Preference

[oldschool5919]

What do you prefer strength or mass?

[thepainter5]

Strength leading to mass.

[MarkS51]

What do you prefer strength or mass?

Can't I have both? I mean, call me crazy, but it seems the harder I try and the more weight I push myself to lift, the bigger my muscles get. And I've yet to get more mass by picking up less weight. Have I been missing something?

[nixter]

I like having muscle but I rarely NEED to be stronger than your average joe, so... mass.

[oldschool5919]

Can't I have both? I mean, call me crazy, but it seems the harder I try and the more weight I push myself to lift, the bigger my muscles get. And I've yet to get more mass by picking up less weight. Have I been missing something?

I have no idea whether your missing something or what

,but my point is i have seen many "massive individuals" but compared to some smaller lifters they were actually weak just massive .

[Brad805]

I didn't think they were mutually exclusive. There seems to be an awful lot of muscular people in the O35, and they do seem to lift rather large blocks of steel. I tend to think the example you mention would be quite rare, but I am the first to admit I gots a lot to learn.

[w8killer]

Both.

[Karl_Hungus]

I like having muscle but I rarely NEED to be stronger than your average joe, so... mass.

Do you NEED to be more massive than the average Joe?

Strength for me.

[PapaBunny]

currently I am all about strength.

[MichaelCJ]

Strength, every time.

If there truly was such a clean division in the first place, I'd want the thing that I could actually use, if I needed to.

Maybe I'd feel differently, if putting my body on stage for money and prestige was any part of my lifestyle. But it ain't.

[bigtallox]

What do you prefer strength or mass?

Both. But who want's to be big but not strong? So I guess I lean toward strength. I'd be weak if I didn't focus on training for strength.

[Karl_Hungus]

Both. But who want's to be big but not strong?

Bodybuilders.

[oldsuperman]

Hmmmm..

I'm trying to make sense of this?

I really don't know any mass men who are weak...

If you have the mass, IMO you'll have the strength.

Unless you're talking about fat guys?

[Karl_Hungus]

Hmmmm..

I'm trying to make sense of this?

I really don't know any mass men who are weak...

If you have the mass, IMO you'll have the strength.

I think the question is directed at what motivates you, rather than what the end result is. Anybody who trains to build muscle will also build strength.

[acrawlingchaos]

Neither, I'm looking to be more streamlined and toned.

[oldsuperman]

I think the question is directed at what motivates you, rather than what the end result is. Anybody who trains to build muscle will also build strength.

Well I want to look strong.. more than be strong...... I guess???

[pastorgbc]

Can't I have both? I mean, call me crazy, but it seems the harder I try and the more weight I push myself to lift, the bigger my muscles get. And I've yet to get more mass by picking up less weight. Have I been missing something?

I am going to agree totally with Mark. The more weight I lift, the bigger and stronger I get. I have yet to meet the guy who has gotten massive without lifting heavy. In fairness, I have met some guys who were not all that big who could move massive weight, but their training was not designed to keep mass off. Actually, to a man, they all said they wanted to get bigger.

[Smelly bull]

I am going to agree totally with Mark. The more weight I lift, the bigger and stronger I get. I have yet to meet the guy who has gotten massive without lifting heavy. In fairness, I have met some guys who were not all that big who could move massive weight, but their training was not designed to keep mass off. Actually, to a man, they all said they wanted to get bigger.

This is so true. The stronger my lifts, the bigger I became.

[tryintorebuild]

I understand what the op is asking. I think strength without mass would be Bruce Lee. At 160 pounds no one would consider him massive, but he was definitely strong.

That said, I would like to be both. "Fit" is more the look I'm going for, but I'd rather be fit at 200 lbs than fit at 170.

[thepainter5]

...strength without mass would be Bruce Lee. At 160 pounds no one would consider him massive....

He was rarely that heavy and not in any of his movies, try 135 lbs.

[oldschool5919]

Hmmmm..

I'm trying to make sense of this?

I really don't know any mass men who are weak...

If you have the mass, IMO you'll have the strength.

Unless you're talking about fat guys?

Over the years ,I have been to numerous gyms and I have seen many massive individuals that were weaker than smaller lifters ,you can purchase mass in a can but you have to build strength in my opinion.

[bigtallox]

Bodybuilders.

They specifically want to not be strong? That's not the feeling I've gotten from reading many many many posts by bodybuilders on this forum over the last several years.

[Brackneyc]

I prefer to be "kick ass" over either of the choices in the OP.

[oldschool5919]

I prefer to be "kick ass" over either of the choices in the OP.

Then I take it that you must have the strength to do that .

[Brackneyc]

Then I take it that you must have the strength to do that .

Nah, all attitude. I am not very strong, nor very big.

[oldschool5919]

nah, all attitude. I am not very strong, nor very big. :d

peace

[stephanielynn76]

1st female contributor...

I originally started lifting for aesthetics so it was all about adding mass. However, as I've seen my lifts improve (particularly during this last bulk) I've been really motivated by the strength gains. This has been good because it has helped me to take my focus off of the weight gain and center it more on my progress in the gym. The increased body fat is easier to cope with when you see yourself getting stronger!