It’s been reported that two-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler bench pressed 315 pounds on his first attempt, and that he once picked up a picnic table over his head on a wager. True or not, there are always going to be freakishly strong people. Due to genetics, limb length, or tendon structure, these folks are just naturally strong. It’s a curse that most of us will never know. For the rest of us, classified as mortals, it’s imperative that we understand the relationship between weight gain and strength, in order to make the best possible gains.

First, let’s deliver a disclaimer. The goal of bodybuilding is to develop the best possible physique. The goal of powerlifting is to move the most possible weight. While many of the exercises used in powerlifting are fundamental core exercises for bodybuilders, the numbers simply shouldn’t matter to a bodybuilder. As long as the muscles are growing and you are looking better and better, you shouldn’t change a thing.

However, there is a very real relationship between muscle size and muscle strength. Discounting the genetic freaks, let’s examine the case of a normal “Joe the Weightlifter” in the gym. He starts training in 2008 and can bench press 150 pounds. By 2010, through a combination of hard training, diet, and supplementation, he is able to bench press 350 pounds. Joe the Weightlifter will have made substantial gains in muscle mass. It’s entirely unavoidable. Any individual who makes significant gains in strength will make significant gains in muscles mass as well, assuming he provides his body with adequate calories to facilitate the growth.

How should this influence your training? The answer is simple. If you’re training for a ‘pump’ and not making any gains in terms of muscle mass, then you should realize it’s time to throw that plan out the window. You tried the theoretical approach, and it didn’t work. Now, it’s time to try the old fashioned, meat-and-potatoes method. Try training for strength gains, and ensure you’re eating 500 extra calories each day. Work to make a gain of 100 pounds on all the major lifts, and 30-50 pounds on all the minor lifts. Throw the mirror and scale out the window, and just focus on the numbers you’re moving. At the same time, however, you should keep a watchful eye on your calories. Eat as many calories each day as you can stand without any major increase in your waistline measurement. You can gain 40 pounds – but as long as your waistline isn’t growing, you can rest assured it’s the right kind of weight!

In bodybuilding, the name of the game is making gains. This kind of training and eating may go against conventional wisdom for men and women who stand by the standard ‘all that matters is blood flow to the muscles’ mantra. However, this is the “de facto” method which has helped people in the gym make great muscle gains for decades. Eat a lot of food, and train for gains in strength. If your bench, squat, and deadlift numbers all increase by 100 pounds, your chest, back, and thigh measurements will undoubtedly increase by at least an inch or two.

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