Sinusitis

Fast and slow muscle fiber training. Types of muscle fibers (slow, fast)

Determining a person’s sporting success. At the same time, the main criterion that distinguishes natural athletes from ordinary people is the ratio of fast and slow muscle fibers. It is this ratio that influences whether a particular person will easily burn fat or gain muscle mass.

It is also important that understanding muscle anatomy and knowledge of the basic physiology of muscle function is directly related to the ability to choose the most effective physical training strategy for you. In order to burn fat or build muscle with a minimum amount of effort, you just need to understand exactly how the body works.

What is muscle fiber?

The muscles themselves consist of connective tissue, capillaries, sarcoplasm and, directly, muscle fibers. Muscle fiber is a unique type of physiological structure that has both strength and elasticity. In turn, muscle fibers differ from each other because they are divided into fast and slow.

The basis for the difference lies in the source of energy that different types of muscle fibers use. Slow (red) fibers, responsible for static or monotonous loads, use fat as the main source of energy. Fast (white) fibers necessary for short and high-intensity exercise - reserves and creatine.

Fast and slow muscle fibers

The simplest and most understandable example of the difference in the anatomy of different types of muscle fibers is that of another bird. The breast and wings have a distinctive white color and minimal fat, while the legs and thighs have dark red meat and a higher fat content.

Since the chicken spends most of its time standing, the muscles of its legs experience a constant static load - in fact, the main work is performed by slow muscle fibers (1). In contrast, the wing muscles are used exclusively for short but energetic flapping - the load is placed on the fast muscle fibers.

Slow-twitch (red) muscle fibers

Despite the fact that slow-twitch muscle fibers themselves are quite thin and weak, they can support physical activity for an extremely long time. Their red color is largely due to the presence of oxygen molecules necessary for the oxidation of fats (triglycerides), which serve as the main source of energy for slow fibers.

This is why aerobic training and long-term cardio are ideal for weight loss - in fact, such exercise engages slow muscle fibers and literally forces the body to burn fat reserves. However, let us recall that to ensure optimal oxygen supply to muscle fibers, it is important to train in.

Fast (white) muscle fibers

For high-intensity (so-called "explosive") loads, muscles require quickly available energy. However, fat is not suitable for these purposes, since its transportation and oxidation takes at least several minutes. In simple terms, energy must be in an easily accessible form as close as possible to the muscle fibers themselves.

For explosive efforts, the body uses fast-twitch muscle fibers, which work primarily on glycogen (that is, on carbohydrate stores in the muscles), ATP and (2). At the same time, let us recall that muscle growth and muscle gain as a result of strength training is largely due to an increase in these same energy reserves.

Set - training strategy and nutrition tips to get pumped up quickly.

How to determine which fibers you have more?

It is also important to note that in reality, the muscles of a particular person always consist of a plexus of muscle fibers of various types. The stabilizing muscles of the core, spine, and legs typically have a predominance of slow-type fibers, while the “regular muscles” and other skeletal muscles have fast-type fibers (3).

However, under the influence of regular physical training, the athlete's body is able to adapt and change this ratio. Scientific research suggests that in marathon runners, more than 80% of all muscle fibers are slow-twitch - in contrast to sprinters, in whom fast-twitch fibers predominate, accounting for about 65-70%.

Workouts for muscle growth and weight loss

For training fast muscle fibers (and increasing lean body mass), strength exercises performed in the range of 6-12 repetitions are best suited. The higher the working weight and the lower the number of repetitions (and the shorter the time spent under load), the more actively the fast muscle fibers are involved in the work.

In contrast, burning fat (and recruiting slow-twitch muscle fibers that consume fat reserves) requires both static loads and monotonous cardio. Plus, such workouts are especially effective when blood glucose levels are low - this will force the body to focus on fat reserves.

***

Muscle fibers are divided into fast and slow. Strength training primarily recruits fast-twitch fibers, requiring carbohydrates and glycogen. In contrast, long-term low-intensity aerobic exercise performed for at least 30-45 minutes is required to engage slow-twitch fibers and burn fat.

Scientific sources:

Muscles – Fast and slow twitch,
Skeletal striated muscle,
Speed and power training,
Fast Twitch, Slow Twitch…. Which One Are You?

Muscle fiber (myocyte) - the main structural and functional unit of somatic muscle tissue; the third stage and the result of histogenesis. The length of a muscle fiber often matches the length of the muscle it is part of.

Main classifications of muscle fibers:

White and red muscle fibers;
Fast and slow muscle fibers;
Glycolytic, intermediate and oxidative muscle fibers;
High-threshold and low-threshold muscle fibers.

White and red muscle fibers.

The first classification is by color. This is a classification based on the presence of the myoglobin pigment in the sarcoplasm of the muscle fiber. Myoglobin is red in color and is involved in the transport of oxygen to the muscle cell. The more oxygen a cell requires, the more myoglobin is supplied - the fiber is redder. When there is less oxygen, the fiber is lighter, which makes it white. Also, red muscle fibers have a larger number of mitochondria than white ones due to their high oxygen consumption.

White muscle fibers:

Myoglobin is low.
There are few mitochondria.
Oxygen consumption is low.

Red muscle fibers:

There is a lot of myoglobin.
There are many mitochondria.
Oxygen consumption is high.

Fast and slow muscle fibers.

The second classification is based on the speed of contraction. Fast and slow muscle fibers are classified according to the speed of contraction and the activity of the ATPase enzyme. The enzyme ATPase is involved in the formation of ATP and, accordingly, in muscle contraction. When the more active the enzyme, the faster ATP is synthesized and the muscle is ready to contract again.

Fast muscle fibers:

The speed of muscle fiber contraction is higher.
The activity of the ATPase enzyme is higher.

Slow muscle fibers:

The rate of muscle fiber contraction is slower.
ATPase enzyme activity is low.

Glycolytic, intermediate and oxidative muscle fibers.

The third classification is based on energy supply. To obtain energy, muscle fibers use fatty acids (fats) and glucose (carbohydrates). The body converts fatty acids into ATP through oxidation. Glucose is also converted into ATP through anaerobic and aerobic glycolysis. Therefore, in the body there are three types of different muscle fibers that use predominantly one type of energy supply.

Oxidative muscle fibers (OMF):

The main source of energy is fatty acids.
Energy supply – oxidation.

Intermediate muscle fibers (IMF):

The main source of energy is fatty acids and glucose.
Energy supply – oxidation, glycolysis.
The number of mitochondria is average.

Glycolytic muscle fibers (GMF):

The main source of energy is glucose.
Energy supply is glycolysis, predominantly anaerobic.

We should talk separately about WWII. This type of muscle fiber adapts very well to load, unlike OMV and GMV. With prolonged training, these muscle fibers may acquire more signs of OMV or GMV. For example, if you train endurance (run marathons and the like), then almost all PMV will become PMV, due to an increase in the number of mitochondria. During strength training, the MPV is reconstructed into the GMV, adapting to the appropriate type of training.

High-threshold and low-threshold muscle fibers.

The fourth classification is based on the excitability threshold of motor units (MU). A motor unit consists of: a motor neuron and a muscle fiber. Muscle contraction occurs under the influence of nerve impulses that conduct nerve cells from the brain to the muscle, giving it the command to contract.

High threshold muscle fibers:

The threshold of excitability is high (they contract with a strong impulse, when it is very difficult).
The speed of nerve impulse transmission is high.
Axon with myelin sheath.

Low threshold muscle fibers:

The excitability threshold is low (they contract with a weak impulse).
The speed of nerve impulse transmission is low.

Combining classifications.

White fast high-threshold glycolytic muscle fibers (hereinafter referred to as vGMV):

Color – white.
The speed is high. The main energy supply is anaerobic glycolysis.
The threshold of excitability is high.
Axon - with a myelin sheath.
The number of mitochondria is small. The number of muscle fibers in the body is determined by genetics (this is not a fact, since now there is a theory according to which myelination of the motor neuron occurs from the training load).

This type of muscle fiber, in people who do not engage in sports, almost never takes part in muscle contraction. These muscle fibers are activated only in extreme conditions for a very short time. In athletes involved in anaerobic sports, these muscle fibers are actively involved in contraction during peak loads (90-100% of 1RM, usually 1-3 repetitions).

White fast glycolytic muscle fibers (hereinafter referred to as WGF):

Color – white.
The speed is high.
The main energy supply is anaerobic glycolysis, partially aerobic.
The excitability threshold is average (below vGMV, above PMV).
Axon without myelin sheath.
The number of mitochondria is small.
The number of muscle fibers in the body is different (PMV turn into GMV during strength training).
GMV is the basis of all muscle mass. Even if a person has a predominant number of muscle fibers, the entire bulk of the muscle volume will be due to the muscle fibers, since these muscle fibers are much larger in volume than all the others. GMVs are included in the work in almost all strength exercises.

Intermediate (can be either white or red) muscle fibers (hereinafter referred to as IMF).

Color – white, red.
Contraction speed – low, high (some studies confirm that the activity of the ATPase enzyme cannot change from training, therefore it is possible that PMVs that have turned into GMV remain slow).
The main energy supply is anaerobic glycolysis, aerobic glycolysis, oxidation.
The excitability threshold is average (below vGMV, GMV, above OMV).
The number of mitochondria is average (depending on the person’s fitness level).
The number of muscle fibers in the body varies (a lot in untrained people; in trained people, the PMF turns into GMV or OMF).

PMV is something averaged between GMV and OMV; they use the energy supply of both OMV and GMV. The special ability of these muscle fibers is to acquire signs of WMV or GMV depending on the load. If there is an anaerobic load and more glycolysis is needed, PMVs turn into GMVs. If a person receives aerobic exercise, PMVs turn into OMVs.

Red slow oxidative muscle fibers (hereinafter ROM):

Color – red.
The contraction speed is low.
The main energy supply is oxidation.
The threshold of excitability is low.
Axon – without myelin sheath.
The number of mitochondria is large.
The number of muscle fibers varies; intermediate muscle fibers are converted into RMF during endurance training.

You need to know exactly which muscle fibers predominate in which muscle groups, which can be determined using special tests. I’ll tell you about them.

We are all different

Should I try to go for heavy training weights with low reps, or should I focus on medium weights and high reps? The most interesting thing is that there is no universal recipe.

Some people will make progress from pure strength work with low reps. For some, on the contrary, strength training will not cause a response to muscle growth and will not give progress, but focusing on an increased number of repetitions with an average weight will have a huge effect.

Experienced athletes, over years of training, intuitively find the most suitable scheme for themselves. Please note that in their videos on YouTube, such comrades mostly say: “ I don’t have a clearly defined plan for exercises for today’s workout, I will do what I consider necessary and in a mode that suits my body at the moment" These are both bodybuilding stars and simpler, enthusiastic citizens who have spent years working with weights.

Sooner or later, many intuitively find their type of training if they are not lazy to experiment, but why waste time when you can do everything much faster and without unnecessary experiments?

First, let's deal with the myths regarding universal training.

Leveling doesn't work

It actually works, but it's not very effective. By leveling I mean classical periodization of loads.

This is when you work for strength with a small number of repetitions and heavy weights for a certain period of time, then move on to medium-repetition training with moderate weights, then give preference to light weights, increasing the number of repetitions and reducing the rest time between approaches.

Some people work on strength for a week, on medium mode for a week, on light mode for a week. Some people have cycles of 2–3 weeks, a month. The pros usually “bulk” for several months with severe gluttony and huge working weights, and then “dry” for a couple of months. These are the hefty cycles between competitive seasons.

But with the pros, not everything is so simple and they are often very genetically gifted comrades who can be forgiven for any mistakes in training. Especially considering the use of serious sports pharmacology. At the same time, the most successful professionals come to training intuitively, taking into account their own muscle structure.

It’s more difficult for mere mortals and mistakes in training lead to stagnation. Even periodization does not always help. And if it helps, it doesn’t last long, since within its framework certain muscles work effectively only in one of the cycles.

Roughly speaking, the classic scheme of repetitions and results often does not work. The scheme is something like this and is half a century old:

1–5 repetitions - for strength;
8–12 repetitions - for mass;
12–20 repetitions - for relief and endurance.

A person can puff himself up in an attempt to increase strength, but the result does not grow - he stagnate in one place and remains at the same level for months, or even years. Same with working on ground. Relief and endurance are a completely separate conversation, and for the former, a reasonable calorie deficit is more important than the number of repetitions.

Why is this happening? It's all about the ratio of muscle fibers of the first and second types. I talked about these types in detail in. For those too lazy to look, here is the information:

First type. These are slow muscle fibers, also known as red or oxidative muscle fibers (OMF). They contain many mitochondria, have a slow rate of contraction, a low rate of fatigue and a low capacity for growth (hypertrophy). In addition, they have low strength. Used for aerobic activity (running, cycling). The source of energy is fats.
Second type. Fast muscle fibers, also known as white or glycolytic muscle fibers (GMF). In turn, they are divided into two subtypes:
- Subtype IIa(transitional or intermediate, PMV). They contain a moderate number of mitochondria, can use aerobic and anaerobic metabolism equally, have a high rate of contraction, a moderate rate of fatigue, and a low capacity for growth. They have high strength. Used during prolonged anaerobic exercise. Energy source - creatine phosphate, glycogen.
- Subtype IIb(true fast muscle fibers). They contain a small number of mitochondria, use only anaerobic metabolism, and have maximum strength and speed of contractions. They have high fatigue, but at the same time a great ability to hypertrophy. In fact, these fibers are most important for bodybuilders and strength athletes, as well as sprinters. Energy source - creatine phosphate, glycogen.

To simplify, then the more fast muscle fibers a person has(Subtype IIb), the more it is predisposed to muscle hypertrophy and increased strength. That is, the emphasis should be on strength training in order to realize the potential of a large number of such fibers.

The more he has slow twitch muscle fibers, the less potential for growth in strength and mass, but such a person is much more resilient. Again, hypertrophy in slow muscle fibers is also present, so there is an emphasis on the number of repetitions and it is in this mode that a person will progress in both strength and mass.

If they prevail intermediate muscle fibers(Subtype IIa), then the most effective training will be with average weights and an average number of repetitions in the range from 8 to 12.

BUT! Every person has all types of muscle fibers, they just have different ratios. So you shouldn’t forget about other types of training in order to grow muscles as efficiently as possible, realizing your genetic potential.

Where and which muscle fibers predominate?

Some muscle groups of our body are constantly under load, which has determined their, so to speak, universal structure. As you understand, we are talking about slow muscle fibers, which are not very strong, but hardy. Although, how to say “not very strong”. For example, the calf muscles are the second strongest in our body after the muscles that compress the jaws (pressure up to 150 kg per cm²).

Be that as it may, in the following muscle groups almost everyone slow-twitch muscle fibers predominate, which grow only when working for a large number of repetitions:

Gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
Trapezius and back extensors.
Forearms.
Deltas.

Also, during everyday life, people very actively load the abdominal, gluteal and thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings). Intermediate muscle fibers often predominate there. But there are already more discrepancies and exceptions.

As for the pectoral muscles, biceps, latissimus dorsi muscles - this is the will of chance and genetics.

Fortunately, well-known in the world of foreign strength sports Fredrick Hatfield(aka Dr. Squat) and Charles Poliquin worked a lot on the scientific component of strength training, and based on their work, an algorithm was developed that determines the ratio of muscle fiber types.

How to determine your individual muscle fiber ratio

The algorithm can be applied to any muscle group by selecting an isolated exercise, but it still makes sense to focus on the largest ones. That is, on the back, legs and chest. Plus biceps - many people have a problem with pumping them.

I personally conducted a test on my pectorals, finding out that fast-twitch muscle fibers predominate there (hurray-hurray - you can count on an impressive mass), but I’ll tell you about my personal results a little later, but for now let’s move directly to the algorithm.

First stage

We determine the maximum weight of the weight with which you can perform one repetition. In the case of chest exercises, the best exercise for this is bench press.

note that The test is not for complete beginners. Just come to the gym - work out for several months under the supervision of experienced comrades, learn how to perform the exercises correctly and tone your muscles. Otherwise, you may suffer a serious injury or the test results will be incorrect (due to poor execution technique and inability to recruit a large number of muscle fibers).

We work carefully so as not to get injured due to poorly warmed up muscles. That is, first of all, warm up thoroughly with the bar, rest for a couple of minutes. Then we added a small weight so that we could easily squeeze it 15 times and did 10 repetitions. In the same way, we perform a couple more approaches, increasing the weight and doing 50% of the possible repetitions. Rest between sets - a couple of minutes.

Then, when the muscles are well warmed up, throw on some serious weights that you can squeeze 3-4 times. Press it once, rest 3 minutes minimum. In 3 minutes, the main energy reserves in the muscle are completely restored.

We rested, added 5 kg (or 5-10% of the total weight on the bar), pressed again, rested again for 3 minutes (but no more than 5), added another 5 kg, pressed... We work like this until we reach that weight, which cannot be squeezed out. There was a bummer, the weight was not taken - ok, you found out your maximum weight that you can squeeze at one time. Remember it.

Second stage

Now directly we will determine the type of predominant muscle fibers in the muscle group being tested.

In general, it is recommended to carry out the second stage after a good rest and during another workout (after a good warm-up, of course). But if you are unbearable and want to find out everything here and now, then after the last approach with determining the maximum weight rest for 15–20 minutes. You should not sit - walk, slightly strain your chest, spread your arms to the sides so that the muscles do not cool down completely.

After we've rested, subtract 20% from your maximum weight taken. Let’s say you pressed 100 kg one time, which means you leave 80 kg on the bar. Now the most important point - start performing the exercise for the maximum number of times you can do without breaking your technique and without outside help.

If you squeezed 80% of the maximum weight in 7–8 reps, which means your fast-twitch muscle fibers predominate. That is, this muscle group has great potential for increasing mass and strength. Thus, 75% of training should be in strength mode. If you break this down into a simple monthly cycle, then for three weeks you train your chest heavy (5-6 repetitions in basic exercises, up to 8 in more traumatic exercises, like push-ups with weights), one week - with medium or light weights. Although there are a lot of options for splits and cycles, the main thing to understand is that 3/4 of the training should be strength training in order to squeeze the maximum out of the potential of your muscles.
If you managed to shake 9–10 times, Then equal parts of both types of fibers and we split the training 50/50 between strength and high-repetition training.
"Pulled" 80% of the maximum weight for 11–13 times- you have endurance, but not very strong slow-twitch muscle fibers predominate. In this case, the emphasis in this muscle group is on multi-repetition training, and only 25% of the total load in the cycle is allocated to the strength group.

The following exercises are suitable for testing other muscle groups::

shoulders- military press or seated dumbbell press;
biceps- lifting the EZ bar while standing;
triceps- French press;
back lats- traction of the upper block to the chest while sitting;
legs- classic squats with a barbell on the shoulders.

Personal experience

At the moment, I conducted a test on the pectoral muscles and found out the reason for the stagnation in the bench press and in exercises for this muscle group in the last six months. The rest of the tests are still ahead, but only when my next big experiment is completed, which I will tell you about separately in the future.

Previously, I blamed the fact that I did the classic bench press no more than once a month, and the rest of the time the emphasis was on working with dumbbells, blocks and in the Smith machine at different angles of the bench. As it turns out, the problem is different.

At the height of my pain, which lasted about five months, for one time I bench pressed 135 kg(yes, strength still drops; I haven’t even tried to bench press for several years, but I felt it in the working weights). I squeezed 80% of this weight, that is, about 108 kg, 7 times (and another half time, but didn’t squeeze it all the way).

Thus, my fast muscle fibers predominate and the emphasis should be on strength training, while for the most part I worked on 12 repetitions, and in isolated exercises up to 15 repetitions.

By the way, my trainer (here is his name) bench pressed 170 kg for one rep, and pressed 135 (80%) for 12 reps. That is, he has just the opposite - slow muscle fibers predominate. Actually, according to him, he always gave preference to a large number of repetitions when working on the chest, which he came to intuitively.

So, a few days after the test, when the next chest workout came up, I gave myself strength training. What can I say other than “Wow!” The whole training took place at a completely different pace. I usually floundered on the first two exercises, or even the first, doing 12 reps in four sets to failure. The rest of the training was not very cheerful.

Now, having worked in the range of 5-7 repetitions in the first exercise (press in a Smith machine with an incline of 45 °), I then very quickly did dumbbell curls with a much more serious weight than usual, and for the first time in several years I did push-ups with additional weight . In general, I found it much more comfortable to train the pectorals in a strength mode than in a medium or high repetition mode.

On the agenda is a check of the legs, back and biceps, but I’ll do that in about three months. In the meantime, another experiment is a priority.

Try to conduct such a test, and it may well turn out that it’s time to radically change your training, switching to strength training or, conversely, to high-repetition training for certain muscle groups. At a minimum, this is another option for spurring your muscles to intensive growth.

Hello! What tricks will the body go to in order to save energy in order to increase our survival. Although, judging by the way the population is growing, sometimes you think that it would be better for him not to do this. Ha ha. But seriously, everything in our body is balanced and optimized. The body will never do anything that is not beneficial to it.

A little about saving energy

As I said, the body does everything to:

Save as much energy as possible(This is why we store excess energy as fat).
Spend as little energy as possible in any task(that's why we are all lazy by nature).

This allowed us to survive for TENS OF THOUSANDS of years. Our ancestors could enjoy the meat of a killed animal for one week, and then practically starve for two or more weeks, eating only roots (farming appeared later).

Therefore, our body WAS TAUGHT that in order to survive in the harsh conditions of natural selection (predators, diseases, hunger, etc.) IT IS NECESSARY TO SAVE THE ENERGY RECEIVED!

He does this whenever possible, for example:

Nutrient accumulation system (we store excess food in fat and do not remove it from the body);
Muscular adaptation (muscles will not grow without increasing the load, i.e. without a STRONG need to warn yourself from danger);
Hair on the body, calluses on the hands from constant work, tanning from the sun (even this was done to save energy, since this is also a forced adaptation to external influences);

The body adapts ONLY WHEN NECESSARY, such as: “It’s better to grow hair on your body than to freeze from the cold,” “It’s better to grow calluses on your hands than to get blood poisoning and die,” etc. It won’t do this if you don’t care. need to! It SAVES ENERGY!

What can I say, EVERYTHING IN OUR BODY IS MADE TO SURVIVE BETTER IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS! If the body can save energy somewhere, it will do it! Therefore, it is always more convenient for us to walk than to run; stand rather than walk; sit rather than stand; lie down, rather than sit, etc.

As you probably already understood, LAZINESS- This is also an ADAPTATION MECHANISM of the body to save energy.

It was in order to save energy that our body created another amazing mechanism - different types of muscle fibers.

In order to save energy, muscle fibers in our body are heterogeneous.

What is the point of dividing our muscles into different types of muscle fibers? VERY BIG!

Look, as a rule, in life we have different types of physical activity, namely:

Very heavy (for example, you need to move a very heavy piano).
Medium in weight, high-volume (for example, carry a lot of medium-heavy bags of potatoes).
Easy (long, monotonous run).

Is it beneficial for our body, for example, to use the ENTIRE HUGE MUSCLE MASS OF THE LEGS for a light load? Naturally, NO!

It is for this purpose that our body has created “different workers” to perform work of different types.

Fast-twitch muscle fibers (FMTs).
Slow-twitch muscle fibers (SMF).

But! There are also fibers that are designed to perform EXTREMELY HARD WORK, namely HIGH THRESSION fast muscle fibers (HFTF).

Those. we get three main types of muscle fibers:

To more clearly imagine the situation, why the body needed such transformations, imagine that our ancestors were going hunting.

Here they are slowly moving through the forest and, in their opinion, are in complete control of the situation. AND SUDDENLY a PREDATOR – A SABER-TOoth TIGER – jumps SHARPLY out of the bushes at one of them!

The man is SCARED TO DEATH and in a split second he jumps to the side so as not to die. At this moment, HIGH-THRESHOLD FAST MUSCLE FIBERS, which were created to perform extreme work and to respond instantly, were activated.

But the predator does not give up and begins to run after the Cro-Magnon man. This is where FAST MUSCLE FIBERS come into play, allowing you to gain fast speed in a short time!

But the predator does not give up and continues to pursue the unfortunate bare-assed hunter. After a certain time, the hunter’s body understands that it will take a long time to run and turns off fast muscle fibers, while connecting SLOW MUSCLE FIBERS to perform monotonous, long work (running).

Well, to hell with it, let there be a happy ending. The man ran to the cliff and jumped into a deep river and swam away to his fellow tribesmen.

That's how it is, guys. Got it? During physical activity, our body does not use all the fibers of the working muscles at once., but uses only those that are necessary for him to perform SPECIFICALLY GIVEN TYPE OF WORK! And all because this way he can save more energy. Part of a muscle spends less energy than the entire muscle! Elementary.

I want to make one caveat. Endurance fibers can be either fast-twitch or slow-twitch muscle fibers, and fast-twitch fibers can be both durable and easily fatigued.

However, for ordinary people who play sports at an amateur level or who do not play sports at all, this will be exactly the case. MMVs are likely to be more durable than BMWs, because... they will have much more mitochondria and mitochondrial enzymes.

Mitochondria, in turn, are capable of obtaining “energy” from the oxygen (respiration) and reagents (fats or pyruvate) at their disposal as a result of chemical transformations - the same ATP that provides almost all energy-consuming processes in our body.

The purpose of different types of muscle fibers

Let's take a closer look at the different types of muscle fibers. So:

High-threshold fast muscle fibers (HTF)– designed for VERY HEAVY WORK and QUICK INCLUSION into work with SUBMAXIMUM weight. They use fast energy sources for their contraction, which are capable of rapid resynthesis (creatine phosphate and glycolysis). When an athlete lifts a barbell with weight 1 time, i.e. 1 repetition maximum (RM), then all this is the work of HIGH THRESHOLD BMWs. To prevent you from breaking yourself, nature came up with a similar mechanism, a “quick response team,” if you like. These fibers are very strong and WHITE.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers (FMT)– designed to perform HEAVY and HIGH-VOLUME work with MODERATE-HEAVY WEIGHT (6-12 repetitions). They are used for reduction, just like VBMW, fast sources of energy. These fibers are also called WHITE and they are used by all athletes of speed-strength sports (BB including).
Slow-twitch muscle fibers (SMF)– they are designed to perform light, long, monotonous work. Perform SLOW and LIGHT contractions. Therefore, they use slower but more economical energy sources. One of these is OXIDATION OF FATS WITH THE HELP OF OXYGEN. This provides noticeably more energy than glycolysis, but requires more time, because The oxidation reaction is very complex and requires a lot of oxygen, which is why MMFs are called RED MFs (because oxygen is carried by hemoglobin, which gives the fibers their red color). These are the fibers that are primarily used by marathon runners, cyclists, etc.

So, should you even bother training other muscle fibers?

Do you need to train all muscle fibers?

If you are a beginner bodybuilder, then PROBABLY NOT! Your body is not yet accustomed to the load and has not even learned , designed for such work FAST MUSCLE FIBERS.

BUT! If you have already been working out in the gym for 2-3 years and have stagnated in the results, then training slow muscle fibers can cause very good progress!

It would seem that if a person runs marathons, then it is logical for him to train MMB, and if he works with very heavy weights, then BMW and VBMV. But it's not that simple, friends.

Body-building- a very specific sport, where to achieve maximum performance, all means are good (from training different types of muscle fibers and microperiodization to the use of very large doses of pharmacology).

ONE WHOLE IS ALWAYS BIGGER AND STRONGER THAN A PART! If we develop all the muscle fibers, then it is logical that the muscle will be larger overall.

Previously, it was believed that there was no point in training IMM. The fact is that when a BIOPSY (sample of a small part of the muscle) was taken from athletes of Olympic sports (weightlifting, sprinters, javelin throwers, etc.), they noticed that, as a rule, there are many times more fast muscle fibers, than slow ones. Therefore, they said that you need to train fast-twitch fibers and “don’t sweat it.” The research was closed.

But what was the surprise of the men in white coats when, after some time, they took samples of muscle tissue from professional bodybuilders! THE NUMBER OF FAST AND SLOW MUSCLE FIBERS WAS THE SAME!

After additional experiments, scientists concluded that SLOW MUSCLE FIBERS GROW AS WELL AS FAST FIBERS!

Why do bodybuilders' results differ from other athletes?

The difference is in the goals. In Olympic sports they are different. Run faster, push more, throw further, etc. And in bodybuilding, volumes, proportions and appearance are important.

Therefore, it is important for Olympians to minimize muscle growth, including IMM. They need fast or high-threshold muscle fibers in order to make maximum effort at the right moment.

Okay, you might say, why then don’t marathon runners, who need slow-twitch muscle fibers, have huge, toned legs? It's all about the MMV training method, friends.

Method of training MMV. Blood acidification

First, a little theory. With all the current technical and other progress, we still DO NOT KNOW WHAT EXACTLY TRIGGERS MUSCLE GROWTH!

But what about the progression of loads, stress, anabolic hormones, amino acids, etc., you ask? Yes, and again, yes! Only these are only the FINAL MECHANISMS OF MUSCLE GROWTH.

But we know for sure that NEW PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IS TRIGGERED THROUGH THE CELL'S DNA.

In order for hormones to trigger protein synthesis, this information must be copied from the DNA of the cell nucleus. And the DNA chain itself, as we know, is twisted from two helices.

To start protein synthesis YOU NEED TO UNLOCK THE DNA HELIDS! How to do this? With the help of HYDROGEN IONS!

Pumping– this is, roughly speaking, pumping blood into muscles. But remember what pumping should be like, in the classical sense? I won’t languish, he must be POWERFUL! Those. approximately 80% of WORKING WEIGHT!

For example, if you bench pressed a 100 kg barbell 6-8 times, then for a pumping workout you need to lift 80 kg and perform 12-15 repetitions. Do you understand? This will pump blood into the muscles, but this is not exactly the mode of operation that is aimed at developing IMM.

Add to this the fact that in pumping training, as a rule, the approach is performed at a FAST PACE! And for the fast pace of movement we have created BMWs.

MMB should be trained with approximately 50% weight and at a VERY SLOW pace! But more on that later.

Let's return to the question, why long-distance marathon runners don't have large slow-twitch muscle fibers? After all, they directly train them!

There are two factors here:

No load progression. Although the load is light and monotonous, it must grow, otherwise there will be no point in the muscles increasing.
No muscle acidification. Yes, they work for a long time, with a lot of repetitions (thousands of steps), but the BLOOD CIRCULATES FREELY IN THE MUSCLES (in and out), so it washes away the hydrogen ions. Accordingly, there is no growth reaction.

How to make MMV grow?

Although MMF grow no worse than BMW, in order for protein synthesis to start in muscle fiber (any muscle fiber, even MMF), the presence of HYDROGEN IONS is necessary, which trigger it.

It is easier for fast muscle fibers to achieve this, because. for energy supply they use the ANAEROBIC (oxygen-free) method. Therefore, the blood (the instrument for transporting oxygen to the muscles) DOES NOT WASH AWAY THE HYDROGEN IONS, which are needed to trigger muscle growth.

Why is this more difficult to do in MMV? Because MMVs use an AEROBIC (oxygen) method of energy supply! This means that blood is needed to transport oxygen. Do you understand? Blood makes it possible to feed on oxygen (deliver it), but WASHES AWAY HYDROGEN IONS, which are needed for growth! Here is a vicious circle that does not allow MMV to grow under normal conditions.

To put it simply, “native” methods of energy supply allow BMW to grow, but do not allow MIW to grow!!! This is why marathon runners have small muscles.

All this is understandable, but how to get out of this vicious circle and pump up our slow muscle fibers to become 2 times larger?

Make MMV work;
Use another method of energy supply;

Those. a certain load is needed to TURN ON the MMV, but NOT TO RELEASE BLOOD FROM THE MUSCLE in order to acidify it!!!

How to do this? PUMPING, friends! But in a slightly different mode.

Optimal pumping mode

In bodybuilding, a dynamic (fast) mode of performing the exercise is usually used, and relaxation follows after each repetition.

In this mode, the vessels unclench and allow blood to circulate freely into and out of the muscle. This is bad for the growth of IMM, because... they need HYDROGEN IONS to grow, and the blood washes them away. The muscle does not acidify and the muscle mass does not grow (there is no increase in strength and mass).

Therefore, the classic pumping mode, i.e. DYNAMIC POWER IS NOT SUITABLE FOR US!

We need to use CONSTANT MUSCLE TENSION! After all, if a muscle is tense, it does not allow blood to pass through. This is good because... this contributes to the accumulation of HYDROGEN IONS in it!

HYPOXIA(no oxygen due to constant voltage) –> ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS(breakdown of glucose without oxygen) –> Accumulation of HYDROGEN IONS.

Great. That's sorted out. Again. The muscle should not allow blood to pass through (constant tension), anaerobic glycolysis occurs (no air), so hydrogen ions accumulate (since blood and oxygen do not circulate).

Now let's look at what conditions should be for MMV hypertrophy.

Practical scheme for MMV hypertrophy

What we need for maximum hypertrophy (“swelling” of muscle cells):

Let's look at this using the example of a standing biceps curl.

For example, your working weight is 30 kg for 10-12 reps, and you lifted 40 kg for 1 rep (40 kg is your 1 rep max). PM is a repeated maximum!

How to proceed?

First we select the weight based on our 1RM. We take 30-50% of it, i.e. from 40 kg, it will be 12-20 kg.
Now, by bending our elbows, we remember our starting position. THE HANDS SHOULD NOT BE COMPLETELY EXTENSION during the approach to avoid bleeding. We work INSIDE the amplitude! Those. we do not reach the top and bottom points. As soon as we feel that the muscle can relax, we stop and move in the opposite direction.
Raise and lower the barbell VERY SLOWLY! On the count of 1-2 up and 3-4 down! If possible, even slower! This is how we use our MMVs and turn off the BMWs from operation.
WE ACHIEVE AN UNBEARABLE BURNING! This is a very important point. It must be so strong that lifting this lightest weight again is simply not possible. We reach muscle failure. This will indicate extreme acidification of the muscle, i.e. about the high content of HYDROGEN IONS. There will be more repetitions than usual, namely 20-30 and the approach will last 30-50 seconds. This is fine!

This is what one approach would look like. How many approaches should there be? In theory, A LOT, but we, as you know, , so let's look for a solution.

To reduce the burning sensation we need about 5 minutes, and for it to disappear completely we need 40-60 minutes.

Therefore, based on the above, it would be optimal to perform such approaches every hour throughout the day. But this will be convenient for few people.

I prefer to use the STEP METHOD of muscle acidification. Those. you perform 3-4 approaches with MINIMUM REST, then rest for 3-4 minutes and again repeat 3-4 approaches, so again rest 3-4 minutes and again the series.

Example: You completed a biceps curl in 30 seconds. Rest for 20-30 seconds and repeat the second set, now rest again for 20-30 seconds and perform the third set. Now rest for 3-4, or maybe 5 minutes. And repeat a series of 3 approaches with a break of 20-30 seconds. Such “series” can be done from 2 to 5 within one workout.

APPROACH(30-50 sec) + REST(20-30 sec) + APPROACH(30-50 sec) + REST(20-30 sec) + APPROACH(30-50 sec) + REST (3-5 minutes!) … REPEAT SERIES…

By the way, this is convenient because many exercises can be performed at home (push-ups, biceps, triceps, deltoids).

Conditions for muscle growth

So, what does it take to grow muscles?

TRAINING STRESS (destruction)! It is needed to promote the production of ANABOLIC HORMONES! Only then will the body turn on the growth process (anabolism).
HORMONAL BACKGROUND! We need HORMONES that copy information about protein synthesis from the cell's DNA. It is thanks to them that metabolism (metabolism) shifts towards growth (anabolism). The destruction of protein structures during training forces the body to repair the damage. This healing is precisely called PROTEIN SYNTHESIS.
HYDROGEN IONS! We have already talked about them quite a lot today. They UNCOIL the DNA helix so that information about protein synthesis becomes available for reading by hormones (steroid-receptor complexes). If there are not enough hydrogen ions released in response to ATP consumption, then hormones will not have the opportunity to read information about protein synthesis and trigger growth. REMEMBER: HORMONES (steroids) without training stress WILL NOT GIVE RESULTS, but TRAINING WITHOUT HORMONES WILL!
CREATINE PHOSPHATE! Gives energy to the DNA molecule for fast work. Also, supplementing with CREATINE MONOHYDRATE can help you complete an extra couple of reps in your workout. Good thing.
AMINO ACIDS for growth! In order to grow muscles, you need something to grow from! Amino acids are plastic building materials for muscle growth.

Yes, protein (amino acids) is very important! But more in conditions of DIET (deficiency of simple carbohydrates). Imagine when you are losing weight, i.e. If you don’t eat carbohydrates and exercise, then there is VERY LITTLE glycogen in your muscles, which means you have to use amino acids as energy (an expensive source of nutrition). If you drink extra during training and after amino acids, you will retain more muscle.

This is not beneficial for sports nutrition manufacturers, because... PROTEIN IS MORE EXPENSIVE and you can get MORE from its sale! But I believe that it is so. CARBOHYDRATES ARE MORE IMPORTANT than protein, especially when gaining muscle mass, because... give energy to your muscles.

The fact is that after training, your body DOESN'T EVEN THINK about growing muscles, because... it has depleted its energy reserves! He needs to make up for them! That is why for the next two days after training, your body replenishes energy reserves and does not even think about growth. And contractile proteins continue to be destroyed by enzymes - PROTEIN KINASES! Only after 2 days the body starts recovery and, as is usually written, it recovers in 7 days. But in fact, even more. Usually within 10-14 days.

Let's summarize:
TRAINING STRESS(destruction).
HORMONAL BACKGROUND(starting synthesis from DNA).
HYDROGEN IONS(unwinding of the DNA helix for hormones).
CREATINE PHOSPHATE + CARBOHYDRATES(energy supply).
AMINO ACIDS(building material for plastic structures).

This applies to ANY muscle fibers (MMV, BMW, VBMV). The only difference is that for MMV it is more difficult to maintain the required concentration of hydrogen ions, so it is necessary to perform the exercises in a certain way, as we discussed earlier in this article.

Is it possible to combine MMV and BMW training?

Can. I'll tell you more. That's exactly what I did in the army. I remember that I once trained my arms so much that I couldn’t button up my jacket in the morning; my colleagues helped me, because... they were unbearably sick! That's what it means, I've never trained MMV.

There are several basic rules:

WE ALWAYS TRAIN AFTER BMW(if you train them in the same workout).
MMV RECOVER SMALLER(2-3 days, i.e. already on the third day you can train again).
BMW + 1-2 days of rest + MMV(if you train in different workouts).

Example of training program No. 1 (ALTERNATING WEEKS):
BMW week (80-90% of 1 RM, 6-8 reps, fast pace, failure);
week IMM (30-50% of 1 RM, 30-50 sec approach, constant tension, failure);
Recovery week (50%, 8-12 reps, no failure);

Example of training program No. 2 (BMW + MMV in one training session):
BMW Week + MMV;
Recovery week (or very light training with 50% weight NOT TO FAILURE);

OK. But how can we combine MMV and BMW training in practice?

Example of a combination (BMW + MMV in one training session):
BMW– Incline bench press: 4 sets (80 kg x 6-12).
BMW– Incline dumbbell press: 4 sets (30 kg (1 dumbbell) x 6-12).
BMW– Dumbbell flyes lying on a bench: 4 sets (20 kg (1 dumbbell) x 8-12).
MMB – Incline Bench Press: 2-3 x ((30 kg = 30-50 sec. approach + 20-30 sec. rest) x 3 sets + rest 3-5 minutes + REPEAT SERIES...).
MMV– Incline Dumbbell Press: 2-3 x ((10-15 kg (1 dumbbell) = 30-50 sec. approach + 20-30 sec. rest) x 3 sets + rest 3-5 minutes + REPEAT SERIES...).

Do you see what's funny? We always download BMW at the beginning, before MMV! MMV IS ALWAYS IN THE END! UNDER NO EVENT CAN YOU CHANGE PLACES!

If we trained two muscle groups in one workout, for example, CHEST + ARMS, then we would first need to train the BMW CHEST, then the BMW ARMs, and only THEN the MMV CHEST + MMV ARMs. Just as you can see, WE TRAIN THE LARGE MUSCLE GROUPS FIRST (legs, back, chest), and only then the SMALL MUSCLE GROUPS (delts, arms, calves).

RIGHT= BMW Chest + BMW Arms + MMV Chest + MMV Arms.

WRONG = BMW Chest + MMV Chest + BMW Arms + MMV Arms.

WRONG= BMW Arms + BMW Arms + BMW Chest + BMW Chest.

I guess I’ll end this article here. If you are a beginner, then you DO NOT NEED this for now, but if you are already an experienced athlete who has been training for two years and has stagnated in results, then IMM training can be a very good help in achieving new horizons in muscle growth.

P.S. Subscribe to blog updates. It will only get worse.

With respect and best wishes,!

When I first heard about slow-twitch muscle fibers, and also about the fact that by training them athletes progress in their results in both strength and muscle mass, then naturally I wanted to quickly learn about methods of training slow-twitch muscle fibers. However, as it turned out, I had already trained them like this before, without knowing it.

In one of the articles, I already wrote that during my school and student years I did not pursue muscle mass and performed exercises only with my own weight - different types of push-ups, including upside down only on my hands, pull-ups with different grips, push-ups on parallel bars and etc. At the same time, starting from my student years, I began to engage in kettlebell lifting (KMS). At the same time, to make the bodyweight exercises more challenging, I performed them slowly. And in order to better feel the work of the muscles, I performed exercises within the amplitude.

It turns out that I trained both slow muscle fibers (in exercises with my body weight) and fast muscle fibers. It was then that I came across a book by Mike Mentzer, although I began to study “to failure” a little later. But that’s another story, where I decided to gain muscle mass and stopped doing bodyweight exercises in the manner I wrote about above.

As I wrote at the beginning of this article, I recently was able to glean more detailed information about training slow twitch muscle fibers. In this article I will focus only on the key points.

Basic principles of training slow-twitch muscle fibers:

Light weight.
Slow execution speed - approximately 5-7 seconds per movement in one direction. For example, if this is a chest press, then the movement to the chest should take 5-7 seconds and the same amount from it.
Work within the amplitude - there should not be full extension in the joints so that the working muscle does not rest.
The duration of one approach is 30-40 seconds. The burning sensation should occur at about 30-35 seconds.
Each exercise is performed in trisets (three sets each)
Rest between sets - up to 30 seconds.
The number of trisets is 3-4.
Rest between trisets - 5-10 minutes.

Please pay attention to point 8. Such a long vacation does not mean that you can go and have some tea. Use this time wisely. Namely, they did, say, a biceps triset, rested for 3-4 minutes and did a triceps triset. After this, rest again for 3-4 minutes and again you can move on to the biceps.

As far as I know, many bodybuilders train this way. This saves a lot of time and makes it possible to train both slow and fast muscle fibers in one hour. However, keep in mind that slow muscle fibers are always trained after fast ones, and it doesn’t matter which muscle groups you train in one workout. That is, if, for example, today you are training biceps and triceps, then you first need to train the biceps and triceps, and only then move on to training the biceps and triceps.

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Training slow-twitch muscle fibers has helped many bodybuilders and strength athletes improve their performance. The winner of many powerlifting championships, Vladimir Viktorovich Kravtsov, believes that the results become noticeable after just one workout.

Now for some visual practice.

Training of slow muscle fibers by Vladimir Kravtsov and Stanislav Lindover with Mikhail Prygunov

This is how Vladimir Kravtsov trains slow muscle fibers (using the example of triceps)

And I would not have believed him if I had listened to this statement of his before my first training of slow muscle fibers with iron, and not after. I didn’t change my nutrition or supplements, everything was the same as before I started training slow muscle fibers. Here I will describe my results after the first such workout, where in one day I trained only one muscle group and only slow muscle fibers.

To be honest, during the training itself I had the feeling that my muscles were missing something (probably dynamics). But imagine my amazement when, after a week of slow-twitch muscle fiber training, I took measurements of my arm circumference. I take measurements both “cold” and after training. My arms have grown by an average of 5 mm! Of course, this does not mean that after each training of slow muscle fibers my arms will increase by 5 mm. Although it wouldn't be bad. But the fact that there really is a result is beyond doubt.

This is how Stanislav Lindover and Mikhail Prygunov train slow muscle fibers
(not at all like V. Kravtsov)

However, later, in the video below, Stanislav Lindover admits that he previously trained slow muscle fibers incorrectly. And it is in the video below that he trains them correctly. He talks about this at the 7:42 time slot. In short, slow twitch muscle fibers still need to be trained at a slow pace.