Training for muscle fiber oxidation. IN

How many repetitions should you do to pump up? oxidative muscle fibers ?

In the last article I talked about white muscle fibers, now it’s time for red ones, because... they also make a big contribution to the development of maximum volumes. Working as a coach for several years, I noticed that only 10 percent of athletes train them, and most do not even know that they have the same potential for development as white people.

Training slow twitch muscle fibers

Again, I won’t confuse you with a large amount of terms that are incomprehensible to you, I’ll just tell you how they need to be trained. If anyone is interested in why this is so, you can read Professor Siluyanov.

I highlight 4 basic rules for the development of these fibers:

1.The time under load should be from 30 to 50 seconds.

2.Partial amplitude. The muscles cannot be relaxed; they must be constantly tense. This is important for maximum acidification with lactic acid. During the approach you should feel a burning sensation.

3.Slow repetition speed.

4.Weight should be 30-50% of the one-time maximum. Otherwise, you will not be able to complete the required amount of work.

How many sets should you do for slow twitch muscle fibers?

There should be from 2 to 5 approaches, with a rest of at least 5 minutes between them. But there are not just approaches here, but they are threefold. I'll explain now.

Do an approach in the range of 30-50 seconds, achieve a strong burning sensation, stop the approach, rest for 30 seconds, and start doing it again, then 30 seconds and a third similar approach. Now we have completed 1 long triple approach, there should be from 2 to 5 per workout. The advantage of these workouts is that they can be done at home. For example, push-ups or lifting small dumbbells to develop deltoids, biceps, etc.

When to train them?

I see 2 options here:

1. Train them after fast training muscle fibers. First you finish training the whites, only then we start the reds, this is very important point!

2. Do periodization.

In week 1 we train whites (low reps, 70-90% weight, explosive style, failure in the 7-30 second range).

On the 2nd week, red (Light weight 30-50%, slow and partial repetitions, time under load 30-50 seconds).

Friends, try it, experiment, who hasn’t tried it. I can say that this scheme will help you overcome plateaus in your progress.

They make a good contribution to increasing muscle volume, and if you have never trained them, this will help you gain extra centimeters in girth.

Types of oxidative muscle fibers and the myth about their hypertrophy

Oxidative, or oxidative, muscle fibers are MVs that have an oxidative type of metabolism and, accordingly, in their structure, the energy mitochondrial components dominate over the plastic myofibrillar ones; MV data are red in color, which is why they are often called red muscle fibers.

This type of CF includes:

1) slow muscle fibers (SMF) - type 1A
2) fast oxidative muscle fibers (FOM) - type 2A.

It is generally accepted that MMV and BoMV increase in volume according to the type of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, when the growth of muscle cells is carried out due to sarcoplasmic components, among which mitochondria, glycogen, creatine phosphate and myoglobin are of greatest importance. This article (see below) provides arguments that debunk this myth.

Recently, it has been generally accepted that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is achieved through specialized training, that is, training that has special differences compared to traditional training. Even authoritative methods have appeared in this direction (for example, Professor V.N. Seluyanov). But in general, the features of this training are:

- use of small and medium weights
- dominance of isolation exercises over basic ones
- incomplete amplitude, which contributes to difficulty in the outflow of blood from the muscles (pumping)
- slow or static style of exercise
— a large number of approaches, including complex ones (supersets, dropsets, etc.)
- minimal pauses between approaches
— the ability to pump individual muscles three or more times a week.

Scientific facts and speculation

Many people assume that, according to the principles outlined above, it is possible to hypertrophy the MMV and BoMV. However, scientific data indicate the following: with training aimed exclusively at the development of MMV, BoMV, the volumetric density of mitochondria increases by no more than 3-5%, the amount of glycogen - 1%. The hypothesis about the increase in water associated with glycogen also does not find experimental confirmation.

On the other hand, the same scientists confirm the fact that MMV, and especially BoMV, increases by 50-100% as a result of athletic training. What does this mean? According to prof. E.B. Myakinchenko, hypertrophy of MMV, BoMV, as well as fast glycolytic MVs (white, type 2B), is caused by an increase in the contractile structures of the muscle cell - MYOFIBRILLS. As is known, myofibrillar hypertrophy is achieved by “traditional” principles of training - shock (heavy weights, high intensity, basic exercises, average pace of exercises, etc.) and strength (maximum and submaximal weights, basic exercises, explosive style of exercises, etc.). Prof. E.B. Myakinchenko suggests that the strategic way of growth of oxidative fibers is the myofibrillar type of their hypertrophy.

It turns out that working on endurance and pumping without a shock-strength component, and this, for example, exclusively doing exercises at a slow pace with light weights, is UNPROSIVE. That is why, not so long ago, fashionable training systems aimed at hypertrophy of the core muscles, in practice, more than a dozen athletes were questioned about their suitability.

How to actually increase the volume of MMV and BoMV?

By way of implementing this path, scientist E.B. Myakinchenko proposes an optimal combination of the principles of training oxidative MVs and glycolytic MVs. Thus, it turns out that the growth of MMV, BoMV is primarily associated not so much with an increase in their main dominant components - sarcoplasmic components, but with myofibrils as a contractile element of the muscle cell.

In fact, the effectiveness of this combination has been tested by the centuries-old practice of bodybuilders who successfully combine relatively light, medium, heavy and super-heavy weights, endurance training, mass and strength. And newfangled methods, supposedly based on scientific theories, are often not effective.

Practical advice on hypertrophy of the MMV and BoMV

Tip 1. Performing an exercise on the principle of gradually changing the weight of the weight over a wide range, which is why all types of CF are involved in the work:

a) gradual increase in weight (“pyramid” technique), when the exercise (for example, of three approaches) is performed as follows: 1st approach – 15 times, 2nd approach – 10 times, 3rd approach – 5 times ;

b) gradual weight loss (reception " reverse pyramid"), when the exercise (for example, all of the same three approaches) is performed in the reverse order: 1st approach - 5 times, 2nd approach - 10 times, 3rd approach - 15 times.

The question remains which scheme (“a” or “b”) is more effective. Most likely, the answer depends on which MVs dominate in a particular muscle group, since due to muscle fatigue, muscle fibers and their types are involved differently in the work depending on whether the first approach is now or the last.

Tip 2. Pumping muscle groups in several exercises (for example, two), one of which is performed in a shock-power style when using heavy weights with a constant number of repetitions in one lesson in the range from 1 to 8-10. The second exercise is performed at significantly lower intensity with an average number of repetitions of 15.

For example, in breast pumping the training is structured like this:

bench press: 3x5
dumbbell bench press at an angle: 3x15

The workout can also be structured according to the principles of supersets or complex sets. Let's demonstrate using the example of working out the chest:

first approach: bench press for 5 repetitions (with a large weight) + bench press for 10-15 repetitions (with half the weight).

first approach: bench press for 5 repetitions (with heavy weight) + dumbbell bench press at an angle for 15 repetitions.

In both cases, the number of such approaches is determined individually.

However, this advice is most suitable for fast-growing mesomorphs, while for ectomorph hardgainers, frequent use of it can result in overtraining.

Tip 3. Using the periodization method. Periodization is the alternation of periods of time with opposite (dissimilar) training patterns. In this case, it makes sense to alternate periods of impact-strength exercises with exercises aimed at developing oxidative muscle fibers, and the period of the latter should be shorter (the optimal ratio of the duration of periods is 3:1).

Hoppeler G. (1987). Ultrastructural changes in skeletal muscle under the influence of physical activity // Physical education and sport (6), 3-48.

Myakinchenko E.B. The strength of slow muscle fibers as the main factor of local endurance in cyclic types sports// Anniversary collection of works by scientists of the Russian State Academy of Physical Culture, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the academy. Moscow (1), 3-8.

2013 ©

Muscle fibers there are different types, and they are divided based on various criteria. Each type of muscle fiber requires its own training system, which stimulates their hypertrophy. In practice, this allows, firstly, to build a more massive muscle corset, since two muscles are always more than one , and, secondly, it helps to avoid overtraining, thanks to alternating training for different muscle fibers. This alternation is called microperiodization, the essence of which is the cyclical nature of the training program, which makes it possible to achieve supercompensation of each muscle quality for its subsequent training. You can find specific microperiodization schemes in the training programs section, which already include all the fundamental principles of proper training that allows you to achieve hypertrophy of muscle fibers.

According to the enzyme ATPase of myofibrils, muscle fibers are divided into slow and fast, and the latter also have their own classification. In addition to myofibrils, an important component of muscle fibers are mitochondria, based on the number of which muscles are divided into glycolytic and oxidative. The bottom line is that different types of muscle fibers respond differently to one or another type of training and are more or less predisposed to hypertrophy. The ratio of muscle fibers is called muscle composition, which, in turn, depends on a number of factors, which we will discuss in more detail below. Unfortunately, muscle composition cannot be changed, but it can vary in different muscle groups, so a certain type of training can work effectively on one muscle, but not on another, and therefore the latter will lag behind. That is why it is so important to know which muscle fibers respond better to what and, accordingly, what type of training should be applied depending on the number of which muscle fibers predominate in a particular muscle.

Types of muscle fibers according to the enzyme ATPase of myofibrils

Slow muscle fibers are designed to perform long-term work, so their method of energy supply is much more economical than the method of energy supply to fast muscle fibers. Thus, in this case, oxygen is used, which enters the muscles with blood, as a result of which such muscle fibers are often called red. This aerobic method of energy supply allows you to perform long and easy work, but before the body begins to use it, you will use up the entire supply of creatine phosphate and glycogen, after which oxygen will flow through the blood into the muscles. But although slow muscle fibers have no less potential for growth than fast muscle fibers, as a rule, only fast muscle fibers are developed in athletes, even marathon runners. This is, of course, due to the fact that athletes deliberately do not train these muscle fibers, trying to maintain light weight.

Your aim- this is a build-up muscle mass, so on the contrary, you need to train all types of muscle fibers. This organization of the training split will allow you to apply the microperiodization method, which helps to avoid overtraining, and also helps to achieve supercompensation of certain muscle fibers for their next workout. Now it arises practical question – how to train slow twitch muscle fibers? Pumping training! Despite the fact that modern science has not been able to answer the question: “what makes muscles grow,” nevertheless, we know for sure that new proteins are synthesized through the cell’s DNA. The process is that hormones copy DNA from the cell nucleus, but since the DNA is in a coiled state, it needs to be unwound, and this requires hydrogen ions.

The hydrogen ion, or rather its absence, is the reason why slow muscle fibers do not grow in marathon runners, sprinters, weightlifters and other athletes. During prolonged work, when your muscles contract and contract, gradually depleting the reserves of creatine phosphate and glycolysis, then after 40-50 seconds the energy supply begins to be provided through oxidation. The muscles fill with lactic acid and literally swell, this is the process of lactic acid formation. Lactic acid, in turn, is broken down into lactate and hydrogen ion. And yet, the fact remains that the biopsy shows that marathon runners have a predominance of fast-twitch muscle fibers. It's all about the training! After all, pumping is not just high-repetition work with light weight, it is training with a certain technique and in a certain style.

So, from the point of view of biochemistry, for the growth of slow muscle fibers, the following are necessary: ​​a hydrogen ion, which is formed during the “acidification” of the muscle, muscle failure and a “pump”, that is, a condition when there is a flow of blood to the muscle, but the outflow is difficult. Typically, with the aerobic method of energy supply, the free flow of blood simply “washes away” hydrogen ions, so the muscles simply cannot respond to stress with hypertrophy. But during pumping, pinched vessels do not allow blood to circulate normally, so an insufficient amount of oxygen is supplied, resulting in hypoxia. Result: muscles use an anaerobic method of energy supply and hydrogen ions accumulate in them. To enhance the pumping effect, it is necessary to use a partial amplitude that allows you to maintain tension in the muscles, so always work within the amplitude and do not chase the weights, use 30-40% of your one-time maximum. BUT! To train slow muscle fibers, after “acidification” you need to rest for about 5 minutes, and since the athlete is limited by training time, in practice the training will look like this: perform a set of 20-30 repetitions, then rest for a minute, then another approach, again rest, approach and five-minute rest, after which you can move on to another exercise, or repeat the same.

Fast muscle fibers are divided into subtype IIa and subtype IIb. The first subtype is something between true fast-twitch muscle fibers of the second type and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Their main distinguishing feature is that they can use both anaerobic and aerobic methods of energy supply. IIb muscle fibers are capable of using only anaerobic methods: glycolysis and the breakdown of creatine phosphate. Actually, as a rule, training is aimed at training these particular muscle fibers. On practice, for subtype IIa training, you need to train in the 5-rep range using either a strength training scheme or a mass training program. To work fast muscle fibers of subtype IIb, you will only need strength training. You will use “singles”, that is, one-time repetitions with maximum weight. Do what powerlifters do - train high-threshold fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Microperiodization - This is a combination of training all three types of muscle fibers. Thus, you will need 2-3 days to restore slow fibers, after which they can be trained again. To restore fast muscle fibers of subtype IIa 1-2 days. All this, of course, taking into account the fact that you are training different muscle groups, since more muscle groups can take up to two weeks to recover. So hard workout legs for fast muscle fibers of subtype IIa, for example, can be done once every two weeks. As for training fast muscle fibers of subtype IIb, they can be trained at least every day, but their training greatly loads the central nervous system. nervous system, which takes about two weeks to recover. From all this it is easy to conclude that muscles should be trained using microperiodization - heavy training, medium and light, where heavy is training with “singles”, medium is aimed at working fast-twitch type IIa fibers, and light is pumping training. This is exactly the scheme that Vladimir Kravtsov recommends.

Types of muscle fibers based on the number of mitochondria

From a practical point of view, further delving into the questions of how muscle fibers differ by type is not very interesting, since split with microperiodization, as well as how to train certain muscle fibers, we have already discussed. Everything that will be said next may be of interest only to very advanced athletes, or those who want to thoroughly understand the types of muscle fibers. Everyone else is recommended to go to the training programs or nutrition section to create the right diet for yourself to gain muscle mass. If you are still determined to learn about glycolytic and oxidative muscle fibers, then let’s figure out what kind of animal this is and how to catch it!

Glycolytic muscle fibers contain a small number of mitochondria, and therefore their ability to “acidify” is very high, so they are not adapted to perform long-term physical work. Energy supply in this case is carried out by anaerobic methods. These muscle fibers develop strength the most and are trained by powerlifters. Along with these muscle fibers, powerlifters also train high-threshold BMWs, which help trick the Golgi tendon organ. Glycolytic muscle fibers should be trained in a strength style, performing 3-5 repetitions per set and resting for up to 5 minutes between sets. It goes without saying that the weight should be such that it will allow you to reach muscle failure in the last repetition of each approach.

Oxidative muscle fibers contain a lot of mitochondria, which is what bodybuilders usually train. In general, you can find a lot of information about training this particular type of muscle fiber from Professor Siluyanov, who is a famous sports doctor, the author of many training schemes and, already mentioned earlier, Kravtsov considers him one of the best modern biochemists, so he himself uses the training schemes proposed by Siluyanov. What did Kravtsov achieve using this technique? Bench press 305kg! These muscle fibers are designed to perform long-term work, and are trained, like any muscle, when they reach failure. To train them, you need to use the classic volume split training system.

Thin muscle fibers form each skeletal muscle. Their thickness is only about 0.05-0.11 mm, and their length reaches 15 cm. The muscle fibers of the striated muscle tissue collected in bundles, which include 10-50 fibers. These bundles are surrounded by connective tissue (fascia).

The muscle itself is also surrounded by fascia. About 85-90% of its volume is muscle fibers. The remaining part is the nerves and blood vessels that pass between them. At the ends, the muscle fibers of striated muscle tissue gradually turn into tendons. The latter are attached to the bones.

Mitochondria and myofibrils in muscles

Let's look at the structure of muscle fiber. Its cytoplasm (sarcoplasm) contains a large number of mitochondria. They play the role of power plants in which metabolism occurs and energy-rich substances accumulate, as well as those needed to meet energy needs. Any muscle cell contains several thousand mitochondria. They occupy approximately 30-35% of its total mass.

The structure of muscle fiber is such that a chain of mitochondria is lined up along the myofibrils. These are thin threads that provide contraction and relaxation of our muscles. Typically, one cell contains several dozen myofibrils, and the length of each can reach several centimeters. If you add up the mass of all myofibrils that make up a muscle cell, then its percentage of the total mass will be about 50%. The thickness of the fiber thus depends primarily on the number of myofibrils contained in it, as well as on their cross-sectional structure. In turn, myofibrils consist of a large number of tiny sarcomeres.

Cross-striped fibers are characteristic of muscle tissue of both women and men. However, their structure differs slightly depending on gender. Based on the results of a biopsy of muscle tissue, it was concluded that the percentage of myofibrils in the muscle fibers of women is lower than in men. This applies even to high-level athletes.

By the way, it itself is distributed unequally throughout the body in women and men. The vast majority of it in women is located in the lower part of the body. At the top, the muscle volumes are small, and they themselves are small and often completely untrained.

Red fibers

Depending on fatigue, histochemical coloring and contractile properties, muscle fibers are divided into the following two groups: white and red. Red ones are slow fibers that have a small diameter. In order to obtain energy, they also use carbohydrates (this energy generation system is called aerobic). These fibers are also called slow or slow twitch fibers. They are sometimes called type 1 fibers.

Why did red fibers get such a name?

They are called red because they have a red histochemical color. This is because these fibers contain a lot of myoglobin. Myoglobin is a special pigment protein that is red in color. Its function is that it delivers oxygen deep into the muscle fiber from the blood capillaries.

Features of red fibers

Slow-twitch muscle fibers have many mitochondria. They carry out the oxidation process, which is necessary to produce energy. The red fibers are surrounded by a large network of capillaries. They are needed to deliver large volumes of oxygen along with blood.

Slow muscle fibers are well adapted to the implementation of the aerobic energy generation system. The strength of their contractions is relatively small. The rate at which they consume energy is sufficient to make do with aerobic metabolism alone. Red fibers are perfect for low-intensity and long-term work, such as walking and light running, distance swimming, aerobics, etc.

The contraction of muscle fiber allows for movements that do not require much effort. Thanks to it, the posture is also supported. These striated fibers are characteristic of muscle tissues that are activated under loads ranging from 20 to 25% of the maximum possible force. They are characterized by excellent endurance. However, red fibers do not work during sprinting, lifting heavy weight etc., since these types of loads involve fairly rapid consumption and production of energy. White fibers are intended for this, which we will talk about now.

White fibers

They are also called fast, fast-twitch type 2 fibers. Their diameter is larger compared to red ones. To obtain energy, they use mainly glycolysis (that is, their energy production system is anaerobic). Fast fibers contain less myoglobin. That's why they are white.

ATP breakdown

Fast fibers are characterized by greater activity of the ATPase enzyme. This means that ATP breakdown occurs quickly, resulting in a large amount of energy, which is needed for intense work. Since white fibers are characterized high speed energy consumption, they need and high speed restoration of ATP molecules. And only the process of glycolysis can provide it, since, unlike oxidation, it occurs in the sarcoplasm of muscle fibers. Therefore, the delivery of oxygen to mitochondria is not required, as is the delivery of energy from the latter to the myofibrils.

Why do white fibers tire quickly?

Thanks to glycolysis, lactate (lactic acid) is formed, which accumulates quickly. Because of this, the white fibers tire quickly enough, which ultimately stops the muscle from working. Red fibers are not formed during aerobic formation. This is why they can maintain moderate tension for a long time.

Features of white fibers

White fibers are characterized by a larger diameter relative to red ones. In addition, they contain much more glycogen and myofibrils, but they have fewer mitochondria. This type of muscle fiber cell also contains creatine phosphate (CP). It is required for initial stage carrying out high-intensity work.

White fibers are best suited for performing powerful, fast, but short-term efforts, since they have low endurance. Fast fibers, compared to slow fibers, are able to contract 2 times faster, and also develop force 10 times greater. It is thanks to them that a person develops maximum speed and strength. If the work requires 25-30% of maximum effort or higher, this means that it is white fibers that take part in it. They are divided according to the method of obtaining energy into the following 2 types.

Fast glycolytic fibers of muscle tissue

The first type is fast glycolytic fibers. They use the process of glycolysis to produce energy. In other words, they are able to use only the anaerobic energy production system, which promotes the formation of lactic acid (lactate). Accordingly, these fibers do not produce energy with the participation of oxygen, that is, aerobically. Fast glycolytic fibers are characterized maximum speed contractions and force. They play a major role in bulking for bodybuilders and also provide maximum speed to runners and sprint swimmers.

Fast oxidative-glycolytic fibers

The second type is fast oxidative-glycolytic fibers. They are also called transitional or intermediate. These fibers are a kind of intermediate type between slow and fast muscle fibers. They are characterized by a powerful energy production system (anaerobic), but are also adapted to carry out fairly intense aerobic exercise. In other words, these fibers can develop high forces and high contraction speeds. In this case, the main source of energy is glycolysis. At the same time, if the contraction intensity becomes low, they are able to use oxidation quite effectively. This type of fiber is used in work if the load is from 20 to 40% of the maximum. However, when it is about 40%, the human body immediately switches completely to the use of fast glycolytic fibers.

The ratio of fast and slow fibers in the body

Studies have been carried out, during which it was established that the ratio of fast and slow fibers in human body determined genetically. If we talk about the average person, he has about 40-50% slow and about 50-60% fast. However, each of us is individual. In the body of a particular person, both white and red fibers can predominate.

Their proportional ratio in different muscles of the body is also not the same. This is explained by the fact that muscles and their groups in the body perform different functions. It is because of this that the transverse muscle fibers differ quite greatly in their composition. For example, the triceps and biceps contain approximately 70% white fibers. There are slightly fewer of them in the thigh (about 50%). But in calf muscle these fibers are only 16%. That is, if the functional task of a particular muscle includes more dynamic work, there will be more fast ones rather than slow ones.

Relationship between potential in sports and types of muscle fibers

We already know that the general ratio of red and white fibers in the human body is determined genetically. Because of this, different people and there is different potential in sports activities. Some people are better at sports that require endurance, while others are better at strength sports. If slow fibers predominate, a person is much more suitable for skiing, swimming long distances etc., that is, sports in which mainly the aerobic energy generation system is involved. If there are more fast muscle fibers in the body, then you can achieve good results in bodybuilding, running short distances, sprint swimming, weightlifting, powerlifting and other sports where explosive energy plays a major role. And, as you already know, only white muscle fibers can provide it. For great sprinters, they always predominate. Their number in the leg muscles reaches 85%. If there is an approximately equal ratio of different types of fibers, average distances in running and swimming are perfect for a person. However, the above does not mean at all that if fast fibers, such a person will never be able to run marathon distance. He will run it, but he will definitely not become a champion in this sport. Conversely, if there are much more red fibers in the body, the results in bodybuilding will be worse for such a person than for the average person, whose ratio of red and white fibers is approximately equal.

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:

1. Save as much energy as possible(This is why we store excess energy as fat).
2. 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);
• Body hair, calluses on hands from permanent job, 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's the point of dividing our muscles into different types muscle fibers? VERY BIG!

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

1. Very heavy (for example, you need to move a very heavy piano).
2. Medium in weight, high-volume (for example, carry a lot of medium-heavy bags of potatoes).
3. 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.

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

But! There are also fibers that are designed to perform EXTREMELY HEAVY 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 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, screw 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? Our body during physical activity does not engage 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 , intended for similar 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 IMM, and if he works with very heavy scales, then BMW and VBMW. 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 sports. 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 it? 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 bore you, he must be STRONG! 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:

1. No load progression. Although the load is light and monotonous, it must grow, otherwise there will be no point in the muscles increasing.
2. 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 it? 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 the 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, bending our elbows, we remember our initial 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 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.

AN APPROACH(30-50 sec) + REST(20-30 sec) + AN APPROACH(30-50 sec) + REST(20-30 sec) + AN 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. A 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 manufacturers sports nutrition, 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:

1. TRAINING STRESS(destruction).
2. HORMONAL BACKGROUND(starting synthesis from DNA).
3. HYDROGEN IONS(unwinding of the DNA helix for hormones).
4. CREATINE PHOSPHATE + CARBOHYDRATES(energy supply).
5. 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 desired 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 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):

1. BMW– Bench press incline bench : 4 sets (80 kg x 6-12).
2. BMW– Incline dumbbell press: 4 sets (30 kg (1 dumbbell) x 6-12).
3. BMW– Dumbbell flyes lying on a bench: 4 sets (20 kg (1 dumbbell) x 8-12).
4. 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...).
5. 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 MIB CHEST + MIB 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.

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With respect and best wishes,!