It’s all too common that people believe that burning calories is a standard rule for getting you to your overall goal.
The Problem: Everyone is made up of different types of muscle. Some people are prone to having long lean muscle (slow twitch muscle). Others are prone to having short stocky muscles (fast twitch muscle). Some have a combination of both (type IIa)
The BREAK DOWN :
Long Lean Muscles – Good at endurance exercises bad at power exercises
Short Compact Muscles – Best at Power exercises bad at endurance.
Combination Muscle (Fast Twitch type IIa) – Can do both types of exercise equally well.
Not Sure Where You Fit IN???
Slow Twitch (Type I)
The slow muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel (known as ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long time. They fire more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go for a long time before they fatigue. Therefore, slow twitch fibers are great at helping athletes run marathons and bicycle for
Fast Twitch (Type II)
Because fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, they are much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed than slow muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibers generally produce the same amount of force per contraction as slow muscles, but they get their name because they are able to fire more rapidly. Having more fast twitch fibers can be an asset to a sprinter since she needs to quickly generate a lot of force.
Example: If a short stalkie man comes to me and says “I want to lose my beer gut.” I already know that his body has short (powerful) muscles. Short muscles are bad at endurance but great from power lifting. To maximize his results I would have him do the OPPOSITE. Since I know from appearance and build that he is going to be good at power exercises, I will give him the endurance exercises. This will challenge his body in a new way and maximize his calorie burning and increase his results MUCH FASTER!
What To Lean Up Without Getting Bulky?
Personally, I am good at power and not so great at endurance. I tend to gain muscle quickly and adapt to increases in weight fairly fast. If you are like me you should train for endurance if you want to lean out. Do more repetitions and less weight. Also try to do circuit training instead of traditional training. This will push your body even harder and help you lose weight and inches faster.
Long Lean Muscles With Excess Fat To Lose?
This happens a lot…. in your youth you were tall, lean and trim. Now you are plagues with hips, excess inches on your thighs and excess “padding” everywhere else.
Solution: You have long lean muscle which = endurance. Do the exact opposite in your weight training routine. Try doing power exercises. These can also include things like jumping, and Olympic lifts. The easiest way to incorporate this is with kettlebell exercises.
Combination Of Both
If you are equally good at endurance and power, chances are your body fat is equally distributed through out. This means you gain weight all over your body as opposed to certain areas. In this case your weight lifting routine should combine some power moves with some endurance moves.
This small but crucial information is one of the biggest fitness secrets around. Observant trainers know how to get your body to respond the best in the shortest amount of time. Sure, many magazines have touched on this topic, but very few relate the type of muscle you have to the type of training you should be doing. Make sure you pass this fitness tip on to your friends and family. I guarantee that they will find it useful in their own personal fitness goals.
Adria
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