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Getting stronger without getting bigger: What's the secret?

Writer's picture: Titus PerryTitus Perry

Titus Perry

1/12/2025


If you are led to believe that greater size equates to greater strength, you're technically right. At least if we're talking about muscle size, generally speaking a larger muscle is a stronger muscle. But, what about the times you've walked in the gym and seen that one guy, 150lbs at most with 405lbs on his back and making it look easy. What about that other time when the fella in the muscle beach T-shirt and old joggers is in the corner deadlifting over 500lbs at a bodyweight of 165lbs, drawing the attention of all the gym bros twice his size as they stare in disbelief at a feat of raw strength that they themselves still aspire to one day reach. They wonder "What's the secret?", did God just hand pick certain individuals to be gifted such divine strength, is it genetic, is it diet, is it the what's in the supplement cabinet? They point in every possible direction for an answer and ignore one of, if not the main driver of superior relative strength...


Neuromuscular efficiency


Neuromuscular efficiency refers to the brain's ability to recruit muscle fibers in the right amounts, places, and times to optimize force production. You see, muscles do not operate independently to contract and relax, the trigger is set off from a region of the brain known as the motor cortex. This region sends signals to initiate voluntary movement by controlling when muscles contract and when they relax. This process is carried out by the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from motor neurons which when bonded to its appropriate receptors inside the muscle cell membrane can determine the rate and intensity of force produced by the working muscle/muscles. The quicker and more intense the signal, the more forceful the contractions and the more strength and power the individual can produce.


So how exactly do you improve your brain's ability to fire these signals and do so more efficiently? Repetition. Repetition is the key to efficiency with any skill, and yes, strength is a skill as much as it is a natural ability. Some experts estimate that anywhere from 30%-85% of strength variation in humans is attributed to genetics alone. That leaves a large degree of the variants in many to be environmental and lifestyle dependent. Knowing this, we can program our training to maximize strength with great potential for gains over the course of a training career.


With repetition we utilize the same movement patterns over and over again leading to familiarity with said movement. When practiced correctly using proper technique and appropriate reps and load, gaining strength is as simple as adding a little bit of weight to the bar or an extra rep or two each week. This is a very straight forward and intuitive approach which does prove to be sufficient in the beginner stages of training. Beginners tend to respond rapidly to the novelty of the training experience and this new stimulus triggers the body to overcompensate in its adaptation to said stimulus. The result is a physique that grows more muscle size and strength at an accelerated rate, among other improvements (fat metabolism, improved blood flow, improved cardio, etc.).


A large part of this incredible improvement many might experience with regards to muscular strength in the early stages is due to the strengthening of the nervous system caused by the unusual overloading of the muscle, and then the greater efficiency of the nervous system to signal to those muscles to contract quicker and/or more intensely each time. The body's ability to do this gets better and better over many weeks and months as it gets accustomed to firing certain muscles at certain points throughout the course of a lift. This is why good technique is super important for progression as it not only minimizes our risks of injury, but it teaches our body (more specifically our brains and nervous system) which muscles to use and when to use them.


Intensity and frequency drives strength


The name of the game with developing strength past the newbie stage is a sufficient stimulus followed by sufficient recovery. This is important at all stages of progression, but as a trainee gets more advanced, greater intensities and more frequent training is going to be mandatory to help break through strength plateaus as these individuals tend to have reached their genetic potential for muscular size and so strength gains from additional gains in muscle mass are unlikely. These individuals when seeking more strength without the desire or ability to gain more size would be well informed to prioritize greater intensities (more weight on the bar, kettlebell, dumbbell, etc.) and less volume (fewer reps per set). Longer rest periods between sets is also important because it allows for adequate recovery of the nervous system, and as it has been stated, the nervous system plays a massive role in your ability to recruit muscle fibers and do so forcefully.


Many powerlifters, Olympic lifters, fighters, and other athletes who compete in weight classes or benefit from a high degree of relative strength for success have long followed formulas like "5X5, 4x6, etc." These set and rep schemes allow for heavier loading but with fewer overall reps to lessen cumulative fatigue and injury risk (which also make it easier to recover from for the next session). Another benefit to this is that these low rep ranges limit the amount of time a muscle is under tension which is a very potent stimulus for muscle growth (which we are avoiding in this instance).


Another massively important factor when gaining strength without the size is in training frequency. The more advanced a trainee gets over the years, the more important this becomes to continue to progress. New trainees grow bigger and stronger just looking at a barbell, but that is because they are not anywhere near their genetic potential as athletes or fitness enthusiasts and not as much is required to make progress. But, what about those who have pushed their limits and have hit the proverbial "wall". When your strength and conditioning is at an advanced stage, what would help to push those limits and break through the plateaus? Short of biohacking and drug use, simply upping your training frequency would be the only reliable way to slowly but surely continue to do so.


You see, when your fitness has reached a point where the individual workouts are no longer challenging enough to force your body to change, a good and reliable option is to up your training frequency. This should only be done for those who have reached a high level of proficiency in their conditioning and are able/willing to dedicate the time needed to adequate recovery so as to not over train and stress their bodies beyond its capacity.


Recovery is the deciding factor


This was mentioned earlier, and it is of utmost importance when looking to achieve superior strength. Getting enough high-quality sleep night in and night out should be made priority at all costs. Alongside eating clean protein, carbs, and fats. The basics are what's responsible for 90%+ of your results, do not neglect them in favor of fancy ideologies and reliance on supplements as you will be disappointed in your results both short and long term. Prioritize sleeping 7-9 hours regularly ideally going to bed sometime before midnight, eat at maintenance calories or in a small caloric deficit, utilize stress management techniques like meditation, yoga, massage, etc., ensure adequate hydration at all times, and do this consistently.


Final thoughts


These tips are going to be important to implement consistently. Results take time, and this applies double the more advanced you get. Be mindful with where you're at in your progress, beginners don't need to focus too heavily on building raw maximal strength as the focus should be on developing proper form and understanding recovery. They also have the luxury of the famous newbie gains that are responsible for a lot of the early progress. For the more seasoned trainee, it is more important that these concepts are doubled down on long term. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

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