Difference between muscle strengthening and gaining muscle mass?

[NaziKiller]

I'm sorry but I have no idea what the difference is between the two. I used to go to a local gym about 2 years ago but I was too lazy to go all the time, and I think the weightlifting in the gym is to gain muscle mass. Then the stuff I do at home like pushups and such are to strengthen the muscles. I am pretty vague when it comes to fitness, nutrition and human anatomy so I'm guessing the above statements are wrong (?). If so, please correct me --

What are the different effects of doing one over the other?
How do I accomplish any of them?
What do they contribute to the overall look of my body?
What do they contribute to the overall performance in MA?

[NaughtyKnight]

Strength and size go hand in hand. Even if you are "only trying to put on mass", you are still building strength, even if you are "only trying to get strong", you are still going to be building muscle.

All progress in the gym should be measured by how strong you are getting. If you are Squating 5kgs more than you did last week, you are getting bigger and stronger.

Weights are used for BOTH strength and size. Dont confuse weights as only the tools of bodybuilders, they are an amazing way to get very strong. Bodyweight exercises, however, will not build the level of strength weights will, and they will certainly not lead to very much (if any) size gains. They are much better used for conditioning drills (aerobic and anaerobic conditioning) than actually focussing on strength.

To answer some more of your questions.

If you are eating more calories you need, with a diet high in protein AND training with free weights then your body will get bigger. Your arms, back, chest, shoulders, legs, abs etc will get larger and you will get much stronger.

Being strong will obviously help your martial arts.

[Incredible Bulk]

being big does not always indicate strength...

bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things and we all know from watching worlds strongest man that its not the bodybuilding types who succeed.

good advice naughty

[NaziKiller]

Strength and size go hand in hand. Even if you are "only trying to put on mass", you are still building strength, even if you are "only trying to get strong", you are still going to be building muscle.

All progress in the gym should be measured by how strong you are getting. If you are Squating 5kgs more than you did last week, you are getting bigger and stronger.

Weights are used for BOTH strength and size. Dont confuse weights as only the tools of bodybuilders, they are an amazing way to get very strong. Bodyweight exercises, however, will not build the level of strength weights will, and they will certainly not lead to very much (if any) size gains. They are much better used for conditioning drills (aerobic and anaerobic conditioning) than actually focussing on strength.

To answer some more of your questions.

If you are eating more calories you need, with a diet high in protein AND training with free weights then your body will get bigger. Your arms, back, chest, shoulders, legs, abs etc will get larger and you will get much stronger.

Being strong will obviously help your martial arts.

Damn you just left me with more question :p ...

Ok, so you want to tell me these things go hand in hand, right? I've read some threads with difference in muscle mass and muscle strength. What is really more important though? And if I increase will the other increase no matter what?

Also, what are free weights? What is the difference between bodyweights and free weights? and is it ok if I do just weightless excercise to increase mass\strength? Or will weights REALLY take me one level up?

Also, I have leftover fat from my dieting which I am not done with yet. Will strength excercises be good for losing fat as well getting stronger, or will I just HAVE to do cardio stuff?

[NaughtyKnight]

Free weights is lifting barbells and dumbells.

There are some difference between training for size or strength, but there is alot of cross over. You will only get big as you get stronger. No one ever got massive legs squating their starting weight of 20kgs.

Inteval training is the best way to lose fat. Sprints, hill sprints etc.

[NaziKiller]

Thanks you've been a lot of help :).

[cxw]

You can get stronger with bodyweight excercises. They just need to be hard.

Have you tried dips and chin-ups? If you find these easy then add some extra weight.

Also, difficult pressups (e.g handstands) will add strength. Gymnasts use mainly bodyweight excercises and they have fantastic strength.

Ultimately strength gains come through pushing and pulling stuff that's near your physical limit - regardless of whether there's a barbell or dumbbell involved.

Alot of strong people have got that way through a combination of free weights and bodyweight excercises.

If you're stretched for time and money, buy a barbell and some plates. With this you can do:
- Deadlifts
- Cleans
- Military Press's
- Clean and Jerk
- Front, hack and overhead squat
- Bent Over Rows

Plus if you have a tree or rafters near the house you can do chin-ups. And two chairs can be used for dips (if they're light, place some weights on the chairs so they don't tip over)

[NaziKiller]

This sounds like great fun (not! :D) and a great excercise, but what can one do when his apartment barely has enough place for him to lie down on the floor for situps, let alone train with a barbell :(?

[Stan O'Kella]

being big does not always indicate strength...

bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things and we all know from watching worlds strongest man that its not the bodybuilding types who succeed.

good advice naughty


At the end of the day a bodybuilder who has size will have increased strength from an untrained person, a slight misnoma in what you are saying. A big bodybuilder will not be as strong as a similar sized power lifter, but he'd still be a damn site stronger than your average Joe like you and me, unless of course you are a very large man!

As for the "bodybuilder type" not winning, have you seen Mariusz Pudzianowski's body!

[Incredible Bulk]

As for the "bodybuilder type" not winning, have you seen Mariusz Pudzianowski's body!

yeah, he is an ex bodybuilder i think... he is huge and ripped with it.
He was involved with a steroids scandle a while ago, well durrr, its basically the steroid olympics :D

[pgm316]

At the end of the day a bodybuilder who has size will have increased strength from an untrained person, a slight misnoma in what you are saying. A big bodybuilder will not be as strong as a similar sized power lifter, but he'd still be a damn site stronger than your average Joe like you and me, unless of course you are a very large man!

As for the "bodybuilder type" not winning, have you seen Mariusz Pudzianowski's body!

I agree. Its largely another myth that the big body builder isn't strong. Won't have the funtional strength of the powerlifter, but then again who does :D

Mariusz is a perfect example of blowing the myth out of the water!

[Nick K]

Strength also comes from neuromuscular efficiency and the development of the nervous system's ability to recruit a muscle more completely to a particular movement - which is why when people start weight training, they see enormous gains in strength without getting that much bigger. In addition you can train for maximum size or strength in slightly different ways. For strength, train ultra heavy, low reps - for size, pretty heavy, medium reps simplistically. However NKnight is generally right - the bigger you are the more likely you'll be strong, for a certain level of training. (He should know - he's 92Kg of pure muscle!) A small slender well trained guy however, may be as strong as someone bigger but untrained.