Most people start to lift weights because they want to get
bigger and stronger. At first, it is
easy to do both. Just picking up heavier
weights each workout forces your body to adapt and grow. However, once the Honeymoon is over, it will
become more difficult to gain both size and strength at the same time. Now what do you do?
Size and strength training are two different
animals. And yes, there is going to be
an overlap of both, no matter if you train for size or strength. So now ask yourself, do you want to be strong
enough to pick up a Bus, or just look like you can?
1. Train for Size
Have you seen any pics of recent bodybuilders? 22-inch arms, 60-inch chest, six pack, you
get the idea. Now compare them to the
top Powerlifters in the world. The
bodybuilders look like they are 1000 times stronger than the Powerlifters. But they aren’t. In fact, they are much weaker. Wtf is going on?
When you train for size, you are less concerned with the
amount of weight you lift, and are more focused on strict form and time under
tension. When your muscles work longer,
they release more hormones that are responsible for recovery, and building more
muscle size. With Strength training,
most sets don’t last more than 10 seconds.
When your sets are fast and under 10 seconds in length, you work more on
developing the Nervous System. For
optimal size gains, you want your sets to be in the 20-30 second range. When your sets last more than 20 seconds, you
work more on developing soft tissue, such as muscle fibers, blood vessels,
ligaments, and tendons. The body parts
that are responsible for making you as big as a house!
How do you train for Size?
Include the Big 3 in your workouts, however use less weight and make the
sets last longer. I prefer my size
athletes to perform between 8-12 reps on most exercises, with as little rest as
possible between sets. However, don’t
sacrifice completing your rep goals by not resting long enough. 30-60 seconds rest between sets is a good
place to start.
2. Train for Strength
Strength training’s primary purpose is one thing. To Get You Stronger!!! The idea is to train your muscles to respond
to small, quick burst of power. Strength
training is more about training your Central Nervous System and making newer
neural pathways that can help you lift more weight. When you train, your nervous system grows
before your muscles. When you focus on
heavy, compound movements, your nervous system gets more of a workout than your
muscles. Getting bigger is nice, but a
Strength Athlete doesn’t care about anything except getting stronger.
How do you train for strength? Make the Big 3 (Bench, Squat, and Deadlift)
your priorities, and keep your reps low.
I prefer my strength athletes to perform between 4-6 reps on most exercises,
with enough rest between sets to put forth max effort on every lift.
3. Sample Workouts
Strength Workout:
Monday – Back / Front and Side Shoulders
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Exercise
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Sets
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Reps
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Rest
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Rotation
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Deadlifts
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Lat
Pulldown
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Arnold Press
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Rows (both arms)
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Lateral Raises
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Straight
Arm Pulldowns
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Tuesday – Arms
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Exercise
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Sets
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Reps
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Rest
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Rotation
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DB
Curls (alternating arms)
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Single
Arm Reverse Grip Pulldowns
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Reverse Grip Curls (both arms at the same time)
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Standing
DB Tri Extensions (both arms at the same time)
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Hammer Curls
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Tricep
Rope Pushdowns (both arms at the same time)
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Thursday – Legs
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Exercise
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Sets
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Reps
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Rest
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Rotation
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Squats
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Leg
Curls
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4
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Leg
Extensions
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Standing
Calf Raises
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Seated
Calf Raises
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Leg
Press
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Friday – Traps / Chest/ Rear Delts
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Exercise
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Sets
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Reps
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Rest
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Rotation
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DB
Shrugs
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Incline
Chest Press
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4
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Bench
Press
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Flys
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Pec Deck
Chest Fly
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3
|
4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Pec
Deck Rear Delt Fly
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3
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4-6
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90 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Size Workout:
Monday – Chest / Triceps
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Exercise
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Sets
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Reps
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Rest
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Rotation
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Bench
Press
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4
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8
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Incline
DB Press
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4
|
10
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Cable
Crossovers
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4
|
12
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Tricep
Pushdowns
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4
|
10
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Standing
DB Tri Extensions (both arms at the same time)
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4
|
12
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Tuesday – Legs
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Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps
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Rest
|
Rotation
|
Squats
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4
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8
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Leg
Curls
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4
|
12
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
Leg
Extensions
|
3
|
12
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
Hack
Squats
|
3
|
10
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Seated
Calf Raises
|
4
|
15
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Standing
Calf Raises
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2
|
30
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Thursday – Back / Biceps
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Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps
|
Rest
|
Rotation
|
Bench
Press
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4
|
8
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
Pec
Deck Chest Fly
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4
|
10
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
|
Pec
Deck Rear Delt Fly
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3
|
12
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Lateral Raises
|
3
|
12
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
Straight
Arm Pulldowns
|
3
|
8
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Incline Flys
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3
|
12
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60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Friday – Shoulders
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Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps
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Rest
|
Rotation
|
Standing
DB Shoulder Press
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4
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8
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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Seated
Arnold Press
|
4
|
10
|
60 seconds
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Straight Sets
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DB
Side Laterals
|
3
|
12
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
Cable
Rear Delt Raises
|
3
|
12
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
DB
Shrugs
|
3
|
15
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
|
Face
Pulls
|
3
|
15
|
60 seconds
|
Straight Sets
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4. Conclusion
Your approach to gaining size is different from trying to
gain strength. Manipulation of rep
schemes easily allows you to train for your specific goal. And what’s the coolest part? You can combine these two different training
philosophies to get the best results of your life. Don’t get held up by a plateau. Break through it, and use it as a spring
board to speed up your results.