Q: You talk about including higher-rep sets in workouts so you build the fast-twitch fibers as well as the mitochondria and sarcoplasmic fluid. But in light of the new findings that slow-twitch fibers have much more growth potential than previously thought, couldn’t slow-twitch growth be the real reason bodybuilders who use both lighter weights and heavy weights develop extreme muscle size?
Yes, it is all of the above: fast-twitch AND slow-twitch swelling as well as sarcoplasmic fluid expansion and mitochondria proliferation…
Keep in mind that the mitochondria are the muscle fibers’ “energy machines,” and that most mitochondria reside in the slow-twitch fibers followed by the fast-twitch 2As (dual component), with very few in the power 2Bs. That would mean high-rep sets and/or short rests between sets produce the most significant changes in mitochondria and sarcoplasm.
Remember, bodybuilders want to maximize growth in ALL aspects of the muscle, not just fast-twitch fibers. While fast-twitch hypertrophy—2As and 2Bs—may have the highest growth potential, slow-twitch size increases will contribute to your mass, perhaps significantly if new findings are correct….
It’s why training exclusively with low reps—fewer than six per set—can produce fast-twitch hypertrophy, but it’s not the fastest way to maximize your muscle size. There are a number of ways to get muscle growth along the multiple pathways discussed above, the most popular being heavy/light, or Power/Density…
Yes, the answer is hard (and smart!) training, not steroids
You can combine both forms of training at each workout. For example, in our Power-Density Mass Workout e-book, one of the programs has you do a heavy pyramid, say, 3 x 10, 8, 6, followed by a 4X sequence for “light” work.
For the uninitiated, 4X is taking your 15-rep max but only doing 10; rest 35 seconds, then do 10 more and so on until you’ve completed four sets. If you get 10 reps or more on your last set, which is all out to failure, then you up the weight at your next workout.
The early sub-failure sets along with the short rests tax the slow-twitch fibers and build the mitochondria and sarcoplasm. That primes extraordinary fast-twitch activation on the last set to failure.
Which brings up an interesting argument…
Considering the Brazilian study that showed fatiguing the slow-twitch fibers first with a high-rep set produced more muscle growth than using only heavy sets, would it be best to do the 4X sequence first, then follow with the heavy pyramid?
Our guess would be yes. In fact, an interesting variation would be heavy pyramid + 4X at one workout, then at the next, you would reverse it—do 4X + heavy pyramid.
We’ll have another interesting variation in our next newsletter. Till then try combining power and density for new muscle immensity.
View the details about The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
X-Rep.com