Myth #1: If you’re not getting stronger you’re not getting bigger.
This is simply not true. Twenty years ago I was far stronger than I am now, but yet not nearly as big and muscular. While it is certainly important to try and push greater poundage as you move along in your training, this is not the only factor necessary for inducing hypertrophy. Gaining strength is often a function of “practicing” and “getting better” at a particular exercise, which is more of a neuromuscular adaptation than anything else. Truth be told, becoming too “efficient” at lifting a weight can actually be counterproductive to forcing muscle growth.
This is simply not true. Twenty years ago I was far stronger than I am now, but yet not nearly as big and muscular. While it is certainly important to try and push greater poundage as you move along in your training, this is not the only factor necessary for inducing hypertrophy. Gaining strength is often a function of “practicing” and “getting better” at a particular exercise, which is more of a neuromuscular adaptation than anything else. Truth be told, becoming too “efficient” at lifting a weight can actually be counterproductive to forcing muscle growth.
If you are constantly doing the same exercises, your CNS (central nervous system) may begin to get so good at performing the movements that less muscle fibers will need to fire in order to move the weight (opposite of what we want). Another thing to consider is that strength gains are finite and will eventually plateau. Of course I am not trying to tell you to prevent yourself from getting stronger, but to simply understand that hypertrophy is not solely reliant upon pushing heavier weights workout to workout.
You can also stimulate gains in mass by improving your mind/muscle connection, getting more work done in the same period of time, introducing novel training techniques, switching up lifting tempos, varying repetitions, altering angles, grips and planes of motion, etc.
You can also stimulate gains in mass by improving your mind/muscle connection, getting more work done in the same period of time, introducing novel training techniques, switching up lifting tempos, varying repetitions, altering angles, grips and planes of motion, etc.
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