Mass and Strength

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

I am really needing some strength in my heavy lift arena (both PL and OL) I have been able to find incredible information as to how to train and I have also found incredible info as to how to eat/ train for functional mass gains.

How related are these to things... I guess what I am getting at is if I am looking for strength gains would it be bennificial to have it coincide with mass gains?

I don't mind mass gains. I am at 173/5'10"/<10%BF and my body weight game is fairly good (45 kipping pullups no sweat 24 HSPUs and 11 rounds of Mary) and I believe it will catch back up if I gain some weight. But at the end of the day is mass benificial to attaining rapid lift gains?... or just extra weight?

[Steven Low]

Both. Look at SS as an example.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

Both. Look at SS as an example.

....? By both do you mean It is Bennificial and is extra weight regarding mass gains during strength training?

I guess what I am getting at is can I make gains in strength without mass gains as easily as with?

My #1 priority from october through february was going to be strength development. Part of my thinking is that is a great time for eating if it is the case that mass gains will enhance the effects of my strength training.

If this is all answered in SS I am sorry as to my ignorance it is in the mail right now and I will be reading it shortly.

[Steven Low]

It's easier to increase strength with corresponding muscle gains.

If you needed to stay a certain weight class it would be much slower (as strength goes up you get the logarithmic curve limiting your progress).

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Liam Dougherty Springer

How related are these to things... I guess what I am getting at is if I am looking for strength gains would it be beneficial to have it coincide with mass gains?

yes.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Awsome you guys are the best! Thanx Steve.

[Mike ODonnell]

A 175lb guy doing 24 HSPU may not be able to DL 400+lbs......a 230lb guy Deadlifting 600lbs may not be able to do 24 HSPU. So pick what you want to be good at as mass is a big factor when it comes to strength gains.

[Greg Everett]

All other things being equal, a muscle with a larger cross-section is stronger (it has more contractile units working together to shorten). But the key part there is "all other things being equal", which is not always the case. So larger muscles have more POTENTIAL for strength - but there's no guarantee. An a caveat to that is of course the nature of that mass - take a bodybuilder's mass, which is largely scarcoplasmic hypertrophy and non-contractile proteins, and compare it to a strength athlete's mass, which is composed of more contractile proteins - the latter, even if the same size, has more strength potential.

So yes, get big but make sure you're getting stronger too.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Thanx Gregg that is exactly what I needed I figured something along those lines but I felt pretty blind and am really trying to navigate this building strength thing as efficiantly as possible.

Reading my initial post I was worried people would think I was trying to brag not that my stats are so mind blowing I should boast. The truth is I am becoming happy with some of my body weight strength and Metcon performance however my lifts are proportionatly extreemly low.
BS:225# DL:305# SP:160#
BP: dont know but last time I checked it was like 205# months ago.
C&J:175#
Snatch:130#
OHS:135#x3

So my long term goals (and I am sure they are far off) are
2xBW BS 2 1/2xBW DL BW or more SP
and I just want to have faster cleaner O lifts and become more comftorble getting under the bar at a high weight. I don't know what to shoot for yet I have a long way to go as far as coordination and familiarity.

I felt like the Mass gain training programing from PM may be able to give me a boost in my lift gains as well as practice with the O lifts. I guess the only reson I wonder is because the article is specificaly dealing with mass gain and not srength gain.

[Steven Low]

Lift heavy and you'll get strength and mass (through eating). It's simple.

You should probably do Starting Strength (and yes I know the book is coming) if those are your goals...