In the previous article of this series, "Forget About Heavy Weights To Gain Muscle & Weight", I had mentioned that the first reason why you should not be focusing on trying to lift heavier and heavier weights on a regular basis is because when you take a look at what goes on in the real world, those that concentrate on that aspect of weight training may get stronger with that method but not necessarily bigger in muscular size.

In this article we'll be going deeper as to why not to build your workout routine around getting stronger if you main goal is to gain weight and muscle mass.

Reason # 2: The lifting of heavier and heavier weight is not the signal to your body to make the muscle larger in size.

Every bodybuilding article and website still believes in the myth that your body adapts to the lifting of heavier weights by making the muscle larger.

Well, that's not the case in the real world.

Here's the reality of the situation:

When your body senses that a particular muscle is being forced to lift a progressively heavier weight, the signal that it sends is for the body to become stronger....not bigger.

A muscle doesn't have to be bigger in size to handle heavier weight!

(Read that last sentence over and over until you fully grasp this concept.)

It just has to be stronger.

What does the body then do to adapt to the heavier weight if it isn't to make it bigger?

Realize that the lifting of heavier weights is a matter of your body becoming more efficient at recruiting more motor units to come into play to handle the heavier weight...which has nothing to do with becoming physically larger.

It is also a matter of becoming better at using leverage in your lifting technique...which has nothing to do with making the muscle grow.

It is also a matter of your neuro-muscular system becoming better at sending nerve signals between the muscle and brain to handle heavier loads...which has nothing to do with stimulating muscle mass.

...and on and on.

Do you see the point I'm trying to make here.

A muscle being able to handle heavier and heavier weight really doesn't have much to do with making the muscle physically larger in size and appearance.

Again, I'll refer back to the real world example of bodybuilders versus powerlifters / Olympic trainers.

Powerlifters have their bodies trained so that they are very efficient at using leverage in their lifting techniques, recruiting a maximum amount of motor units, and establishing excellent neuro-muscular connections / pathways...all which allow them to lift extreme amounts of weights.

However, their muscular development is nowhere near that of a bodybuilder.

Although the bodybuilder probably can't lift not even half of the amount of weight that a powerlifter can, he has muscles that are much bigger in size and development.

That's because a bodybuilder could probably care less about using leverage, recruiting motor units. etc.

He's just trying to gain weight and build muscle mass.

I'll go deeper into why not to focus in lifting heavy weights to gain muscle weight in the next article....