Want Bigger Muscles? - Try This

Introduction

Understanding the difference between strength and size

Muscle growth takes place when a load is applied on your muscle fibers. This stimulus is created by applying tension over your targeted muscle’s range of motion. This creates micro tears in your muscle fibers. When these tears are created, your muscles have an inflammatory response creating the “sore” feeling. Through muscle protein synthesis your body will begin repairing these damaged muscle fibers and respond by adding on additional muscle to meet the new demands of the tension you are applying. Overtime this will result in an increase in your muscle’s ability to handle a greater load (strength) and add on additional fibers making your muscle bigger and denser (size).

Although muscle size and strength are positively correlated, they are not directly proportionate. Meaning, you can increase muscle size without dramatically increasing strength. Anyone who is new to lifting will respond by both increasing muscle size and strength dramatically. But experienced lifters will need to be strategic if increasing muscle size is a priority. Overall, bigger muscles will equal more strength, and more strength will lead to bigger muscles. But the difference can be seen in advanced and experienced lifters where the biggest difference in muscle mass and strength become apparent. This is why powerlifters are significantly stronger, and bodybuilders are significantly bigger.

Training for size and training for strength may look similar from the outside, but they’re built on two very different goals. Strength training focuses on lifting heavier loads with lower reps and longer rest periods, teaching your nervous system to recruit more muscle fibers and produce more force. Hypertrophy training, on the other hand, uses moderate weights, higher reps, and more total volume to create the tension and stress that make muscle fibers grow. Both styles can overlap and support each other, but the way you train determines whether you’re building bigger muscles, stronger muscles, or both.

Obtaining bigger muscles comes from activating / achieving hypertrophy during your training. Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle size caused by the growth and thickening of muscle fibers. Hypertrophy is achieved in these ways. Increasing weight and or reps (progressive overload), modifying time under tension, changing exercises as your body adapts, recovery, nutrition, and genetics.

Training for size

Rep - Range Method

The rep‑range method is one of the most reliable ways to build muscle. It works by choosing a specific rep range—commonly 8–12 reps—and selecting a weight that pushes you to true fatigue within that range for every set. The goal isn’t just to hit the rep range, but to use a load heavy enough that you couldn’t exceed it with good form. Once you’re able to complete all your sets at the top end of the range (for example, all sets at 12 reps), you increase the weight the next session. This constant progression forces your muscles to adapt, grow, and get stronger over time.

Any rep range can work—6–8, 8–12, 10–15—if the weight is challenging enough. The reason 8–12 is so popular is because it gives you flexibility: you can go slightly lighter and focus on form and execution or push heavier and stay on the lower end of the range, all while maintaining enough time under tension to really feel the muscle working. Regardless of the range you choose, the sets should feel difficult. If you’re breezing through 15 reps on a tough exercise, the weight is too light. Increase the load so the intensity stays high, even if the reps drop. That’s how you create consistent, measurable muscle growth.

Compound Lifts with Isolation Exercises

Pairing compound lifts with isolation work is one of the most effective ways to fully fatigue a muscle and drive growth. Compound movements naturally allow you to lift heavier loads, but they also make it more likely that mechanical failure will happen before the targeted muscle reaches true fatigue. Mechanical failure is when your posture, stability, or supporting muscles give out even though the main muscle still has more to give. Technical failure, on the other hand, is when the targeted muscle literally cannot move the weight any further without your body compensating.

Starting your workout with compound lifts—like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, hip thrusts, or RDLs—lets your fresh muscles push heavy and generate a strong stimulus across multiple muscle groups. Once that foundation is set, transitioning into isolation exercises allows you to take the targeted muscle to complete exhaustion without other muscles limiting the movement. For shoulders, that might look like beginning with a press (incline bench, shoulder press, or military press) and then moving into side raises or front raises. For legs, you might start with a squat variation—hack squat, V‑squat, belt squat—and then finish with leg extensions or leg curls. The difference in muscle fatigue is noticeable, and over time, this structure leads to deeper stimulation and better hypertrophy.

Stretch and contraction through controlled movements

Stretch and contraction through controlled movement determines how well you activate the muscle you’re targeting. Both sides of the rep matter — the contraction and the return to the starting position. Many people only focus on the squeeze, but real growth comes from controlling the entire range of motion and keeping tension on the muscle the whole time. When you challenge the muscle through both the stretch and the contraction, you accumulate far more effective volume over time, which leads to greater strength and size. It’s not just about moving the weight — it’s about guiding it through a path that maximizes tension, especially at the point of greatest stretch.

A great example of this is a seated cable row. If you let the weight pull you forward into a deep stretch, keep your lats engaged, and then pull back with control into a full contraction, you’re loading the muscle through its entire range. No momentum, no shortcuts — just constant tension from start to finish. That’s the kind of rep quality that builds real muscle.

Stretch and contraction through controlled movement determines how well you activate the muscle you’re targeting and that includes the negative, or the return to the starting position. Most people rush this part, but the negative is where some of the most powerful muscle‑building tension happens. When you slow it down and stay connected to the muscle, you can actually feel it lengthen under load, then contract again as you lift. That’s the mind–muscle connection: being fully aware of the muscle stretching, squeezing, and staying engaged through the entire rep. Think of it like pulling a rubber band back — the farther and more controlled the stretch, the stronger the snapback. Training works the same way. When you guide the weight through a full, controlled path with constant tension, especially at the point of greatest stretch, you create a stimulus that leads to far more growth than just focusing on the squeeze alone.

When it comes to muscle size and shape, the goal isn’t just to make the middle of the muscle look fuller it’s to develop the entire length of the muscle fibers. That only happens when load and tension are applied through the full range of motion, from the deepest stretch to the strongest contraction. When every part of the fiber is challenged, not just the “belly” of the muscle, you create more balanced, aesthetic growth and stronger, more resilient tissue from end to end. This is why controlled reps, full stretch, and consistent tension matter so much: they ensure the entire muscle is being stimulated, not just the easiest part of the movement.

Volume (10-20 sets p/muscle) / Workout Split

Training for size requires both high volume and high intensity, which means you can’t expect to train the same muscle group with maximum effort several times a week without compromising recovery. This is where a structured workout split becomes essential. By dividing your routine into specific muscle groups, you’re able to give each area the focused volume it needs while still allowing enough time for full recovery before you hit it again.

A good target for hypertrophy is 10–20 quality working sets per muscle per week. If you’re closer to the lower end of that range and not seeing progress, it may be time to add an extra exercise or increase your sets. Your split should reflect your physique goals. Breaking down upper‑body muscles and leg muscles in a way that avoids training sore or fatigued areas back‑to‑back. For example, placing arms on a different day than chest helps ensure you’re not overworking the same muscle groups. You can also rotate rest days or pair muscles strategically so that previously trained areas have time to recover before being used again. This balance of volume, intensity, and smart scheduling is what keeps progress steady and sustainable.

protein / carb intake / slight surplus

When it comes to building muscle, training sets the stimulus,  but nutrition determines how far that stimulus can take you. Without enough fuel, your body simply can’t repair, grow, or perform at its full potential. I’m not a fan of the traditional “bulk,” because most people use it as an excuse to eat anything with no structure, which usually leads to unnecessary fat gain. A far more effective approach is eating at maintenance or just slightly above it about 100–300 calories which supports muscle growth while keeping body composition tight.

Protein is the foundation of recovery and muscle repair, while carbs and healthy fats provide the energy you need to train hard and recover well. If you’re under‑eating, you’ll notice signs like poor recovery, declining gym performance, and little to no progress in strength or reps. On the other hand, eating too much often shows up as rapid weight gain, sluggishness during workouts, and feeling heavy rather than fueled. The goal is to find that sweet spot where your body has everything it needs to grow without the excess that slows you down.

sleep / hydration / recovery

Sleep, hydration, and recovery are the silent drivers of muscle growth that most people overlook. Training breaks the muscle down, but it’s during deep, consistent sleep that your body repairs tissue, balances hormones, and rebuilds stronger fibers. Hydration plays just as big of a role even slight dehydration can reduce strength, slow recovery, and make your workouts feel harder than they should. Recovery isn’t just rest days; it’s giving your body the time and resources it needs to adapt to the stress you’re placing on it. When you’re sleeping well, staying hydrated, and allowing proper recovery between sessions, your performance improves, your muscles grow faster, and your entire training routine becomes more sustainable.

tracking reps, weights, and performance as a reference for increasing (Progressive Overload)

Tracking your reps, weights, and overall performance is one of the simplest but most powerful tools for progressive overload. Even if you remember the general weight you use for an exercise, it’s almost impossible to recall exactly how many reps you hit on each set week after week and without that reference point, you’re guessing. Tracking gives you a clear roadmap for progression. If you hit 9 reps last week, aiming for 10 this week is a perfect example of steady, measurable progress. And if you’ve been stuck doing the same reps with the same weight for a while, that’s usually a sign to shift your focus toward form, control, and more time under tension. Sometimes lowering the weight slightly, tightening up your technique, or using strategic rest‑pauses can give you the strength you need to break through a plateau.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that tracking isn’t mandatory for growth. If you’re consistently training with high effort and fully fatiguing the muscle each session, you will progress. Strength and muscle size aren’t the same thing, and improvements in execution, control, and mind–muscle connection can create better stimulation even when the reps and weight stay the same. That’s progress too,  and it often leads to better long‑term development. Still, keeping track of your lifts is never a bad idea. It removes the guesswork, keeps you honest, and can only help you push further over time.

Summary

Building muscle isn’t about doing one thing right. It’s about stacking the fundamentals and executing them with intention. Strength and muscle size aren’t the same; strength comes from your nervous system becoming more efficient at producing force, while muscle growth comes from consistently challenging the muscle through tension, stretch, and controlled reps. Quality execution matters just as much as the weight you lift. Focusing on the full rep (the stretch, the contraction) , and especially the negative ensures every fiber is being loaded, activated, and pushed to adapt. Pairing compound lifts with isolation work, using smart volume (10–20 sets per muscle per week), and following a structured split allows you to train hard while still recovering fully. Nutrition supports all of this: eating enough protein, fueling with carbs, staying hydrated, and maintaining a slight calorie surplus give your body what it needs to grow. Sleep and recovery tie it all together, helping your muscles repair and your performance stay high. And while tracking reps and weights can accelerate progress, improvements in form, control, and mind–muscle connection are also real signs of progression. When you combine all these elements (execution, tension, volume, recovery, and fuel) — your body has no choice but to grow.