getting harder muscles

[dragonwarrior99]

hi i was just wondering is there any specific rep range / training that will give you harder muscles? i know it depends on your bodyfat as well.

[osopardo]

Harder, stronger muscles (not necessarily larger) are developed by high- reps/low-weight training. It usually takes much longer to see noticeable results.

Bill Phillips claims you can develop a bodybuilder's physique in 12 weeks. Compare that to the physique of an individual who's been doing repetitive physical labor such as farming or construction for 10 years.
For example; lift a 36 lbs. concrete block (relatively light weight) from the ground to the top of a 3' high wall. Do it 400 times every day for one year and see what it does to your arms, back,legs, etc.

BTW-Bodyfat is best controlled by diet. There're plenty of obese construction workers around, who do what I just described above but eat like hogs.

[Sean Dempsey]

construction workers reach homeostasis over a few weeks. After that, they don't get stronger or more endurance. Once they can do the job, their body quits adapting.

The only way to progress is to constantly overload whatever you're doing. Be it strength training, or endurance, or whatever. That is why people with manual labor jobs top out at a certain place.

For a construction worker to get bigger from his work, he'd have to consitantly lift more and more every week. Usually, they life the same amount for years on end, and once your body reaches the level it needs to do that, here comes the beer gut!

[osopardo]

You're right, that's why they call it "progressive resistance". But you're talking about muscles getting bigger, which is not the same thing as harder. Homeostasis occurs because they're working, not training. They're constantly looking for ways to make the work easier, not more challenging.
Other things are also taking place during that adaptation (barring negative lifestyle habits) like increased breathing capacity and greater vascularity.
And as the work efficiency increases so does the amount of work done.

OK so maybe that wasn't the best example; my point really was to illustrate the effects of the high-reps/low-weights formula. Naturally, when you can do 50 dumbbell curls with 30 lbs you can try for 75 reps or you can increase the weights. If you keep increasing the reps you'll find yourself working out all day long, and if you increase the weights too much you're no longer strength training, you're bodybuilding.

[Sean Dempsey]

Hard muscles is kinda a myth, like a "lap"

The more tonicity your muscles have, the firmer they'll be when at rest. This comes from giving yourself a great neuromuscular adaptation, from either strength or endurance training.

Hard muscles when constricted also comes from neuromuscular adapdation and your ability to maintain tetnus. This can be from endurance or from strength training.

There is no such thing as "harder" muscles fibers, they are all the same. "Hard" muscles is a exercise misnomer just like how people think they can lose fat on their abs or having different definitions for "Cut, buff, ripped, shredded, lean, toned, burly, stacked, built..."

Basically, if you want hard muscles, work out hard.

[osopardo]

[QUOTE=Sean Dempsey]Hard muscles is kinda a myth, ...There is no such thing as "harder" muscles fibers, they are all the same. "Hard" muscles is a exercise misnomer...QUOTE]

I take the phrase "harder muscles" to mean denser, meaning more fibers per cross-sectional area. As opposed to a bodybuilder's muscle which may be bigger because of cellular hydration but contain less muscle fiber per the same size cross sectional area. How you train affects how the muscle restructures itself to adapt to the training.

[Derk]

If you work you're muscles, they get bigger. Why do you guys say that they don't?

[Jowan]

Quote-
"I take the phrase "harder muscles" to mean denser, meaning more fibers per cross-sectional area. As opposed to a bodybuilder's muscle which may be bigger because of cellular hydration but contain less muscle fiber per the same size cross sectional area. How you train affects how the muscle restructures itself to adapt to the training."
__________________

Please, Please, tell me how to get more fibers per area of muscle then. don't just say it, say how to do it!
and why aswell, also- how muscles get more 'hydration' or whatever, and how to reduce it.
Thanks in advance,
jowan

[dragonwarrior99]

wow... a lot of mixed opinions...

[osopardo]

...Please, tell me how to get more fibers per area of muscle then. don't just say it, say how to do it!
and why aswell, also- how muscles get more 'hydration' or whatever, and how to reduce it.

As I have had it explained to me, the exercise techniques used in bodybuilding (anaerobic, low-reps/high weights) combined with their nutritional supplementation (high intake of protein, creatine, androstene, steroids, etc.) causes the cells of the muscle fibers to become larger by becoming hyper-hydrated (overfilled with water). This does not necessarily mean more muscle cells or more muscle fibers, just bigger. Subsequently, the bigger muscle fibers take up more space per cross-sectional area and so that type of muscle looks bigger but is not necessarily denser.

By contrast, a high-reps/low weights workout will induce growth of additional muscle fibers which are not bigger than normal, but there are more of them per cross-sectional area. That type of muscle is denser, stronger "harder". And takes longer to develop.

[Derk]

To make this a bit easier for me to understand..which did Bruce Lee do?

[RedNoze]

Maybe, You need the right info.

Fix the number of Sets By your Experience in Weight Lifting.
1-2 Beginner, 2-3 Medium, 4-10 Advanced.

1 to 5 reps Maximal force Gain by adaption of nervous system
Rest between Sets 2-3min
Rest Between Exercices- 3-5min

6 to 8 reps Fifty/Fifty, Maximal Force / Hypertrophy Gain
Rest between Sets 60-90sec
Rest Between Exercices 2-3min

9 to 12 reps Hypertrophy Gain
Rest between Sets 45-60sec
Rest Between Exercices 90-120sec

13 to 20+ reps Endurance Gain
Rest between Sets 30-45sec
Rest Between Exercices 60-70sec


Good Luck with your training, if you need any other info... ask!
RedNoze.

[Derk]

What is hypertrophy?

[RedNoze]

Hypertrophy = Gain in Muscular Mass. "Bulking"
Personnally i prefer 10 to 20reps range. Depend of the person.
Fifty/Fifty Mass/Endurance..


You can choice your Sets/Reps Range with the help of your System morphology,

The three Kind of system.
-Ectomorph (Ectomorphs are thin and have a large skin surface relative to their weight)
-Endomorph (Endomorphs are heavy and flabby)
-Mesomorph (mesomorphs are sturdy and strong, with highly developed bones and muscles)

What's your?

Each Body Morph, require a special training method.
If you are a Ectomorph, you need Light Reps with Light Sets, Really Hard to gain muscle mass. You have a small body conception, small bones, really small muscle,.. really hard to gain mass!

If you are Endomorph, your a little fatty, you have facility to gain weight and fat, you need a endurance training with a lot of cardio. But this kind of morph are really good too for Weight Lifting, Strong Muscle, big bones.

If you are Mesomorph, you have the top body for weightlifting and bodybuilding, you already have a great sheap, big bones, great muscles appearances, you have a good weight and easy to gain muscle.

He have a lot of different factor for weight lifting. Depend of each person. You say what's work good for you, when you try it. Try the different method, Superset, TriSet, Circuit, Split, full Body, Endurance, Mass, Maximal Power... Try every trick you can find....

Good luck with your training.
RedNoze

[Sean Dempsey]

You cannot add muscle fibers, you can only make your existing ones bigger.

Hypertrophy is making them bigger, humans do this
Hyperplaisa is adding more fibers, humans do not do this (but cats do!).

Basically, go down and give 110% 4 days a week and train hard as hell, eat right, sleep right, and 5 years later let us know. Really unless you're willing to give 110% every day and be totall clean in eating and sleeping, don't waste your time.