18 Jul Your Muscle Fibers: How Do They Effect Your Fitness Goals?

If building muscle is part of your workout goals, it is helpful to gain a better understanding of your muscles and what each type of muscle is used for.  This way, you will have a better understanding of how to properly care for these muscles as well as what you can do to help improve their performance and their strength.

Although there are many different muscles in the human body, they all fall within two broad categories:  fast-twitch muscles and slow-twitch muscles.  These two different categories are actually based upon the types of fibers that make up the muscles.  Fast-twitch muscle fibers, for example, are those that are used while performing tasks that require using short bursts of strength. These include doing things such as weightlifting and sprinting.  Slow-twitch muscle fibers, on the other hand, are used for endurance and strength.  Running a marathon, for example, would require using your slow-twitch muscle fibers.

If you are interested in increasing your agility, power and speed, you will want to perform exercises that will help to develop your fast-twitch muscles.  This can be accomplished in a number of ways, including through sprint training or plyometrix.  If you want to develop your slow-twitch muscles, on the other hand, you will need to engage in cardio and weight training exercises.

As you can see, most people are actually working on developing their slow-twitch muscles when they workout, although it is also important to workout your fast-twitch muscles as well. By engaging in plyometric exercises, which include doing things such as medicine ball twists and clap pushups, and even by adding interval training in your workout, you can help improve your fast-twitch muscles as well. So, be certain to keep your routine varied so you can get the most from your workout and improve your overall level of health.