Strength Training vs. Muscle Building for the Beginning Lifter

Introduction

The goal of the Muscle & Strength strength building guide is to provide you with all the tools you need to build strength as quickly as possible. You will learn about popular strength building workout structures and exercises, how to improve your bench press, squat and deadlift form, and how to maximize your nutrition and supplementation to reach your goals.

Strength Training vs. Muscle Building for the Beginning Lifter

During the initial stages of training, there is very little difference between working out to build strength and working out to build muscle. Both goals will require a substantial addition of strength for key compound exercises such as the bench press, squats, overhead presses and rows, as well as the addition of muscle.

While experienced lifters will need to place much of their focus on lower rep training (1-5 reps per set), trainees who are just beginning their journey and looking to build strength should focus on the use of 5-10 rep sets for most compound exercises.

Definitions and Common Terms

The following is a list of common terms found in most strength building articles and workouts, along with definitions.

• Intensity – Intensity is often viewed in the context of “high intensity training.” For strength training intensity mean the percentage of your one rep max (1RM) that you are working with for a given exercise.
• Volume – Volume can constitute the number of sets per workout, the number of reps for a specific exercise at a given weight, or the total reps multiplied by the weight used.
• Periodization – Periodization involves the cycling of intensity and/or training volume through specific cycles to allow for improved recovery and continual gains.
• Overtraining – Overtraining can involve taxing a muscle, the central nervous system or joints and ligaments beyond their ability to effectively recover.
• Deload – A planned period of rest or lighter training to allow the symptoms of fatigue or overtraining to rescind while maintaining your current strength levels.
• Max Effort (ME) – Max effort refers to heavy (intense) training days in which a trainee works up to a 5, 3 or one rep max for a specific movement. ME days can be considered maximal load training days.
• Dynamic Effort (DE) – Dynamic effort training days place the focus on speed work, or performing an exercise with an approximate 50-60% of 1RM for fast/powerful repetitions. Dynamic effort sets are often single reps for the deadlift, 3 reps for bench press, and 2 for squats. DE days can be considered maximal speed training days.
• Repeitition Effort (RE) – Repetition effort training days focus on the use of higher rep sets, generally in the 6 to 12 rep range. Each set is push near, or to failure. RE days can be considered maximal force training days.
• Assistance Exercises – The function of assistance exercises is to target weaknesses and build up/strengthen key muscle groups so that the body as a unit is as strong as possible.

Natural Strength Standards and Expectations

The following strength standards were developed from definitions in “Practicial Programming” by Lon Kilgore, Mark Rippetoe and Glenn Pendlay. Five primary lifts are featured:

• Squat
• Bench Press
• Deadlift
• Overhead Press
• Power Clean

Squat
Squat Strength Standards For Men
Weight	Untrained	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
114	78	144	174	240	320
123	84	155	190	259	346
132	91	168	205	278	369
148	101	188	230	313	410
165	110	204	250	342	445
181	119	220	269	367	479
198	125	232	285	387	504
220	132	244	301	409	532
242	137	255	311	423	551
275	141	261	319	435	567
319	144	267	326	445	580
320+	147	272	332	454	593

Bench Press
Bench Press Strength Standards For Men
Weight	Untrained	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
114	84	107	130	179	222
123	91	116	142	194	242
132	98	125	153	208	260
148	109	140	172	234	291
165	119	152	187	255	319
181	128	164	201	275	343
198	135	173	213	289	362
220	142	183	225	306	381
242	149	190	232	316	395
275	153	196	239	325	407
319	156	199	244	333	416
320+	159	204	248	340	425

Deadlift
Deadlift Strength Standards For Men
Weight	Untrained	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
114	97	179	204	299	387
123	105	194	222	320	414
132	113	209	239	342	438
148	126	234	269	380	482
165	137	254	293	411	518
181	148	274	315	438	548
198	156	289	333	457	567
220	164	305	351	479	586
242	172	318	363	490	596
275	176	326	373	499	602
319	180	333	381	506	608
320+	183	340	388	512	617

Overhead Press
Overhead Press Strength Standards For Men
Weight	Untrained	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
114	53	72	90	107	129
123	57	78	98	116	141
132	61	84	105	125	151
148	69	94	119	140	169
165	75	102	129	153	186
181	81	110	138	164	218
198	85	116	146	173	234
220	89	122	155	183	255
242	93	127	159	189	264
275	96	131	164	194	272
319	98	133	167	199	278
320+	100	136	171	203	284

Power Clean
Power Clean Strength Standards For Men
Weight	Untrained	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
114	56	103	125	173	207
123	60	112	137	186	224
132	65	121	148	200	239
148	73	135	166	225	266
165	79	147	180	246	288
181	85	158	194	264	310
198	90	167	205	279	327
220	95	176	217	294	345
242	99	183	224	305	357
275	102	188	230	313	367
319	104	192	235	320	376
320+	106	196	239	327	384

Strength Training Basics

Defining Your Goals

Before you pick a program and set up a solid eating plan, it’s important to define your goals. Take a minute to think about your long term goals, and write them down. Try to make goals realistic but challenging. A 400 pound bench press might be possible in 5 years, but it certainly can’t be achieved in 6 months by 99.99% of the population.

Once you have defined your long term goals, it’s time to think about short term goals. No small step is too insignificant. Think about where you want to be in a month, 6 months and a year.

And remember, the key to reaching any goal lies in maximizing your effort. Never waste a single set. Strong bodies are built “one extra rep at a time”, using small but consistent steps.

The 7 Primary Natural Strength Movements

If you are looking to build strength, the best place to start is by analyzing what the human body does well. We are built to perform certain movements and lifts with ease, utilizing multiple muscle groups and maximum leverage.

The 7 primary natural strength movements and lifts that the human body performs well are:

• Horizontal Push – Pressing/pushing a weight away from the torso. An example of a horizontal push movement is the bench press.
• Horizontal Pull – Pulling/rowing a weight towards the torso. An example of a horizontal pull movement is the bent over barbell row.
• Vertical Push – Pushing/pressing a weight overhead, away from the body. An example of a vertical push movement is the military press.
• Vertical Pull – Pulling a weight towards the torso from overhead. An example of a vertical pull movement is the pull up or lat pull down.
• Squat – Bending at the hips and knees while keeping a semi-upright torso, as if reaching for something on the ground before you. An example of a squat movement is the barbell squat.
• Lift From Ground – Lifting an object off the ground from a position of maximal leverage (bent knees and hips). An example of this movement is the barbell deadlift.
• Carry – Holding an object in one or both hands and walking and/or running. An example of a carry if a yolk or farmer’s walk.

There are many other movements the human body does well, such as jumping and shrugging, but most of these movements are derivations of the above 7 movements. What this means is that if you improve your strength on most or all of the 7 primary movements, your body will be able to perform nearly any task with power.

The Primary Strength Building Exercises

Most strength building workouts are very similar and nature, and comprised of a core group of several lifts. These lifts are all variations of the 7 primary natural movements.

• Squat and front squat.
• Bench press and close grip bench press.
• Military press and push press.
• Deadlift and Romanian deadlift.
• Barbell and dumbbell rows.
• Power cleans and Olympic lift variations.

There are also several other exercises that can be very beneficial to the novice trainee looking to rapidly build strength:

• Pull ups (palms away from body, wider grip)
• Chin ups (palms facing the body, narrow grip)
• Dips
• Planks
• Weighted abdominal exercises such weighted sit ups and cable crossovers
• Glute/ham raise
• Good mornings
• Side bends
• Farmer’s walk

It should be noted that this is not a comprehensive list. For a complete list of quality exercises, please check out the “assistance exercise listing” that appears later in this article.

The Fastest Way for a Novice to Build Strength

It’s not uncommon for novice (beginning) lifters to fall into the trap of looking for a magic strength building workout or training system. Here’s what you need to remember: there is no magic system. The key to making rapid, consistent progress comes from following these essential rules:

• Stay Persistent – Stop making excuses and missing workouts. If you want to improve your strength you need to make it to the gym week in and week out.
• Stay Basic – Stay with a basic program. Simplicity works well. Training evolution, or complexity, is something you will need in the future – but not now. Get strong on the basics. Most popular strength building systems feature a minimalistic structure using the same effective strength building movements.
• Don’t Undereat – To maximize your efforts in the gym you must also make sure you are eating properly. Undereating, or eating too much junk food, can greater inhibit progress.
• Make a Plan – You can’t enter the gym without a goal. Plan and know when and how you will add weight to the bar. A strength building training system requires a progression plan. No workout should be random, or without a specific goal.

The Big 4 Lifts – Plus 1

At the core of most strength building programs are the barbell squat, deadlift, overhead press and bench press. The power clean is also widely used.

The squat, deadlift and power clean are considered posterior chain movements. A posterior chain exercise works nearly every muscle in the  back of the body, from head to toe, including the back, glutes, hips, hamstrings and more. Squats and deadlifts are considered the king of all strength building movements.

Overhead and flat bench pressing are push movements. Pushing exercises work (to varying degrees) the shoulders, chest, back and arms. A properly structured strength building approach will achieve to strike some semblance of balance between flat bench and overhead pressing so that shoulder girdle health can be maintained.

Do I Need a Belt?

Is a lifting belt needed? This is a popular, and often heated debate. While there are valid points on both sides of the argument, most experienced lifters choose to perform heavy work with the use of a lifting belt.

Here are some pros and cons to wearing a lifting belt:

• Pro - A lifting belt can help support your spine.
• Pro - A lifting belt allows many experienced strength athletes to squat and deadlift more weight, maximizing training sessions.
• Pro - A lifting belt can provide confidence.
• Con – A lifting belt can cause slight changes to your lifting form. When first using a belt, don’t rush into using it with heavy weight. Work on your form with a belt using lighter weight first.
• Con – A lifting belt that is cinched too tightly may restrict blood flow and/or cause change sin blood pressure.

The Role of the Central Nervous System

While it is the role of muscle tissue to move or lift heavy weight, the central nervous system (CNS) also plays a vital role in the process. The CNS acts in many ways like a power source – as it is awakened you will start to recruit more and more muscle fibers into play.

This is one of the reasons why a proper warmup protocol is required before heavy training. If you attempt to lift a heavy weight before “waking up the CNS”, you will be trying to move this iron using fewer muscle fibers. The result will be a great strain on the joints and connective tissue, and a greater chance of injury.

The power of the CNS can be tested following any heavy training session. After your heavy work is completed, try dropping the weight on the bar by 25% and performing a set. This set will feel unbelievably light, simply because your central nervous system is fully engaged, recruiting maximal amounts of muscle tissue.