Anti Cardio Group
A lot of trainees will tell people to do H I I T ( High intensity interval training ) where you do different types of exercises one after another. For example, you do 10 repetition of jump squats followed by a couple of push ups then do something else. As the name implies compared to cardio the intensity is a lot higher.
The purpose of this training is not on-the-spot fat burning but after burn.
You can see that HIIT trains your muscles hard, hence, increasing your anabolic hormones such as testosterone, growth hormones which encourage muscle building and promote fat loss. Not only that, because of the oxygen compensation that occurs after the HIIT, the body will keep burning fats.
Another thing is that when muscles are trained, your muscle cells will become more insulin sensitive. That means they will respond better to this hormone, insulin, as such glucose will be stored efficiently in the muscle cells. Confused? All0w me to elaborate this last paragraph.
When you consume, carbs, they will be converted into glucose. These glucose molecues will travel in the blood and that is what we call " Blood Glucose" or " Blood Sugar ". There is a limit to how high or how low Blood Glucose level can be. So, when you eat rice or bread or sweet potato, BG level will go up. In response to it, Pancrease will release a hormone called " Insulin ". These insulin molecues will bind to glucose molecues.
Your muscle cells have insulin receptors and when they come into contact with these insulin molecues, they will absorb the glucose molucues that go along with insulin molecues.
But, when your muscle cells are insulin resistant, meaning, their insulin sensitivity level is low, they won't respond to the amount of insulin that they used to do. When that happens, pancrease will have to release more insulin in order to reduce BG level.
One thing you must know is that if there is excessive amount of glucose in the blood stream and your muscle cells do not take it up, the liver will convert them into fats.
Now, you see why it is important to make sure that our muscle cells are insulin sensitive.
There is one more reason why these trainees support HIIT. Remember that I mentioned " having more muscles will make it easier for you to build bigger ones and lose fats " in Part I of this series ?
Shredded Natural Bodybuilders without cardio
It is true that muscles will keep burning calories even when at rest. But, it does not mean they will be burning fats all the time. Notice that the Calories your muscles keep burning are not necessarily the fats in your adipose tissues ( fat tissues ).
Bodybuilders won't even need such thing as " Contest preparation" or " Cutting Phase " if their muscles keep burning fats. Everyone one of them will be RIPPED, right? But that is not what it is.
That is why it is not right for you to be Anti Cardio.
Yes, you can do HIIT if you want, but you should not ditch Cardio when you are trying to make your buldging tummy flat.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Road to Healthier, Better, Leaner Physique ( I )
The Road to Healthier, Better, Leaner Physique ( I )
Rise and Shine! We gonna go Jogging!
People seeking fat loss solution like to do jogging in the morning after they rise and shine.
It is ok to do so. But the problem is that they do such activity on an empty stomach.
Aren't we supposed to exercise on an empty stomach when trying to burn fats?
Yes, partly right!
Remember that you have gone through the entire night without any intake of foods. During these 7-8 hours your muscles are sleeping as well.
Well, not really. They are not!
Unlike fat cells, muscle cells require incessant feeding to survive. They will keep burning calories even when you are sleeping.
So, by the time you wake up, your muscle cells and liver glycogen stores are empty. Empty of what?
Remember that the body uses ATP to walk, run, read and anything. And ATP is generated from glucose.
Your muscle cells usually contain glucose, so does the liver. Glycogen stored in the liver comes of glucose.
Ok, we now see what is glycogen and also realize that muscle cells and liver store glucose to generate ATP so that the body can use it to function.
When these guys are empty in the morning, how are you gonna jog ? walk ? talk ? read ?
Well, since there is no glucose stored in muscle cells and liver, they body will start breaking down your muscle proteins ( muscle cells ) into Amino Acids. These amino acids will then be converted into glucose in order for the body to produce ATP.
Now, you are losing muscles! The more activities you do, the more muscle proteins will be depleted.
Rise and Shine! We gonna go Jogging!
People seeking fat loss solution like to do jogging in the morning after they rise and shine.
It is ok to do so. But the problem is that they do such activity on an empty stomach.
Aren't we supposed to exercise on an empty stomach when trying to burn fats?
Yes, partly right!
Remember that you have gone through the entire night without any intake of foods. During these 7-8 hours your muscles are sleeping as well.
Well, not really. They are not!
Unlike fat cells, muscle cells require incessant feeding to survive. They will keep burning calories even when you are sleeping.
So, by the time you wake up, your muscle cells and liver glycogen stores are empty. Empty of what?
Remember that the body uses ATP to walk, run, read and anything. And ATP is generated from glucose.
Your muscle cells usually contain glucose, so does the liver. Glycogen stored in the liver comes of glucose.
Ok, we now see what is glycogen and also realize that muscle cells and liver store glucose to generate ATP so that the body can use it to function.
When these guys are empty in the morning, how are you gonna jog ? walk ? talk ? read ?
Well, since there is no glucose stored in muscle cells and liver, they body will start breaking down your muscle proteins ( muscle cells ) into Amino Acids. These amino acids will then be converted into glucose in order for the body to produce ATP.
Now, you are losing muscles! The more activities you do, the more muscle proteins will be depleted.
Losing muscles = Higher difficulty in losing fat
Muscles are the ones that burn calories. Just having more muscles makes it easier for you to build bigger ones and lose fat. Also these guys are associated with anabolic hormones which play major roles in fat loss and muscle building.
Physical Stress = Higher difficulty in losing fat
Also, when you see skinny fat people, recognize that they have this hormone in constantly elevated state. They have skinny hands, body and legs but they have this tummy.
When we wake up in the morning, stress hormone cortisol and another hormone dopamine are high in level to drive us into action. We will feel awake, enegertic and are ready to get going bcos of them.
So, the bottom line is that we need these guys to be awake and active but skyrocketing them by doing physical activities before eating any meal of the day is unwise and will fail to get desired results. In stead, we will face the adverse effects.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Join The Revolution II
Join The Revolution II
Your pre bed meal is really important as you know. Your body goes though a restoration process when you sleep, trillions of cells will be renewed, 80-90 % of daily GH production occurs while you sleep. Many many things happens actually. But, I am not here to talk about all those things.
I am here to talk a LITTLE BIT about GH.Its direct effect is encouraging fat break down.
That is what I want you to know.
It stimulate fat break down and cause IGF 1 to be released which aids in bone growth, increases protein synthesis and prevents protein oxidation ( breakdown ) and many other good things.When you prepare your last meal, you gotta make sure it does not spike insulin.The reason is that high level of insulin drives down your Melatonin and GH production.Second reason why you don't want underproduction of these two hormones is that these guys' secretion is inversely proportionate to Cortisol production.When we wake up Dopamine and Cortisol are both high to drive us into action. If they are not high enough, we will have a hard time waking up. But, when unnecessarily elevated, we will go through a whole day of catabolic state where everything we eat and do tend to do more harm than good as the receptors for all other hormones become resistant to those hormones, hence, testosterone, GH, insulin, estrogen, thyroid and cortisol itself will never work optimally.And the timing is also of equal importance.
By eating a bout two hours before you go to bed, your insulin will be low by the time you get to bed, at the same time, you muscles will be fed with glucose.Here comes another reason why. Right after your meal, Ghrelin level drops down so low but it comes back up slowly. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes you feel hungry. It potently stimulate GH secretion as well. Ghrelin, Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone and Samatostin ( SS is a hormone that inhibits GH production ) works together to decide the timing and amount of GH secretion.So, to minimize the release of insulin and boost GH production, your meal should be low in carbs, preferably Fibrous Carbs, High in protein ( casein protein ) and low in fat, should be taken about 1 1/2 hr - 2 hrs before bed time.** Just for your info, high level of free fatty acids inhibits GH production and low level does the reverse **
Your pre bed meal is really important as you know. Your body goes though a restoration process when you sleep, trillions of cells will be renewed, 80-90 % of daily GH production occurs while you sleep. Many many things happens actually. But, I am not here to talk about all those things.
I am here to talk a LITTLE BIT about GH.Its direct effect is encouraging fat break down.
That is what I want you to know.
It stimulate fat break down and cause IGF 1 to be released which aids in bone growth, increases protein synthesis and prevents protein oxidation ( breakdown ) and many other good things.When you prepare your last meal, you gotta make sure it does not spike insulin.The reason is that high level of insulin drives down your Melatonin and GH production.Second reason why you don't want underproduction of these two hormones is that these guys' secretion is inversely proportionate to Cortisol production.When we wake up Dopamine and Cortisol are both high to drive us into action. If they are not high enough, we will have a hard time waking up. But, when unnecessarily elevated, we will go through a whole day of catabolic state where everything we eat and do tend to do more harm than good as the receptors for all other hormones become resistant to those hormones, hence, testosterone, GH, insulin, estrogen, thyroid and cortisol itself will never work optimally.And the timing is also of equal importance.
By eating a bout two hours before you go to bed, your insulin will be low by the time you get to bed, at the same time, you muscles will be fed with glucose.Here comes another reason why. Right after your meal, Ghrelin level drops down so low but it comes back up slowly. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes you feel hungry. It potently stimulate GH secretion as well. Ghrelin, Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone and Samatostin ( SS is a hormone that inhibits GH production ) works together to decide the timing and amount of GH secretion.So, to minimize the release of insulin and boost GH production, your meal should be low in carbs, preferably Fibrous Carbs, High in protein ( casein protein ) and low in fat, should be taken about 1 1/2 hr - 2 hrs before bed time.** Just for your info, high level of free fatty acids inhibits GH production and low level does the reverse **
Join The Revolution I
Join The Revolution I
I will tell you how our bodies use the food we eat generally.Because a fellow has brought it up, I will hereby clarify that this is only the basic and general information for the noobs. This has nothing to do with Ketosis, lipolysis or gluconeogenesis which are related to starvation or special diets.
Pancreas
Pancreas is a gland located near the stomach. Inside are cluster cells, special cells, that secrete two types of hormones, pancreatic hormones,Insulin and Glucagon, into bloodstream to regulate blood glucose level aka blood sugar level. Cluster cells are divided into two groups, Beta Cells and Alpha Cells, Beta Cells producing Insulin and the latter, Glucagon.
Insulin
When there is a lot of glucose, for example, after a meal, in the bloodstream, Beta Cells in the Pancreas releases Insulin. The secreted insulin urges cells in the body to absorb glucose flowing in the blood stream, at the same time signaling the liver to convert to grab glucose and convert it into Glycogen.It is done as glucose in the blood stream must be maintained within range. Excessive amount of glucose in the bloodstream is too dangerous for the body.
Glucagon
It is a hormone produced by the Alpha Cells in the Pancreas when glucose level in the bloodstream falls below range. This hormone instructs liver to convert back the Glycogen into Glucose and release it back into the bloodstream.This way, our blood glucose level is maintained within range.The Other Function of Pancreas is secreting enzymes to break fat, starch and proteins, playing an important role in digestion.
Pancreas, Liver and Gallbladder works together, releasing digestive juices to digest the foods we eat.* That is why I always tell people to drink just a bit of water or whatever drink a few minutes before and within half an hour after a meal to avoid interrupting digestion *Now, lets have a look at types of carbs and their effects on insulin level.There are two main types of carbs as we all know, simple carbs and complex carbs.
Complex carbs are divided into two types, starches and dietary fibers. Dietary fibers are also known as Very Complex Carbs.Our body run on Glucose. Carbs, proteins, and fats are macronutrients just like multi vitamins and multi minerals, but they are needed in large quantities. Because Carbs are more easily converted into Glucose than proteins and fats, it is our body's preferred source of energy.
Simple carbs include glucose, fructose, lactose. Table Sugar is called sucrose. Fruits contain simple carbs as well.What happens when we consume simple carbs ? Because they are basically sugar, these carbs are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly, causing pancreas to secrete insulin as there is a sharp rise in blood glucose level. But, pancreas supposes that there is too much glucose in your bloodstream and releases excessive amount of insulin. As such, not only the glucose that needs to be drive into your cells but insulin also force certain amount of the rest of the glucose in the bloodstream into the cells.Blood Sugar Level is supposed to be maintain within range, but, as the level fall below the set point because of excessive insulin, you will start to feel hungry.That is why we always say that sugar causes insulin spikes, a sudden rise in insulin level, and this insulin spikes are caused by sugar spikes which is a sudden rise in blood sugar level.This is detrimental to our health as it can lead to impaired glucose tolerance, insulin insensitivity and type 2 diabetes.In contrast, complex carbs are slowly broken down into glucose, without causing insulin spikes. That is where complex carbs score the first point against simple carbs. They are called complex carbs because their structure is complex and it takes time for the body to metabolize * break them down into usable stuff * them.
Very Complex Carbs are dietary fibers. The body lacks the enzymes to metabolize these fibers, hence, they literally go through our body undigested.Still, fibers are still a healthy choice as they improve the body's ability to process waste efficiently + they make us full longer ( good for dieters, right? I will give the dieters who never feel full some tips later). They also help prevent various types of diseases. So, eat your fibers.Speaking of simple carbs, people experience so called " Energy Crash " about an hour after drinking red bull or the likes as a pre workout energy drink. Why ?Though other cells in the body can make use of fatty acids, your brain cells only rely on Glucose. When there is a fall in glucose level within bloodstream because of excessive amount of insulin, CNS is affected, hence, you feel giddy.We now know that insulin is an anabolic which is needed for our cells to receive glucose.
Carbs Benefits
Carbs greatly benefit the body most when it comes to energy supply. When carbs are consumed, they are broken down into sugar then immediately converted into glucose. Glucose then is absorbed through the walls of intestine into the bloodstream to be distributed into cells, including muscle cells, or stored as glycogen.As stated above, they are body's preferred source energy, as such, when the body needs energy, it first looks for glucose from carbohydrates. When we are on low carb diet or we have metabolic disorders which prevents normal use of available glucose, the body will use the glycogen stored in cells and liver as there is insufficient supply of glucose. If this is not enough, it will break down our muscle proteins, hence, we lose muscles.Having sufficient glucose prevent the body from using our muscle proteins for energy.Without adequate supply of glucose, our brain function is affected and reduced as well.Moreover, certain carbs provide healthy bacteria in the gut with nutrients, thus, improving digestion.The benefits of fibrous carbs were mentioned above.Carbs also are rich in minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals.As it is, carbs are important for both physical and mental performance and health.So, carbs are good for health and much needed for numerous reasons. Just that simple carbs can cause insulin spikes which can cause long term health side effects.That having said, we can still use simple carbs wisely. As intense exercises deplete muscle glycogen, it is best that we use fast acting carbs right after workout to cause insulin spike which would wipe blood sugar into muscles and liver as fast as possible.
The same applies to breakfast.While it is a good idea for healthy individuals, it is not advisable for people with insulin related health problems.Healthy individuals should also limit the amount of simple carbs to be taken in for their breakfast and pre workout meals.
Let me share some secret with you by giving you an example.Here is an analogy between a chemical process and our body's insulin response;
If you pour acid into a vessel with water, there will be chemical reaction and smoke will rise up. The faster your pour the acid, the more smoke will come out.
In contrast, adding the acid slowly into the vessel will keep the reaction weak and less smoke will appear.Lets assume that there is "A" chemical in a vessel with the temperature set point of 5 degree C." B " chemical is to be added into the vessel slowly.There will be a reaction between the two chemicals and vessel temperature will go up.
There are two tanks of Glyco. One is used for cooling and the other for heating. The flow from each tank will be controlled by a valve.
Simple Carbs = Fast addition of B chemicalAmount of B chemical = 10 kgNormal blood glucose level = Temperature set point 5 degree
When B chemical is added in no time into the vessel where A chemical is, the reaction will be very strong and temperature will shoot up immediately. Because of a sharp, rapid rise in vessel temperature ( say, 20 Degree C ), the valve that control the cool glyco will open very big ( say, 100 % open ) and quickly in order to get the temperature down to the set poit of 5 degree C.Addition finishes in a blink of an eye but the valve is still open big and there is still cooling liquid flowing. As the vessel temperature go back down to set point, the control valve will slowly shut. But, the valve is still open even when the temperature has been normalized, hence, it is over cooled and the temperature will fall below 5 degree C.So, when you take simple carbs, the valve from beta cells will open big and release a lot of insulin, hence, your blood glucose level fall below set point.Not only the cells will be fed with the glucose from the food you eat, they will also be force fed with the original glucose from your blood stream.
Extra glucose that your muscle cells and liver can't take in anymore will be stored as fat.
What about it? What can we learn from this?Wait, here is another analogy.
Amount of B chemical = 10 kgSimple carbs = fast addition of the first 3 kg of B chemicalComplex Carbs ( Low GI fibrous Carbs ) = slow addition of the other 7 Kb of B chemicalNormal Blood Glucose Level = Vessel Temperature Set point 5 degree C
As you charge in the first 3 kg fast into the vessel, there is a sudden rise in vessel temperature ( say, 10 degree C ) as the reaction is strong bcos of fast addition. Accordingly, the control valve for cool glyco will open fast and bigger ( say, 60 % ).The rest of the B chemical will be charged in very slowly, hence, there is very little reaction and temperature takes much longer time to go up.The temperature sensor detects the stagnation of temperature rise and instructs the control valve to stop opening further.60 % opening releases the cooling liquid which is more than enough to cool back down the vessel to 5 degree C. As such, the excessive flow of cooling liquid will deal with the later part of the chemical reaction which is very weak and cause very little rise in temperature. As the temperature go back down to 5, the control valve will also shut slowly. As blood glucose level goes down, beta cells in the pancreas will release less insulin slowly.There won't be unnecessary fall in vessel temperature and control valve will not have to work as hard as well.
Further more, there won't be force feeding, hence, no fat storage. ( supposing you don't eat more than you need )From here, you should know why you should limit the simple carbs intake and how to make best use of the situation.The faster the addition is the faster and higher the temperature will go up and the bigger the control valve will open releasing more cold glyco. High GI carbs cause a sudden and big rise in glucose and it will make beta cells from pancreas to release a large amount of insulin. But, how big the valve will open depends on the amount of chemical you add. How much insulin will be released depend on the total amount of High GI carbs you consume. Adding the rest of the chemical slowly balance out everything, likewise making the rest of the carbs intake fibrous, low GI carbs help everything work out.
This way, you can play around with carbs.
That having been said, I don't recommend causing any insulin spike in a body with insulin problems.
I will tell you how our bodies use the food we eat generally.Because a fellow has brought it up, I will hereby clarify that this is only the basic and general information for the noobs. This has nothing to do with Ketosis, lipolysis or gluconeogenesis which are related to starvation or special diets.
Pancreas
Pancreas is a gland located near the stomach. Inside are cluster cells, special cells, that secrete two types of hormones, pancreatic hormones,Insulin and Glucagon, into bloodstream to regulate blood glucose level aka blood sugar level. Cluster cells are divided into two groups, Beta Cells and Alpha Cells, Beta Cells producing Insulin and the latter, Glucagon.
Insulin
When there is a lot of glucose, for example, after a meal, in the bloodstream, Beta Cells in the Pancreas releases Insulin. The secreted insulin urges cells in the body to absorb glucose flowing in the blood stream, at the same time signaling the liver to convert to grab glucose and convert it into Glycogen.It is done as glucose in the blood stream must be maintained within range. Excessive amount of glucose in the bloodstream is too dangerous for the body.
Glucagon
It is a hormone produced by the Alpha Cells in the Pancreas when glucose level in the bloodstream falls below range. This hormone instructs liver to convert back the Glycogen into Glucose and release it back into the bloodstream.This way, our blood glucose level is maintained within range.The Other Function of Pancreas is secreting enzymes to break fat, starch and proteins, playing an important role in digestion.
Pancreas, Liver and Gallbladder works together, releasing digestive juices to digest the foods we eat.* That is why I always tell people to drink just a bit of water or whatever drink a few minutes before and within half an hour after a meal to avoid interrupting digestion *Now, lets have a look at types of carbs and their effects on insulin level.There are two main types of carbs as we all know, simple carbs and complex carbs.
Complex carbs are divided into two types, starches and dietary fibers. Dietary fibers are also known as Very Complex Carbs.Our body run on Glucose. Carbs, proteins, and fats are macronutrients just like multi vitamins and multi minerals, but they are needed in large quantities. Because Carbs are more easily converted into Glucose than proteins and fats, it is our body's preferred source of energy.
Simple carbs include glucose, fructose, lactose. Table Sugar is called sucrose. Fruits contain simple carbs as well.What happens when we consume simple carbs ? Because they are basically sugar, these carbs are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly, causing pancreas to secrete insulin as there is a sharp rise in blood glucose level. But, pancreas supposes that there is too much glucose in your bloodstream and releases excessive amount of insulin. As such, not only the glucose that needs to be drive into your cells but insulin also force certain amount of the rest of the glucose in the bloodstream into the cells.Blood Sugar Level is supposed to be maintain within range, but, as the level fall below the set point because of excessive insulin, you will start to feel hungry.That is why we always say that sugar causes insulin spikes, a sudden rise in insulin level, and this insulin spikes are caused by sugar spikes which is a sudden rise in blood sugar level.This is detrimental to our health as it can lead to impaired glucose tolerance, insulin insensitivity and type 2 diabetes.In contrast, complex carbs are slowly broken down into glucose, without causing insulin spikes. That is where complex carbs score the first point against simple carbs. They are called complex carbs because their structure is complex and it takes time for the body to metabolize * break them down into usable stuff * them.
Very Complex Carbs are dietary fibers. The body lacks the enzymes to metabolize these fibers, hence, they literally go through our body undigested.Still, fibers are still a healthy choice as they improve the body's ability to process waste efficiently + they make us full longer ( good for dieters, right? I will give the dieters who never feel full some tips later). They also help prevent various types of diseases. So, eat your fibers.Speaking of simple carbs, people experience so called " Energy Crash " about an hour after drinking red bull or the likes as a pre workout energy drink. Why ?Though other cells in the body can make use of fatty acids, your brain cells only rely on Glucose. When there is a fall in glucose level within bloodstream because of excessive amount of insulin, CNS is affected, hence, you feel giddy.We now know that insulin is an anabolic which is needed for our cells to receive glucose.
Carbs Benefits
Carbs greatly benefit the body most when it comes to energy supply. When carbs are consumed, they are broken down into sugar then immediately converted into glucose. Glucose then is absorbed through the walls of intestine into the bloodstream to be distributed into cells, including muscle cells, or stored as glycogen.As stated above, they are body's preferred source energy, as such, when the body needs energy, it first looks for glucose from carbohydrates. When we are on low carb diet or we have metabolic disorders which prevents normal use of available glucose, the body will use the glycogen stored in cells and liver as there is insufficient supply of glucose. If this is not enough, it will break down our muscle proteins, hence, we lose muscles.Having sufficient glucose prevent the body from using our muscle proteins for energy.Without adequate supply of glucose, our brain function is affected and reduced as well.Moreover, certain carbs provide healthy bacteria in the gut with nutrients, thus, improving digestion.The benefits of fibrous carbs were mentioned above.Carbs also are rich in minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals.As it is, carbs are important for both physical and mental performance and health.So, carbs are good for health and much needed for numerous reasons. Just that simple carbs can cause insulin spikes which can cause long term health side effects.That having said, we can still use simple carbs wisely. As intense exercises deplete muscle glycogen, it is best that we use fast acting carbs right after workout to cause insulin spike which would wipe blood sugar into muscles and liver as fast as possible.
The same applies to breakfast.While it is a good idea for healthy individuals, it is not advisable for people with insulin related health problems.Healthy individuals should also limit the amount of simple carbs to be taken in for their breakfast and pre workout meals.
Let me share some secret with you by giving you an example.Here is an analogy between a chemical process and our body's insulin response;
If you pour acid into a vessel with water, there will be chemical reaction and smoke will rise up. The faster your pour the acid, the more smoke will come out.
In contrast, adding the acid slowly into the vessel will keep the reaction weak and less smoke will appear.Lets assume that there is "A" chemical in a vessel with the temperature set point of 5 degree C." B " chemical is to be added into the vessel slowly.There will be a reaction between the two chemicals and vessel temperature will go up.
There are two tanks of Glyco. One is used for cooling and the other for heating. The flow from each tank will be controlled by a valve.
Simple Carbs = Fast addition of B chemicalAmount of B chemical = 10 kgNormal blood glucose level = Temperature set point 5 degree
When B chemical is added in no time into the vessel where A chemical is, the reaction will be very strong and temperature will shoot up immediately. Because of a sharp, rapid rise in vessel temperature ( say, 20 Degree C ), the valve that control the cool glyco will open very big ( say, 100 % open ) and quickly in order to get the temperature down to the set poit of 5 degree C.Addition finishes in a blink of an eye but the valve is still open big and there is still cooling liquid flowing. As the vessel temperature go back down to set point, the control valve will slowly shut. But, the valve is still open even when the temperature has been normalized, hence, it is over cooled and the temperature will fall below 5 degree C.So, when you take simple carbs, the valve from beta cells will open big and release a lot of insulin, hence, your blood glucose level fall below set point.Not only the cells will be fed with the glucose from the food you eat, they will also be force fed with the original glucose from your blood stream.
Extra glucose that your muscle cells and liver can't take in anymore will be stored as fat.
What about it? What can we learn from this?Wait, here is another analogy.
Amount of B chemical = 10 kgSimple carbs = fast addition of the first 3 kg of B chemicalComplex Carbs ( Low GI fibrous Carbs ) = slow addition of the other 7 Kb of B chemicalNormal Blood Glucose Level = Vessel Temperature Set point 5 degree C
As you charge in the first 3 kg fast into the vessel, there is a sudden rise in vessel temperature ( say, 10 degree C ) as the reaction is strong bcos of fast addition. Accordingly, the control valve for cool glyco will open fast and bigger ( say, 60 % ).The rest of the B chemical will be charged in very slowly, hence, there is very little reaction and temperature takes much longer time to go up.The temperature sensor detects the stagnation of temperature rise and instructs the control valve to stop opening further.60 % opening releases the cooling liquid which is more than enough to cool back down the vessel to 5 degree C. As such, the excessive flow of cooling liquid will deal with the later part of the chemical reaction which is very weak and cause very little rise in temperature. As the temperature go back down to 5, the control valve will also shut slowly. As blood glucose level goes down, beta cells in the pancreas will release less insulin slowly.There won't be unnecessary fall in vessel temperature and control valve will not have to work as hard as well.
Further more, there won't be force feeding, hence, no fat storage. ( supposing you don't eat more than you need )From here, you should know why you should limit the simple carbs intake and how to make best use of the situation.The faster the addition is the faster and higher the temperature will go up and the bigger the control valve will open releasing more cold glyco. High GI carbs cause a sudden and big rise in glucose and it will make beta cells from pancreas to release a large amount of insulin. But, how big the valve will open depends on the amount of chemical you add. How much insulin will be released depend on the total amount of High GI carbs you consume. Adding the rest of the chemical slowly balance out everything, likewise making the rest of the carbs intake fibrous, low GI carbs help everything work out.
This way, you can play around with carbs.
That having been said, I don't recommend causing any insulin spike in a body with insulin problems.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Beginners' Library ( Part II )
Beginners' Library ( Part II )
Take a look at this first;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ309LfHQ3M&feature=related
Remember the chemicals used.
How do muscles produce force?
Motor Unit Recruitment aka Motor Unit Summation
As the name implies, this is about the force obtained by recruiting more and more motor units.
Some like to call it Fiber Summation. But, you gotta remember that you can't use a fiber without activating the neuron that controls the fiber, and you can't recruit just certain number of the fibers. Once this neuron is activated, all fibers under control will come into play, which is something I have stated earlier.
When we perform an exercise, say, calf raises, the MUs in our calves are not recruited in a random fashion. They are called upon according to what is known as Size Principle.
Calves have Large MUs which contain larger amount of fibers and small MUs which are of small neurons and few muscle fibers.
How many large MUs and Small MUs there are is genetically determined.
For fine, delicate movements low threshold MUs will be used. The control small numbers of slow twitch fibers.
So, when we calf raise light weights, these small MUs which have low threshold for activation will start working first. After a few warm up sets with light loads, we slam on more plates. As there is a demand for more force, necessary amount of larger MUs are recruited.
Over time, some of the MUs will start to drop out as they become fatigued, hence, more and more MUs will be called upon to keep the weights going.
Rate Coding
The second Mechanism is Rate Coding * Rate Coding refers to how many times motor neurons fire in a certain period of time, the faster they fire, the faster the fibers they control will contract, resulting in greater tension in each fiber, hence, more force output *.
In a given motor unit there is a range of firing frequencies. Remember ? Small MUs operate at a lower frequency range than Larger MUs *.
Within that range, the force generated by a motor unit increases with increasing firing frequency.
MUs you have recruited can handle the loads you are lifting, they won't fire at maximum frequency. But, when you need more force at the same time, you can't recruit anymore MUs, then, the guys working will start to increase their firing frequency to the max.
Tetanus
When fibers are forced to contract before it relaxes completely from previous contraction, they will twitch faster than normal, hence, there will be increased tension/force. In addition, there will also be motor unit summation, that is, if there are MUs left unused, they will be called upon as necessary.
This is known as Tetanus.
Take a look at this first;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ309LfHQ3M&feature=related
Remember the chemicals used.
How do muscles produce force?
Motor Unit Recruitment aka Motor Unit Summation
As the name implies, this is about the force obtained by recruiting more and more motor units.
Some like to call it Fiber Summation. But, you gotta remember that you can't use a fiber without activating the neuron that controls the fiber, and you can't recruit just certain number of the fibers. Once this neuron is activated, all fibers under control will come into play, which is something I have stated earlier.
When we perform an exercise, say, calf raises, the MUs in our calves are not recruited in a random fashion. They are called upon according to what is known as Size Principle.
Calves have Large MUs which contain larger amount of fibers and small MUs which are of small neurons and few muscle fibers.
How many large MUs and Small MUs there are is genetically determined.
For fine, delicate movements low threshold MUs will be used. The control small numbers of slow twitch fibers.
So, when we calf raise light weights, these small MUs which have low threshold for activation will start working first. After a few warm up sets with light loads, we slam on more plates. As there is a demand for more force, necessary amount of larger MUs are recruited.
Over time, some of the MUs will start to drop out as they become fatigued, hence, more and more MUs will be called upon to keep the weights going.
Rate Coding
The second Mechanism is Rate Coding * Rate Coding refers to how many times motor neurons fire in a certain period of time, the faster they fire, the faster the fibers they control will contract, resulting in greater tension in each fiber, hence, more force output *.
In a given motor unit there is a range of firing frequencies. Remember ? Small MUs operate at a lower frequency range than Larger MUs *.
Within that range, the force generated by a motor unit increases with increasing firing frequency.
MUs you have recruited can handle the loads you are lifting, they won't fire at maximum frequency. But, when you need more force at the same time, you can't recruit anymore MUs, then, the guys working will start to increase their firing frequency to the max.
Tetanus
When fibers are forced to contract before it relaxes completely from previous contraction, they will twitch faster than normal, hence, there will be increased tension/force. In addition, there will also be motor unit summation, that is, if there are MUs left unused, they will be called upon as necessary.
This is known as Tetanus.
BEGINNERS' LIBRARY ( Part I )
BEGINNERS' LIBRARY ( Part I )
* You don't have to have a degree in Human Bio or Phisiology or be a neurologist to become a bodybuilder. Regardless, the following are very important for you to know as they can and will help you put on serious mass and strength in no time without the help of drugs *
This is a far superior version of Beginners' Library. The information I had given in my old article is insufficient. Accordingly, I have decided to write a series of more complete articles. I have also provided two links where you can actually see how muscles contract.
So, How do muscles contract?
When a signal ( electrical signal ) gets to the nerve endings which lie next to the ends of fibers, a chemical transmitter, Acetylcholine, is released, and it travels across the small gap between the nerve and the muscle which is known as Neuromuscular Junction. Then, Calcium ions are released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum increasing the amount of calcium in the region of the filaments. Calcium ions combine with the troponin in the thin filaments, and troponin is stopped from inhibiting the myosin-actin interaction allowing the thick and thin filaments to interact, then, contraction takes place. When the "command" for contraction ceases, the release of calcium ions ends and, by an active process using the energy from ATP splitting * ATP splitting is convertion of ATP into ADP + P for energy *, calcium ions are pumped back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. As this process lowers the level of calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, the calcium ions dissociate from the troponin and the myosin-actin interaction is inhibited. As a result of this inhibition, tension produced by the muscle diminishes.
I see that this science jargon has confused you greatly.
Let me make is simple for you;
Basically, inside the muscle fibers, the signal stimulates the flow of calcium which causes the thick and thin myofilaments * thick and thinn myofilaments are what are called actin and myosin proteins, to be precise* to slide across one another.
When this occurs, it causes the sarcomere * a sarcomere is made up of thick and thin myofilaments * to shorten, which generates force. When billions of sarcomeres in the muscle shorten all at once it results in a contraction of the entire muscle fiber.
For better idea, go to the links below;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvOyQMxbc78&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdHzK...eature=related
In the second video, you can see the blue colour nucleus on the myofibril, right? Those beautiful blue guys are the ones that express genes. To build bigger fibers, they are supposed to express genes.
It can be Slow Twitch, Type I gene or it can be Fast Twitch, Type II a or Type II b. It depends on what twitch the original fiber is.
Remember that the genes they express can be changed with training. REMEMBER THIS LAST POINT, OK? This is how you can become fast twitch dominant.
There is a super cool website which tells you all about these with super cool animated pics. But, for now, you have a sound knowledge of how contractions take place. So, I won't be pasting that link here.
The process repeats as we keep on lifting.
This whole process of muscle contraction relies heavily on substrates such as Calcium, Sodium, and Potassium to name a few. With continuous signals, the concentration of these substances decreases.
Types of Fibers
There are many types of fibers Type X, Type Xb, Type IIb, Type II ab, Type II a, hybrids of type II a and Type I, Type I and blah blah blah.
But, it is ok, you don't have to know all of them. Let's take a look at the three main types of fibers.
Slow Twitch Fibers ( Type I fibers ) = Fatigue resistant, Smallest and Weakest. Easy to activate. Red in colour.
Fast Twitch Fibers ( Type II a fibers ) = Not as fatigue resistant as Type I fibers, but bigger than them, stronger. Not as easy to activate. Red in colour as well.
Fast Twitch Fibers ( Type II b fibers ) = Least fatigue resistant, Biggest and Strongest. Hard to activate. White in colour.
Motor Units
Motor Unit ( MU ) = A motor neuron and All the fibers this neuron innervates.
Largest MUs = Largest neurons and largest muscle fibers ( Type II b )
Medium MUs = Medium neurons and medium muscle fibers ( Type II ab and Type II a )
Smallest MUs = Smallest neurons and smallest muscle fibers ( Type I )
Large motor neurons usually contain larger number of muscle fibers, whereas small motor neurons control less number of fibers.
When a motor neuron is activated, all the fibers it control will be used. If it controls 1000 fibers, all 1000 fibers will contract ( twitch ).
Motory neurons send signals to make muscle fibers contract ( twitch ). The faster the signals are sent, the faster the fibers contract ( twitch ) and the more force they produce. Sending signals is known as Firing.
Large motor neurons can fire faster than small motor neurons.
There is a range to how fast they can fire, which is known as Fire Rating or Firing Frequency.
The faster a neuron fire, the faster the fibers it control will contract.
The faster a fiber twitch, the greater the tension on this fiber, hence, the more force output.
When a neuron reaches its limits, it will drop out. Means, it stops firing and all the fibers it controls will stop contracting.
Types of Contractions
The contraction of a muscle does not necessarily imply that the muscle shortens; it only means that tension has been generated. Muscles can contract in the following ways ( I won't include stuff like Polymetric here ):
1. "Isometric contraction"
This is a contraction in which no movement takes place, because the load on the muscle exceeds the tension generated by the contracting muscle. This occurs when a muscle attempts to push or pull an immovable object.
OR
It can also be that the load and force output of our muscles are equal.
2. "Isotonic contraction"
This is a contraction in which movement does take place, because the tension generated by the contracting muscle exceeds the load on the muscle. This occurs when you use your muscles to successfully push or pull an object.
Isotonic contractions are further divided into two types:
a. "concentric contraction"
A contraction in which the muscle decreases in length against an opposing load, such as lifting a weight up.
b. "eccentric contraction" * Refer to my first two articles for more info *
A contraction in which the muscle increases in length as it resists a load, such as lowering something down.
During a concentric contraction, the muscles that are shortening serve as the agonists and hence do all the work. During an eccentric contraction the muscles that are lengthening serve as the agonists (and do all of the work).
For example, while doing chin ups, biceps serve as agonists as the body moves up and down, hence, triceps are antagonists and while doing dips, triceps are agonists and biceps are antagonists.
When an agonist contracts, in order to cause the desired motion, it usually forces the antagonists to relax. This phenomenon is called "reciprocal inhibition" because the antagonists are inhibited from contracting.
* You don't have to have a degree in Human Bio or Phisiology or be a neurologist to become a bodybuilder. Regardless, the following are very important for you to know as they can and will help you put on serious mass and strength in no time without the help of drugs *
This is a far superior version of Beginners' Library. The information I had given in my old article is insufficient. Accordingly, I have decided to write a series of more complete articles. I have also provided two links where you can actually see how muscles contract.
So, How do muscles contract?
When a signal ( electrical signal ) gets to the nerve endings which lie next to the ends of fibers, a chemical transmitter, Acetylcholine, is released, and it travels across the small gap between the nerve and the muscle which is known as Neuromuscular Junction. Then, Calcium ions are released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum increasing the amount of calcium in the region of the filaments. Calcium ions combine with the troponin in the thin filaments, and troponin is stopped from inhibiting the myosin-actin interaction allowing the thick and thin filaments to interact, then, contraction takes place. When the "command" for contraction ceases, the release of calcium ions ends and, by an active process using the energy from ATP splitting * ATP splitting is convertion of ATP into ADP + P for energy *, calcium ions are pumped back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. As this process lowers the level of calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, the calcium ions dissociate from the troponin and the myosin-actin interaction is inhibited. As a result of this inhibition, tension produced by the muscle diminishes.
I see that this science jargon has confused you greatly.
Let me make is simple for you;
Basically, inside the muscle fibers, the signal stimulates the flow of calcium which causes the thick and thin myofilaments * thick and thinn myofilaments are what are called actin and myosin proteins, to be precise* to slide across one another.
When this occurs, it causes the sarcomere * a sarcomere is made up of thick and thin myofilaments * to shorten, which generates force. When billions of sarcomeres in the muscle shorten all at once it results in a contraction of the entire muscle fiber.
For better idea, go to the links below;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvOyQMxbc78&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdHzK...eature=related
In the second video, you can see the blue colour nucleus on the myofibril, right? Those beautiful blue guys are the ones that express genes. To build bigger fibers, they are supposed to express genes.
It can be Slow Twitch, Type I gene or it can be Fast Twitch, Type II a or Type II b. It depends on what twitch the original fiber is.
Remember that the genes they express can be changed with training. REMEMBER THIS LAST POINT, OK? This is how you can become fast twitch dominant.
There is a super cool website which tells you all about these with super cool animated pics. But, for now, you have a sound knowledge of how contractions take place. So, I won't be pasting that link here.
The process repeats as we keep on lifting.
This whole process of muscle contraction relies heavily on substrates such as Calcium, Sodium, and Potassium to name a few. With continuous signals, the concentration of these substances decreases.
Types of Fibers
There are many types of fibers Type X, Type Xb, Type IIb, Type II ab, Type II a, hybrids of type II a and Type I, Type I and blah blah blah.
But, it is ok, you don't have to know all of them. Let's take a look at the three main types of fibers.
Slow Twitch Fibers ( Type I fibers ) = Fatigue resistant, Smallest and Weakest. Easy to activate. Red in colour.
Fast Twitch Fibers ( Type II a fibers ) = Not as fatigue resistant as Type I fibers, but bigger than them, stronger. Not as easy to activate. Red in colour as well.
Fast Twitch Fibers ( Type II b fibers ) = Least fatigue resistant, Biggest and Strongest. Hard to activate. White in colour.
Motor Units
Motor Unit ( MU ) = A motor neuron and All the fibers this neuron innervates.
Largest MUs = Largest neurons and largest muscle fibers ( Type II b )
Medium MUs = Medium neurons and medium muscle fibers ( Type II ab and Type II a )
Smallest MUs = Smallest neurons and smallest muscle fibers ( Type I )
Large motor neurons usually contain larger number of muscle fibers, whereas small motor neurons control less number of fibers.
When a motor neuron is activated, all the fibers it control will be used. If it controls 1000 fibers, all 1000 fibers will contract ( twitch ).
Motory neurons send signals to make muscle fibers contract ( twitch ). The faster the signals are sent, the faster the fibers contract ( twitch ) and the more force they produce. Sending signals is known as Firing.
Large motor neurons can fire faster than small motor neurons.
There is a range to how fast they can fire, which is known as Fire Rating or Firing Frequency.
The faster a neuron fire, the faster the fibers it control will contract.
The faster a fiber twitch, the greater the tension on this fiber, hence, the more force output.
When a neuron reaches its limits, it will drop out. Means, it stops firing and all the fibers it controls will stop contracting.
Types of Contractions
The contraction of a muscle does not necessarily imply that the muscle shortens; it only means that tension has been generated. Muscles can contract in the following ways ( I won't include stuff like Polymetric here ):
1. "Isometric contraction"
This is a contraction in which no movement takes place, because the load on the muscle exceeds the tension generated by the contracting muscle. This occurs when a muscle attempts to push or pull an immovable object.
OR
It can also be that the load and force output of our muscles are equal.
2. "Isotonic contraction"
This is a contraction in which movement does take place, because the tension generated by the contracting muscle exceeds the load on the muscle. This occurs when you use your muscles to successfully push or pull an object.
Isotonic contractions are further divided into two types:
a. "concentric contraction"
A contraction in which the muscle decreases in length against an opposing load, such as lifting a weight up.
b. "eccentric contraction" * Refer to my first two articles for more info *
A contraction in which the muscle increases in length as it resists a load, such as lowering something down.
During a concentric contraction, the muscles that are shortening serve as the agonists and hence do all the work. During an eccentric contraction the muscles that are lengthening serve as the agonists (and do all of the work).
For example, while doing chin ups, biceps serve as agonists as the body moves up and down, hence, triceps are antagonists and while doing dips, triceps are agonists and biceps are antagonists.
When an agonist contracts, in order to cause the desired motion, it usually forces the antagonists to relax. This phenomenon is called "reciprocal inhibition" because the antagonists are inhibited from contracting.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Hulk Training Philosophy Intro
Below are the ones described on my channel page on youtube + additional ones;
let me copy and paste the first part
One must be able to know how human body grows, adapts, how we can become fast twitch dominant or slow twitch dominant with training, how our CNS learns, other than CNS which structures contribute to our strength, how muscle fibers and tissues get damaged and repair and such. You must know all these things if you want to become a TrueBodybuilder
.
One must be able to know why this program works and that does not. There is always a reason why something works. Look for scientific solution and read research articles.
Leave behind traditionalbodybuilding beliefs such as Training the same muscle group only once a week, Training certain muscle groups no more than once a week bcos they are smaller, always training to failure believing that it is about going beyond one's limit, being obsessed with certain parameters for a long time such as 5 * 5 or 3 * 10....
As long as you have any one of such beliefs, you can never manipulate your body as you do not even know how your body produce force and such.
Did you know that people can become fast twitch dominant with certain type of training ?
Did you know that the opposite can be done ?
Did you know that there are countless studies done on it ?
Did you know that muscle fibers can be repaired even if you train the same muscle group for a couple of days in a row? Did you know that it is heavily science backed ? real world result backed ? Did you know that it must be done in a systematic way ?
Did you know that small muscles can be trained more often bcos the amount of muscle fibers that get damaged is less than those of bigger muscles. That also means that there are less fibers to repair?
Did you know that thebodybuilders who usually use 10-12 reps look really soft compared to us who train heavy bcos of their Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy which is not the growth of the real muscle protein ? Did you know that such training never make you fast twitch dominant ?
Did you know that fast twitch muscle fibers can grow fastest and are also strongest compared to other types?
Did you know that you must recruit all or most of your motor neurons which control your muscle fibers with each and every rep you perform to ensure growth in every muscle fiber?
Second part
In fact, I have provided lots of these information on several occasions. Just that no one who needs help care to remember.
To make muscle fibers grow, generally speaking, one of the two things must be done;
1. impose greater tension than the one they have experienced
2. make them do more total work than they have done
1. impose greater tension than the one they have experienced
Lets assume that you are able to recruit, say 80 % of your Motor Units which contain Motor Neurons, the nerves that innervate respective group of muscle fibers.
To use all of them, say, you have to carry AT LEAST 80 kg. So, when you carry this 80 kg, you will use all 80 % of your Motor Units, making all the muscle fibers belonged to these units contract/fire.
So, can you lift more than 80 Kg ?
Yes, you can. But, you are already using all the MUs that your CNS is capable to using at any one time, how would you acquire more force to lift more weights ?
Simple, as I have explained in my articles, these Motor Neurons will increase their firing rates as necessary, hence, they willl send electrical signals faster, making your muscle fibers to contract faster.
Will they fire at their highest frequencies ? If the load is heavy enough, yes, if not, they will play it by ear.
So, forcing the Motor Neurons to fire faster than they used to do is how you increasing the tension on your muscle fibers.
But, for the you, who can only use 80 % of the available MUs all at once, there are more than 2 general ways of making muscles grow. I will touch on it later. Lets move to number 2.
2. make them do more total work than they have done
This is simple. If you are doing 3 sets of 10 reps, there will be a total of 30 reps. Just increase the total reps.
By using either one or two of these methods, you will damage the muscle fibers and other structures, IN GENERAL.
Lets get back to the you on the top.
You are using 80 % of MUs right now. If you try to gain strength, your CNS will HAVE TO GET better at recruiting muscle fibers.
By the way, I would like to emphasize that there are many other factors that play major roles in increasing one's strength. Recruiting more MUs is just one of those factors. I have talked about these factors in my reply to bro Ben in this thread. Please look for it and read.
So, when your CNS start recruiting the MUs that it really hardly uses or never uses before, the muscle fibers in these units will have to start working.
Now, you are lifting more weights as your strength go up, but it does not necessarily mean that you expose the muscle fibers that you have been using up untill now to greater tension. Why ? bcos, you are using more weights only because there are more muscle fibers working for you.
Does that mean, there would be no growth if you don't make them do more total work ? not really. There will still be growth even if you use same reps, sets bcos the new guys will grow as they are not used to contracting. And what is more, these guys are more quality than others bcos they are largest, strongest and have the most potential for growth.
That said, if you use heavy enough weights to expose all the fibers to greater tension to the one they are used to, then, yes, others may grow as well. Note that I use MAY and there is a certain reason why. If you know about muscle fiber property changes, you know why.
So, as a rule of thumb, your muscle fibers must get damaged if you want them to grow bigger. Don't mix up soreness with damage. Lets not talk about soreness here. The above rules are just two main ways of damaging them.
Obviously, knowing these two is already good enough. Good enough to put you infront of any others shooting in the dark and trying out this and that without knowing the reason why. Still, it is not that simple just yet.
That is why I always say " Eat enough to gain around 0.25 lbs of lean muscles each and every week and if you gain around there but lots of it are fats when you don't have any health problem and the diet is clean or close to clean, then, it is bcos of your training ". Usually, these training regime they are on can cause very little or no damage to the muscle fibers. That also does not always imply that the regime sucks. It can be bcos of the time that the trainee use this training regime.
This is the intro on the real deal training principles.
There will be articles which will bring you from the basics to the intermediate level.
Stay Tuned
let me copy and paste the first part
One must be able to know how human body grows, adapts, how we can become fast twitch dominant or slow twitch dominant with training, how our CNS learns, other than CNS which structures contribute to our strength, how muscle fibers and tissues get damaged and repair and such. You must know all these things if you want to become a True
One must be able to know why this program works and that does not. There is always a reason why something works. Look for scientific solution and read research articles.
Leave behind traditional
As long as you have any one of such beliefs, you can never manipulate your body as you do not even know how your body produce force and such.
Did you know that people can become fast twitch dominant with certain type of training ?
Did you know that the opposite can be done ?
Did you know that there are countless studies done on it ?
Did you know that muscle fibers can be repaired even if you train the same muscle group for a couple of days in a row? Did you know that it is heavily science backed ? real world result backed ? Did you know that it must be done in a systematic way ?
Did you know that small muscles can be trained more often bcos the amount of muscle fibers that get damaged is less than those of bigger muscles. That also means that there are less fibers to repair?
Did you know that the
Did you know that fast twitch muscle fibers can grow fastest and are also strongest compared to other types?
Did you know that you must recruit all or most of your motor neurons which control your muscle fibers with each and every rep you perform to ensure growth in every muscle fiber?
Second part
In fact, I have provided lots of these information on several occasions. Just that no one who needs help care to remember.
To make muscle fibers grow, generally speaking, one of the two things must be done;
1. impose greater tension than the one they have experienced
2. make them do more total work than they have done
1. impose greater tension than the one they have experienced
Lets assume that you are able to recruit, say 80 % of your Motor Units which contain Motor Neurons, the nerves that innervate respective group of muscle fibers.
To use all of them, say, you have to carry AT LEAST 80 kg. So, when you carry this 80 kg, you will use all 80 % of your Motor Units, making all the muscle fibers belonged to these units contract/fire.
So, can you lift more than 80 Kg ?
Yes, you can. But, you are already using all the MUs that your CNS is capable to using at any one time, how would you acquire more force to lift more weights ?
Simple, as I have explained in my articles, these Motor Neurons will increase their firing rates as necessary, hence, they willl send electrical signals faster, making your muscle fibers to contract faster.
Will they fire at their highest frequencies ? If the load is heavy enough, yes, if not, they will play it by ear.
So, forcing the Motor Neurons to fire faster than they used to do is how you increasing the tension on your muscle fibers.
But, for the you, who can only use 80 % of the available MUs all at once, there are more than 2 general ways of making muscles grow. I will touch on it later. Lets move to number 2.
2. make them do more total work than they have done
This is simple. If you are doing 3 sets of 10 reps, there will be a total of 30 reps. Just increase the total reps.
By using either one or two of these methods, you will damage the muscle fibers and other structures, IN GENERAL.
Lets get back to the you on the top.
You are using 80 % of MUs right now. If you try to gain strength, your CNS will HAVE TO GET better at recruiting muscle fibers.
By the way, I would like to emphasize that there are many other factors that play major roles in increasing one's strength. Recruiting more MUs is just one of those factors. I have talked about these factors in my reply to bro Ben in this thread. Please look for it and read.
So, when your CNS start recruiting the MUs that it really hardly uses or never uses before, the muscle fibers in these units will have to start working.
Now, you are lifting more weights as your strength go up, but it does not necessarily mean that you expose the muscle fibers that you have been using up untill now to greater tension. Why ? bcos, you are using more weights only because there are more muscle fibers working for you.
Does that mean, there would be no growth if you don't make them do more total work ? not really. There will still be growth even if you use same reps, sets bcos the new guys will grow as they are not used to contracting. And what is more, these guys are more quality than others bcos they are largest, strongest and have the most potential for growth.
That said, if you use heavy enough weights to expose all the fibers to greater tension to the one they are used to, then, yes, others may grow as well. Note that I use MAY and there is a certain reason why. If you know about muscle fiber property changes, you know why.
So, as a rule of thumb, your muscle fibers must get damaged if you want them to grow bigger. Don't mix up soreness with damage. Lets not talk about soreness here. The above rules are just two main ways of damaging them.
Obviously, knowing these two is already good enough. Good enough to put you infront of any others shooting in the dark and trying out this and that without knowing the reason why. Still, it is not that simple just yet.
That is why I always say " Eat enough to gain around 0.25 lbs of lean muscles each and every week and if you gain around there but lots of it are fats when you don't have any health problem and the diet is clean or close to clean, then, it is bcos of your training ". Usually, these training regime they are on can cause very little or no damage to the muscle fibers. That also does not always imply that the regime sucks. It can be bcos of the time that the trainee use this training regime.
This is the intro on the real deal training principles.
There will be articles which will bring you from the basics to the intermediate level.
Stay Tuned
Thursday, March 12, 2009
1 year 8 months transformation
This is what I have got after hitting the gym for one year and 8 months.
Wrong Turn
Just in a few weeks of hitting the gym, I gained a good deal of fats. It's around 5 lbs in 2 weeks and most of them - Fats-, due to my diet. I am an ectomorph, by the way.
The Beginning
Before anything, I would like to post my before pics and after pics.
I was improvising with the things at home like using bags filled with books or a bucket of water for my training. I also frequent the fitness corner in my neighbourhood to do some wide grip pull ups ( palms facing away ) and dips.
These were some of the pics taken after training for a few months.
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