Getting Stronger Not Bigger...

[tqb43]

Hey,
Not sure if this is the right forum. So why would one continue to get stronger and be able to lift more but not seem to be gaining any muscle size or anything. Is it a matter of calories? Or is it their body is using their muscles more effectively rather than recruiting new fibers. If it's the latter, wouldn't eating a caloric surplus just make them fat?

[Apex702]

Hey,
Not sure if this is the right forum. So why would one continue to get stronger and be able to lift more but not seem to be gaining any muscle size or anything. Is it a matter of calories? Or is it their body is using their muscles more effectively rather than recruiting new fibers. If it's the latter, wouldn't eating a caloric surplus just make them fat?

Likely eating at maintenance. This could produce strength gains to a degree of muscular potential.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...potential.html

Once achieved potential at current weight you'll simply plateau creating a need for more calories in order to grow.

[HunterCML]

Hey,
Not sure if this is the right forum. So why would one continue to get stronger and be able to lift more but not seem to be gaining any muscle size or anything. Is it a matter of calories? Or is it their body is using their muscles more effectively rather than recruiting new fibers. If it's the latter, wouldn't eating a caloric surplus just make them fat?

There is more to strength than muscle size. Surprisingly, a lot of strength will be made without any body composition change; this is mainly due (I believe) to muscle fiber adaptation along with CNS adaptations allowing more motor units to be recruited resulting in a larger intramuscular ion flux.

All nerdy stuff aside, you will eventually plateau if no true muscle mass is being built. Just keep grinding away and focusing on those strength gains.

Strength will ultimately and eventually correlate with muscle mass. In other words, you will never be able to pull 500+ lbs with a frail core, never be able to squat 400+ lbs with chicken legs and never be able to bench 300+ lbs with a bird chest.

Just focus on continuous progress in the gym and the size will come.

[Apex702]

There is more to strength than muscle size. Surprisingly, a lot of strength will be made without any body composition change; this is mainly due (I believe) to muscle fiber adaptation along with CNS adaptations allowing more motor units to be recruited resulting in a larger intramuscular ion flux.

All nerdy stuff aside, you will eventually plateau if no true muscle mass is being built. Just keep grinding away and focusing on those strength gains.

Strength will ultimately and eventually correlate with muscle mass. In other words, you will never be able to pull 500+ lbs with a frail core, never be able to squat 400+ lbs with chicken legs and never be able to bench 300+ lbs with a bird chest.

Just focus on continuous progress in the gym and the size will come.

Just had to show up my post eh? Thats cool brah lol

[HunterCML]

Just had to show up my post eh? Thats cool brah lol

Never the purpose.

Also, I think OP disappeared on us anyway.

[Cumulonimbus]

CNS adaptations allowing more motor units to be recruited resulting in a larger intramuscular ion flux.

lolwut

[Apex702]

lolwut

Obviously you haven't read the groundbreaking work by Dr. Emmett Brown on the flux capacitor resulting in adapatations of the DeLorean. It's very complex.

[Cumulonimbus]

I use it to fit in my daily CHO early in the day.

[HunterCML]

Muscle contraction comes from an ion pump (re:sodium/potassium). It's controlled by the CNS via "motor units".

Google is your friend.


I love using things I learn in school on the forum.

[Cumulonimbus]

I know what it is, but you were pointing out that strength is primarily an increase from CNS adaptations without changes in bodycomposition. Electrolyte balance is mainly concerned in aerobic exercise or any other high intensity/long duration work, which isn't a neural adaptation.

Electrolytes -> IM -> bodycomposition
Strength without changes in bodycomposition -> neural adaptation

[HunterCML]

I know what it is, but you were pointing out that strength is primarily an increase from CNS adaptations without changes in bodycomposition. Electrolyte balance is mainly concerned in aerobic exercise or any other high intensity/long duration work, which isn't a neural adaptation.

Electrolytes -> IM -> bodycomposition
Strength without changes in bodycomposition -> neural adaptation

I wasn't asserting that.

I was stating that strength can be seen before LBM gains because of CNS adaptations. Which is accurate.

[Dujin77]

Post #2 and #3 have it dead on.

[rhizome]

Muscle contraction comes from an ion pump (re:sodium/potassium). It's controlled by the CNS via "motor units".

Google is your friend.


I love using things I learn in school on the forum.

No it doesn't come from an ion pump. Ryanodine receptors are calcium channels. Membrane depolarization is from acetylcholine receptor channels at the neuromuscular junction.

[HunterCML]

No it doesn't come from an ion pump. Ryanodine receptors are calcium channels.

Learn me something.

Clearly I can't trust an accredited state university.





srs btw. so much of what I've learned about nutrition has been questionable and I often get flawed perspectives in other fields. I blame my instructors.

[Apex702]

Learn me something.

Clearly I can't trust an accredited state university.





srs btw. so much of what I've learned about nutrition has been questionable and I often get flawed perspectives in other fields. I blame my instructors.

I was reading through the Harvard Public Health website which has a nutrition section. I sent an email asking why they advocate to avoid bacon.

[PerpetualMotion]

Op, are you gaining weight? If not then the obvious answer is to increase calories.

[Cumulonimbus]

No it doesn't come from an ion pump. Ryanodine receptors are calcium channels. Membrane depolarization is from acetylcholine receptor channels at the neuromuscular junction.

cliffs: sliding filament theory

[in10city]

Learn me something.

Clearly I can't trust an accredited state university.





srs btw. so much of what I've learned about nutrition has been questionable and I often get flawed perspectives in other fields. I blame my instructors.

Well you are sort of correct since the Na-K pump is necessary to establish/reestablish the ion gradients necessary for the propagation of the action potential down the motor neuron to the T tubules.

But it's the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum via the ryanodine receptor (channel) binding to troponin C that initiates the actual cross-bridge cycling / contraction.

[tqb43]

Likely eating at maintenance. This could produce strength gains to a degree of muscular potential.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...potential.html

Once achieved potential at current weight you'll simply plateau creating a need for more calories in order to grow.

I've been lifting regularly for 4 years now.. although i never looked at my diet until this past year.
So this article says that i'm pretty much screwed for muscle mass now.

[HunterCML]

Well you are sort of correct since the Na-K pump is necessary to establish/reestablish the ion gradients necessary for the propagation of the action potential down the motor neuron to the T tubules.

But it's the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum via the ryanodine receptor (channel) binding to troponin C that initiates the actual cross-bridge cycling / contraction.

So basically I was missing critical information in my explanation making my assumption incorrect.

I think I learn the specifics more adequately next semester in my second anatomy/physiology class. This semester is more or less about location and basic function than it is about specifics.

Excited to learn though. :l

[Cumulonimbus]

So basically I was missing critical information in my explanation making my assumption incorrect.

I think I learn the specifics more adequately next semester in my second anatomy/physiology class. This semester is more or less about location and basic function than it is about specifics.

Excited to learn though. :l

You got it right that Na/K ATPase is needed for a calcium rush, but they were just pointing out that Ca is what allows the actual contractionl myosin/actin since it binds to troponin then to tropomyosin, releasing the myosin, connecting to active actin sites to initiate the power stroke.

cliffs: you just missed out a step

[vrundmc]

I've been lifting regularly for 4 years now.. although i never looked at my diet until this past year.
So this article says that i'm pretty much screwed for muscle mass now.

No...the number of years you have been lifting do not necessarily correlate to your experience. You could still be a beginner. Just eat and lift.

[Apex702]

I've been lifting regularly for 4 years now.. although i never looked at my diet until this past year.
So this article says that i'm pretty much screwed for muscle mass now.

It is not an exact science; it is more or less best guess but nonetheless still a guideline to follow.

If you've reached your muscular potential at your current weight you must eat at a surplus in order to grow. Understand that if you were to continue to eat at maintenance you'll always maintain the same weight, however, it is macro nutrient sufficiency that determines body composition.

[alex2363]

I was reading through the Harvard Public Health website which has a nutrition section. I sent an email asking why they advocate to avoid bacon.

did they respond?

[alex2363]

This thread became very educational, I think the OP was expecting a basic 101 entry level answer , but instead he recieved higher educational level type answers. not many web sites can contribute with such sophistication such as this web site does. Thanks to members such as Paul and Hunter who are on top of their game all day. I learn everyday when I log on and this has helped me stay on my diet and not not stray away.

[Apex702]

did they respond?

Not yet, it's the weekend but I'm sure they will eventually.

[Cumulonimbus]

This thread became very educational, I think the OP was expecting a basic 101 entry level answer , but instead he recieved higher educational level type answers. not many web sites can contribute with such sophistication such as this web site does. Thanks to members such as rhizome and in10city who are on top of their game all day. I learn everyday when I log on and this has helped me stay on my diet and not not stray away.

fixed

srs

[tqb43]

This thread became very educational, I think the OP was expecting a basic 101 entry level answer , but instead he recieved higher educational level type answers. not many web sites can contribute with such sophistication such as this web site does. Thanks to members such as Paul and Hunter who are on top of their game all day. I learn everyday when I log on and this has helped me stay on my diet and not not stray away.

yeah i was just wondering what i could do to add more mass. Last year i did a bulk for about 6 months where i ate 500 cal above maintenance but i gained a lot of fat.

[Apex702]

yeah i was just wondering what i could do to add more mass. Last year i did a bulk for about 6 months where i ate 500 cal above maintenance but i gained a lot of fat.

Gaining fat will come with a surplus, to limit that amount, simply lower the surplus. This will take longer to achieve desired results, but with less fat gain.

[PerpetualMotion]

yeah i was just wondering what i could do to add more mass. Last year i did a bulk for about 6 months where i ate 500 cal above maintenance but i gained a lot of fat.

Suck it up, buttercup. That's the price of wanting to have optimal gains.