Does increased muscular strength promote increased muscular size? by Jerry Brainum

 

I've been training with weights consistently for over half a century. Contrary to the frequent statement that there is "nothing new under the sun" when it comes to training and nutrition, I've witnessed some vast changes in these areas over the years. In fact, science regularly produces new evidence showing that many former long-held beliefs about training and diet are simply wrong. Of course, individual responses to exercise and nutrition also come into play here, as techniques that may work for one person will produce little or no results in another. This requires years of experimentation to start with basic accepted principles of exercise and nutrition, then gradually adjust them to your individual needs to make muscular progress, or to lose body fat. Many bodybuilding champions are well aware of this need to know what works best for them and maintain training and nutrition logs in which they note what works and doesn't work for them over the years. Eventually, they develop a type of blueprint for training and diet that proves markedly efficient in helping them to achieve maximal physical condition. Notable in this regard are Bill Pearl, a four-time Mr.Universe, and 1953 Mr.America, who once told me that he logged every one of his workouts from the day he began training. He later used this information to produce an extensive book of exercises for every muscle, called "Keys to the Inner Universe." The book catalogs every exercise that Pearl has ever used in his long career as a bodybuilder. Another elite bodybuilder who kept a concise record of his training was Frank Zane, a three-time Mr.Olympia winner, and one of two men to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger in high-level bodybuilding competition. Similarly to Pearl, Frank used his accumulated knowledge to both write a series of books and also to teach others what he learned at his "Zane Haven" training facility. 

One of the things that I've heard repeatedly over the many years I have trained is that to develop larger muscles you must lift heavy weights. The corollary to that is "a stronger muscle is a bigger muscle." I recall Arthur Jones, the developer of the Nautilus exercise machines back in the 1970s, often repeating that phrase. Jones felt that muscle size was directly related to muscular strength. However, I've noted both from personal observation and as a former writer for many top bodybuilding magazines that many elite bodybuilders don't seem to fit this rule of "strength equals muscle mass." One such person that comes to mind was my good friend, Paul Dillett, a Canadian-born professional bodybuilder who is still considered one of the most massive muscular bodybuilders who ever stepped onto a posing platform. Paul competed at a muscular weight of about 285 pounds at a height of about 6-foot-1. I don't know what his muscular measurements were and he never discussed this with me . . .