You start working out with a friend, and even though you both put in equal amounts of hard work, your friend quickly progresses in the gains department.
Sounds familiar?
There are a variety of factors that determine how your body responds to exercise, and though you can’t change some of them you may be able to make them work to your advantage.
Let’s look into these a little closely
We all have a combination of different muscle fiber types, and different muscle fiber types respond better to certain activities and training styles than others.
Some of us have more type II, or fast-twitch muscle fibers (e.g., sprinters), which shine during explosive, power-driven movements.
Others have more endurance-focused type I muscle fibers (e.g., marathon runners); these respond best to high-rep, low-load exercises.
Muscle fiber composition is mostly determined by genetics. If you’re not seeing the same gains as your friend, it could be that your training style doesn’t favour your predominant muscle fiber type. So, while you can’t change your muscle fiber composition, you can train in favour of it.
We all have fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers, but genetically some people may be predisposed to have more of one than the other. And fast-twitch fibers are the ones that you need for sizable muscle growth.
Genetics play an important role in determining your body’s ability to put on muscle limitations, partly by influencing your hormonal and muscular make-up.
Anabolic hormones consist of growth hormone, estrogen, insulin and testosterone. These are key for muscle building.
Contrary to popular belief, estrogen and testosterone are both important for muscle structure and function.
Testosterone is responsible for muscle growth, while estrogen improves muscle mass and strength, as well as growing the collagen of connective tissues, such as your bones, ligaments and tendons.
Women typically produce more estrogen and less testosterone than men, which is why men often have an easier time with visible muscle growth.
Building muscle mass and definition is hard work and also requires the correct diet.
Eating enough calories and protein helps with muscle recovery and growth after a workout.
Muscle is made up of protein, and eating adequate protein after strength training is essential to limit muscle protein breakdown and assist with muscle synthesis.
The way you train also plays a major role in how fast you can build muscle.
There are two types of muscular hypertrophy, known as myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Myofibrillar hypertrophy focuses on building strength, while sarcoplasmic hypertrophy increases the volume of sarcoplasmic fluid within the muscle to make it look bigger(post-workout pumps).
If stronger or bigger muscles are an important goal for you, dialling in on your daily caloric intake, meeting your protein goals, and adhering to a purposeful strength training program will help improve your chances.
So muscle-building abilities vary from person to person. That said, it’s important to understand the big picture because it doesn’t begin and end with your genetics.
You may have a genetic profile similar to that of a professional athlete, but if you don’t put in the work, you’ll never learn your actual potential.
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