Train on the basis of your muscle fibers

2.Muscle Fiber Test: Bench Press 3. Muscle Fiber Test: Squat 4.Muscle Fiber Test: Pull-Down / Pull-Up 5.Abs and Calves: How to Train Them Based on Muscle Fibers   are composed of muscle fibers, of which 3 types are known:

• lens (type I);
• intermediate (type IIa);
• fast (type IIb).

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Each has different physical characteristics and a different attitude to effort. The most useful to the bodybuilder are the IIb or, at least, the IIa; these are the fibers with the greatest hypertrophic capacity.

It should be noted that no muscle contains only one type of fiber, but rather has a heritage of all three types but with a majority of one compared to the others; this is exactly what makes the difference in drawing up a training program. This is exactly what we will cover in this series of articles - the pages mentioned in the index above.

Before going further, it should be noted that training the various types of fibers requires different methodological facets. This means that:

• fast twitch fibers (type IIa) should be trained with explosive rhythmic cadences, high loads, short tension times and high recovery pauses - 4/6 sets for 1/5 rep.
• slow twitch fibers (type I) should be trained with slow rhythmic cadences, medium-low loads, long tension times and short recovery pauses -> 12 sets for many rep.
• the intermediates (type IIa) must be trained with a mixed methodology between the two just exposed - 9/12 sets for 6/12 rep.

it is therefore useful to know the specific fiber composition.

There are various methods of evaluation, but the only 100% reliable is the muscle biopsy - almost always impractical because it is invasive and disabling. Therefore, several more or less reliable tests have been coined, the most accurate of which analyze each district concerned. all the main districts can in fact create a program that is as accurate as possible.

Among those most in use, the main one is that in which 80% of 1RM (one maximum repetition) is used for an exercise, usually monoarticular, performing as many repetitions as possible (rep). a high number (> 12-15) it is possible that the red fibers - greater capacity of resistance - prevail over the white or mixed fibers.

However, it is not that simple and there are some difficulties.

and percentages.

Second, the high demand for time.

Nevertheless, training people analytically can be a "double-edged sword, because on the one hand it allows you to maintain control with mathematical data and criteria, but on the other it" stiffens "the procedure and, when a parameter does not return , the whole process is called into question.

Often it happens to have to organize training sessions of one or two sessions per micro cycle in subjects who have special needs. In these cases it is difficult to compose typical bodybuilding programs with fractional routines and scrupulous recovery days. In these cases, versatility and simplicity make the difference.

This is why below we will try to describe the simplest tests, with results obtained empirically, therefore re-proposable at any time in the gym also for a "self-assessment.

- which have an anaerobic metabolism.

Note: remember that in the first seconds of the contraction, alactic acid metabolism is used.

These fibers, following the glycolytic pathway, draw - after consuming the phosphages - from the reserves of intramuscular glycogen and, as a result, produce lactic acid. The same does not happen with the metabolism of red fibers, which instead pursue the aerobic metabolic pathway and do not release lactic acid.

This is why, on two different muscles, performing a series (set) at medium-high load (70-80% of 1RM) and at failure, different sensations can be felt.

To put it briefly, the muscles that do not give a sensation of burning and numbness, or in any case minimally compared to the others, are those that have more resistance to fatigue, but less hypertrophic capacity, compared to those that give greater sensation.

. In fact, the burning sensation test is often distorted by either of these factors.

Put simply, if we perform the test through a multi-joint, it is possible that the subject has the "aptitude to use" more than normal "one of the non-target muscles, to the advantage - so to speak - of the main one.However, before reaching conclusions that are not at all obvious, it is nevertheless necessary to understand what this phenomenon depends on.

Regarding anatomical subjectivity, there is little to do; there are in fact those who are "designed" to use one muscle more than the other (we are not talking about habit, but about structure). This is evident above all in the deadlift and in the squat, but it can also manifest itself clearly in the bench press on the flat bench and in the pull-up / pull-down.

On the other hand, with regard to the technique there is ample room for improvement. Even after a few weeks, in which the focus of training is placed on the technique, the sensations of recruitment can be reversed.

This is why, before stating that this problem depends on the composition of the fibers of a particular district, it is better to pay attention to the subject under analysis.

Would a single joint solve the problem?

For the reasons mentioned above, some technicians prefer to test the type of fibers using single-joint isolation exercises, even better if using isotonic machines or cables, rather than with free weights.

However, even this approach has a major limitation, that is, the least of expression of force. From an anatomical-functional and neuromuscular point of view, it is more difficult to massively activate large muscles by trying to isolate them rather than recruiting them into complex and natural movements.

Considering that multiarticulars are the "must" for hypertrophic development, testing the muscles using a monoarticular isolation to remedy an incorrect technique makes very little sense. We might as well progress and improve in movement, and only then perform the test.

it is usually performed with the bench press on the flat bench with a barbell.

However, there is a risk that, due to a questionable technique, the anterior deltoid and especially the brachial triceps are activated excessively.

Therefore, fundamental variables must be treated such as: grip, activation (depression and adduction) scapular, curvature of the back and core, ROM and touch of the chest etc.

Pull-Down / Pull-UP

The pull-down and / or the pull-up are the reference exercises for the evaluation of the fibers of the main muscles of the back - such as dorsal, teres major, trapezius, rhomboid, posterior deltoid - of the forearm flexors - such as brachial biceps , coracobrachialis and brachialis - as well as the hand grip muscles - located in the forearm.

As mentioned for the flat bench with regard to the triceps, the same can also happen in the biceps with the pull-down and pull-up exercise; many say they cannot continue a set due to excessive burning in the arm and forearm. .

The explanation is the same as before; you will therefore have to correct: grip, scapular depression, curvature of the back and core, ROM and height of the bar under the chin etc.

Squat

The same applies to the squat, which mainly involves the quadriceps and gluteus maximus muscles (the latter beyond the parallel), but also the hamstrings and calves, as well as some of the back such as the square of the loins and the extensors of the spine.

In the case of the squat, the technical aspect is really too complex and we refer the details to the dedicated page. We only remember that among the most common technical defects that can affect the recruitment of the quadriceps we mention the excessive use of the back; among those that instead compromise the use of the buttock we mention a too short ROM.

and triceps - will accumulate lactic acid in such a way that it will no longer be able to be metabolized in such a short recovery time; thus we arrive at total yield.

At the end of the 4 or 5 sets you will feel the greatest work on one of the muscles mainly involved; if we took the bench press as an example, this could happen to the triceps, to a lesser extent to the pectorals and at least to the deltoids.

This would suggest that in the muscle that burns the most, most likely, there is a majority of fast-twitch (prematurely tired) fibers, in the deltoids a majority of slow-twitch fibers and in the pectorals, on the other hand, the composition will probably be mixed.

This test is very "practical" but also susceptible to the above variables; therefore, it cannot be performed by a novice and without the supervision of a personal trainer. It could also happen that the muscles tested are all of relative predominance of white or red fibers, but what matters is which one has more of the fast ones than the others, in such a way as to give a "hierarchical" order in the drafting of the program.

In short, to put it briefly, the muscles in which, during the test sets they do not give a burning sensation, or in any case to a small extent compared to the others, are the ones who have more resistance to fatigue, so minor hypertrophic capacity, compared to those that give more sensation.

, pull-ups or squats are so many.

The attention falls indirectly on the work of the more superficial muscles, also because to place more attention on the deep and intrinsic districts it would be essential to carry out a functional stabilization exercise.

To facilitate the understanding of what we will present, we give names to the type of muscle structure that refer to their metabolic aptitude during exertion:

• the muscles that during the test exercises give the greatest burning sensation should be categorized as white muscles (the reference is obviously to the greater quantity of one type of fiber compared to another);
• the muscles that instead give sensations of work greater than the red ones, but certainly lower than the whites, we will categorize them as intermediate muscles;
• the muscles that at the end of the test show no signs of excessive work or burning, should be categorized as red muscles.

Note: this classification obviously has a "simplifying" character and aims to direct the subject towards a program that is as suitable for him or her rather than a standard, which does not take into account various factors. In this way, even if absolute precision is not achieved, the logic of programming according to the criterion of muscle burning and the relative metabolism of the fibers, finds ample space in programming for muscle building.

Therefore, at this point, to facilitate the drafting of a program that takes advantage of the muscle burning tests, we will build a table for each result of the tests performed on the bench press, squat and pull down.

Obviously the possible combinations are numerous and on the other hand the subjects are all different from each other, so it is not certain that they can all have the same sensations during the execution of the test exercises.

C "it should be noted that:

• in reference to the white muscles, the sets will be in number of 5 or 6 depending on the level of fatigue;
• for the intermediate ones, follow logic between whites and reds.
• for red muscles, the sets will be 9 or 10;

Important: it must be taken into account that in two multi-joint exercises such as 3 series of horizontal bench press and 2 series of slow forward, the triceps muscles have already worked for 5 series so, in the case of white muscles, their training would be concluded - at least as regards the component of white and intermediate fibers - but if you really wanted to get the maximum growth and also stress the red fibers you could perform "isolation" exercises for the triceps with 2-3 long sets with light loads and controlled slow cadences, recovering less than 60 seconds between one set and the next, in such a way as to stress also their red fiber component.