How Can Make Muscles Grow?

Muscle fibers do not grow from strength training, and their number is set genetically. How can make muscles grow?

•What is a muscle, and as it "grows"

1- Muscle fibers (actin, mozion and myofibrils) - the basis of the muscles responsible for their movement. Their number is genetically determined and does not change throughout life.

2-Sarcoplasm - nourishing fluid that fills the space between the muscle fibers. Consists of glycogen (carbohydrate reserves), fat-free proteins and enzymes. It is believed that by increasing the amount of sarcoplasmic muscles become larger.

3-Connective tissue - has two roles: the connection (mount muscle to bone) and protective (environment of muscle fibers). Increases in size with strength training, the same effect on the visual increase in muscle.

•What affects the growth

1-Hormones. Training affect testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). These substances directly affect the muscle tissue, causing it to grow .

2-The food in general and in particular protein. The importance of nutrition for strength training is known to all - the energy obtained from food is needed for the production of new muscle tissue, not to mention the energy to exercise themselves.

3-Inflammation. After strength training muscle becomes inflamed, and it causes an increase in the recovery process.

4-Satellite cells. Responsible for the "healing" of muscle tissue after a hard workout.

•Types of training

As already mentioned, the training effect on two things: the launch of the mechanism of hormone production and "damage" of muscle tissue, resulting in satellite cells into work. Three variants of the training, causing growth:

1-The maximum stress caused by raising  the maximum weight . The exercise weight, which can be done with only not more than 5 repeats ; negatives (helping you lift the weight, and lower it yourself). This includes the concept of "work to failure" - the state, after which no longer possible to make a single repeat.

2-The maximum stress caused by  the most rapid  weight lifting. Quite heavy and a large number of very fast repetitions (15-20).

3- The maximum stress caused by  work to exhaustion  - drop-sets (drop-Sets) . Three approaches with different weight: the maximum weight and 3-5 repetitions; 75% max. and 8-12 weight repetitions; 60% max. weight and 15-19 repetitions.


Each of these types of training leading to muscle growth; to see which one works best, you need to try each and evaluate the results - you may find one that works best for you. But do not forget that kind of training it is necessary to alternate.