On the other hand, you may find that one or two of the schedules are notice-
ably more productive than the others.Strength without size, strength with size
. magazine, as well as my books and articles, have emphasized
progressive strength gains as the principle means by which muscular body-
weight can be acquired. Although the precise mechanisms for how muscle is
built are not fully understood, there is a correlation between added strength
and increased muscle mass. However, the correlation is often not linear, and
it is possible to become considerably stronger without developing much big-
ger muscles.
. An outstanding example of “strength without size” is Judd Biasotto. Bia-
sotto, in , squatted pounds in competition at just pounds body-
weight! He has also bench pressed and deadlifted . For such a small
man, these are staggering lifts, and show that there can be much more to
strength demonstrations than size.. How strength and size are related varies among individuals, and is heavily
linked to training methods and genetic factors. Better motor skills, advan-
tageous tendon attachments and other superior structures/leverages for
specific movements, greater willpower, etc., all combine to demonstrate
strength without substantial muscular size.
. Stronger muscles can mean bigger muscles (but not always), just like bigger
muscles can mean stronger muscles (but not always). Maximum strength
does not equate to maximum size, and neither does maximum size equate
to maximum strength.. On specific exercises I have made substantial gains in strength while main-
taining consistent form, but with no increase in muscular size. Many others
have experienced the same sort of thing. In some exercises I have been able
to out-lift much larger muscled trainees. While genetics play a role, train-
ing methods provide part of the explanation. While the training approach I
used on those specific exercises (i.e., low reps or rest-pause high reps, hard
single work sets, frequency of once-a-week maximum per exercise) was per-
fect for strength gains, it was ineffective for maximizing size gains—at least
for me.. I have used volume training methods with no gains whatsoever in size or
strength. And many of you have also tried volume training, without success.