Controlling degree of tension in muscles

[GuardMaster]

Hi guys,

I was watching some old UFC's and noticed that the best grapplers are those who have control over whether their muscles are relaxed and loose or strong and tight. They're not the bodybuilder type muscles that are always tight, nor the ballet dancers muscles that are always loose. The muscles take on a wide range. I notice this type of body type on all the elite grapplers.

The question I have is how do you develop muscles to take on this form? Do you have to be born with the genetics for it?
Can special training create this type of attributes?

[BadgerFu57]

In wrestling (I do high school) we do olympic style lifting, endurance type lifting, grappling, and running. one week we'll do 3x4 on olympic lifts, another week we'll do 3x8, or 3x12. And after we do our core lifts we do a pipeline or circuit which are enudrance type lifts. Hope that helps.

[Mr. Heel Hook]

Originally posted by GuardMaster

The question I have is how do you develop muscles to take on this form? Do you have to be born with the genetics for it?
Can special training create this type of attributes?

In all truth the answer is just learning to relax turing a stressful situation. Being relaxed and letting muscle memory will give you that.