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Strength vs. Size: Why Your Workout Goals Demand Different Strategies

18 March 2025 Muscle Strength

Hello Ziddis! Do you know what the most important aspect of working out is? No, it is not same for all. This simple concept is often skipped by people who mindlessly follow others’ workouts without realizing their own fitness goals. Let us understand why your workout demands different strategies and how to ace it.

Importance of Strategizing Your Workouts

Before you hit the gym, take some time to understand the difference between training for strength and training for size. While both require resistance training, your approach to each set changes the outcome. The sets, reps and intensity will determine what results you get. This is understanding the difference between hypertrophy, which means pumping the muscles and strength training.

Hypertrophy vs. Strength Training

Hypertrophy and strength training are different and require different strategies

HypertrophyStrength Training
Helps in pumping your musclesHelps in building muscle strength
Increases size of muscle fibresBuilds muscle health and leads to eventual growth
Moderate to high intensityHeavy weights but lower intensity
6 to 12 reps3 to 6 reps
Controlled motions and high volumeMaximal force output and longer rest periods

Muscle Strength

Building muscle strength involves training your body to recruit more muscle fibres efficiently. Muscle-strength training is a slow process of increasing your endurance. With heavy weights, low intensity and longer rest periods, one can ace their strength training.

This requires heavy, compound lifts such as:

  • Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Bench press
  • Overheard press
  • Kettlebell swings

Muscle Building Workout

Muscle Building Workout for Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy workouts focus on individual muscle groups for maximum pump instead of overall effect. Some workouts for hypertrophy divided by muscle groups are:

  • Chest And Triceps: Barbell Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Press, Cable Flyes, Dips and Tricep Rope Pushdown.
  • Back And Biceps: Pull-Ups, Barbell Rows, Lat Pulldowns, Dumbbell Bicep Curls and Hammer Curls.
  • Legs: Squats, Leg Press, Bulgarian Split Squats, Hamstring Curls and Calf Raises.
  • Shoulders And Arms: Overhead Press, Lateral Raises, Front Raises, Skull Crushers and Hammer Curls.

Read Also: How Does Your Gut Health Impact Your Muscle Strength?

    Best Workout Routine for Muscle Gain and Hypertrophy

    For muscle gain and hypertrophy, progressive overload is the key. Hypertrophy involves increasing the size of muscles. A structured routine for this would be:

    • Workout involving weight lifting 4 to 5 times per week.
    • 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps of each workout
    • 60 to 90 secs of rest between the sets
    • Focusing on compound and isolation exercises

    Here is how you can divide your workout:

    • Day 1: Chest and Triceps
    • Day 2: Back and Biceps
    • Day 3: Legs and Core
    • Day 4: Shoulders and Arms
    • Day 5: Full-body or Active Recovery

    Takeaway

    Depending on your goal, your approach to working out will change. Size and strength are both important for how strong you look and how strong you feel. What stays consistent is your partner in your workout. Invest in a good creatine and EAA supplement for best results and support during your muscle-building workouts. If strength is your priority, lift weights with lower reps and longer rest periods. If your goal is the size of your muscles, focus on moderate weight and higher volume. Stay consistent and track your progress.