# fast twitch or slow twitch



## superstar19 (Jul 15, 2004)

through studies i have learned that fast twitch muscle fibres are larger than those of the slow twitch! so when bodybuilding why are we recomended doin slow controled exercises which target the slow twitch fibres? shouldnt we speed up the motion a little to target the fast twitch which will pack on more size??


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## robin_3_16 (Aug 27, 2003)

not really the slow twitch muscles need to be stimulated aswell

slow controlled reps hit the slow twitch fibres and the fast twitch fibres

it also depends what u r used to as to which react faster

for instance a sprinter will have many fast twitch muscle fibres

where as marathon runners have many slow twitch

stimulate both reps should last about 4-6 seconds to stimulate slow twitch fibres, about 40-60 seconds for 10 reps

that is what i have read in a few places

but different things work for different people but both do need to be stimulated for max growth!


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## demon (Apr 23, 2003)

From what I've read recently, if you're lifting heavy weights that are really pushing you to the limit, both slow and fast twitch fibres will get involved, irregardless of the speed of the movement.


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## Greyphantom (Oct 23, 2003)

demon said:


> From what I've read recently, if you're lifting heavy weights that are really pushing you to the limit, both slow and fast twitch fibres will get involved, irregardless of the speed of the movement.


Agreed and if you slow down on the negative but explode (under control) in the positive this will aslo hit both rather well...


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

70% of your max will hit 90% of the slow and fast twitch muscles.

We all have diffrent % of fast and slow twitch.

Women have less fast twitch muscles than men.

there is also diffrent kinds of fast twitch like type A and type B and I think like a subgroup of C types.

The higher rep lower weight will hit the slow and the heavy weights with lower reps will hit the fast.


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## fits (Feb 3, 2004)

SO Arnie is wright to say do 5 sets of an execise, ranging from 15 12 6 6 & 3/4? and say 3 exercises per body part?

I have recently gone back to basics after dieting (badley) and loosing strength and Muscle! I read Arnies book recently and think that back to basics is a good Idear for me.

i find it all very intersting, but it can get so confusing with people having such different views on training! I guess its a case of trial and error, and at the end of the day as long as you lift weights and over time lift heavier and heavier you will grow! just a case of which way works for you and which way works fastest!


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## philipebrown (Nov 26, 2003)

im following someones universe routine at the moment which consists of 3-4 sets per excercise using the folling rep range, 4 x 25, 15, 10, 6 which is similar to what you mentioned and it hurts like fook!

Take your point tho, if you watch pumping iron closely, they do control their movements but execute each rep pretty fast. particularly lou. i think slow and controlled is important for beginners so that they learn how to do the movements and control there muscles properly. Tom platz however advocates speeding things up and explode through a movement.

Heres an example to think about. Lets take bench press, and you are using your heaviest poundage. Even if you look as though you are pressing slowly you are in fact not. It just appears slow because the weight is so heavy that you are struggling to lift it but you are actually trying to explode through the movement quickly before the bar decides its gonna drop and crush you. When using your max weight you are under serious stress and no one would conciously try and go slowly when using heavy weight say on squats. i fyou deliberately went slow youd crush yourself


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2004)

demon is right. the heavier the weight, the more total muscle volume is used. also, does anyone else have the book:

the physiology of sport and exercise by willmore and costhill? if you don't i will explain why you should try to read a copy. there is a lot of really great info on muscle and how it works with regards weight training.

in a muscle biopsy, it was found that elite weight lifters had almost 70% of thier muscle volume as fast twitch (type II). and the opposite true of endurance athletes (high proportion of slow twitch (type I)) no one is born like that. after a time, fibres will act differently, or for all intents and purposes, they will convert.


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2004)

the more explosively you can lift, as in the more force you aopply to the bar (no matter wehat the 1RM %age is - be it 99% or 40%) the more fibres start to act like fast twitch.

also, fast twitch are the ones with the greatest hypertrophy potential, so lifting explosively will help this.


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## winger (Jul 26, 2003)

They interviewed the top power lifters and asked them how they were able to lift so much and all had a little bit different approach. But all of them said to explode on excersion. Kinda makes sense.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2004)

controlled eccentric, powerful, explosive concentric.


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