Building Muscle vs Strength: What Are the Differences?

If you’ve ever stepped foot in a gym, you’ve no doubt seen guys and gals curling, lifting, and doing whatever else with dumbbells, the force of their arms pushing those weights an inch up off the ground. Well, if you’re one of them or desire to become a “weight lifter,” you’re probably wondering: is there a difference between muscle and strength, and if so, what is it?

There are, however, many misconceptions and confusion surrounding the two. Both are crucial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and as a beginner, it’s crucial to draw a clear line between muscle and strength.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into the science behind building muscle vs strength, read on! We will be going through all the differences and helping you get a clearer picture.

The Best Exercises 

There are many different types of workouts that people can do to improve their physical fitness. However, these workouts can generally be divided into two categories: those that focus on building muscle, and those that focus on developing strength. So, what are the differences between these two types of workouts?

The best exercises for muscle building typically involve lifting heavy weights for a relatively small number of repetitions. This forces the muscles to adapt and grow to be able to handle the increased load. 

Building muscle mass is achieved through repetitive motions that cause microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. The body then repairs the tears, creating scar tissue and the muscle becomes larger as a result.

To develop strength, you often have to include lifting lighter weights for a larger number of repetitions. This allows the muscles to better develop their force-generating capacity.

Strength gains are a result of the nervous system becoming better at recruiting muscle fibers to contract. These exercises make the muscles stronger rather than just bigger. 

Some people with a passion for health and getting fit aim to earn a functional fitness certification. It helps to better specialize fitness knowledge and learn about the best movements to incorporate into their exercises. 

The Diet

A diet for building muscle is going to be higher in calories and protein. You need more energy and nutrients to build muscle. It should also be higher in fat because fat is essential for hormone production and joint health.

For strength, you should incorporate a diet that is lower in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy and muscle glycogen, which is not as important for strength.

Goals

So, which type of workout is better? That depends on your goals.

If you’re looking to add some size to your frame, then a muscle-building workout is probably the way to go. The goal is to put the muscle under a lot of stress, which will cause them to grow larger over time.

If you’re more interested in improving your overall strength and power, then a strength-training workout is probably a better option. This aims to improve your muscles’ endurance so that they can better handle heavy workloads.

Understand the Difference Between Building Muscle vs Strength

After reading the few key differences between building muscle vs strength listed in this article, you’ll now be able to understand where to focus on building. Your fitness goals matter in weighing this. And you’ll be on your way to living a healthy lifestyle. 

Do you want to learn more about health and fitness? Check out our other posts today for more helpful discussions!