So, Mike, you're in favor of making the neuromuscular system more efficient as opposed to increasing muscle mass? I tend to agree with that, if two athletes have the same level of strength, but one has less muscle mass (is lighter), then the lighter athlete would be faster/more powerful in general, but doesn't there come a point when the neuromuscular system is at its limit, and the better way to increase strength is through increasing muscle size? My question is what that point would be, the obvious answer being when the athlete no longer makes strength gains via high weight low rep training, but what about concerns with excessive mass that decreases speed? Is there an optimal weight for the athlete?
RE; Optimal Weights – theroetically, yes. In practice, no. CP has charts but they seem to be ridiculous. I.e. 5'10" = 210 pounds @ 5% bf
RE; Sarcoplasmic vs. Myofibilar (sp?) hypertrophy vs. CNS potentiation —> two things, yes, there does come a point (different for everyone) where strength gains from neural adaptations end. HOWEVER – with a little ingenuity in how the load is manipulated, the exercises varied and the volume waved, the permutations are almost inexhaustible, and certainly enough for a lifetime's worth of workouts without ever getting stale. See Pavel's Power to the People or Beyond Bodybuilding for more. Second, you need to think about those three ends, essentially, the RE, ME, and DE methods, as a continuum (sp?). to get strong, one should use all three. See Louie, Dave, James Smith, etc.