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Why is it that some strong people don't have big muscles?
You have muscle cells that are grouped in bundles called motor units. They are called units because each of these muscle cells has a single nerve that commands them to contract or relax. Each motor unit is either completely on, or completely off: there is no "in-between."
So, when it comes to strength, think of it like tug of war. You have two teams with 200 people each. However, let's say you start out and team A has all 200 pulling at once, while team B only has 50 people. Who do you think will win?
When you are using your muscles, your motor units switch on in groups. More motor units at once means more force generated. This is how you can control speed - while each unit is either on or off, your central nervous system will command groups to switch on at the same time - just enough to allow you to move the weight at that speed.
So, your two people are training differently. One person has perhaps some more genetic potential for mass and/or has trained to gain mass. The other person has more efficient muscles. Your body never effectively utilizes 100% of your motor units. This is why you can find someone small with a lot of strength - their muscles are more efficient. The strongest power-lifters don't have muscles as big as the biggest bodybuilders for this reason. It's a different response and stimulus.
I know a guy who weighs 180 and can bench press over 400 pounds and can do 225 for 20 - 30 reps due to how he trained.
So, when it comes to strength, think of it like tug of war. You have two teams with 200 people each. However, let's say you start out and team A has all 200 pulling at once, while team B only has 50 people. Who do you think will win?
When you are using your muscles, your motor units switch on in groups. More motor units at once means more force generated. This is how you can control speed - while each unit is either on or off, your central nervous system will command groups to switch on at the same time - just enough to allow you to move the weight at that speed.
So, your two people are training differently. One person has perhaps some more genetic potential for mass and/or has trained to gain mass. The other person has more efficient muscles. Your body never effectively utilizes 100% of your motor units. This is why you can find someone small with a lot of strength - their muscles are more efficient. The strongest power-lifters don't have muscles as big as the biggest bodybuilders for this reason. It's a different response and stimulus.
I know a guy who weighs 180 and can bench press over 400 pounds and can do 225 for 20 - 30 reps due to how he trained.
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This question has been viewed 8354 times.
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