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How to Grow Muscle and Burn More Fat

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Beth knows how to grow the guns and you can too.

Updated, 3 May 2019 by Staff

If you want to grow muscle and/or burn more body fat – it is important to know muscle groups have three muscle fiber types that are stimulated to grow or endure physical activity. And during exercise or work activity, muscle also prefer certain fuel sources to achieve the fitness goal.

Research shows us, muscle is stimulated to grow when slow, intermittent and fast twitch muscle fibers within the chest, back, arms, abs and legs and buttocks contract at various rates of speed during low-to-high intensity exercise. Learn how to combine muscle fiber and fuel preference knowledge to select the proper training methods to naturally achieve your  weight loss, strength and muscular endurance and competitive and recreational sports goals.

If you need help in customizing a fit healthy habits and training program – Ageless MirrorAthlete “Overweight and Unfit No More” breaks down all these concepts and so much more. Learn how to live life to the fullest today. Click on the image below and become an Ageless MirrorAthlete today!

Muscle Fiber and Fuel Knowledge is Invaluable to Achieve Set Fitness Goals

All muscles have various composition of primarily 3 types of muscle fiber. And when exercise is programmed to lose weight, or increase strength, or endure a physical task of duration and intensity a specific fuel source is preferred by the body.

A couple of quotes from the book help to put this knowledge into perspective.

Fast twitch muscle fibers are less vascular than slow and intermediate fiber types and appear white in color and are highly stimulated during anaerobic (speed, power and strength) training. These muscle fibers use carbohydrate fuel to produce the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy at 2 times the contraction rate of the red and vascular (oxygenated slow twitch endurance muscle fibers). Slow twitch muscle fibers contract at lower intensities and rate of speed and prefer fat fuel to produce the required ATP energy for long endurance activities. The 3rd muscle type intermediate makes use of both metabolic worlds to support the ramping up and down of exercise intensity and rate of physical movement (Katch and McArdle 1993).”

Human muscles contain a genetically determined mixture of both slow and fast fiber types. On average, we have about 50 percent slow twitch and 50 percent fast twitch fibers in most of the muscles used for movement. However, Olympic sprinters have been shown to possess about 80 percent fast twitch fibers, while those who excel in marathons tend to have 80 percent slow twitch fibers. These well-conditioned slow and fast twitch muscle fibers may be genetically provided within naturally lean-muscular body types (Quinn 2013).”

From a genetic perspective this is likely the reason most of us will never be Olympic contenders no matter how hard we train. One thing appears certain, if the average human muscle is comprised of 50% slow twitch muscle fiber; it stands to reason, the majority of us have a genetic and competitive advantage to burn body fat when participating in low intensity aerobic exercise.

There is also an order of muscular contraction where slow twitch fibers yield to fast twitch muscle fiber as physical effort increases. Also a muscle fiber fuel preference shifts from a low intensity fuel source [stored body fat] to [glucose and stored muscle glycogen] to produce the energy and muscle contraction rate necessary to achieve the speed, power and strength needed to accomplish the high intensity training task or goal.

Marc Woodard with good friends hiking Forest Park, Portland OR

For example, when you walk you’re mostly stimulating the leg muscles slow and intermediate muscle fibers to perform long endurance activity. When you sprint or squeeze out those last reps on a heavy bench or leg press station, the slow and intermediate twitch muscle fibers yield to the faster muscle twitch fibers to work at a higher rate of intense speed to achieve the high endurance and strength conditioning goal.

Sprinting with all-out effort is similar to squeezing out that last rep on the bench press. The fast twitch muscle fibers fire (contract)Â at a high rate of speed and intensity while the slow twitch muscle fibers yield or stand-by after high intensity effort produces lactic acid buildup – which allows a less intense effort to continue thereafter. Especially when short periods of rest between exercise is the case.

The rope climb is an intense exercise activity that exhausts the fast twitch muscle fibers prominently found in the shoulders and arms. The by-product of intense exercise is lactic acid. After 2-4min on this exercise… talk about an arm pumping activity to grow those guns!

We all know a high level of muscular intensity has continued physical effort limitations.

That is fast twitch muscle fibers utilize a preferred- quick fuel source [glucose] first, which lasts only seconds.

The glucose fuels intense contractions for up to a maximum period of 10 seconds.

After this time and up to a period of 3 minutes – the next available fuel source is made available [stored muscle glycogen].

In contrast, slow twitch fibers use a combination of glucose and stored body fat fuel for low intensity and long duration exercise activities.

This is a much slower and less intense training process and can be maintained with constant intensity for a continued time period (Fitnessbeans 2012).

Now that we’ve reviewed some basics of muscle fiber characteristics and fuel preferences during specific types of exercise activity, lets answer the question…

What training method will grow muscle and burn more fat?”

Marc Woodard, 2018

The answer is fairly straight forward, train task specific. If you want more bulk, strength and power, train anaerobically – lift heavier weights at increasing intensities of short duration [engage the lactic acid buildup]. If you want more endurance, train aerobically at high intensities that moderate and condition the muscles to limit-pacing or avoid chronic lactic acid buildup. E.g., sprinting, wrestling, karate, boxing, basketball, football, etc.

If you want to burn more body fat train aerobically by performing low intensity – long duration exercise activity, e.g., walking, jogging, biking, dance, etc.

If you want the best of both worlds, you must cross-train

For example take your exercise time and split into two training sessions daily (train aerobically and anaerobically). For instance, if you only have one hour to exercise, spend 5 minutes stretching, and then 25 minutes on aerobic exercise of choice [low-intensity walking, stationary bike, jogging, tread mill equipment, etc].

During the last 25 minutes increase resistance on free weights or stationary equipment and/or circuit weight training equipment – then 5 minutes stretching cool down. On alternating days if a secondary fitness goal is a competitive sport activity… spend a full exercise day participating in that activity: e.g., racquetball, basketball, baseball, soccer, dance, running, power lifting, boxing, karate, etc.

Somewhere mid-week be sure to take a day off to rest muscles so they can repair and metabolism recharges its battery. This is especially important if training at a high rate of intensity daily. If you over train muscles and don’t rest adequately they will be in a state of constant repair more so than making the muscle and endurance gains you desire.

If you have a public use outdoor fitness center make use of it during walking, biking and hiking activities.

If you can’t participate in your favorite intramural-team sport, or train in a gym for whatever reason, train the next best way possible. Head to the nearest public school, or community sports field, City park or trail system and perform repetitive sprint-jogging-walking exercise.

You can also make use of running up/down bleachers, perform sit ups, push-ups etc. Or exercise at home using a stationary bike, repetitive speed bag, jump rope – follow a daily aerobics DVD video dance or yoga program, etc.

If your goal is to lose body fat weight, chose activities of long-endurance and low-intensity physical effort (walking, jogging, biking).

If you want more muscle bulk, strength and speed, choose short-endurance and high intensity exercise exercises with increasing resistive weight loads.

If you want the best of both worlds: Cross-train to achieve your set fitness goals.

Citations and References

Fitnessbeans. “Muscle Fibers: Fast Twitch Versus Slow Twitch. FitnessBeans. BeansPublishing, 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Katch, Frank I., William D. McArdle, and Frank I. Katch. “Chapter 11/Energy for Exercise.” Introduction to Nutrition, Exercise, and Health. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1993. 169-90. Print.

Loya, Dennis M. “Training Fast and Slow Twitch Muscles.” TotalFitnessExperience.com. TotalFitnessExperience.com, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Quinn, Elizabeth. “Fast and Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers.” About.com Sports Medicine. About.com, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2019 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

Change Exercise & Nutrient Strategies – Grow More Muscle, Part 2

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Task Specific Training for Muscle Growth Success

Task Specific Training for Muscle Growth Success

Click on Read Part 1, or cited article link, How to Grow Muscle Naturally, Part 1, below to get the full muscle growth and strength story.

Muscle growth is dependent upon protein synthesis [process in which cells build and repair themselves].  An adequate supply of essential amino acids is necessary to grow muscle and keep it in a good state of repair.  It is wise to ensure you consume a diet high in essential and nonessential amino acids for muscle during high intensity weight training cycles.  The mix of amino acid through proteins comes from a variety of whole foods: poultry/eggs, fish, beef, seafood, beans, nuts/seeds and dairy (Healthaliciousness 2013).

“The United States RDA is 0.8g/kg or 0.4g/lbs. This is 80g protein per day if you weigh 200lbs. But this recommendation is based on studies done on average, sedentary people.  The minimum if you train hard is 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day. That’s 200g daily protein if you weigh 200lbs. You’ll reach this amount easily by eating a whole protein source with each meal.”  (Mehdi 2009)

Professional body builders and athletes frequently consume three times that in food calories and supplements to grow muscle and increase strength.

Most Americans, unless you’re adverse to eating animal products get enough protein in the average diet. But this does not guarantee your getting all essential amino acids from the proteins you consume in a day.

Your body needs 20 total amino acids to build and repair muscles and tissues.  The nine essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.”  If you are stressed or severely sick, you need to get dietary non-essential amino acids as well.  Non-essential amino acids, made by the body include alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, ornithine, proline, serine, tyrosine and glutamic acid.” Meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and seafood provide all nine essential amino acids and are known as complete proteins. (Coffman 2013)

If you do not eat seafood or animal-based foods, your diet is likely lacking in essential amino acids.  This is one reason power lifters supplement their diet with an amino acid or protein supplement drink or power bar.  By doing so ensures muscle tissue has adequate nutrients to optimize muscle growth and strength potential.

Their supplemental nutrients taken daily also often include a daily vitamin and mineral complex.  These are the staple nutrients necessary to ensure the bodies muscles can optimally repair and grow.

 Changing exercise strategy to grow more muscle,

Frequently switch up your exercises.  Don’t get stuck on the same routine week in and out.  Use a wide array of weight lifting equipment and target muscles you typically don’t train.  For instance, the bench press focuses on the mid-pectoral chest muscles, but it does not maximally stress the upper or lower pectoral muscles.  Be sure you’re adding an incline and decline chest exercise to round out the chest area (symmetrical).  After 72 hours when you work the chest again, use stationary bench press equipment, or dumbbells as opposed to the free weight bench press to perform similar chest exercises.

If you typically look the other way as you walk past a workout station… this should tell you, you have weak muscles that need work.  Many experienced bodybuilders never do the same workout twice.  How do you think natural body builders sustain their size for decades?  They work other supporting muscular structures that assist weakening muscle fiber.  In this way, if strength diminishes through the aging process; muscular bulk is maintained through other variations of less intense exercise activity.  It is possible to sustain muscle mass and not have great strength.  It’s really about how you train and set fitness goals.

Until the weakest muscles are worked, for example by varying the angles of the muscle group articulations it will be harder to optimize symmetrical muscle growth and overall strength-power.  Why’s that?  Because the muscular inter-tie and effort per muscle group is dependent on the weakest bundled muscle fibers that work in sync to achieve maximum muscle torque per grouping.

You’ve heard that team that work together win championships right.  The same is true of a body’s internal musculature groupings and forces.  The first place to visually observe an interlinking muscle grouping weakness can be seen in an outer appearing muscular symmetry beneath the skin.

So how do you view this to determine muscle group weaknesses?  Stand in front of a mirror and you’ll note the developing muscles vs. muscle depressions/or size differences from one arm or shoulder muscle, from the other side as an example.  The muscle groups required to compete cannot with an underdeveloped or depressed, undersized, or underdeveloped muscle grouping.

For example, if the bulk of your chest development resides within the mid chest and front shoulder areas, your upper and/or lower chest muscles will appear to be deflated or depressed.  If your goal is to win a national body building competition, or become a great fighter for example, how can you compete with the elite if muscle symmetry and/or full strength ROM (Range of Motion) per task specific body segments is underdeveloped?  Point and case, you’ll face competitive challenges.

When you pay attention to muscle development deficits, it makes it easier to take a corrective weight training (task specific) exercise action to keep the team of muscles within any muscle grouping symmetrically trained, especially if you plan to compete in competitive sports.

Can you train competitively without the steroids and growth hormones?

I don’t believe anabolic steroids should be allowed to create a performance advantage for competitive sports for ethical and health reasons.  But the fact is they are used by many professional athletes.  Note I said many, I didn’t say all.  I recommend you follow professional athletes that train muscle naturally if you want to steer clear of the unwanted health risks associated with anabolic supplements.

Does this mean that Growth Hormones and steroids have no medical use?  There is literature that makes good sense out of its use to benefit health and quality living experiences.  But it is only through a doctor’s care and treatment and when used correctly can provide a health benefit while minimizing health risk.

“Suzanne Somers states, Growth Hormone is one of the most studied compounds in medicine.  When growth hormone deficiency is present, growth hormone replacement therapy has widespread health benefits on quality of life, body composition, cognitive function, cardiovascular outcomes, bone density and exercise capacity.  Growth hormone replacement therapy has been studied with published results in major medical journals reporting on more than 100,000 patients.”   (Somers 2012)

It is the abusive and unnecessary overuse of steroids and growth hormones that skew the benefits vs. health risk.  In other words, science can find ways to keep us healthy longer, but ultimately it is man’s abuse, greed and vanity that seeks to deliver a performance shortcut and achieve a short-term competitive edge.  In using a pharmaceutical or supplemental product above and beyond its safe use throws blinds over impressionable eyes.  And in doing so delivers unwanted health consequences for too many of our young athletes.

If you want to gain strength and grow muscle safely, work for it by doing it naturally.  Working hard without the use of dangerous chemical short-cuts will reward your body by supporting a long-lived quality lifestyle.  If you suspect you need hormone therapy, ensure you consult with a doctor.  Or if your intent on using any type of steroid or growth hormone supplement, do yourself a favor, first read the article link below to learn more about them,  “GH-Hormone Stimulator the Fountain of Youth. ”

Works Cited,

Coffman, Melodie A. “Do You Need to Eat Essential Amino Acids Every Day?” Healthy Eating. Hearst Communications, Inc., n.d. Web. 17 June 2013. <http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/need-eat-essential-amino-acids-day-3113.html>.

Healthaliciousness. “Top 10 Foods Highest in Protein.” Top 10 Foods Highest in Protein. Healthaliciousness.com, 2013. Web. 17 June 2013. <http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-protein.php>.

Mehdi. “Protein 101: How Much Do You Need & Best Sources of Protein | StrongLifts StrongLifts.” StrongLifts RSS. StrongLifts.com, 25 May 2009. Web. 17 June 2013. <http://stronglifts.com/protein-daily-needs-myths-best-sources-protein/>.

Somers, Suzanne. “Human Growth Hormone Update.” Suzanne’s Blog. Suzannesomers.com/blog, 5 June 2012. Web. 17 June 2013. <http://www.suzannesomers.com/Blog/post/Human-Growth-Hormone-Update.aspx>.

Woodard, Marc T.  How to Grow Muscle Naturally, Part 1.  Mirror Athletes Fitness Secrets. MirrorAthlete.com, 18 June. 2012. Web. 20 July 2013. http://www.mirrorathlete.org/?p=1629 

Woodard, Marc T.   GH-Hormone Stimulator the Fountain of Youth.  Mirror Athlete Fitness Secrets. 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 June 2013. Elixir? http://www.mirrorathlete.org/?p=1283

Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2013 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.