The NY Times recently published an article on how we develop strength. Many of us take for granted that if you do the physical work, you will get stronger. The nervous system plays a part in this as well as our fascial system which continuously adapts. Chiropractors understand how everything integrates which is perhaps why so many athletes prefer visiting chiropractors first, however, there is much more to the science than most of us would believe. Check out this fascinating article from the NY Times that explores how weight training and other work makes us stronger and the systems that are behind making this happen. How We Get Stronger by Gretchen Reynolds Weight training prompts changes in the nervous system that prime the muscles to get bigger and stronger. When we start to lift weights, our muscles do not strengthen and change at first, but our nervous systems do, according to a fascinating new study in animals of the cellular effects of resistance training. The study, which involved monkeys performing the equivalent of multiple one-armed pull-ups, suggests that strength training is more physiologically intricate than most of us might have imagined and that our conception of what constitutes strength might be too narrow. Those of us who join a gym — or, because of the current pandemic restrictions and concerns, take up body-weight training at home — may feel some initial disappointment when our muscles do not rapidly bulge with added bulk. In fact, certain people, including some women and most preadolescent children, add little obvious muscle mass, no matter how long they lift. But almost everyone who starts weight training soon becomes able to generate more muscular force, meaning they can push, pull and raise more weight than before, even though their muscles may not look any larger and stronger. Read more