Lose 30 Pounds Guide » Uncategorized » Understanding Muscle Structure for Weight Gain
Understanding Muscle Structure for Weight Gain
Muscles can be divided into three main types (Cardiac, Smooth, and Skeletal). Cardiac muscles are responsible for such tasks as breathing and the beating of your heart. Smooth muscles cover or wrap around internal organs and blood vessels, and skeletal muscles are used in everyday activities, like walking, swimming, and sitting. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be discussing only skeletal muscles and how they respond to exercise.
Skeletal muscles are attached to your bones, which is why they are called skeletal. They’re also the muscles that you look at in the mirror when you’re feeling a little bit vain. These are the muscles that you consciously use to perform your exercises.
Skeletal muscles are further divided into two groups: Type I and Type II muscle fibers. Type I (or slow-twitch) fibers, are used for less powerful, longer-lasting actions (like swimming, distance running, aerobics, etc.). Type II (or fast-twitch) fibers, are used for strenuous, powerful actions (like lifting a very heavy weight or sprinting).
Not everyone has the same number of type I and type II fibers. Some people have a lot of type I fibers, resulting in an easier time getting lean and running marathons. Others have more type II fibers, resulting in an easier time gaining muscle mass and excelling at sports that require quick bursts of power.
When you perform an action, a particular muscle fiber either gets involved or it doesn’t. A fiber doesn’t give an effort of 50%. It either goes all-out or not at all. When it does get activated, it breaks down a little bit, and then waits to get repaired by incoming protein that you consume.
When a muscle contracts, the smallest of its fibers go to work first. If that isn’t enough, more and bigger fibers will get involved. Your type I muscle fibers are the smallest, while your type II are the biggest. So in any activity you do, you activate your type I fibers first. Since they are small, the potential for their growth is small.
Since your fast-twitch type II fibers are the biggest (and used as a last resort), you’ll have to work them extremely hard to activate them in your exercises. That’s why bodybuilders work out with heavy weights, so that they can finally activate those large type II muscle fibers. It’s also important for body builders to occasionally lift their absolute maximums, so that those very last, biggest fibers get activated.
If the only exercises you do are endurance-type activities, you are never really going to bulk up your muscles. You might bulk them up a little, but nothing like that of a body builder. Simply put, the body builder routinely activates his larger, type II fibers, resulting in bigger muscle gains.
Filed under: Uncategorized · Tags: exercise, muscle fibers, muscles, weight gain
Thanks for enlightening us with these muscle parts, I didn’t know that skeletal muscles have 2 type. I want to know if there’s a chance for those people who doesn’t have enough type 2 to still gain mass. I’m looking forward to your other explanation about cardiac and smooth.
I know a lot more about muscles now. This is a must read for those who want to loose or gain wait effectively.
I know a lot more about muscles now than 5 minutes ago. Thanks!
thanks for the info..now i know..
I feel more confident to go to the gym now. Was skeptical when I joined there in the beginning. Reading about the type II fibers, feel that even though I dont become Mr. Perfect body I can gain some muscles in the long run
it’s really hard to understand muscles..but it’s worth the time..for studying..
Most people just go out and do random exercises not knowing what part of their body they are targeting. This is a must read for those who want to loose or gain wait effectively.
Excellent Tips! I didn’t really know a lot of information
that was presented in this article. Many people don’t
realize there is a method to losing weight and
gaining muscles. This is the reason why some people
don’t see progress. I didn’t know that the large
type two fibers had to be worked in order to build
muscle.
Great to learn about muscle activation. I never knew that.
Really good and concise explanation of muscle composition, and why varying your exercise approach is so critical.
Excellent Tips! I didn’t really know a lot of information
that was presented in this article. Many people don’t
realize there is a method to losing weight and
gaining muscles. This is the reason why some people
don’t see progress. I didn’t know that the large
type two fibers had to be worked in order to build
muscle.
Very good info, i didn’t know about type II fibers, although i would like to add that another algorithm that comes into play is ‘weight progression’.
Meaning whether you are increasing your resistance or not, if you are, you gain muscle and if you are not, you are simply “maintaining” it…
Very interesting, I’ve also heard that muscle weighs more than fat. Maybe that’s a myth or a good idea for another blog post.
Whatever exercise types you do end up doing, make sure you don’t OVER do it, and if you are working out really hard make sure it’s okay with your doctor. You don’t want to hurt yourself.
Most people just go out and do random exercises not knowing what part of their body they are targeting. This is a must read for those who want to loose or gain wait effectively.
Really good and concise explanation of muscle composition, and why varying your exercise approach is so critical.