Today's Lesson Plan

It is pretty obvious to most people that a muscle's strength has a strong relationship to its cross sectional area (size) in both men and women. Muscle enlargement and the corresponding increase in strength was first measured and discussed at least as early as 1897. The relationship between muscle cross-sectional area and strength is shown for the forearm flexors in the graph below. This graph also shows that while men, on average, have more muscle than females, there is no "difference" between male and female muscle (all points pretty much lie on the same straight line).


What is far less obvious is that we become strong in more ways than by simply gaining more muscle mass. Weight training elicits a strong neuromuscular effect and all individuals will in fact gain strength in part by using existing muscle fibres more efficiently.
Strength Training increases neuromuscular efficiency in three ways.

Increased number of motor units are recruited (a motor unit is the nerve and all the muscle fibres it activates)
Increased firing rate of each motor unit
Increased synchronization of motor unit firing

Put rather more simply you use more of what you already had and you coordinate the force production better. This is one of the reasons CrossFit teaches technical lifts. How much you can lift is a function of skill (coordinated firing of muscle units) as well as muscle strength and power. So even though your lifts might be going up by 40 or 50% or more it doesn't mean your muscles get 40-50% bigger.

This fact is often viewed as good news by females and bad news :( by males!

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We are also now part of the FACEBOOK world (kicked, dragged and still screaming) find us under "Crossfit Vancouver" upload all your favorite shit (pictures, videos, rants etc.)

Mikey "The Human Genome Project" sets Crossfit Vancouver's gym record in the deadlift.

Considering he is still a relative newbie (less than 6 months) and came into the gym with very little training I suspect Mike is poised to be the first in the gym to break the 500lb barrier.
Man Child.....you got yer ears on??

Nice work HGP!!

Thanks to every one who attended, you guys & gals were spectacular!! The party was absolutely awesome. DJ Madness and The Pig Pen Show rocked the house. I had so much fun my cheeks have been cramping all day.

It is all a little foggy, probably due to the OPEN BAR, but my favorite moment.....Stockbroker Patty's near-naked Viking nipple dance. Post your recollections and musings to comments.

Come take down the Church Mouse.