muscle size.

[Wapadaigo]

Not necessarily. An increase in the ability to recruit more muscle fibers to perform a specific exercise will result in more strength without added mass. Improvement in electrical signaling from the brain can likewise make you stronger independent of muscle size.

Ok, that makes sense. But the "improvement of electrical signaling from the brain" seems like something that would happen if I just began to lift weights. I have been lifting for years, are you saying I still can have noticeable benefits from motor control mechanism?

[MikeK46]

I have been lifting for years, are you saying I still can have noticeable benefits from motor control mechanism?

Not unless I stand there and scream in your face, forcing you to do reps you would've never tried on your own and showing you that what you once thought was your pain threshold wasn't even close