Strength: Understanding How Strength Really Works

When you think of strength, what comes to mind? Is it a hulking bodybuilder with massive muscles, or maybe a heavyweight lifter grunting under a barbell stacked with plates? While these images are often associated with strength, they don’t paint the whole picture. Strength isn’t just about bulging biceps or a ripped physique; it’s about how effectively your body can generate force—and that starts with your brain and nervous system.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the science of strength, debunk some common misconceptions, and show you how even the smallest athletes can be incredibly strong. By understanding how strength works on a neurological level, you’ll gain a better appreciation for what it means to be strong and how to harness your potential.

What is Strength?

Strength, in the simplest terms, is the ability to generate force against resistance. Whether you’re lifting a heavy weight, pushing a car, or even carrying groceries up the stairs, your body is using strength to accomplish the task. But what most people don’t realize is that strength is as much about your brain and nervous system as it is about your muscles.

Strength can be broken down into several types:

• Maximal Strength: The maximum amount of force your muscles can produce in a single effort.
• Explosive Strength: The ability to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time, like in a sprint start or a jump.
• Endurance Strength: The ability to maintain force output over an extended period, such as during long-distance running or swimming.

Each of these types of strength involves different muscle fibers and neurological processes, but they all start with one key component: your brain.

How Does Strength Work on a Neurological Basis?

Your muscles don’t work in isolation. In fact, they’re only as strong as the signals they receive from your brain and nervous system. Here’s how it all works:

1. Motor Units and Muscle Activation: When you decide to lift a weight, your brain sends a signal through your spinal cord and nerves to the muscles involved. This signal activates motor units—groups of muscle fibers controlled by a single nerve. The more motor units you can activate, the more force your muscles can produce.
2. Neuromuscular Coordination: Strength isn’t just about how many muscle fibers you can recruit; it’s also about how well your muscles work together. Your brain coordinates the timing and intensity of muscle contractions, ensuring that your movements are smooth and efficient. This is why skilled athletes can perform powerful movements with seemingly little effort.
3. Neural Adaptation: When you train for strength, especially in the early stages, much of the improvement comes from neural adaptation. Your nervous system becomes better at recruiting motor units and coordinating muscle groups, allowing you to lift heavier weights without necessarily increasing muscle size.
4. Rate of Force Development: Another neurological aspect of strength is the rate at which your nervous system can generate force. This is crucial in explosive strength, where the ability to activate muscle fibers quickly is more important than the total number of fibers activated.

How Do We Get Strong?

So, how do you build strength if it’s not all about muscle size? The answer lies in targeted training that improves both your muscular and neurological capabilities. Here are some key strategies:

• Progressive Overload: To get stronger, you need to challenge your muscles and nervous system by gradually increasing the weight you lift or the resistance you work against. This forces your body to adapt by recruiting more motor units and improving neuromuscular coordination.
• Strength Training Exercises: Compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are particularly effective for building strength because they engage multiple muscle groups and require a high level of neural coordination. By training these movements, you’re teaching your brain to fire on all cylinders.
• Low Reps, High Weight: Training with heavier weights and lower repetitions (e.g., 3-5 reps) emphasizes maximal strength and neural adaptation. This type of training forces your nervous system to recruit as many motor units as possible, leading to rapid strength gains.
• Plyometrics and Speed Training: Exercises like jump squats, box jumps, and sprinting improve your explosive strength by enhancing the rate at which your nervous system can generate force. These movements train your brain to activate muscle fibers quickly and efficiently.
• Consistent Practice: Just like any skill, strength improves with consistent practice. Regular strength training helps solidify neural pathways, making your movements more automatic and efficient over time.

The Misconception of Size and Strength

One of the biggest misconceptions in fitness is the idea that being big automatically means being strong. While it’s true that muscle mass contributes to strength, it’s not the only factor—nor is it the most important one.

Consider the example of light-weight class weightlifters. These athletes often compete in categories where their body weight is capped, yet they can lift weights that seem impossible for their size. How do they do it? The answer lies in their neurological efficiency. These lifters have honed their neuromuscular coordination and motor unit recruitment to a fine art, allowing them to generate incredible force without needing massive muscles.

Example: Look at athletes like Liao Hui, a Chinese weightlifter who competed in the 69 kg weight class. Despite his relatively small size, Liao set multiple world records, lifting nearly three times his body weight in the clean and jerk. His strength doesn’t come from huge muscles, but from his highly trained nervous system that can recruit muscle fibers with precision and speed.

Another example is powerlifters in lower weight classes, like the 74 kg class. These athletes might not look like the stereotypical “big” lifters, but they can squat, deadlift, and bench press weights that are far beyond what the average gym-goer could handle. Their strength is a testament to the power of neurological adaptation and efficient motor unit recruitment.

Why Understanding Strength is Important

Understanding how strength really works is key to optimizing your training and achieving your fitness goals. Here’s why:

1. Tailored Training: By focusing on neurological strength, you can design a training program that’s effective without necessarily adding bulk. This is especially important for athletes in weight-class sports or anyone looking to stay lean while getting stronger.
2. Injury Prevention: Training your nervous system to efficiently recruit muscle fibers and coordinate movements can reduce the risk of injury. Efficient movement patterns are less likely to result in strains or other injuries.
3. Longevity: Strength isn’t just about lifting heavy weights in the gym. It’s about maintaining the ability to perform everyday tasks as you age. Understanding how to build and maintain strength can contribute to a longer, healthier life.
4. Debunking Myths: By dispelling the myth that size equals strength, you can focus on what really matters: improving your functional strength in a way that aligns with your goals, whether that’s lifting more, moving better, or simply feeling stronger.

Conclusion

Strength is about so much more than muscle size. It’s a complex interplay between your muscles, brain, and nervous system. By understanding how strength works on a neurological level, you can train smarter, lift heavier, and achieve your goals without falling into the trap of thinking you need to be big to be strong.

Ready to unleash your true strength potential? Start by rethinking your approach to training. Focus on building your neurological strength through targeted exercises, consistency, and smart training practices. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just starting out, understanding your body and how it generates strength can take your fitness to the next level.  Join our Endgame community, and let’s get stronger—together!