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**THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?**
Does lifting heavy make your muscles bigger overall? Or do bigger muscles make you stronger?
Lifting heavier does produce larger muscles up until they stall. You'll be able to grow by lifting heavier and heavier as the months go on, but you'll eventually hit a peak.
At some point, your muscles reach their full potential output for their size and require an upgrade to progress further.
Take a break and jump into a hypertrophy phase in which the goal steps away from strength gains and moves towards growing the size of the muscles themselves.
There are lots of big folks in the gym with minimal strength and there are the tiny folks that can move unbelievable amounts of weight. But, then there's that third category: the ones who can move bigger weights BECAUSE they are bigger.
Depending if your goal is to look pretty or be more powerful (or both), train accordingly.
Typical training methods are...
(1) To get bigger: lower the weights and slow the pace waaaay down and take breaks less than 90 seconds. This forces your muscles to work much harder, thereby stimulating more damage/growth.
(2) To get stronger: higher weights at a faster pace means you'll get less reps in, but they'll condition your central nervous system (CNS) for more explosive activity. Because you're training your CNS, the muscles' repair is secondary to fixing that tingly nervous system, so you'll need longer breaks to make any significant progress.
(3) Both: mix it up! Either train both ways during a session or do "periodization" wherein you'll work for a month or four developing one before shifting to the other. Since you're splitting your methods, you'll also split the time it takes to progress.
Just a couple thoughts as you work towards achieving your gym goals... whatever they may be! 💪🏻
http://breakingmuscle.com/amp/fitness/guide-for-a-novice-when-the-bench-press-stalls
Diet Calendar Entries for 24 December 2019:
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3672 kcal
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Fat: 123.53g | Prot: 190.13g | Carb: 436.85g.
Breakfast: McDonald's McCafe Mocha Frappe, Hidden Valley Fat Free Ranch Dressing, Egg Beaters Egg Beaters - Southwestern Style, Better'n Eggs Better'n Eggs, Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Strawberries & Cream, Valu Time 1% Low Fat Milk. Second Breakfast: Sugar, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds). Elevenses: Isopure Zero Carb Protein Isolate (Creamy Vanilla), Coffee (Brewed From Grounds), Now Sports Carbo Gain, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder. Lunch: AMC Movie Theater Popcorn (Small). Dinner: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Shrimp, Chicken Piccata, Fettuccine Alfredo, Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Cannelloni Pasta, Margherita Pizza. Supper: Extra Strength Melatonin Gummies, Dr. Tobias Triple Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitafusion MultiVites Gummy Vitamins. more...
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2747 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Sitting - 3 hours, Weight Training (Bodybuilding) - 1 hour, Resting - 11 hours and 15 minutes, Sleeping - 5 hours and 30 minutes, Housework - 15 minutes, Driving - 2 hours and 30 minutes, Showering - 15 minutes, Cooking - 15 minutes. more...
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