Text Box: Here is a brief description of how your muscles work and how to get the most from your workout. Muscle Work Muscle work. That’s the key—to use the target muscle and make it do the work. Put it through its concentric (contracting) and eccentric (lengthening) motion. The musculoskeletal system is a lever system. Imaging the joints as pulleys, the bones as a beam and the muscles as ropes. If you are resting in a neutral position the ropes are loose or in the case of the muscle, relaxed. (see illustration below) If you pull the rope and use it to move the resistance, the rope will tighten and the result will be to lift the weight. The rope is doing the work. Now you could also move the weight by applying force to a lever or turning the pulley. You will still position the weight to where you want it and all the mechanical pieces involved will move, but…… the rope will not be doing the work. It’ll slacken, shift and bunch up. Similar principles apply with muscle work. The muscle should do the work not the joint. Focus your attention on controlling the target muscle and its actions although other muscle groups will engage as well, some assist in the concentric and eccentric motion, some stabilize. When the work gets tough your body will try to compensate for the fatiguing muscles by adding joint motions and engaging other muscles. Swinging and bouncing will cause injuries, wear and tear on the joints or even muscle tears. Proper form is important and so is focus and control. Get the most out of your work out. Vary the Work Seventy five percent of muscle is composed of water. Stay hydrated! Below is a quick sketch of a cross section of a muscle. The muscle is made up of bundles of fibers. There are different types of fibers-basically slow twitch fibers which are used for endurance and light weights with high reps and fast twitch fibers that are used for heavy work and strength. Working the slow twitch will tone and define. Working the fast twitch will build mass. The number of each type of fiber a muscle has is determined genetically. There’s plenty of them and they fire in different succession depending upon the work they are given. The body adapts quickly to its exercise routine and muscles need a variety of exercises to get all of the fibers working. A simple change in the grip you use may even be enough to fire off the bundles and fibers in a different manner. (see example below) Whatever your make up or your goals, you will need to incorporate a variety of resistance exercises to get the muscle worked to its full potential. Written and illustrated by Lynne Campbell, cPT

REAL WORKOUTS
REAL PEOPLE - REAL FITNESS

E-mail:  lynne@realpeople-realfitness.com
Basic Instruction

Bundle of Fibers

Muscle Fibers

Firing Pattern—Bicep Curl

 

Firing Pattern—Hammer Curls

Muscle Cross Section

Written and Illustrated by Lynne Campbell

LYNNE CAMPBELL, CPT