Can you get stronger without getting bigger? In my experience, many people think that you have to spend hours in the weight room doing sets of burns to failure to get stronger. While this can work in a short period of time, you will plateau very quickly and in my opinion create a physique that is incapable of performing any type of athletic activity at a high level. This is something I see a lot of people screw up at the gym. I repeatedly hear young guys discuss how they have reached a dead end in their lifts and decide to try just increasing the number of sets/reps, total volume, or just keep doing the same old thing, hoping that they will magically get more. strong. This is a HUGE mistake, especially if your goal is to have a lean physique of average size, but extraordinary muscle density.
Lower your sets and reps to build strength and muscle tone. To get really strong you need to lift the heaviest weights you can handle with perfect form, with very low repetitions. I recommend 3-5 repetitions. 1-3 reps for pure strength, 5 reps for some muscle too. A good rule of thumb is to leave the gym feeling stronger than when you walked in. If you feel tired or sore, you did too much. I like to keep the total number of games under 14 total. Keep the rest between sets to about 1-2 minutes. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, you’ll get past your current plateau and steadily build strength this way. This is an amazing way to gain strength without size for a lean Special Forces body.
Why more is NOT always better Most people think that simply doing more work = better results, and I was definitely stuck in that category until a couple of years ago. Basically, increasing the total number of sets, or simply trying to do more work will mean you’ll build strength, stamina, and muscle mass, but your pure strength gains will quickly plateau. Remember those muscle-bound guys in high school and college with “inflatable lats” and ridiculous cut-off T-shirts who seemed to subsist on a diet of protein shakes and chicken breasts (think like half the “Jersey Shore” cast lol)? This is the look you will create with a high volume lift and it is simply not functional or attractive. If you combine this method of lifting with a high-carb, high-calorie diet and you’re just asking for a puffy, puffy look. Say no to cosmetic lifting and train to perform. The thin and dense special operations corps will follow.
Train as a Recon Marine to get a Hollywood body This is a very popular method of lifting in military units that need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. They can’t afford to be tired or sore from a 2 hour weight lifting session, but they still need to be incredibly strong and conditioned. Recon Marines and Navy SEALS are 2 Special Forces units that are a great example of the corps type and level of conditioning that this training produces. They are generally of average size, but with outstanding muscle tone and strength-to-weight ratio. I have been training like this for about 3 years and have almost doubled my strength levels. I used to have trouble lifting 50lb dumbbells for a single arm row, and now I can easily lift a hundred each arm with a 160lb bodyweight. Whenever I start training guys for the military, the first thing we do is limit our time in the weight room as much as possible. After a few weeks, you’ll feel like a badass lifting heavier weights than half the people around you, and then you’ll walk out while everyone else is still working to burn themselves out.
All the best, Charles Malina