Here’s Why You’re Getting Stronger But Not Bigger

The noob gains — and the confidence that comes with them — can only last for so long. Six months and 20+ pounds of mass later, the reflection in the mirror will begin to seem permanent.

Strangely enough, you’re doing everything right.

A gram of protein per pound.

A professionally-designed, hardcore split routine.

An extra plate on the bar every time you max out.

The strength increases remain steady, yet the physical plateau hits your ego like a ton of bricks.

Telling your buddies that you bench 200+ pounds sounds like pure folklore when your shirts look no tighter, and the number on the scale hardly increases.

You just don’t get it: Why are you getting stronger but not bigger? Here are seven reasons!

Biggers vs. Stronger: What’s the Difference?

The relationship between size and strength is unquestionably complicated. The unfortunate truth is that, apart from the blessed few, most of us are hard gainers.

A 21% PR increase may only translate to 7% larger muscles, shattering the stigma that adding plates to the bar will uncover the denser, more vascular muscles of your dream physique.

Training for strength won’t necessarily add inches to your biceps or cap off your shoulders. Nor will every random training session trigger growth the way you envision.

The most likely explanations for stalling physical growth are:

Intensity

Bigger, faster, stronger will always be the mantra. Yet, the line between legitimate hypertrophy training and potential overtraining (severe muscle damage) can be challenging to decipher.

Where does one begin and the other end?

Well, each training session should trigger invisible muscle microtears. With later protein intake and natural growth hormone release, your muscles will recover bigger, stronger, and denser.

It’s possible that your current routine isn’t intense enough to ignite this process efficiently. Or you’re damaging your muscles to a point where they don’t recover before your next workout.

For optimal muscle growth, the ideal intensity is 65-85% of your 1RM across multiple sets.

Sleep

Sleep is for the weak may have been your catchphrase in college. But being a weekend warrior or running on three hours of sleep each night will eventually catch up to you and your gains.

A lack of sleep won’t only make you feel groggy or require more effort to match your PRs.

Too little shut-eye can also boost cortisol production — the stress hormone that triggers muscle breakdown — while also slowing the flood of glycogen and human growth hormone in the blood.

As a result, your muscles don’t recover as well post-workout. And realistically, getting fewer than eight hours of rest per night can limit your gains by as much as 40%.

For mass, aim for 8-10 hours of sleep, and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and technology before bed.

Frequency

The trouble with entering the intermediate phase of training is that your frequency suddenly drops from three full-body workouts a week to a four or five-day split program.

The problem is: Even after the most grueling upper-body workouts, your muscles will typically return to 100% within 48-72 hours.

In other words, those four extra rest days are entirely unnecessary, potentially cutting your lean mass growth in half. Most trainers suggest two workouts per muscle group per week.

So, your weekly schedule could look like this:

• 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
• 2: Back, Biceps, Abs
• 3: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves
• REST
• 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
• 2: Back, Biceps, Abs
• 3: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves

Reps

There’s something about waltzing into the gym, picking up a barbell, and cranking out dozens of reps that triggers a sense of calm. Or the pride in knocking out 3 reps of heavy curls ’till failure.

But while nearly any rep range can trigger growth to a certain extent, only one range targets hypertrophy alone: 8-12 reps per set.

Of course, there’s a catch.

By the time you near that final rep on the bench or deadlift, you should be nearing the point of failure, shakiness, or general exhaustion — without hurting yourself or overdoing it.

Don’t forget to add no more than 10% to your lifts after two straight workouts where you exceed the rep range by at least two reps per set (confusing, eh?).

Sex

Simply being female doesn’t mean gains are impossible. Laila Ali, Sara Sigmundsdóttir, and Beth Phoenix are proof that “lifting like a girl” doesn’t come with a mark of shame.

But the genetic differences between males and females — most notably the lower testosterone and higher estrogen — can ultimately put a cap on growth potential.

In other words, converting strength into gains requires more dedication and effort. Our mass may never accurately represent our strength, but it shows in the PRs.

Genetics

We all have that one friend who’s never lifted a day in their life, yet somehow manages to look like an avid gym-goer. Or maybe you’re the complete opposite — your mass is AWOL!

By a stroke of luck, some people are born with more type II muscle fibers and high testosterone.

But while many guys pout about bad genetics and how it impacts their gains, it’s nothing more than an excuse.

The trick is finding a training style that targets your body type to customize your progress.

Diet

One of the biggest misconceptions about building mass is overemphasizing the importance of protein — and protein alone. Yes, you need at least 0.8g/pound for maximal hypertrophy.

But you also need to fuel your body for maximal energy and high-intensity workouts. With that in mind, your diet should also include:

• A pre-workout powder (or beta-alanine) before a workout
• An influx of calories (gaining muscle means gaining weight)
• A healthy diet low in fat, sugar, salt, and cholesterol
• As little alcohol, junk, and caffeine as possible
• A decent carb intake to fuel energy
• Creatine, creatine, creatine!

Why Am I Getting Stronger But Not Bigger?

If you’re getting noticeably stronger, but the gains are stalling, it’s time to reexamine your routine. Some of the most common culprits of lagging lean mass are:

• A lack of intensity during training sessions
• Not getting at least eight hours of sleep a night
• Not hitting each muscle group often enough (2+ times/week)
• Focusing on the wrong rep range (8-12 is “ideal”)
• Being female
• Getting the short end of the stick (at least genetically)
• Eating a diet low in protein (less than 0.8 grams per pound)

There’s no single fix to bringing your mass up to par with your strength. But by tackling as many of the above roadblocks at once, you can start packing on the pounds and filling your sleeves.