What's the relationship between gaining muscle mass and strength? How do I increase in strength without increasing in mass?
This question is a follow on from fitness.stackexchange.com/a/11884/5376.
I assumed that as I get stronger, my muscles will get bigger, but it seems that this is not a strictly linear relationship, which indicates that I can increase the amount my muscles can do without increasing their size, (they become more efficient?).
So my question is twofold:
How are muscle mass and strength related? What causes an increase in strength but not mass?
What are the types of exercises that increase strength but not mass?
I would think that there are some limitations to muscle mass vs strength, that is, that the muscle can reach a maximum efficiency where it has to increase in size before it can be stronger. I'm looking for answers where the muscle hasn't reached this stage yet (and so there is room for increasing in strength or mass).
My goals: I'd like to increase the amount my muscles can do (their strength) rather then increase their mass at least initially.
Assumptions: I'm using the words size and mass interchangeably, even though they strictly aren't the same thing.
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You are a woman, so by nature you will not bulk up as much as men since you lack sufficient testosterone. It's a big myth will get bulky just by strength training alone. You muscles will increase in mass but not so much in size (think density).
A good example is Stacy
That said, pick a good strength building routine like Starting Strength or Stronglifts.
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