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Guide To Understanding Muscle Fibers And Training Your Muscle Type

Learning about your body’s muscle fibers as well as muscle type can greatly help achieve the results you are training so hard for, as well as help you determine what type of sports you can have a natural edge at performing.

Are you lifting really heavy weights and/or do lots of sets and reps and never get the muscle to obtain the stimulation that it needs to grow? Have you seen two different sized weight lifters lifting the same weight? How can some athletes lift massive amounts of weights effortlessly but get winded quickly trying to run long distances?

It is important to understand your body type so that you can optimize your training for optimal results.

Understanding Muscle Fibers

First, let’s define the two main types of muscle fibers, slow twitch (Type I) and fast twitch (Type II) muscle fibers.

Slow twitch fibers contract slowly and are able to hold a steady paced twitch for long durations with little fatigue. Endurance activities like long distance runners, cyclists, and swimmers are examples that mostly use slow twitch Type I fibers. They have the slowest contractile speed, the highest oxidative (aerobic) capacity, and the lowest glycolytic (anaerobic) capacity. Type I fibers are also known as red fibers due to their abundant supply of blood.

Fast twitch Type II fibers are responsible for short duration, high intensity activity suited for short fast bursts of power such as bodybuilding, Olympic sprints, and power lifts. Type II muscle fibers can be further divided into type IIA and IIB. Type IIA fibers are designed for regular high intensity workouts. Type IIB fibers are built for explosive, very short duration activity that have the fastest contractile speed, the lowest oxidative capacity, and the highest glycolytic capacity. Type IIB fibers have little blood causing them to be white in appearance. So, Type I muscle fibers are very different than Type IIB fibers. Type IIA muscle fibers are the best of both worlds as they contain properties from both Type I and Type IIB.

Athletic success depends to a degree on fast/slow twitch muscle fiber composition. Whether it be sprinting 100 meters, running a marathon, or throwing a well timed punch in boxing, we all depend upon a certain percentage of each fiber type.

Though, one of these fiber types will usually predominate. The average person has about 50/50 slow and fast twitch fibers in most locomotory muscles. But, those who dominate the top athletic events are blessed with a higher percent of muscle fiber compatible with their selected sport. For example, an Olympic sprinter will have 75-80% fast twitch fibers (Type IIB) in their quadriceps muscles.

How To Train For Your Muscle Fiber Type

When you are weight training, your goal is to work as many muscle fibers as possible. Affecting more muscle fibers means greater gains in strength and muscle mass. If your muscle fibers in a particular muscle group consist primarily of fast twitch muscle fibers (Type IIB), you are one of the lucky ones. You will have a much easier time building mass because fast twitch muscle fibers have greater potential for size than slow twitch muscle fibers (Type I). The more fast twitch fibers you have, the greater your ultimate muscle size can become. These muscles will most likely be your strongest and quickest to develop. To maximize your muscles with fast twitch fibers (Type IIB), you will need to train with low to moderate reps (4-8 reps), rest periods of about 1-2 minutes and a moderate training volume (too much volume will compromise recovery).

If you find that you have a hard time gaining size in a particular muscle, it is probably because that muscle consist primarily of slow twitch muscle fibers (Type I). Higher reps (12-15 reps), higher volume (more sets) and shorter rest periods (30 seconds to a minute between sets) can help you maximize that muscle. This is because Type I muscle fibers take longer to fatigue, they recover quickly, and they require more work to maximize growth. This does not mean you should use light weight, though. You should still strive to use weights that are as heavy as possible that will cause you to reach failure in those higher rep ranges. If you do not use heavy weights, you will not give your muscles a reason to grow. Unfortunately, slow twitch muscle fibers are limited in their potential for growth. So, even if a muscle group is primarily slow twitch, you should definitely include some lower rep training to maximize the fast twitch fibers (Type IIB) in that muscle.

If your muscles have a fairly even mix of muscle fibers, you can evenly divide your training between focusing on the lower rep, fast twitch muscle fiber training and the higher rep, slow twitch muscle fiber training. This will help you to develop all the fibers in your muscles, maximizing your ultimate development.

Training your muscles according to their fiber type makes sense. It will help you to get better results from your training by allowing you to more specifically target your training according to the exact specifications of your muscles.

Muscle Type Is Not The Only Factor

Some athletes can lift really heavy weights and/or do lots of sets and reps and still never get the muscle to obtain the stimulation that it needs to grow, with respect to your muscle fiber type.

When you lift a weight, you recruit a certain percentage of muscle fibers. As you lift more weight, you recruit more muscle fibers. The body recruits the lower threshold motor units first (slow twitch), followed by the higher threshold motor units (fast twitch). The objective is to stimulate muscle fiber and then let it recover as much as possible to then be able to achieve maximal stimulation again. This allows for maximum stimulation and recovery and optimal muscle gains.

When engaging in high intensity or high force activities, you get a lot of motor unit activation and thus, a lot of force. So, how does this relate to the fiber in the available motor units? Well, Type I muscle motor units contract less forcefully and a little slower then Type II fast twitch motor units, and they reach peak power slower. They are also highly resistant to fatigue, so they have good endurance.

Science teaches us not to focus solely on the muscle, but also the nerves that supply the impulse to make the contraction. Although having a high percentage of fast twitch fibers may give an athlete an advantage, the nervous system is actually much more important and should take precedence. This is because the types of fiber already discussed are controlled by the nervous system, and the nervous system determines the degree of motor unit involvement. The majority of the time, the real limit to your performance is the number of motor units your nervous system can recruit in the short amount of time you have in a sporting movement and the amount of horsepower (size of the muscle cells) under control of those motor units, not the type of muscle fiber (slow twitch or fast) that comprises those motor units. Therefore, if one lacks fast twitch fiber but also has a very efficient nervous system capable of recruiting nearly all the fast twitch fiber they do have, they will tend to have superior performance in comparison to someone with a less efficient nervous system and lots of fast twitch fiber that may not get recruited.

Normally, the body inhibits the contraction of all available muscle fibers as a protective mechanism. An example of this phenomenon in reverse can be seen when looking at weight lifters. Often people can considerably increase their strength without any increase in muscle size. Why is this? It is simply because the body becomes more efficient at muscle recruitment and firing synchronization. By engaging in the correct training programs over a period of time with an emphasis on speed, explosiveness, and power, you can better teach your body and nervous system to recruit its fast twitch fibers.

Can We Alter Our Fast/Slow Twitch Composition?

Because our muscle fiber type is genetically determined, there probably is not a lot anyone can do to change fiber types for their training, especially during the early stages of their athletic career. However, over time, purely fast twitch (Type IIB) fibers can transition into slower contracting fibers (Type IIA). This is great news for endurance athletes! When training is ceased, though, these fibers will revert back to Type IIB. This is because the body strives to be as efficient as possible in an effort to conserve energy. Fast twitch Type IIB fibers are metabolically inefficient, fuel hungry machines. They are very strong, fire very quickly, burn a lot of energy, and recover slowly. Even biopsies of elite endurance athletes reveal that after years of training, they have almost no Type IIB fibers, but often have a significant percentage of Type IIA fibers. Also, studies have shown that Type IIA fibers will not transition to Type I. This means that anyone with a combination of Type IIB/Type IIA properties will be unable to change these to purely slow twitch (Type I).

Conclusion

There are many variables that dictate athletic success. Overall, fiber type composition is not a good predictor of athletic performance. At the highest levels of competition, athletes competing in a field that fits their muscle fiber composition can have that extra natural edge (sprinters requiring a large number of fast twitch fibers and marathon runners needing a predominance of slow twitch fibers). Although, hydration, diet, training type, and rest remain important indicators of success!

** These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

Cardio Workout Challenges!

Cardio Workout Challenges

The following cardio workout challenges are designed to push your body to its limit with the purpose of re-sculpting your body and providing great health benefits to your heart. Anyone from beginners to serious athletes can use these workouts with many variations to suit your ultimate goal. Also, have a stopwatch handy to time yourself. They do not take up a lot of time (great for those who are very busy), and by pushing your limits, you will get the best results in the shortest amount of time! We encourage changing up your regular workouts to include these challenging workouts. And, be sure you get enough rest and recovery time.

Challenge #1

This cardio challenge consists of 4 different exercises. After completing all 4 exercises, you have completed 1 round. Each exercise will last 30 seconds, and you will want to try to complete 3 rounds. This challenge should take about 6 minutes to complete. Let’s begin!

Round (duration)	Exercise	Time
1 (2 minutes)	High Knees Jog in-place raising your knees High Knees Example Push ups with Knee Tuck Combo While performing push up, raise one knee up to your elbow. Push ups Example Jumping Lunges With one leg in front and one behind your body, squat down until your knee almost touches the ground. Jumping Lunges Example Burpees without Push ups Starting from Push up position, raise legs to chest, then raise arms over head while jumping straight up. Burpees without push up Example	30 seconds 30 seconds 30 seconds 30 seconds
2	repeat	repeat
3	repeat	repeat

For beginners, you can take a quick 10 second break between exercises, and a 20-30 second break between rounds. For advanced athletes, no rest. Remember, this is all about challenging yourself. If you don’t need the break, don’t take it. Your ultimate goal is to complete the whole 6 minute challenge with no breaks. Write down how many reps of each exercise you completed, and then try to beat that record next time (keeping your technique clean). Feel free to include your own variations on these exercises. You can do many different types of push ups, lunges, and burpees to help keep this cardio workout creative and challenging. For example, try wearing a backpack with rice bags to give you some resistance. You can also push each exercise to 45 seconds and make it a 9 minute challenge!!

Challenge #2

This challenge is quite difficult. Each round is 60 seconds long, and you have to repeat a set of 3 exercises as many times as you can before the round ends. When the round ends, you get a brief 15 second rest, and then begin the next round. Try to complete as many rounds as you can. 5 Rounds will take 6 minutes, 15 seconds to complete. Are you ready for results??

Round (duration)	Exercise	Reps per exercise	Rest After Round
1 (60 seconds)	Burpees Begin with a push up, then raise legs to chest, then raise arms over head while jumping straight up. Burpees Example Mountain Climbers Begin in push up position, then alternate raising each leg to chest. Mounting Climbers Example Jumping Lunges With one leg in front and one behind your body, squat down until your knee almost touches the ground. Jumping Lunges Example **repeat exercises until round is complete	1 10 (5 for each leg) 10 (5 for each leg)	15 seconds
2 (60 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat
3 (60 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat
4 (60 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat
5 (60 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat

Because everyone from beginner to advanced should tackle these challenges, each person can adjust the challenge for their skill level. For beginners, you can push the 15 second rest after each round to 30 seconds. If you can only do 3 rounds, that’s fine. 3 rounds are still better than 0 rounds. As you continue training and become more advanced, you’ll be able to handle 5 rounds, then 10 rounds, then who knows!!

Challenge #3

This next challenge will be a 3 exercise challenge similar in format to Challenge #2. The difference is each round will only last for 30 seconds and you will be doing Push ups, Mountain Climbers, and Dumbbell Clean and Presses.

Round (duration)	Exercise	Reps per exercise	Rest After Round
1 (30 seconds)	Push ups On all fours with your back straight, bring your chest to the ground and push back up. Push ups Example Mountain Climbers Begin in push up position, then alternate raising each leg to chest. Mounting Climbers Example Dumbbell Clean and Presses From a half squat, raise dumbbells up to shoulders, then raise dumbbells overhead. Dumbbell Clean and Presses Example **repeat exercises until round is complete	1 10 (5 for each leg) 1	15 seconds
2 (30 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat
3 (30 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat
4 (30 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat
5 (30 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat	Repeat

For beginners, if you need to increase the rest between rounds, you can begin with 30 seconds instead of 15. The Dumbbell Clean and Presses exercise can use many different kinds of weights. You can use dumbbells, a straight bar, sandbag, or backpack with rice bags. Once you can tackle 5 rounds, set your next goal to reach 10 rounds!

Challenge #4

This next challenge is a great partner workout challenge. Each partner competes to do as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. Keep score and see who is in better shape!

Round (duration)	Exercise	Rest After Round
1 (30 seconds)	Inverted Rows Pull yourself forward using your upper back with arms shoulder length apart. Inverted Rows Example 1 Inverted Rows Example 2 Ab Crunches The example link below has many different abdominal exercises. Select one that’s challenging or one you haven’t tried before. Ab Crunches Example Sandbag Shoulder Clean and Presses Raise the sandbag from your knees up to your chest, then raise the sandbag up over your head. Sandbag Shoulder Clean and Presses Example Jumping Lunges With one leg in front and one behind your body, squat down until your knee almost touches the ground. Jumping Lunges Example	30 seconds (while partner is doing exercise) 30 seconds (while partner is doing exercise) 30 seconds (while partner is doing exercise) 30 seconds (while partner is doing exercise)
2 (30 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat
3 (30 seconds)	Repeat	Repeat

So, who’s the winner? How about best 3 out of 5?? Feel free to add some variations to these exercises. If you have a Dip Bar, you can use it for Ab Crunches. If you’re using a sandbag for the Shoulder Presses, you can also use the sandbag with your Jumping Lunges too. Can you add another round or 2? Go for it!!

Challenge #5

Challenge #5 is going to be a tough, lower body pyramid workout. The way this pyramid works is after each round, you decrease the number of reps by 1. Starting with 5 reps on round 1 all the way to 1 rep on round 5.

Round	Exercise	Reps per exercise	Rest After Round
1	Jump Squats From a standing position, squat down halfway then jump straight up. Jump Squats Example Side Lateral Lunges Take a step out to the side and lunge down, keeping your shoulders and your hips square. Come back up and perform the action on the other side. Side Lateral Lunges Example Dumbbell Clean and Presses From a half squat, raise dumbbells up to shoulders, then raise dumbbells overhead. Dumbbell Clean and Presses Example Jumping Lunges With one leg in front and one behind your body, squat down until your knee almost touches the ground. Jumping Lunge Example	5 5 5 5	15 seconds
2	Jump Squats Side Lateral Lunges Clean and Presses Jump Lunges	4 4 4 4	15 seconds
3	Jump Squats Side Lateral Lunges Clean and Presses Jump Lunges	3 3 3 3	15 seconds
4	Jump Squats Side Lateral Lunges Clean and Presses Jump Lunges	2 2 2 2	15 seconds
5	Jump Squats Side Lateral Lunges Clean and Presses Jump Lunges	1 1 1 1	15 seconds

If you’re a beginner or have never tried this challenge before, go ahead and take the 15 second rest after each round. But, don’t let the rest become a crutch. Remember, each round is getting easier with 1 fewer reps per exercise. If you think you can handle no rests between rounds, go for it and push yourself!

Challenge #6

This last challenge will be a fun variation to the other challenges. This is the poker cardio workout challenge. You can do this by yourself or with a partner. You will need a deck of 52 cards and your choice of 4 exercises. Each suit is 1 of your 4 exercises, and the number on card is amount of reps you will perform for that exercise. For example, I could say the suit Diamonds are Jumping Lunges. If I draw a 10 of Diamonds, I have to perform 10 Jumping Lunges. Pretty simple, right?? If you want to make it a harder challenge, you can have Jacks count for 11 reps, Queens 12 reps, Kings 13 reps, and Aces 14 reps.

The Bizzy Diet (21 Day Fitness Plan)

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If you start this today, you will feel different tomorrow. If you stick with it for a week, the numbers on the scale with fall. Do it for three weeks and you’ll see a change so remarkable that you’ll want to alter your habits for life.

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Overview

The Bizzy Diet Workout A

The Bizzy Diet Workout B

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50 Running Tips

50 Running Tips – great if you’re just starting out or as a reminder if you’re not.

Wear spandex shorts under your regular running shorts so you don’t chafe
Cotton socks will only lead to blisters; invest in socks designed for running.
Join your local running club—check with your local running store fitness center and/or recreation department to find one
Find a committed running partner. It is much harder to skip a run when you have someone else depending on you
Remember that- It gets easier.
Accept and appreciate the fact that not every single run can be a good one
Do not compare yourself to others. Run within yourself and for yourself first.
Even a bad run is better then no run at all
If you normally run with music try skipping it and listening to your feet to hear your pace and your gait
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t experience weight loss immediately
Start a running blog, to see your progress and set goals
Hydrate. Make it a habit to drink water throughout the day
On long runs eat something every hour—whether you feel like it or not
During longer runs if you don’t like to carry water take some cash in your pocket pouch or a shoe wallet. Run a route where there’s a corner store that you can use as a pit stop to pick up your water and maybe use the bathroom
To aid recovery the most crucial time to eat and drink is in the hour immediately after you run
Use Vaseline or BodyGlide wherever things rub. They will help prevent blisters and chafing
Do not increase your mileage more than 10 percent per week
If you are prone to shin splints and lower leg pain try running soft trails for your Training runs and save the asphalt for race day
Do not run two hard days back-to-back
Ice aches and pains immediately
Pay attention to your form. Try to run lightly to minimize impact that could lead to injury
When running don’t forget the bug spray, sunscreen and a hat- BIG TIME!
Neosporin (or another antibiotic cream) is good for chafed areas
Make sure you cut your toenails short enough so they don’t jam into your Shoes
Be careful about running on paths that force you to run consistently on a slant. It’s hard on the hips knees
Don’t stretch before a run. Warm up by walking briskly or jogging slowly for several minutes
Do not ice for more than 20 minutes at a time
For beginners, set mini goals to keep you motivated. (Can be minutes [run 5, walk 10], run between street lights then walk between street lights, run till the next bus stop, until you pass a car on the street)
Do not use the hot tub after a race. It will increase inflammation and hinder healing
Be aware of cyclists approaching you from behind and try to keep to the right. Try to pay special attention when running with music
Run facing traffic.
Never assume a car sees you
Doubleknot your shoe laces so they will not come undone when you run\
If you listen to music, put earbuds in the go inside your ear, if you are usuing the ones that sit in your ear, it will fall out
Buy yourself some actual running shoes from an actual running store because running in junk “sneakers” will destroy your feet and your legs
At first keep your runs short and slow to avoid injury and soreness so you do not quit.
If you are breathing too hard slow down or walk a bit until you feel comfortable again
Pick your route close to home (out your front door)—the more convenient it is the better chance you will have sticking with it.
Set realistic short term and long term goals
Remember Soreness one to two days after a run is normal (delayed onset muscle soreness).
There’s no shame in walking
Four laps around the local the high school track equals one mile
Vary your training routes. This will prevent boredom and prevent your body from getting acclimated
Push through rough spots by focusing on the sounds of your breath and feet touching the ground
Do abdominal breathing to get rid of side cramps
Run on trails if at all possible. It will be easier on your body and you’ll love it
Dress as if it is 10 degrees warmer than the temperature on the thermometer
Run early in the morning or later in evening to avoid mid-day heat
To keep cool in hot weather soak a bandana in cold water wring it out a bit and tie it loosely around your neck
In the winter dress in layers (coolmax or other technical clothing) and wear a headband over your running hat to cover your ears

Source: http://health-freeak.tumblr.com/

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