| Weight lifting exercises cause your muscles to | | | | Your body will used fast twitch muscle fibers |
| generate heat and strength. Your muscles need | | | | during high-intensity, short-duration exercises such |
| to be strong, in order to help you move, breathe | | | | as weight lifting exercises that use heavy weight |
| and so on. | | | | for very low reps, or sprinting. |
| This article on weight lifting exercises will look at | | | | People who seem to be able to build muscle at will |
| the relationship between the exercises you use | | | | when performing almost any weight lifting |
| when weight lifting and your muscles. | | | | exercises, usually will have an unusually large |
| Your actual muscle tissue is made up of 2 types | | | | number of fast twitch muscle fibers in their body. |
| of muscle fibers, actin, which are a slim fiber and | | | | In the majority of people the muscle fiber |
| myosin which are substantially thicker. Both of | | | | make-up in each muscle group will be relatively |
| these fiber types help to give your muscles a | | | | equal in most muscle groups. Therefore you need |
| striated look about them. | | | | to recruit both slow twitch and fast twitch fibers |
| When performing any exercises used in weight | | | | at some point in your exercise program. |
| lifting the muscle being exercised must be able to | | | | One exception to the rule of equal types of |
| contract properly. To do this they need to | | | | muscle fibers is when it comes to your |
| become stimulated by motor neurons. These are | | | | hamstrings. The hamstring muscles in the vast |
| simply nerves. | | | | majority of people tend to be made up of mostly |
| One motor neuron and the muscle fibers | | | | fast twitch muscle fibers. |
| stimulated during exercises used during weight | | | | For that reason, when performing weight |
| lifting activities are called a motor unit. These | | | | exercises for your hamstrings, you should try to |
| motor units or muscle fibers play a large part in | | | | use heavier weights for a lower number of reps. |
| the force your muscles can produce during a | | | | Now, when executing any weight training |
| contraction. | | | | exercises your muscles will go through a few |
| The more motor units you can activate during | | | | different actions. There are isometric, eccentric, |
| your weight lifting exercises the stronger the | | | | concentric, and isotonic portions of most weight |
| contraction. Meaning you'll be able to lift a greater | | | | lifting exercises; |
| amount of weight for an increased number of | | | | Isometric contractions can best be described as |
| repetitions. | | | | the same stress your muscle would go through |
| Your muscle fibers are categorized as Type I, | | | | when pushing against a wall. |
| Type IIa and Type IIb muscle fibers. The more | | | | The lifting portion of weight training exercises |
| common term for muscle fibers are "fast" and | | | | such as a dumbbell bicep curl is known as the |
| "slow" twitch. | | | | concentric contraction. Lowering the dumbbell in a |
| When performing high rep weight training | | | | controlled fashion is the eccentric portion. |
| exercises it's your slow twitch muscle fibers | | | | The more common terms for this part of weight |
| (Type I) that will be recruited to do the majority | | | | training exercises are positive (concentric) and |
| of the work. Your body uses this type of muscle | | | | negative (eccentric). |
| fiber when endurance activities, aerobic activity or | | | | The fourth type of contraction that can occur |
| high rep sets are used. | | | | during weight exercises is the isotonic contraction. |
| Fast twitch muscle fibers (Type IIa and Type Iib) | | | | This can occur more commonly during plyometric |
| are used by your body during explosive | | | | training. |
| contractions. It's these fibers that have the | | | | Patrick Mckeeman has very quick, easy & |
| greatest potential for growth resulting from the | | | | effective health & fitness solutions for you. |
| weight lifting exercises you perform. | | | | |