How to Get Big and Strong (JUST DO THIS!) – ATHLEAN-X™

by YouTube Team

If you want to get big and strong you must do one thing in your workouts. You have to remember to make progressive overload the guiding principle of your training. You simply cannot force your body to build muscle if you are keeping the status quo on the effort you are putting into your workouts. In this video, I’m going to dispel the myth however that progressive overload means simply adding more weight to the bar. There are many more ways to achieve this, and in doing so, many more opportunities for you to build muscle and get strong.

That said, it is important for you to first identify what your specific goal is. Are you looking to just get strong, just build muscle, or both? They both can be accomplished simultaneously, it just means that each will be compromised somewhat along the way. We can minimize the compromises if we know how to get big and strong the right way.

To illustrate the differences in approaches we are going to take a classic bodybuilding exercise for building bigger biceps like the dumbbell curl and pit it up against one of the most classic and effective compound lifts – the deadlift. As you’ll see, many of the techniques can be applied to each lift in a slightly different application but with the same end goal.

We know that the easiest way to create progressive overload and build strength and muscle size is to do exactly what we said however and add weight to the bar or dumbbell that you are lifting. As strength increases, often times, so too does muscle growth albeit at a slower pace (especially at the beginning of your training).

Next we can increase overall volume as long as the volume is of sufficient enough intensity to push your body to adapt in the form of increased muscle size and strength. The key here is to not confuse junk volume for effective volume. Lifting sub maximal weights that are greatly beneath your strength capacity is not going to trigger enough of a response to get either stronger or bigger.

Which brings us to effort level. Not talking about intensity as defined in the realm of strength as a percentage of a max but rather simply about the amount of effort you are directing into your training. If you are lazily lifting your weights rather than attacking them with a focused intention, then you are likely leaving many gains on the table and missing an obvious opportunity for overload.

We don’t always have to focus on how much we are lifting to ensure progressive overload. We can focus on how long we rest between sets that we are performing to achieve an progression as well. If your sets and reps are the same and the intensity is consistent but you decreased the rest time between sets by even just one minute, your second workout would serve as a form of overload and drive positive adaptations.

Range of motion is another way we can increase the effectiveness of an exercise from workout to workout without having to change the amount of weight on the bar. Performing either a deficit deadlift or a one and a half rep curl are going to increase the travel of the bar or dumbbell respectively on every rep and therefore create more work for the muscles you are training.

The range itself however does not always have to be lengthened. You can increase the “effective” range by taking advantage of accommodating resistance and overlapping strength curves. The inclusion of a band on a dumbbell curl or chains on a deadlift will help you to better match the strength curve of the exercise for a longer part of the range – thereby increasing it’s overall effectiveness.

Speed and momentum are also methods that can be manipulated for overload and are discussed in more detail in the video.

The key is that thinking that adding more weight to the bar is the only way for you to achieve progressive overload and get bigger and stronger is a myth. The schooled strength coach will be capable of steering you away from this and show you how not only to increase your lifting capacity but also to build size and strength through other methods.

If you’re looking for a step by step program for building bigger muscles and getting stronger, you can find them at athleanx.com via the link below. All of the plans are presented in a step by step, day by day manner so you can follow along and make sure that you never miss a beat on your way to making improvements and training like an athlete.

For more videos on how to get strong and how to get big muscles, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.

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Leave a Comment

33 comments

ATHLEAN-X™ July 19, 2020 - 5:18 pm

NEW “FAST ACTION” Q&A – Got a question about training or injuries that I didn’t cover in the video? Leave yours (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT!) below and I’ll pick 8 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!

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Habib Al Balushi January 25, 2021 - 11:09 am

I build my body by watching Mr
Jeff. I wish I was there

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2wlc February 3, 2021 - 2:54 pm

I have a sixpack

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Black Son Goku February 3, 2021 - 11:50 pm

Noted 9:30

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Sumit February 4, 2021 - 10:25 am

I think the ego found it's was inside this time.

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Aziz Ahmed March 13, 2021 - 7:34 am

Jeff, you forgot to leave your ego at the door 😒

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Archis Marathe March 14, 2021 - 1:33 pm

2:08 Athlean X doubt

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Daniel Padilla March 18, 2021 - 6:34 pm

3:07 Horrible form. Go back to using your “44” pound plates 😂

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NoahXgame March 31, 2021 - 2:03 am

Jeff Idk how u did it I try everything Man Ur The king I’m 13 Trying To get Buff Your A Master 🦾

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Adegbolade Adebote April 10, 2021 - 2:39 pm

Who's here in time for gyms reopening 😂

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Shhd Nene April 12, 2021 - 10:48 pm

My tip is stop looking up how to get big what u r doing is putting yourself down but while I'm here my advice is don't stress just eat till your full train till you can't lift anymore and sleep day in and day out

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Yummi Fresh April 20, 2021 - 3:34 am

Im here to tell you that working out and breathing is killing your gains

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Dolphinized April 20, 2021 - 9:05 am

Hi Jeff…big fan here, learnt a lot even though i have been working out for years
Question: How to protect your wrist during workouts..i constantly suffer from my wrist joints during dumbbell flies for instance. Thanks!!

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ÎPROX⁸⁰ May 21, 2021 - 2:59 am

How To Get Strong… Lift Up Stuff For Your Age And That's All What Will Make You Strong And Do Push Ups

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Genni Glassglow May 31, 2021 - 8:02 am

⛲👚✈💛🦓🐼💮💗🎋🌟🌠🎦💙👙🎄✨🎄🌙 Because of love. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place. Three days later. Rose him from the dead. Now. By Jesus Christ alone. God has granted us the free gift of eternal life. He will save and heal you. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead He'll give you eternal life

(Look up at the sky and ask God)

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Mr.Mystique June 10, 2021 - 1:12 am

90's gym jesse is aggressive much🤣😂

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CreamyBone June 25, 2021 - 5:30 pm

This seems like too much work… think I'll just leverage pharmacology

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Zachary Kalinowski June 29, 2021 - 12:30 am

That was the funniest intro I've seen on this channel lmao. Wow that was gold.

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SpecV July 13, 2021 - 3:47 pm

I don't wanna be small and weak. I think that's the cause of me being used, abused and forgotten by everyone…

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sniperammow August 3, 2021 - 9:27 pm

my grandma told me i am growing big and strong lol

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Isaiah Daniel Jilhaney August 5, 2021 - 11:15 pm

3:11
😤😒😡😠

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Ruben Tzul August 10, 2021 - 2:49 pm

Lol These Guys are full of Comedy sometimes

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Ruben Tzul August 10, 2021 - 2:49 pm

Love you guys ❤ ❤

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KauaiPoundahs August 15, 2021 - 6:55 am

I can curl 100lb dumbells with good form but can’t bench or squat that much

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Samson Staats September 7, 2021 - 3:21 am Reply
Edward Lopez September 20, 2021 - 8:06 am

Psycho Jesse Lacoe!! LOL !!

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nofantasyman September 24, 2021 - 11:24 pm

I like the pace of all your videos. We can always watch points over if we need to. But you can't speed a video up without taking the chance of missing something important. Thanks

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Greg Tanner September 24, 2021 - 11:35 pm

I waited a long time to watch this earth shaking, ground breaking vid. After reading the replies and the neg. and pos. responses I realize how little it matters or how little I care. Dont we all have more important things to worry about? Like, is Kims butt real or implants.

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Hector Herrera October 9, 2021 - 9:35 pm

That was a pretty funny skit

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Dom Pellegrini November 7, 2021 - 8:53 pm

Awesome tutorial! As always, Packed with applicable information that helps your training, make gains in all the area's you are trying, and staying injury free … Fantastic Job

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Cilla Thwaites December 4, 2021 - 1:02 pm

I love your videos…. Could you slow down and pause a little when talking I can’t keep up with you 😀 x

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Fart Man December 19, 2021 - 3:54 am

Or… just add more weight instead

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betotrono January 2, 2022 - 7:24 am

Wow man, props to Jesse to really committing to the role.

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