How do you increase your strength, but not your size..?

[Vasquez]

plenty of high rep endurence type training.

[bsaizan]

If you want to get stronger without gaining size I would suggest doing mass pushups, pullups, dips, ect.. Workouts that dont require lifting another object other than your body. A good example would be my friend in highschool who would always do mass pushups in the school weight room with boxes. At the same time the baseball and football teams would be in there benching their hearts out and other things. After a few months my 115 lb friend benched 205 lbs 5 or 6 times to the shock of the gym. All of this just off of pushups, which did give his chest some good size, however not compared to benching workouts.

[Mr Punch]

Or you could just ignore the last two posts and follow Ford's advice.

[Ho Chun]

[QUOTE=hazhardy]how do you increase your strength, but not your size??

If you are looking to increase strength, and you want to make these gains in strength to enhance your martial arts, then you need to do exercises that are going to give you strength for a particular movement. I ask...what martial art technique does bench pressing enhance? Pushing someone??
I don't mean to tick anyone off, I just do not understand the concept of lifting weights.


Also, what exercise are there for increasing your punching power and what muscle groups are used?

http://www.noweightsworkout.com/exercises/armgrabs.php This exercise alone will double your punching power.

[IronFist]

A good example would be my friend in highschool who would always do mass pushups in the school weight room with boxes.After a few months my 115 lb friend benched 205 lbs 5 or 6 times to the shock of the gym. All of this just off of pushups, which did give his chest some good size, however not compared to benching workouts.

BS. High rep and/or low weight training absolutely does not build raw strength, and to say it does goes against every proven theory in physiology.

(unless you mean he did 205 on a chest press machine or something which is completely different from benching 205)

[IronFist]

[QUOTE=Ho Chun]

http://www.noweightsworkout.com/exercises/armgrabs.php This exercise alone will double your punching power.

That looks similar to Green Dragon's Snake Turns Over exercise.

[FooFighter]

Ford gave solid advice as usually and please listen to his comments. I do not need to add anything to this except there is a difference in neuromuscular strength which is skill specific (yes, strength is a skill) and muscular strength which is based on the anaerobic or aerobic energy systems. If you go to your local library or google it, you will find plenty of intel. Best of luck with your training.

Yours in Strength,
Bao Tran

[FngSaiYuk]

If you want to get stronger without gaining size I would suggest doing mass pushups, pullups, dips, ect.. Workouts that dont require lifting another object other than your body. A good example would be my friend in highschool who would always do mass pushups in the school weight room with boxes. At the same time the baseball and football teams would be in there benching their hearts out and other things. After a few months my 115 lb friend benched 205 lbs 5 or 6 times to the shock of the gym. All of this just off of pushups, which did give his chest some good size, however not compared to benching workouts.

I wouldn't go by highschool anecdotes to design a performance program. There are many differences between highschool age and physical maturity. It's silly to disregard scientific research based on, 'well I remember this one guy in highschool ... '. And becnching 205 @ 115 is not anything unique. I did the same when I wrestled at 105 - my upperbody was FAR more developed than my lower.

Search through the forums for previous threads, go through the links in the sticky at the top of the forum, google for real scientifically backed programs. If you can't explain WHY you should be doing something a certain way in detail, then you really don't know if that's the BEST way of doing something.

[Vasquez]

BS. High rep and/or low weight training absolutely does not build raw strength, and to say it does goes against every proven theory in physiology.

(unless you mean he did 205 on a chest press machine or something which is completely different from benching 205)

of course it builds raw strength. just look at the marathon runners they can go on for days. Too much bulk and you'l slow down.

[Mr Punch]

Oh sweet Mary mother of little baby Jesus

it's ****ing groundhog day!

[Ralphie]

of course it builds raw strength. just look at the marathon runners they can go on for days. Too much bulk and you'l slow down.

just do forms. you don't need to ever spar live against a resisting opponent to know how to fight, but point sparring is worth while. horse stance is an effective defense against a take down. biting and eye poking are effective defenses against ground fighters. you can stop someone's heart with a chi blast after my $1000/day seminar on dim mak. marathon runners are the ideal athlete to emulate for a martial artist. basing your workout on stories of "the push up kid" is a good idea and sound advice (as opposed to someone who gives you a detailed introduction to weight lifting that is researchable). cult like kung fu clubs that are too deadly for the ring, and avoid interraction with other martial arts communities are generally looking out for you, and not trying to take your money and control you.

[IronFist]

of course it builds raw strength. just look at the marathon runners they can go on for days. Too much bulk and you'l slow down.

That's not raw strength. That's endurance. Raw strength refers to the amount of tension your muscles can generate. Squatting 500lbs once requires raw strength. Running a marathon does not.

So what I was saying before, using weights that are light (relative to your own level of strength) and doing high reps (because if you can do high reps, then the weights are light) does not build raw strength on a neurological or physical level.

[Vasquez]

That's not raw strength. That's endurance. Raw strength refers to the amount of tension your muscles can generate. Squatting 500lbs once requires raw strength. Running a marathon does not.

So what I was saying before, using weights that are light (relative to your own level of strength) and doing high reps (because if you can do high reps, then the weights are light) does not build raw strength on a neurological or physical level.

you can't move smoothly with tension in your muscles. it goes agaisnt tcma practice.

[Ralphie]

you can't move smoothly with tension in your muscles. it goes agaisnt tcma practice.

-1.5 on the traditional troll meter

[SevenStar]

of course it builds raw strength. just look at the marathon runners they can go on for days. Too much bulk and you'l slow down.

WTF?? You guys musta learned from the "abridged" book of fitness training...


some of you really are clueless...