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< Fish Oil Beats Statins for Lowering Mortality? |
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| 7/18/2008 by Mark Osenga |
They say that genetics plays a big part in building your body. What exactly in your body is it that the genetics control? Part of it is the muscle fibers and the type of fibers that your muscles are composed of. To fully develop, build and shape a body, you have to understand the building blocks a muscle is composed of.
Many people flock to the personal trainer sporting the biggest arms thinking that because of his development he has the best knowledge of building a body. Nine out ten times, he doesn't. Why? The majority of those types of people have a specific body type and predominance of a specific muscle fiber type that is predisposed genetically to be large and respond to weights. If these genetically blessed only lifted one-pound bricks they'd still have 19 inch arms. How would they know how to develop a person who's been training hard and still has 13 inch arms? The bottom line is that just because he's got huge arms doesn't mean he has huge training knowledge. He may put you on their arm routine, which works for them, not you, because of their genetic makeup.
This is also why following a pro bodybuilder's routine is a waste of time. Their volume is sky high and they have a quick recuperation rate due to the various drug cocktails they're on. Following their program would just lead to overtraining and possible injury to the average Joe, who's not on 2,000mg a week. I think the greatest testament to this philosophy is that the best trainers usually don't look like a bodybuilder. The best trainers have in-depth knowledge of fiber type, how the muscle recruits those fibers during exercise, and how to maximally stress that physiology to initiate growth.
So how does this pertain to you? Well, first we have to find out what your body's muscles are made up of, since once that's determined we can more effectively design a workout program that will maximally develop your body and bring you one step closer to having your total physique. When you're born, good ol' mom and dad blessed or cursed you with a certain predominance of muscle fibers. It's why in athletics you were either going to be a football player or a cross-country runner. In other words, if you were blessed with a high level of Type IIa and Type IIb muscle fibers you were ready to be a fullback, and if you were blessed with a high level of Type I fibers you could run for miles easily.
Type IIa and Type IIb are referred to as fast-twitch fibers. They are able to produce great amounts of power, are larger in size and fatigue easily. The typical bodybuilder muscle guy has a lot of Type IIb fibers, since those are the largest and able to produce the most force. Type IIa fibers are a little smaller, but have more endurance then Type IIb.
Type I fibers, are referred to as slow-twitch fibers, also known as your "marathon fibers". They are smaller in size than Type II fibers, have a very high aerobic capacity and take a long time to fatigue. Long-distance runners typically have Type I fiber dominance. Your typical "skinny guy" that can never get big, no matter how heavy they lift, also has Type I muscle fiber dominance.
Now, there are the lucky ones out there with perfect ratios of fiber types. This type of individual has a body that easily responds to athletics and weight training and every muscle develops just perfectly.
The majority of people have a little of both muscle fibers; a few body parts that develop easily and others that lag. The easiest example that comes to mind is the guy with big arms and small calves. With a little understanding of muscle physiology and how fiber type and recruitment comes into play, that guy will have calves closer to match his arms, and the thin guy can start to see a muscular body develop.
Genetics can't be changed, but you can work with what you're given instead of working against it and becoming frustrated with your body. Fighting your genetics won't get you closer to a total physique, but understanding them, will. |
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< Fish Oil Beats Statins for Lowering Mortality? |
Get Into the Zone >
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