Fast Twitch vs. Slow Twitch

[billmckinneygolf]

I've recently been doing more explosive Olympic style lifts and much heavier weights for fewer reps. The idea is to recruit FT fibers and I'm very pleased with the results. I've always had trouble putting on any muscle until lately (at 39!). Plus, my rotator cuff injury of 20 years is improving.

My understanding is that there are even several different types of FT fibers (a, b, and x). I guess the Olympic sprinters and gymnasts would be type x. What physiques and what function!

Any ideas about this concept? What can I do to recruit even more FT fibers?

By the way, I'm a GSEM and I can tell you that really long hitters utilize fast twitch muscles in the last link in the kinetic chain. Core muscles are almost all slow twitch.

And maybe the docs and Vickie can comment about sprinting vs. jogging. Thanks

[wanole]

I've always thought fiber twitch was genetic. You can work on explosivness, but you will only be able to get to where your genes will let you. Some people are just blessed with fast twitch fibers.

[billmckinneygolf]

I think we can get an adaptation response by training for it.
That is, the fibers can actually change from one type to another. Parapelegics' muscles turn to pure fast twitch as a last ditch survival effort.
There's more to this..Human Growth Hormone, Testosterone and other hormones our bodies and brains create.
See www.arthurdevany.com for a good explanation of this stuff. He talks about how we've evolved and should be expressing much more fast twitch muscle.

[phillygolf]

Bill,

First - I think you're on track for 'training' your white muscle fibers. Plyometrics, explosive movements, etc are the only way I rememeber being able to develop (or recruit) white twitch muscle fibers.

But I always thought - like Wanole - that genetics dictated our own personal ability to an extent. I was under the impression that we had equal amounts of white twitch/red twitch, but that some had more developed types of these fibers then others.

The article is interesting - I did a quick search and didnt find alot, but did find some references. Interesting stuff!!!

[comdpa]

I think we can get an adaptation response by training for it.
That is, the fibers can actually change from one type to another. Parapelegics' muscles turn to pure fast twitch as a last ditch survival effort.
There's more to this..Human Growth Hormone, Testosterone and other hormones our bodies and brains create.
See www.arthurdevany.com for a good explanation of this stuff. He talks about how we've evolved and should be expressing much more fast twitch muscle.

You could try www.bodybuilding.com. Tons of stuff in there.
Good to see you here buddy!

Justin

[Vickie]

Just peeked in to find this fascinating thread. Fist I will just say that heavy resistence with fewer reps is the final formula for developing hypertrophied muscles. Lighter weight and higher reps are more specific to muscle endurance. If you haven't been training you will see some sizable increases when you first start but as you found, it takes more overload to recruit more muscle fiber to create a larger mass.

The idea of genetics has been bantered for years. In fact we all come in with a genetically predetermined amount of red vs white fiber. The science community has proven, however, that with proper training, specific to the individual, the body does take advantage of it's adaptive capabilities and will chemically change fast to slow and visa versa. It takes a great deal of consistency though, to continue to encourage the need for such changes to occur and to be maintained. Your lifestyle behaviors influence the quality of your muscular system all the time.

Plyometrics, ballistic training, negative training, and the work of Pete Sisco (on an earlier thread) will encourage more adaptive response. Rest is one of the key factors, though, in building size. The bodybuilders that are so freaky and take steroids don't get that way because they necessarily work more than others. The anabolic steroid keeps the body from breaking down the precious muscle they have so they rest ALOT to preserve every little fiber they gain. I dated a body builder once and playing a round of putt-putt was more energy output than he was willing to expend during a competition.

Jogging for duration and distance will increase your fat burn and increase your oxygen efficiency. I am more ectomorph so if I don't really support long distance running/jogging with sound calories I will go into a catabolic state pretty quickly. Sprinting, on the other hand, a ballistic activity, tends to work better, short bursts of speed help me keep my muscle on my skinny legs.

Again, all of the information is mostly influenced by your individual type and consistency of training. Your body is an information processing system. If you feed it adequate calories and work it like a horse, it will adapt to that information. If you work hard most of the time but slack off every few weeks you will not get the same response because the information you are providing that creates the request for adaptation is not as demanding and so . . .

Work hard, be consistent, rest adequately, and eat clean but adequate calories to build your new muscle. Vik

[tongzilla]

It's been shown that it's easier to convert from to fast twitch to slow twitch than vice versa. There is only so much one can do to improve their god-given explosiveness...

[billmckinneygolf]

Thanks for the motivation, Vickie! I'll keep it up. It's fun to finally see some muscle growth and to hit it another 20 yards.
We may not be able to do much, but we can give it our darndest!

[Vickie]

I'm glad you are on your quest. Allow me to add that if you don't have a plan of progression you will find it hard to chart your successes much less keep yourself on track. Doing our best is all you can ask of yourself. Just keep showing up to your plan and I think you will be happy with the results. Glad to participate. Vickie

[billmckinneygolf]

Vickie
You might be interested in Arthur Devany's site, too. Do you know of him?
He says it's a natural part of our evolution to sometimes be catabolic and at others, anabolic.
Your stuff is great, by the way. We golfers need you here.