Three Muscle Fiber Types and How to Train Them

It is very important to choose a workout program that will stimulate the muscle fiber type you need in order to reach the results you are striving for. 

Different lifts, exercises and rep ranges will stimulate different muscle fiber types. There are three different muscle fiber types that make up the entire muscle tissue.

Type A Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

The first type of muscle fiber is known as Type A Fast -Twitch muscle fibers. They are the fibers responsible for the most powerful contractions produced, but also fatigue the quickest.

Type A fibers are used mainly for power lifting movements with low rep ranges.

They have have a low oxygen capacity and can’t utilize the body’s oxygen supply very well. This is why these particular muscle fibers are not built for endurance exercises.

Creatine phosphate and stored muscle glycogen (glucose) are used to fuel these muscle fibers. Type A muscle fibers do not utilize the body’s stored body fat (fat burning) because the contractions are very quick and short lasting.

Type B Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

The second type of muscle fiber is known as Type B Fast- Twitch muscle fibers. These are still fast twitch fibers, but not to the extent of Type A.

These fibers are not “all out explosive contractions” like the Type A. These are still explosive, powerful movements, but not “all out”. Usually this type of muscle fiber will be used with 80-90% effort.

They have higher oxygen capacity than Type A, so there is a little more endurance involved with the exercise, allowing them to contract for a longer period of time.

Slow Twitch

The third type of muscle fiber is known as slow twitch. This is the muscle fibers you would use to do high repetitions or long distance running.

These fibers do not fatigue very easily due to their high oxygen capacity. They contract slowly with a small amount of force-not producing a great deal of power.

These muscle fibers rely heavily on the body’s fat as fuel. This is the “fat burning” effect that people look for when doing long cardio sessions.

How to Train the Different Muscle Types

Now that you learned a little bit about the three different muscle fiber types it is time to learn how to stimulate them properly.

When training Type A fibers you will want to do something at all out force for a short duration. For example, full speed sprinting intervals and 3-5 rep sets for weightlifting.

To train your Type B muscle fibers you want to slightly decrease your muscle contraction force, while you increase the length of your muscle contractions. For example, do sprints at 30-45 sec. intervals at 80-90% effort and for weightlifting target the 6-10 rep/set range.

Last are your slow twitch muscle fibers. To train them you need endurance. They are made to last for long periods of time, so whatever you are training for try to continually do it longer and longer. For example, keep increasing your distance in running and continue to increase the amount of reps you do in weightlifting.

Depending on your sport and training goals you must train in a way that will improve your performance, producing the specific results you are looking to achieve.

Understanding how to train the different muscle fibers will increase your ability to build muscle and shed fat quickly.

Drink Beer for Health Benefits?

There are not many people that need an excuse to drink beer….right? In moderation, alcohol can be beneficial. It can improve cardiac health, as well as provide relaxation at the end of a long work day.

Unlike wine, beer does not have resverartol, but dark beers do have powerful antioxidants. Also, the hops found in beer can enhance fat burning by stimulating fat oxidation and limiting the amount of fat the intestines absorb.

Hops also act as anti-inflammatory agents, keeping your body healthier and speeding up recovery from intense workouts.

There is research that shows more benefits from drinking beer. In a recent study (published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture) silicon levels were measured in a variety of beers. It was found that most beers contain high amounts of silicon, due to the hops and grain that is used in the brewing process.

Silicon is a mineral that is very important for bone and joint health. With these benefits, beer can potentially play a role in the longevity and health of your exercise program.

I am not suggesting you go out and drink every beer in sight, as this could have a negative effect on your physique and exercise program (another day, another article).

Try drinking beer in moderation to speed up recovery, stimulate fat loss and strengthen bones.

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5 Weight Training Tips For Pure Muscle Growth

       Most people are not taught or shown the proper way to weight train. I see guys everyday who don't know the first thing about proper technique.They see guys walking around built of pure muscle, become inspired and automatically think that if they throw a few weights around that they will look like that in no time. This is so far from the truth. I have put together a list of 5 tips that are important for weight training success.

 EDUCATION:  First, you need to ask yourself how much you really know about weight training. If the answer is “not much”, then you should look into a personal trainer or read some books to gain sufficient knowledge about building muscle.

             SET REALISTIC GOALS:  Second, you must decide why you are lifting weights. Are you trying to put on 30 pounds of pure muscle? Are you trying to build a little muscle and shed fat? These are things that you must ask yourself before you start your program. If you decide you want to gain 30 pounds in 6 months, then plan on gaining 5 pounds a month. Once you decide what you want out of weight training, and you have a clear thought process of where you want to be, your goals will seem obtainable.

           COMMITMENT and CONSISTENCY:   You must be committed to your goals 100%, or else you will fail to reach them. Research a weight training program that best fits your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. Once you find a program you need to stick with it! It will take time to see results, but it will be worth every drop of sweat. Consistency plays a huge role in reaching weight training goals (this is where the muscle is built). If you take a day of here and a day of there you are slowing your results, which will not allow you to reach your goals in the time allotted.

             PROPER TECHNIQUE:  Weight training technique is the single most important piece to building muscle. If you are not a doctor you are not going to perform surgery on yourself right? If you do not know a lot about weight training do not try to teach yourself proper technique. You will be cheating your body of pure muscle that you worked hard for, and most importantly, you will greatly increase your chances of injury. So do yourself a favor and check your ego at the door and get the proper guidance needed.

             ADVANCEMENT:  Approach your weight training goals in sections. You don’t have to achieve everything in two weeks. For example, you want to add 30 pounds to your bench press. This will not happen overnight. Try gaining 2 ½-5 pounds per week over a 6 month period (very achievable). I also recommend keeping a log book to track your reps and weight. This will easily allow you to monitor and increase weight or reps, which will lead to more strength. As your strength increases so will your muscle size.

Follow these 5 tips for building pure muscle mass in the gym. Remember, commitment and consistency is the key to obtaining your weight training goals.

If you've ever wondered why you can't pack on muscle as fast as you'd like or frustrated that you bust your butt in the gym and have little to show, then check out this no nonsense muscle building program!

Proper sports nutrition supplementation is not a bad idea for maximum results. Most people do not get all the vitamins, minerals and protein they need through their daily diet. Make sure that you choose the right supplements for the goals you are trying to achieve.

Build Muscle and Burn Fat at Home in 30 Minutes!

Are you pressed for time and can’t make it to the gym? For a change of pace, try to incorporate a body weight based workout from home once every two or three weeks. You will get a high intensity workout, as well as build muscle and burn fat in 30 minutes, without the drive to and from the gym. If you have dumbbells at the house that will be an added bonus, but they are not necessary. Also, I find that perfect pushups are very effective for the pushup portion of the workout, but again not a must. You will want to alternate body weight squats (w/dumbbells if accessible), pushups (w/different hand positions), lunges (w/dumbbells if accessible), body weight dips (use a coffee table and a chair or two chairs) and different floor ab exercises. Rest for only 15 seconds, or enough time to catch your breath and jump into the next super set. Shorter rest periods will help you increase your intensity, metabolism, shed fat and build muscle. Exercises should be continued until failure and feel free to mix up the order.

Complete this cycle for five sets and see how you feel. The workout should last no longer than 30 minutes. If you are more advance feel free to add different variations and exercises (one -legged squats, one -armed pushups, handstand pushups), as these are just the basics for a quick effective – time saving home workout.

If you want to lose body fat faster, check out these 5 tips to Burn Stomach Fat the smart and effective way.

Build Lean and Ripped Muscle With These 3 Important Tips

Building muscle is not the easiest task to accomplish, despite daily workouts and trying every type of workout and supplement known to man.

I struggled for years to gain any muscle mass, but over the years with my own experimentation have found a few key things that have helped me make significant muscle gains possible, even for hardgainers (like myself).

Start building lean muscle faster and easier with these 3 important tips.

1. 95% of the exercises you perform regularly in the gym should be big compound exercises.  It doesn't matter if your goal is to shed fat or build muscle... big compound exercises should comprise 95% of the exercises you do in your workouts if you want to get lean, ripped, and powerful.

The core of your major lifts should be comprised of the following exercises:

• upper body horizontal press (bench press, pushups, dips),
• upper body horizontal rows (1-arm dumbbell rows, seated cable rows, bent over barbell rows),
• upper body vertical pull (lat pulldowns, pullups, chinups),
• upper body vertical press (overhead dumbbell and barbell presses, barbell or kettlebell clean & presses)
• lower body squatting movements (front squats, back squats, overhead squats, bodyweight squats, etc)
• lower body deadlifting movements (regular deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts)
• lower body single leg movements (lunges, step-ups, jump lunges, etc)
• abdominal and core exercises (these are important, but still are 2nd priority after all of the major upper body and lower body multi-joint movements... your abs and core will be worked from most major multi-joint exercises anyway)

Isolation lifts should make up the other 5% of your exercises, such as tricep pushdowns, bicep curls, calf raises, shoulder shrugs, shoulder lateral raises, chest flyes, etc.. These exercises should always follow your compound lifts at the end of your workout. This will ensure you have full strength for your heavy lifts.

2.  You should have intense workouts at least 4 days/week for 45-60 minutes per weight training workout. Train no longer than 60 minutes.Your body only releases growth hormone for the first 45 minutes or so and then your body goes into a catabolic state (catabolism=muscle breakdown). You want an intense workout for 45-60 minutes to put your body into a anabolic state (anabolic=muscle growth).

Super set exercises are great for increasing intensity during workouts.  My favorite combinations are upper and lower body movements, such as squats paired with pullups as a superset, or bench press paired with deadlifts as a superset.

Don't underestimate the effectiveness of these types of upper/lower body supersets done with heavy weights and a high intensity.  The first time in my life that I experienced significant muscle mass gains were when I started doing these types of workout combos regularly, but I was still mixing up my training schedule.

These exercises are staples of almost any effective workout program. Simply adjust calorie intake to whether your goal is to shed fat or build pure muscle.

3.  Eat clean with quality whole foods... REAL foods instead of highly processed meal replacements.

The quality of protein (and additional nutrition from vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants) are best assimilated by the body from real whole food such as eggs, meats, dairy (preferably raw), fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc..

Dedication and consistency to your diet and workout plan is a must for optimum results. Make these tips in this article part of your lifestyle, and you'll see muscle gains like you've never seen before!

If you want to get a lean chiseled body, check out these tips to Get Ripped Abs the right way.

Whey Proteins to Shed Fat?

As millions of Americans struggle to shed the excess weight that threatens their health and longevity, exciting new research indicates that the milk-derived compound known as whey may be a valuable weight-loss aid.
   

Whey Protein Powder

These emerging findings demonstrate that whey modulates several critical pathways related to weight management, such as supporting satiety, improving insulin sensitivity, and optimizing muscle mass. Moreover, research suggests that whey may help reduce stress, moderate cortisol, and support healthy serotonin levels, thus imparting feelings of well-being. These findings add to whey’s already well-established benefits, which include boosting glutathione levels, facilitating immune function, and aiding in the fight against cancer.
   
This multifaceted nutrient may thus help to improve whole-body wellness by supporting healthy weight, mood, and biochemistry (LE Magazine March 2006, Will Brink How Whey Promotes Weight Loss).
    
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word whey proteins? Building muscle is probably the popular consensus. Modern research has shown that whey proteins have a long list of health benefits. Many people are looking for weight-loss solutions and do not know where to start. It’s been proven that protein is one of the best nutrients to consume when you’re trying to shed fat, curb hunger and build healthy muscle. It has also been shown that when you add whey proteins to your diet along with a fitness plan including muscle building or toning exercises, you will be able to lose more weight more quickly and keep it off. Substituting muscle for fat is one way to increase your metabolism and help you continue to burn calories, even when at rest.
   
Now that we established that whey proteins are beneficial for fat loss help, we need to ask the question “When and how should I use protein shakes throughout the day for my diet?”.  I suggest having an exercise program in place to get the full benefits of your protein supplementation. I will give you two general ideas as for when to substitute your shakes throughout the day, depending on your exercise program and goals.
   
If you are simply looking for weight loss and your exercise consists of walking and cardio machines you will want to consume 20-30 grams for breakfast. I would suggest one more time through the day when you feel like you might need a snack and are tempted to eat something unhealthy. These two shakes will help curb you hunger with healthy protein, which will increase your metabolism. Eat a sensible lunch and dinner with at least four days of exercise.
   

If you are interested in building muscle size and weight loss, then I suggest drinking three whey protein shakes a day, with your weight training program. Drink the first in the morning to put your body into an anabolic state (muscle growth). When you sleep at night your body goes in to a catabolic state, which means your body is burning your muscle for fuel. The protein shake will immediately catapult your body from a catabolic to an anabolic state. Next, drink 25-35 grams of protein before and after workouts. This will provide your body with a steady stream of amino acids, priming your muscles for new growth.

Weight loss is only one of the many health benefits that whey proteins have to offer. With proper supplementation, diet and exercise you can start the process of your new and improved body transformation.



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Brief Intro About Me

Hi. I have been in the sports nutrition and fitness industry for many years. As a former certified personal trainer and avid weight lifter I have a great passion for the sports nutrition and fitness industry. I would like to share my knowledge, ideas and thoughts on how to build muscle size and strength as well as fat loss help. Whether you are a weightlifter looking to put on pure muscle and shed fat or someone looking to lose weight and get in shape, I'm here to discuss and help you with your goals. Thanks, we'll talk soon.