First lets use an arm, for purposes of keeping this simple due to the fact that I am not a kinesiology major (thank the almighty Lord for that because they won’t know what I am getting at here because their textbook has washed there brains for good). Let’s say you have a 19-inch arm which is very lean, and your brother has a 17-inch arm that is just as lean. The 19-inch arm is bigger, but the 17-inch arm might be denser to the point of having the equal amount of mechanical properties or better than the 19-inch arm!

Now how can you tell how “dense” or “full” the muscles are? You can “feel” the difference, but unless you have felt both dense and not so dense muscle you won’t know the distinct differences. The denser muscle, when relaxed, will feel much more “full” and heavy. I don’t mean stiff as much as I mean “full”, as the not so dense or artificially inflated muscle will feel “spongy”. Also, when you dig hard into the fibers, you will see the difference because the not so dense muscle tends to have a “crackling” feel to it, where the dense tissue is constant in its composition.

If you have a steel shot ball of a specific dimension that weighs, let’s say 10-pounds.  Now, that same ball with the exact same dimension made out of a denser metal like lead would weigh between 20-25-pounds!

Well, by looking at the two balls could you tell which one is denser? Of course not, but one of the balls weighs at least twice as much as the other. The lead ball is much denser.

Now, can we understand the “density” factor which carries over to muscles? I think we can. Muscles can be BIG but this doesn’t mean that they are dense. So, how can we tell? Well, let’s examine this for a minute here: when you watch a bodybuilding show on TV, you see the latest experiments gone wrong on stage and the TV host says “those muscles are dense” about one of the posers. Can you believe that he can see the actual density of the person’s muscles?

I don’t think he can, so it beats me why he says it. It would take a “biopsy” or other complex methods to accurately determine the density of any given muscle.  Imagine that a muscle can be “tightly woven”, like when you pull a thread and needle while sewing. The tighter the thread is, the more thread layers you can fit into a given seam or area.  The illustration to the right clearly outlines the difference between the two types of muscle.  

Simple enough, ha? Well I like to think so, but why is every individual after big muscles as opposed to dense ones? What can give you dense muscles? There are several factors in play here, but I will touch only on the training and drug aspect. Science has dictated many times, as I have seen, that many men build big muscles pushing small weights. I can guarantee you that this method will never produce muscle density.

Drugs like steroids and several other pharmaceutical concoctions can dramatically enhance the muscle’s “energy substrate”.  This is storage in the cells that causes a “volumizing” of the cells, which in turn increases the size from small to large, depending on several factors. Factors such as quantity, the amount of potions mixed, etc.  This “volumizing” effect will in turn increase strength because of a well known phenomenon called “tissue leverage”.  

Even though I despise all forms of drugs and would never endorse the use, abuse or misuse of them I feel it is important to touch on them. Today the use of medication is much more rampant than one may think, and I will explain what they have to do with muscle size versus density.

Firstly, REAL muscle is built with HEAVY lifting. This is a superb way to build DENSE muscle. I am not going to go into rep/set exercise schemes because there have been more articles written on this subject than the world has room to contain (much of it bogus!).

HEAVY and hard contraction of muscle via heavy weight training will cause dense muscle period. Another factor to consider is how much protein can make it into the cells, but I will stick to the training aspects as this is where I would like to keep my focus for now. Now, why is it that some small people can be VERY strong but not have BIG muscles? DENSITY!

Your eyes cannot see the small fibers a person has, or how many tightly “woven” fibers he or she has per square inch can they? Of course not, of relevance is the nervous system and how well it can do its job. Also, because ultimately this is what drives the muscles big and small. So, let’s say that you have 100 fibers per square inch, and I have only 60. Your muscles would be much more denser then mine. The Russians confirmed this theory decades ago while examining muscle cells via biopsy.

So, aside from heavy training what else can give us those dense muscles? Well, I believe good general health. A healthy and strong liver is the “cornerstone” of protein synthesis and in return muscle building.  

Now as we mentioned earlier, drugs can enhance muscle size, but can drugs effect muscle “density”? I have no real way to prove this, but I don’t think they can and if they do it’s marginal in my opinion. When a person stops all drug therapy, you will see them deflate like a punctured car tire, further proving what I mentioned earlier with “energy substrate” storage in the cells. Dense muscle doesn’t disappear like that even if you were to fast and eat nothing. YES that’s right, our bodies have protein sparing enzymes that hold on to muscle tissue. It’s all relative of course. The longer you fast the more muscle you slowly lose.  However, if you have “DENSE” muscle you won’t lose it as quickly because several of the protein filaments or protein tissues are “deep” and not just substrate like broken down sugars are.

So, am I saying that you should fast just to see if you have dense muscle or not? Well, not really. Nut you can if you would like.  If you do take this route PLEASE go to www.Anthonydipasquale.com first and read the material on fasting there.  I have found fasting to be a good way to tell the difference between large muscles and dense ones. If you examine this concept it will all make sense to you.  For example, I decide to fast for 3-days to give my digestive tract a rest and just drink water. After the third day I have lost little strength.  Most people would already have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel!

Now, much of this may seem bizarre or contradictory, but I urge you to research it further. Don’t get me wrong, after a 3-day fast my energy levels are down due to lower blood sugar levels but my STRENGTH is still up there. So, what does this say about having to eat for strength? Well, it’s important, but as a little short term experiment this is a good way to see where you are at in terms of muscle density and energy.

Again check with Anthony Dipasquale at the above mentioned website. He is a Canadian renowned Nutritionist and Holistic practitioner that is most knowledgable.

Since most people only care about how their muscles “look”, no one will really bother themselves with all this. But for those who want to “pack a punch” with hidden arsenal, this article is for you. If you think about it, denser muscle is better quality muscle and more efficient to boot. Animals have denser muscles than humans do. Can you imagine what a 200-pound dog could lift?     

He could no doubt run with you on his back! A 100-pound wild cat of any type would have the strength of a 250-pound man, once again the muscles are “denser” and they pack a serious punch. Ever try to hold back an 80-pound pit-bull wanting your neighborhood cat for lunch?

You better have a good two handed grip on that leash, or you will be the one going for the walk! Anyway, I hope my point has been somewhat proven here and that you now have a basic understanding of the differences between big and dense muscles.

In these modern times few know the importance or care about this, but any old timer who lifted knew the importance and shied away from all other. Today, how something or someone “looks” dictates what their capabilities are.  
I have been alongside some of the strongest men on this planet and I can tell you that they don’t LOOK like they can bend a horse shoe around your HEAD, but they CAN!  What is that person supposed to look like anyway, a ripped and lean vascular BEAR? I don’t think so.

In the days of old a man was physically judged on his capabilities and women not only marveled but sought to capture the man that could “skin a bear alive” regardless of how they looked.  But today we have put functionality behind aesthetics which has “domesticated” the human being. If you think the men are stronger today then think again. Study yesterday’s lift records, some of which have not been broken to this day!

Drugs make you stronger, there’s no disputing that as we can see what some of these walking experiments gone wrong can do. But at what short and long-term costs?  Just remember, something as simple as the “dead lift” was first named the “health lift” in the early 19th century.  Beats me why they changed it, but lifting iron was supposed to be a “healthy” endeavor and only by striving to be natural, will assure this.
Best of luck to you on your journey to DENSE muscle building!

In Health & Strength “Your Body Prophet”