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I was always under the impression that in order to activate fast twitch muscle fibres you do explosive concentric movements (excelerate through the positive portion of the rep). You can find numerous articles on this by doing a google search. I recently read an article that cites some research that says that your body recruits muscle fibres in order of need. When you perform a rep your body starts with the slow twitch fibres and recruits as many as needed to do the job. If the job is too great (weight too heavy) the body will start to recruit the fast twitch muscle fibres. To this end the article proposed that higher reps and lighter weight taken to exhaustion would recruit the maximum number of fibres and acheive the greatest stimulation of the fast twitch fibres, hence increased growth.What is your take on this? RB
The idea is to be as explosive as possible on the concentric movement. However, this does not necessarily mean that lighter weights need be used. Trying to accelerate a heavy load has a similar effect on muscle fiber recruitment even if the bar actually moves slowly.
I understand that. My question was more pointed towards whether or not the fibres are recruited in order from slow to fast twitch therefore requiring a full exhaustion of all fibres to stimulate growth.RB
The answer is yes and it relates to the size/orderly recruitment principle which isn't anything new. However the article you've mentioned is indeed quite new and does bring some new perspective to light as this far we've been associating a specific physiological adaptation with higher reps to exhaustion that we call muscular endurance, largely a metabolic phenomenon (as opposed to neurological and metabolic), which as far as we understood did very little towards hypertrophy (as the hypertrophic potential of the slow twitch fibers/type 2As are a lot smaller than the larger type 2Bs which are stimulated at the 6-12RM hypertrophic range).So basically more data would be nice. I'd be sticking to my hypertrophic ranges with sets taken to or near faliure and progressive overload for the time being.
I'm willing to be that process is neglible. If you are producing a lot of force, your fast twitch muscle is going to have to do the work.
Any ideas on what sort of reps/sets I should be doing if I want explosive power & strength with minimal hypertrophy?
I'm willing to be that process is neglible. If you are producing a lot of force, your fast twitch muscle is going to have to do the work.
Absolutely. Because in a fraction of a second your brain has determined that the force required exceeds the ability of the slow twitch fibres, so it recruits the fast twitch fibres. But can you call into service the fast twitch fibres more effectively if you first pre exhaust the slow twitch fibres by performing a higher rep? That was what the article illuded to so I wanted to ask the question. I'll grab the article and post the research references later tonight.RB
I'm willing to be that process is neglible. If you are producing a lot of force, your fast twitch muscle is going to have to do the work.
Absolutely. Because in a fraction of a second your brain has determined that the force required exceeds the ability of the slow twitch fibres, so it recruits the fast twitch fibres. But can you call into service the fast twitch fibres more effectively if you first pre exhaust the slow twitch fibres by performing a higher rep? That was what the article illuded to so I wanted to ask the question. I'll grab the article and post the research references later tonight.RB
I don't think you could do that because slow twitch muscles don't get exhausted like fast twitch muscles do. They recover so quickly.Then again this is similar to Kiefer's calf workout where he exhausts the soleus first.
Any ideas on what sort of reps/sets I should be doing if I want explosive power & strength with minimal hypertrophy?
From what I've read / understand, 2-5 reps, explode through the concentric. Rest periods of 1-3 minutes.Cory
Okay, I'm doing that 🙂 Any thoughts on sets?
Okay, I'm doing that 🙂 Any thoughts on sets?
3 - 5 will work fine. That said, with 5 x 5, you will add muscle incidentally via cumulative work.Cory
I'm not trying to add muscle, I'm trying to add strength 🙂 Although I don't mind having muscle IF it all literally pulls it's own weight while I'm climbing/sprinting 😉
I'm not trying to add muscle, I'm trying to add strength 🙂 Although I don't mind having muscle IF it all literally pulls it's own weight while I'm climbing/sprinting 😉
Are you still running a caloric deficit? If so it is not likely that you'll gain muscle. This could happen for someone new to training that has a lot of fat to lose. But at your level of leanness and training experience it becomes much less likely.
I'm not trying to add muscle, I'm trying to add strength 🙂 Although I don't mind having muscle IF it all literally pulls it's own weight while I'm climbing/sprinting 😉
Are you still running a caloric deficit? If so it is not likely that you'll gain muscle. This could happen for someone new to training that has a lot of fat to lose. But at your level of leanness and training experience it becomes much less likely.
+1Sad...but...true...
I'm not trying to add muscle, I'm trying to add strength 🙂 Although I don't mind having muscle IF it all literally pulls it's own weight while I'm climbing/sprinting 😉
Are you still running a caloric deficit? If so it is not likely that you'll gain muscle. This could happen for someone new to training that has a lot of fat to lose. But at your level of leanness and training experience it becomes much less likely.
Watch me.
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