Big OR strong?
Simon Hammonds
Simon Hammonds discusses the difference between strength and hypertrophy training.
Does resistance training make you bigger, stronger, either or both?
If someone is ’big’, are they necessarily strong? Does someone have to be big in order to be strong? Are muscle strength and size synonymous or mutually exclusive?
The current WPF power lifting record for the squat in the 100kg weight category is 410kg. 410% of bodyweight! You’d be hard pressed to find a bodybuilder of equal bodyweight who can get even remotely close to that level of strength.
Is strength relative or absolute?
Who is stronger; the rugby player who can dump-tackle his 115kg opponent, or the gymnast who can hold himself in the ‘crucifix’ position on the rings?
What this boils down to is that training needs to be specific to the desired goal. The way in which resistance training is performed has a massive effect on the results that are achieved.
Training for functional strength or power should involve making things as easy for the body as possible by increasing efficiency: generating maximal possible force in the minimum possible time with the lowest amount of energy expended.
Training for maximum size should involve making things difficult for the body: Keeping muscles under tension for a relatively long time, isolating movements to challenge individual muscles and taking relatively short rest periods in order to recruit and fatigue as many muscle fibers as possible resulting in increased muscle hypertrophy (bulk).
A combat sport athlete should ideally be as strong and powerful as is achievable whilst remaining in the lightest possible weight category. On the other hand, a contender in ‘Worlds Strongest Man’ would ideally have as much muscle mass and strength as possible so that the loads being lifted are proportionally lower and therefore less demanding.
The more lean the muscle mass, the greater the potential strength. However, excess bodyweight can be detrimental to other areas of performance e.g. acceleration, speed, agility.
Obviously there is a cross-over; hypertrophy training will make an untrained individual stronger and strength training will normally result in a slight increase in lean muscle mass, but it is important to decide what the primary objective of the training is.
There is however no reason why strength and hypertrophy training can’t be combined. A rugby player will often gain advantage both tackling other athletes and avoiding injury from increased muscle mass and strength so long as it’s not at the expense of their speed and agility.
In summary, if you want to be ‘big’, train slowly (30-60 seconds under tension) with moderate weights (approx. 70% of 1 rep max) and with relatively short rest periods (30 seconds-3 minutes).
If you want to be strong, lift heavy (100% of the specific repetition max), as explosively (explosive concentric and controlled eccentric movements) as possible with good technique and with enough rest (3-5+ minutes) to perform maximally on each set.
by Simon Hammonds
Strength & Conditioning Coach
www.STRENGTH2STRENGTH.com
