How the Body Builds Incredible Strength Without Getting Bigger

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How Does Your Body Improve Strength Without Gaining Size?

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In this video, Jonathan from the Institute of Human Anatomy explores the science behind enhancing strength and how it can be accomplished without increasing muscular size (hypertrophy) vs strength gains that come along with hypertrophy. Learn how this process starts in your brain, travels through nerves, and ultimately affects the muscles in your body, as well as the incredible physiological adaptations that result in strength gains. Whether you aim to improve strength without bulking up or seek to understand the intricate processes behind muscle function, you will learn the proper training protocols to achieve this. It's going to be a "heavy" one!

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0:00–0:56 Intro
0:57–1:33 Why Would You NOT Want to Gain Muscle? Explaining Relative Strength
1:34–2:02 What Is Muscular Strength?
2:13–3:24 The Motor Cortex: How Your Brain Sends Signals to Your Muscles
3:25–3:58 What is a Motor Unit?
3:59 - 4:47 Motor Unit Recruitment & How This Relates to Strength
4:48 - 6:40 Improved Motor Unit Recruitment & Synchronization = More Strength
6:41–8:43 Synaptic Connection: The Neuromuscular Junction & Its Role in Improved Strength
8:44–13:23 Inside of a Muscle Fiber: How a Muscle Fiber Actually Contracts—The Sarcomere
13:24–14:54 Changes Within the Sarcomere That Improve Strength
14:55–15:25 Another Strength Improvement: Slow and Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers
15:26–15:58 Training Protocol: High Quality and High Intensity Sets
15:59–16:38 Training Protocol: Recruiting More Motor Units - Speed of the Lift
16:39–17:54 Rest/Recovery, Progression, and Deload
17:55 - 18:47 Limitations of Improving Strength Without Size

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#instituteofhumananatomy #trainingtips #strengthtraining
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Common Questions:
How can I increase strength without gaining size?
What is relative strength, and why is it important?
How do motor units affect muscle strength?
What is the role of the neuromuscular junction in strength training?
How do sarcomeres contribute to muscle contraction?
What is the difference between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers?
What are the best training protocols for improving strength?
How can I recruit more motor units during strength training?
What recovery tips should I follow after strength training?
How does the brain communicate with muscles to enhance strength?

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Tags: how to improve strength without size, understanding muscular strength, neuromuscular junction and strength, motor unit recruitment in strength training, sarcomere function in muscle contraction, training tips for strength, high-quality sets for strength, fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch fibers, strength training without bulking up.

License code: VVEZBBGYZXB77DTC

[terry_willis]

What amazes me is not only that the human body is fantastically complex, but that some people are able to figure out this stuff.

[fosyay]

"Two golf clubs twisted together"

Sir, that is testicular torsion from the 7th layer of hell.

[liteseve]

Interesting how I learn more biology in a 20min video than in multiple weeks of high school. I love it, I want more

[corysstories.]

I talk to training clients all the time about how muscle mass gives the potential for strength, but the strength itself is because of the nervous system. Thanks for helping me understand this concept a bit better than I did!

[okinawagaijin]

“Because the more time these two spend together, connecting and pulling on each other, the stronger their bond gets, and they cuddle and ratchet even harder”
You just made a highly educational video on YouTube that does not violate any of their rules, yet made it sound so dirty with that segment.

That's some skill in teaching with style.

[alphabeta]

3:30 Motor unit
7:00 Neuromuscular junction 11:00
14:55 *Slow-twitch vs fast-twitch muscle fibers*
17:00 Increasing intensity and volume

[gottabepablo]

perfect timing, I want to gain strength without embracing a Roblox build

[Eric-ddbk]

I'm just a 5 foot 6 135 pound guy.
In my early 20s, There was a guy around the same age as me preparing to join military and he was buff hitting the gym everyday.
He challenged me to an arm wrestle thinking he could beat me and impress girls, and I just accepted cuz I figured it wouldn't be that much of an embarrassment even if I lose because he's buff as hell.
I just destroyed him in few seconds even to my own surprise.

Turns out he only had been doing a lot of reps but they all had been short reps. And it had only been around 3 months since he started hitting the gym.
On the contrast, at that time, I had never done a single weight lifting purely for muscle but I had been doing all kinds of martial arts such as TKD, kick boxing, and more, over the course of almost 2 decades and I had that much experience in using my muscles for explosive strength.
My masters have always told me muscle size alone does not indicate anything, and that's when I understood it.

[derekm]

It’s nice seeing this because recently thoughts have entered my mind, I’ve been lifting a solid bit and it doesn’t seem like I’ve put on muscle and I’m not gaining/losing weight, but I am lifting heavier

[JustSomebody]

I know another important factor: mobility. If you are stiff you have all your muscles working against each other, what I like to call internal resistance. If muscle A is tight and tense, it's antagonist B will have a harder time contracting wasting a good deal of it's power in pulling againts A. B is probably tight too and that joint becomes very limited. If your muscles are long, flexible and coordinated your movements become very smooth and strong

[eamparbeng]

Hard physical labor with sufficient rest makes you strong. Construction workers, package handlers, and farmers may not look jacked. But they're some of the physically toughest people alive

[Someone-tnur]

Can confirm: I weigh 160lb and I've taken my bench from 195lb to 240lb this year and my chest still looks the same, small size.

[ryukirito]

Who’s going to tell him AG1 is under a law suit for being fake? 😂

[sirobellino]

So that explains it. I am still skinny but I keep gaining strength

[Hag_of_Fangorn]

How do I apply to be one of those extras behind you?

[nicklasveva]

I had this guy in my class, skinny as a twig. He started working out, but you couldn't tell. Eventually he tried arm wrestling with some of the toughest guys in class and was so close to winning multiple times. I'd say that I'm kinda similar, but I don't work out. I only get exercise at work. Yet I'm stronger than one of my co workers who does work out every week. I think it's mostly because he hasn't worked for long and doesn't have "dynamic" muscles like me. He could probably do bench presses and curls way better than me, but since I do a bunch of different motions at work I think that I have more strength in more diverse situations.

This happened a few years ago with a guy who could bench 100 kg, while I probably couldn't even bench 50 kg. He was doing some curls with something in the room (don't remember what it was) and then I joined him just to see how I measured up to him. I saw him quickly faltering as his eyes widened. Pretty sure the dude only had big arms with no muscles.

[jeffyorton]

Fascinating physiology. So incredibly complex... and you have barely scratched the surface. A testament to a Creator with infinite knowledge and power.

[wildwitchwest]

this is pretty cool to see. i usually walk around 6 miles every other day after work and yesterday on a whim i wanted to try a 20 mile hike and was successful! I'm tired af though and my body still hasn't recovered

[itsrudetostare]

0:37, what are these examples? The guy on the left is on PED's, and the guy on the right with "not much size" is usually about the natural limit for an average person

[scott-hrhd]

Wow. I came for anatomy and I got into the thick of microbiology. I am referring this to all my friends, trainers and buddies at the gym. This is intellectual gold.