The Truth About Building Muscle: The Science of Strength, Size & Rep Ranges
Building strength vs. bulking up!
You can get stronger without getting bigger, and you can get bigger without necessarily getting stronger. How you should approach your workouts, then, depends on exactly what you want to achieve.
As a Brookfield sports chiropractor, the fitness programs I design for my athletes can vary greatly depending on their goals.
Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of confusing literature on bodybuilding and weightlifting, much of it with very little basis in science and physiology. In this article we’re going to take a no-nonsense look at the two types muscle growth, myofibrillar hypertrophy (or “strength” hypertrophy) and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (or “size” hypertrophy), and how to achieve each while making the most effective use of your time in the gym.
But first, 6 of the most popular, evidence-based, spine-and-extremity-safe workouts I give to patients are available for free on our website – click here to download them now.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is an increase in the amount of a muscle’s myosin and actin proteins, which are the contractile, “fast-twitch” muscle fibers, leading to an increase in strength. In other words, when you put your muscles under heavy stress through progressive overload (gradually increasing either the weight you’re lifting or the number of times you lift it), your body responds by increasing it’s ability to contract those muscles by building new contractile fibers.
Over time, the number and efficiency of the motor units called into play to perform these movements also increases, effectively allowing your body to perform them with less effort. Ultimately, the effect is an increase in the strength and neuromuscular response of the muscles, and consequently you’re able to lift heavier weights. However, it should be noted that increasing strength in this way does not necessarily lead to a visible increase in the size of the muscle.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is an increase in muscle size caused by elevated levels of sarcoplasm in muscle tissue. Sacroplasm is a fluid composed of water, ATP, glycogen, and creatine phosphate that surrounds the muscle fibers. This kind of hypertrophy is achieved through slower, controlled weight lifting. These types of exercises put sustained stress on muscles, activating both the slow and fast twitch muscle fibers and depleting the muscles of energy.
It’s important to note that increasing the size of a muscle via sarcoplasmic hypertrophy does not require an increase in the amount of contractile protein in the muscle fibers. In other words, an increase in muscle size does not necessarily correlate to an increase in that muscle’s strength.
How Train For Your Goals
Whether your weight lifting routine is resulting in myofibrillar hypertrophy or sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is dependent on the length of time your muscles are under tension, and how heavy the weight causing the tension is relative to your own level of strength. This means focusing on either neuromuscular training (for strength) or metabolic training (for size).
Neuromuscular training involves using fast, explosive movements to put muscles under very heavy stress (85-100% of your one-rep maximum weight). Sets done using this technique shouldn’t last more than 40 seconds and rest periods should be anywhere from 90 seconds to five minutes.
Metabolic training, on the other hand, focuses on depleting a muscle’s energy supply. This is accomplished by using slow, controlled movements with moderately heavy weight (60-75% of your one-rep maximum weight). Sets performed in this way should generally last 40-70 seconds and rest periods should last 30-60 seconds.
Using weight that is 75-85% of your one-rep maximum will result in some combination of myofibrillar (“strength) and sarcoplasmic (“size”) hypertrophy.
How Do I Calculate My 1 Rep Maximum?
Figuring out your one rep maximum (1RM) is extremely difficult. In fact, it can even be slightly dangerous because form is likely to be compromised, especially in inexperienced lifters. As a sports chiropractor, I never recommend training with sets of less than 3 reps, even for strength.
The easiest method of finding your 1RM is to spend one or two workouts performing a single set of five to ten reps for every exercise in your routine. Make sure you are using a weight that causes you to max out on last rep and can’t manage another rep. You can then input the weight and number of reps you were able to perform for each lift into the 1RM calculator. Use the estimated one-rep max to calculate the percentages you’ll need to reach your specific goals.
Rep Schemes
Remember that the amount of weight being lifted is only one of the factors determining which type of hypertrophy is being activated. So how should you make sure the time your muscles are under tension is appropriate for your goals?
The easiest way to do this is to follow to a specific rep scheme. When performing low-rep sets, muscles will be under tension for a shorter period of time and the weight will be closer to your one-rep maximum (and therefore stimulating myofibrillar hypertrophy). Conversely, when doing higher-rep sets your muscles will be under tension for longer periods of time, and the weight will need to be significantly less than your one-rep maximum weight to allow for the higher volume (and therefore building size through sarcoplasmic hypertrophy).
Follow these rep guidelines for your specific goals:
| Rep Range | Percent of One Rep Max | Resulting Hypertrophy |
| 1-5 Reps | 85-100% | Mostly Myofibrillar, Minimal Sarcoplasmic |
| 6-8 Reps | 75-85% | Equally Myofibrillar and Sarcoplasmic |
| 9-12 Reps | 70-55% | Mostly Sarcoplasmic, Some Myofibrillar |
| 13-15 Reps | 65-70% | Mostly Sarcoplasmic, Minimal Myofibrillar |
| 15+ Reps | 65% And Lower | Mostly Endurance, Some Sarcoplasmic, Minimal Myofibrillar |
How To Use This Information To Meet Your Goals
First, identify what your goal is. Are you looking to get bigger or stronger, or is your goal to do some of both at the same time? Though there’s nothing wrong with any of these goals, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
There are very few disadvantages to training for the purpose of increasing strength, especially if you’re happy with your current size. A significant increase in strength in a short period of time is very much possible if you train and recover properly. However, high intensity strength training is stressful on the central nervous system, and overtraining can occur if you don’t take care to recover adequately. Those training primarily for strength should focus on 5×5, 6×4, and 8×3 set/rep schemes and rest for long periods between sets.
Primarily training for increasing size definitely has its benefits, but does have drawbacks as well. Those training for size, especially beginning lifters starting with minimal strength, will eventually hit a plateau due to limited strength, forcing them to focus on strength training at some point. Those training for size should primarily use set/rep schemes of 3×15, 4×12, and 5×9 with a shorter rest periods between sets. Supersets (performing multiple exercises on the same muscle group back-to-back without rest) can also be effective for stimulating sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
Training for both strength and size can provide the benefits of both methods of training at the same time. You can approach this one of two ways. The first is the traditional strength/size optimization method, in which you progress through all the rep ranges in one workout (i.e. lifting 75% of your 1RM for 8 reps, 80% for 7 reps, and 85% for 6 reps). The second method, linear periodization, cycles through the different rep ranges over period of several weeks.
Whatever training program you use, if you want to get the most out of your training in terms of both strength and size, you need to eventually be utilizing all the rep ranges.
Proper Nutrition
Of course, your muscles can’t grow if they don’t have the raw materials needed to do so. But again, so-called “experts” have made nutrition much more confusing than it should be. Try to consume a form of quick-digesting protein, such as whey, along with some high-quality carbohydrates within an hour after your workout. This is the period when your body is refilling its energy stores and actively shuttling proteins and sarcoplasm into muscles, and it’s most likely to absorb and use the nutrients during this time.
Whether your goal is to build strength or increase muscle size, it’s also essential to make sure you’re consuming enough calories in your diet throughout. If you’re not eating extra calories, your body will use any protein you take in for energy instead of building muscle. You’ll need to eat approximately 15–20% extra calories a day over your basal metabolic requirement, which you can calculate the tool to the right. Try to choose food high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The ideal macronutrient breakdown for gaining the most muscle with the least amount of fat is 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat.
Get Adjusted!
If you’re not already seeing a chiropractor for regular chiropractic care, you’re missing out on a huge advantage. When even a single vertebra is misaligned, the effects are not only painful, but can also result in diminished function of the nervous system, which is required to coordinate the rest of the musculoskeletal system. When the messages being transmitted by the nervous system are even slightly affected, the results can be quite dramatic.
How dramatic? A recent study from the Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation looked at improvements in agility, balance, power, and speed reaction in 24 athletes without injuries over twelve weeks of regular chiropractic care compared to 22 athletes not receiving chiropractic care. After six weeks, the athletes receiving chiropractic care showed an average 10.57% improvement in agility, power, balance and speed, and after twelve weeks they demonstrated further improvement of 16.7%!
The authors stated that the data supports that “the correction of [spinal joint dysfunction] enables the body to function and perform at a higher level.” Make sure you’re getting the most out of your body; see your chiropractor.
The Bottom Line
Building muscle doesn’t have to be confusing, but it does take a little knowledge when it comes to planning your workout routine and diet to make sure you’re getting the most out of your efforts.
About the Author
Yes! Finally some quality info about muscle building.
Hi! I am a bit of a fitness addict. I would really like to thank you for this great article. It is going to truly make my routines better. I have already signed up for your RSS feeds and would like
to ask, do you have an email list? Would love reading news in my gmail! Thank you again!
WOW just what I was looking for! Came here by searching for info on building muscle mass, thank you for being so complete!
Great topic. I must spend some time learning before working out more. Thanks for magnificent info!
As you mentioned in your article you can get stronger without getting bigger and vice versa, but it really is strange to think thats the case.
A bigger muscle should also equal as stronger muscle?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but if the size increase is only due to increased sarcoplasm, strength won’t be affected.
Is that why those gym rats that take all kinds of chemicals bulk up but fail to lift accordingly?
The science of bodybuilding seems to a bit of an illusion. I have always thought that big strength equals big muscles. This is obviously not the case. A very interesting read.
It is quite a misconception that some one who has large muscles has to be strong; there is quite a big difference between bulking and strength training as you outline in your article. I really like the fact that you broke down each rep range and specified what it will do to the body; it should help many beginners out there. I can’t say that I completely agree on the fact that strength training has a lot of disadvantages, but most points you make are true.
I consider myself an ectomorph because I have always been extremely skinny, until I started lifting weights. I have found that for me, strength training was what worked. As I kept increasing the weight and got stronger, my body started to change. Diet is key, you have to eat enough and consume enough protein or working out is pointless. I focused on 5×5, 5 sets of 5 reps – on all compound exercises. Every now and then I would switch to 6-12 reps, especially for isolation exercises like curls and tricep extensions.
Thanks for this very informative article. I have been doing a lot of research into understanding the physiological effects that take place in different types of training, but so far this is the only article I have found that shows how to put that information into action.
Great post. Strength training gives me such a thrill and yes can be addicting. Thanks for sharing.
I think bodybuilding over 40 is not a bad idea but at this stage it will be difficult for you to get a kind of body which is tight and vains brusting out. It could have been easier for you at the age of 30 but still there are many story about people who start bodybuilding at age of 50 and doing it till late 70. I think the all you need is determination and don’t care about what people thinks about you.
Good read, I’ve always been able to consistently workout but have always struggled with the nutrition side of things. I know I would be able to meet my goals faster if focused on it more.
The truth is proper nutrition and hard work
I think the best type of muscle building is strength training. If you can squat 200 pounds, you will look like someone who can squat that weight.
Very true information shared about building muscles!! I’m delighted to learn such important notes. To make improvement of my muscle building I’m looking forward to follow such training methods. Thanks.
This is great article!Now I know how many reps I need to do if my goal is indurance.
Fantastic article. As a personal trainer, I couldn’t agree more!
Definately for sure great article!! congrat!! Having a good nutrition and the proper training is the foundation of great results at the end especially for begginers cause they know what goals to achieve but they just dont know how so is very important to know your body..Once again great post!!
Great information. I like to do light, medium and heavy workouts for all around strength and size. It seems to work pretty well.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information
Awesome article, i like doing p90x for my working out and set a nice steady pace.
Building muscle always takes a lot of hard work, dedication and proper direction. Without proper direction, you may fail miserably and it can put your health into danger.
You are right about fast digesting protein straight after training, because its the best time to get it to your muscle cells!
just what I was looking for! Came here by searching for info on building muscle mass, thank you for being so complete!
Wonderful post all the points mentioned above are true and reps also play important role in building muscle, if you are focusing on gain muscle mass then go for less rep of 6 to 8 and to get lean then and burn calories go for higher like 10 to 12 reps
Great article, Lots of interesting information here. Bodybuilding definitely is not an easy thing lots of people are fed the wrong information. If you want to learn the fundamentals of bodybuilding checkout my website.
Excellent read! I believe that when someone intends to build muscle, one has to consciously focus on muscle contractions to create the so-called “mind-body connection!” I think that no matter which technique you use,you must always know and feel what you are doing… and how you are doing it.
I myself love to go for how lifting weights make me feel. I do not usually count reps, I really go for the feeling of those muscles being contracted!
Anyway, that’s just me! 🙂
Cheers
I completely agree with you that building strength and bulking up are two different things.There are different approaches to satisfy the distinct needs for muscle size and strength.
Thanks again for sharing this post!
Steve
WOW just what I was looking for! Came here by searching for info on building muscle mass, thank you for being so complete! i really inspired this topic.
I underestimated the importance of proper nutrition after heavy workouts, however, after increasing protein intake I managed to gain extra muscle. Anyway, thanks for an awesome article!
Great read. But I think it would be a little too much information for most people who just want to build a lead muscle tone. Good read though and yes, I agree, nutrition has definitely been way over-complicated.
Great topic. I must spend some time learning before working out more. Thanks for magnificent info!
Fitness and exercise in our daily routine is an ideal way to benefit our health physically & mentally.
I love your one rep max calculator. It helps us with finding the approximate max for some of our newer clients without risking an injury.
The thing about getting “BIG” is that everyone over thinks it.
The most important thing about being a body builder ect is your bone structure because of your like me a small bone structure person you will find it very hard to gain weight and get Big, you will find yourself gaining then suddenly losing wieght. You always need to consistant with what you do and do everything in cycles because too much of something isn’t good for you. You need a very good diet and you are going to need what I call a legal steroid to get big fast. By just eating 5 to 8 meals a day won’t make you big if you have a shit fast digestive system and small body structure you will defiantly need 100% a supplement and a very good one with 5 meals a day.
You wonder how celebs look in one year so big and strong and the next year they are skinny because they just cut the supplements. That’s why you take everything in cycles.
For example if you are taking creatine, you would take it for 3 months then stop for 3 months then back on it for three months.
This way you control your body overall outcome, it means that you are not always relaying on the supplements which will help keep your chances of keeping that form.
You need to make some of what you buld natural. I wouldn’t look this good without supplements. So I do recommend them but take them wiseley.
The most important factors to gain size are as follows, in this order : Genetics, Supplementation, Diet and Training. Unfortunately, we can’t change our genetics, but we can make sure we optimize our body for growth with the right supplementation, diet and training.
Most of you train hard, but not giving proper attention to nutrition. Then the time and effort you spend on training will get waste. You should understand that nutrition will help to gain both the strength and fitness.
This is great info, most people don’t know the difference between training for Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy or training for Myofibrillar hypertrophy.
Great post, it really shows a different angle to muscle growth. A lot of info to absorb, im now thinking i need to read more before i begin workouts. Next step is for me to find a chiropractor, makes a lot of sense
chow
Awesome post! Everything is explained in depth. This is a post that every body builder should read. Thanks for the info.
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Your article is so helpful about the nutrition product. Nutrition and energy supplements provide us with essential elements and energy resources for daily routine.
your article important information about body nutrition. Bodybuilding supplements such as optimum nutrition whey protein contain 100% protein nutrients that help in inducing metabolic activity in the body.
Optimum performance whey product has a protein blend composed of whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and whey protein isolate for improved recovery.
Yes, you provide a correct information about health and nutrition. f you want to gain energy the Nutrient supplements such as hydro whey chocolate mint is essential for the proper supplier of energy.
Your website is very impressive and effective. Bodybuilding supplements can be a vitamin, a food, a random plant extract, a chemical that probably won’t actually kill you, or even nothing at all. Bodybuilding supplement can be promoted as the best energy and healthy supplement that cover the overall needs of nutrition in our body.
Your content is very effective. Bodybuilding nutrition supplements can be a vitamin, a food, a random plant extract, a chemical that probably won’t actually kill you, or even nothing at all. Nutrition supplement can be promoted as the best energy and healthy supplement that cover the overall needs of nutrition in our body.
I have read your article and must say that I found it very informative and interesting.
Thanks for your great information I’ve read all from top to down.
Lots of great tips here, The best solution is to find a fitness program that you enjoy and to treat yourself every now and again.
@Kyle : My site
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Bodybuilding nutrition supplements are commonly used who involved in weightlifting, mixed martial arts, bodybuilding, and athletics for the purpose of facilitating an increase in lean body mass. The intent is to increase muscle, improve performance, increase body weight, and for some sports, to simultaneously decrease percent body fat so as to create better muscle definition.
Well… round about every blog posts online don’t have much originality as I found on yours.. Just keep updating much useful information so that reader like me would come back over and over again.
Some people take workouts really serious. And supplements help them in doing so.
Thanks for sharing this article.
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Amazing information and lots of great tip. This gives us a complete idea on importance of rep range.
Also, i use affirmations for health to inhance my workout.
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Does myofibriller training apply to traps and calf muscles TU