Does strength really equal size?

I see guys with pecs way smaller than mine benching 2pl8 5x5 while I only get like 1 or 2 reps with 190lbs. Blows my mind to see some DYEL-looking Mickey Mouse bench 2pl8 for reps like it's nothing while I can only dream of doing one rep with that amount of weight.

Maybe my technique sucks or maybe I have some sort of mental block about benching heavy weights or maybe both. I don't have a problem with squat, OHP or deadlifts. I'm cutting at the moment but I don't think that's the problem because I've been improving my other lifts.

>muh cutting
>"WHY WON'T MY BENCH GO UP??????"

>I'm cutting at the moment but I don't think that's the problem because I've been improving my other lifts.
think again

lifts respond differently to a calorie deficit, bench is hit notoriously hard

Start again from scratch with decline benches and incline benches only.

No, it doesn't.

There's a component of skill to strength, IE muscle tension and form. Being afraid or apprehensive of the weight can trip you up too. Not sure what your issue is but it's something to think about.

My bench sucks compared to my other lifts due to injury and mental blocks. Fear of dropping it plus distrust in spotters fuels it. Fixed it by benching in a power cage with safety bars. Also letting injuries fully heal.

after newbie gains, new muscle fibers are required to generate more force, they must grow in size

lmao stop being a pussy

they probably are manlets with 50% of your ROM

Any tips on how to fix those?

What's the reason behind this tip?

Not really. Just today I saw a guy slightly taller and much leaner than me do 5x5 with 2pl8s. His whole body including arms and pecs looked like he was some sort of long distance runner or something.

more volume will definiteyl solve your problem

well you probably are new to benching and your CNS is not efficient enough, just keep training and dont look others, they probably have been benching for longer than u

The ability to move weights is not solely a function of muscles, but also joints, bones, small muscles, etc.

I've been lifting for 3 years. Hence my crying about my weak bench.

At the moment even though I'm cutting hard my 1RM are:

>OHP 160lbs
>Squat 350lbs
>Deadlift 375lbs

But my bench fucking sucks (inb4 all my lifts suck)

i think you just need more bench volume, much more tricep and chest bodybuilder style work, and also an extended period of time in a caloric surplus

No, strength and size are not the same. The former is about optimizing metabolic pathways with high weight, while the latter is about increasing the size and number of muscle fibers with a lot of reps.

well bro, its your genetics, at least you have a decent squat

How should I add volume? On the same day or on my OHP day? Or another dedicated bench day with lower weights?

I'll start thinking about that calorie surplus after I finally finish my cut in 2-4 months time. I used to weigh 300lbs at 6'0 and now I'm down to 210lbs with 25lbs to go.

Strength doesn't equal size.

Many factors influence how much an individual can lift in any given exercise including neurological effiency, anthropometry, technique, practice, muscle insertion points, bodyweight, arousal etc.

That being said however, there is an extremely strong (no pun intended) correlation between strength and size. All other things being equal, the bigger guy is stronger and the stronger guy is bigger.

Something that adds to the confusion is that there are many kinds of strength. Training to develop maximal strength ie. working on improving your 1RM isn't very specific to hypertrophy. It's still better than playing ping pong but it's not optimum.
But even if you are doing very hypertrophy specific training and are working mainly with a moderate intensity, you are STILL very much doing strength training and are still very much focused on improving your strength within the parameters you're working. For example the goal could be to add 20 kg to your 10RM in the incline press.

If your performance is not improving for en extended period of time, I guarantee you're not gaining muscle size. Show me a guy who's lifting the same weights for the same number of reps and sets that he did the year before, and I'll show you a guy who hasn't grown bigger in a year.

Large muscle often develop in order to compensate for poor leverage or neuromuscular efficiency.

All your lifts DO suck though.

>Does strength really equal size?

No, intensity doesn't equal size. Good calorie intake and high volume training equals size.

Thanks, m8

fucking that, fast twitch people usually lacks of muscle development but have it easier to pack on speed on power

I mean, your lifts are better than what one could reasonably expect from a Soy Runner fan, but you know what I mean.

>BTFOs women
>in anyway related to soy