notes...

[tbombz]

a basic explanation of the different types of muscle fibers as they relate to bodybuilding and strength training


two types= slow twicth and fast twitch.

slow twitch= type 1

fast twitch = type 2

slow twitch fibers are used for contractions during exercise when your doing more than 12 or so reps.

fast twicth fibers are used for contractions during exercise when your doing 1-12 reps.

there are two types of fast twitch/type 2 fibers. type2A and type 2B. type 2A is used during 1-6 rep range. type 2b is used during 6-12 rep range.

slow twitch fibers are not very prone to hypertrophy. fast twitch fibers are quite prone to hypertrophy. type 2A(1-6 reps) are not as prone to hypertrophy as type 2B(6-12 reps).

the types of fibers which are most prone to least prone to hypertrophy, in order=

1.type 2B fast twicth fibers 6-12 rep range
2.type 2A fast twitch fibers 1-6 rep range
3.type 1 slow twitch fibers above 12 rep range


hypertrophy is growth of muscle

two types of hypertrophy= myofibrillar, sarcoplasmic.

myofibrillar hypertrophy is increase in size of muscle fibers.
sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is increase in contents/nutrients of muscle cells.

myofibrillar hypertrophy is mainly a result of type 2 fast twitch training (1-12 rep)

sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is mainly a result of high volume type 1 slow twitch training.

[ronbrgundy]

Can you increase your growth potential by shocking the muscles with 1-6 rep sets a couple of days a month? 

What about strict form reps with slow negatives in the above 12 segment a couple of days a month?

[tbombz]

Can you increase your growth potential by shocking the muscles with 1-6 rep sets a couple of days a month? 

What about strict form reps with slow negatives in the above 12 segment a couple of days a month?

first question=

reps in the 1-6 will not be as good for growth as reps in the 6-12, but they will be better than reps above 12. one factor in growth is load and tension. heavier weight= more tension. training in the 1-6 for a while will not boost mass as effectively as  training 6-12 reps, however it will boost your strength, which will carry over to  your other training, which will in turn increase size.

short answer, yes.

second question= wouldnt do much of anything at all for growth, but would help with muscular endurance.

[dyslexic]

It is also said that when a muscle gets stronger, it also gets bigger-- regardless of the methodology.