H

i Ade Rai,

I am interested in getting stronger, but not bigger. Is it possible? I am 40 years old and just looking to get fit and increase my strength. I have always wondered whether it’s possible to gain strength without gaining muscle size? Thank you for your answer.

Richard

Hi Richard,

Yes, you can actually get stronger without getting much bigger. Resistance training provides many functional benefits beyond gaining muscle size. With resistance training you can also build strength, power and anaerobic endurance, as well as balance and coordination. Each goal will need a unique set of training strategies/styles and exercise programming. However, I do believe that in order to be a better athlete or simply get better in any sport or fitness element, losing fat and gaining some degree of lean muscle first will help you build the solid muscular and cardiovascular foundations that will enable you to build all the others quicker and safer.  
 

Hi Mr. Rai,

My left arm is half as strong as my right but my left arm is twice as big and more defined. Why is this? Also, is it true the more you flex the stronger your muscles become and the more defined they become? Thank you.

M. Schultz

Hi Mr. Schultz,

There could be several explanations. First, you could have been over-relying on your right arm over so many years that it got good at doing things, but you did not really develop any strength. This is motoric skills, similar to writing and cutting. So the first theory is you simply got really good (skilled) at doing something with one limb but it does not necessarily mean that the skilled side is stronger.  

The second theory is probably more extreme — that you could have overused your right arm over the left one so much so that the left arm had more time to rest and grow. Our body works as a whole as well as in individual parts. There have been studies showing people who exercise the left arm when the right arm is forced into immobility (due to injuries) tend to suffer less atrophy (muscle wasting) on the right arm than those who don’t exercise the left arm. In your case, you may have stimulated enough gain for your left arm simply from using more of your right.
 

Hi Ade Rai,

Please, could you answer my question? Why is it that after aerobic exercise like swimming, biking or jogging I end up with sugar cravings after a few hours? But, when I do resistive training, even just against gravity, I have no cravings for the entire day? Hope to hear from you, thank you for taking the time to read my email.  

Claudia

Hi Claudia,

You may want to look into the different times you exercise and what you have before exercising. Since most aerobic exercises are recommended to be done in the morning on empty stomach, even after breakfast you may feel hungry again after a few hours. On the other hand, most resistance training is recommended for after a meal, and usually you may also replenish your energy with a good meal immediately after resistance training, so chances are you may have enough energy reserves to last you throughout the day.

I don’t know your current fitness condition such as weight, height, waist size and body fat so I can only guess that with the sugar cravings, your level of body fat may still be on the high side, hence your body is good at burning sugar at rest. According to a study done in 2010, most aerobic-type exercises (low intensity, long duration) help your body burn calories higher than the baseline for a couple of hours, after that the caloric burning returns to baseline. It is when the caloric burning returns to baseline that your body starts craving sugar.

However, most resistance exercises (high intensity, short duration) help your body burn calories higher than baseline for up to 36 hours after exercising before returning to baseline. Longer caloric burning requires a primary source, and it is during this time that your body starts releasing stored body fat to be burned as primary fuel, hence keeping your sugar energy constant throughout the day. It is one of those wonderful stories of resistance training in helping people lose body fat faster than aerobic-training.

I wish you all a healthier, happier and more prosperous 2012. Please forward all your questions to ask_aderai@yahoo.com. I will be more than happy to answer them for you to the best of my ability.

Ade Rai is Indonesia’s most famous bodybuilder and a passionate advocate of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. As a big man with a lot to say, he enjoys going against stereotypes.

Every second week, he will be offering professional advice through his column.