If you train yourself worrying about using higher and higher kilajes, then this article will help you understand how your body works.
If you train yourself worrying about using higher and higher kilajes, then this article will help you understand how your body works.
You want to have bigger muscles and for that you know that you must work heavy. If you want a muscle to be bigger, it must be stronger. It is scientifically proven that increasing strength is the necessary first step for muscle growth to take place. And it does not help to say that the lifters are getting stronger but having the same size.
It does not work because it is not really true. In any serious training period of between three and six months it is possible to observe visible changes in the hypertrophy of muscle fibers, changes that are inversely proportional to the degree of training of each individual. In those people who train little, the growth of the muscular size goes between 20 and 35%. But these figures, which we could say are spectacular, translate into modest gains talking about muscle size. The reason is that only the stimulated muscle fibers are affected by hypertrophy, the process responsible for making muscles grow.
A theory is established that discredits strength training as a means to generate muscle mass gain, that lifters, despite working with increasing loads, do not have a size proportional to the kilos they are driving. This is a half truth.
While it is true that it is not often observed many changes in the muscle cells of elite lifters no matter how hard they work, this is because they achieved their maximum genetic potential in terms of cell size.
Gaining size depends, genetically speaking, on the type and number of muscle fibers each one possesses. In order for an untrained muscle to grow, it is necessary to produce the maximum stimulation of the muscle fibers. It is not complicated to establish that, taking into account this, each one must define his so-called “physiological strategy”, according to how his muscle fibers are distributed, in order to increase the size of a particular muscle.
The neutral force
We do not want to generate confusion and for that reason we need to clarify that very few people can be considered as elite lifters. They, like experienced lifters, developed a series of automatisms that give them the possibility of elevating burdens through the practice known as neuromuscular coordination .
This practice is what is applied in a reduced number of movements, or repetitions, but nobody should think that by lifting 150 kilos of bench press becomes an elite lifter.
It is very common to read or hear that lifters improve their brands but without gaining muscle because they maintain their body weight. But since when is that taken as a synonym of not gaining size? There is always a category limit of that, but even with that brake, it is possible to gain muscle. It usually happens that the fat is removed to make room for the muscle fibers and hypertrophy, in order to give the requested weight.
Increasing strength using neuromuscular coordination is something that is reserved almost exclusively for elite lifters.
Types of muscle fibers
To make things simple, we can say that we have two types of muscle fibers, easy to identify and that are classified by science. They are known as type 1 and type 2 fibers. In turn, these fibers are subclassified in others.
The fiber type 1, also known as fibers slow or red contraction are most useful for those who play sports long – term cycling in highway or marathon as they are what make it possible to complete distances in less time.
On the other hand, type 2 fibers, also known as fast-twitch or white fibers , are the ones that interest the strength and velocity practitioners. Without them, you can not lift 400 kilos in a squat or run 100 meters in less than ten seconds.
It is important to note that the size of type 2 is larger than type 1, which results in higher protein content. You have to assess the potential for changes in the size of a fiber, a whole muscle or a group of fibers. Those with a greater number of type 2 fibers are more likely to gain muscle mass due to a higher protein content.
Anyway, this factor is not the only determinant when talking about the possibilities of gaining size.
The number of muscle fibers that form the entire muscle package is key. It is possible that someone has a low percentage of type 2 fibers, but with a high number of type 1, developing a size similar or even greater than another individual who does have a high percentage of type 2 fibers. What is not discussed is that the chances of gaining strength are greater for those who own more than type 2, but even so the size may be similar.
And this should not come as a surprise. In bodybuilding there are thousands of examples that show that it is possible to achieve success regardless of the strength or fiber capabilities of your body. Following a physiological strategy according to your body is the reason for this success, and a lot of dedication and hard work, obviously.
So you know, if you want to gain muscle you must gain strength but first of all you must recognize the type of practice you want to focus on and work in order to enhance the type of fiber you require. If you do soccer then power your type 1 fibers to hold more in the games, and if you want to hit the ball harder, power the fibers of type 2. It is not that pay attention to one stop giving importance to the other, both are complementary and contribute to the development of your body’s maximum potential. It is always recommended to visit professionals in nutrition, which you can find free in gyms or training centers or health, so you do not have to pay money, that is not an excuse to gain strength and muscle.