Chronic aerobic adaptation's part two

         As you recall from previous articles aerobic training elicits two responses: Acute and Chronic. We have covered both so far. Part two is putting some "spinners" on previous articles. In terms of chronic adaptations, the time frame is 6–12-month window of aerobic training. So, good news we are past the early stages of gasping for air, burning legs and feeling sickly during the run-bad news you have to keep pushing your body in order to continue to adapt. You hear all the time that long term running is bad for your joints. This is untrue.... if this was a TV show or sporting event, we would say with one exception then break for commercial. Commercial....commercial.... commercial. Ok and we are back. As you run on hard (focus.... get your mind out of the gutter) surfaces like black top or concrete your bones adapt similar to that of resistance training. While bones continuously adapt with increases progression for resistance training the road does not change (it may...I live in the Northeast....the terrible winters create potholes due to the freezing and unfreezing of water, so new road is laid). Anyway, your bones will adapt then stop. Keep in mind that I am referring towards running on the road. Cycling and swimming either have wind resistance or fluid resistance. Training on the "roads" does not damage your ligaments or joints. The exception being (see what I did there.... brought you back from commercial.... gave you new information since your attention is locked in before the big reveal?) Strenuous running (12.5 plus miles per session) does decrease cartilage thickness. I know all the marathon runners are disagreeing with that statement. Remember what I mentioned adaptations? yep, they apply here. The human body is remarkable for adaptations, so the body will acclimate. Also, if you're training at that level then I am assuming you have the correct shoes for that distance and change your shoes frequently. Additionally, the rest and training are most likely on point as well. Even marathoners change training in the off-season to low mileage or alter training to have a heavy run than a light run.

    After the 6–12-month window training adaptations are generally due to improved running economy. Running economy is getting better at running form or running with better efficiency. Lactate threshold is how quickly your body can clear lactate. Lactate is the byproduct of exercise and can be trained with intervals.

Chronic adaptations to aerobic exercise

     Generally speaking, as you train aerobically your body reacts in two different ways: acute and chronic. Acute being short term adaptations and chronic being long term adaptations. Acute responses happen in your heart, your lungs and your muscles. Acute responses generally involve more blood circulated throughout the body and in return the expenditure of carbon dioxide, more oxygen pumped throughout the body and more turnover with muscles involved within the exercise. More long-term adaptations involve these processes becoming better and more efficient. As long-term training occurs your body becomes more adapt at breathing patterns pertaining towards the event. Running breathing patterns differ from swimming breathing rhythm. The more you conduct a specific activity the better your body becomes at those specific breathing patterns. Your cardiac output (amount of blood pumped per min) will improve, increased stroke volume (how much blood is pumped per beat), and a lower resting heart rate (body becomes more efficient pumping blood thus the lower heart rate). More blood means more myoglobin which means more oxygen. For full disclosure when I say long term adaptations, I mean consistent running for a range of 6-12 months. If you can remember back to resistance training neural adaptions occur first. Same with aerobic training. For aerobic training the body needs to be in a constant state of activation, so the firing of motor units is more offset providing the body with consistent movement. To put it in perspective it is like going to the gym with an extremely light bench press and performing an extreme number of repetitions. In that scenario you want those chest muscles to continuously fire into to lift the weight. Same principle applies towards aerobic training. The brain signals that power motor units will fire in such a way to enable continued power towards the muscles. Metabolically, as you train aerobically the body becomes more adaptive to utilizing fat as a fuel source instead of carbohydrates. This allows the body to perform at prolonged activities at the same intensity.

    Muscular wise muscular fibers become more adaptive by increasing the number of capillaries within the muscle to respond to the increased need for oxygen. Additionally, the size and number of mitochondria's increase due to the increased energy requirement. As you can imagine with the increased number of capillaries and mitochondria the muscle fiber does experience some hypertrophy. Key word is some as type 1's do not experience the same hypertrophy as type 2 muscle fibers. Even when the aerobic effort involves predominately type 2 muscle fibers in events such as the 400m-800m sprint (I say sprint loosely has these are events that are brutal) type 2's do not experience the same hypertrophy as anaerobic training would. As long-term adaptations occur reduction in the concentration of glycolytic enzymes can reduce the overall muscle mass of those fibers. Ever see a jacked marathoner? That's why. The main adaptation is the increased oxidative capabilities of the muscle fibers. Type 1's are already have high oxidative properties; type 2's undergo transitions from type 11x to type 11a. 

       

    

     

      

What I have learned about blogging so far....

     When I started blogging, I used it as a study method for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. I figured that if I am able to read chapters from the book, take notes, then write about them then it would serve as an instructional method. To say this experiment worked is unknown. To a degree it has worked for the smaller details that I have overlooked have become second nature.

     I am about to schedule the exam this week for (fingers crossed) for another month to maximize study time. The exam requires memorizing certain tables such as work rest ratios for various methods of aerobic training, statistics pertaining towards athletic scores such bench press, squat, cleans and vertical jump in a plethora of sports. Nutrional factors such as Basal metabolic rate, macro requirements, etc. In addition to the scientific portion, I would need to know how to design a facility, athlete to coach ratios. This all in all is fairly intimidating. You have to fully commit to studying for this exam in order to be successful. When I got my Personal Training certificate, I was able to breeze through the curriculum then take the test and pass. This is a whole different story.

    What blogging has done is make me more focused on committing myself to something. Five to six days a week I am taking notes and writing about fitness. The commitment itself is the successful part. Over the course of studying for this exam I would go hard a few days a week, skip a few nights then study a few nights then relax. Rinse, wash and repeat. I did not see any success because I was not committed. This is more of a process driven endeavor. To me, it does not matter if I am able to monetize this endeavor. The important part is learning the time management factor. The carving out 20-30 minutes a night towards something is the important part. During this process I have learned about process of success and just how much of a uphill battle it can be. I watched a video the other day on YouTube about success and how your initially optimistic about doing something then once you figure out how hard it can be people quit before the success. Has this process been successful? Have I hit my ultimate goal? That answer is no, however what I have learned is the process. Nick Saban used to talk about "The Process" while coaching at Alabama. Through this journey "the process" hit me. It is not about the ultimate goal. It is about the grind. The grind of writing has made me better. That everyday grind is an invaluable tool to learn.

Practice part 2

      In our first part of the series, we discussed the multiple ways to learn an individual skill. Today's article will focus on a more macro setting in how to run practice in general. If you remember the previous article referencing Allan Iverson's practice rant in this article, we are Larry Brown (head coach of the 76ers) dictating how practice is going to run. 

    If you speak to any coach of any sport, you will get very different ways to run practice; Hell, you could speak to any football coach about how they run practice, and you will get varying results. For simplicity and brevity, I'll talk about three methods.

    Random Practice:

    Random practice is exactly what it sounds like....its random. You could schedule lunge jumps, depth jumps, vertical jumps and pogo jumps all one training session and in any order. As you may have noticed each "jump" requires different motor movements and presents a different stimulus. By performing each of these tasks you accomplish a good amount, however short-term learning is stunted due to the variability and lack of attention dedicated towards one movement. Continued random practice design in this format will lead to learning each of the movements.

Variable Practice:

    Variable practice on the other hand focuses on one skill set practiced multiple ways. Take the squat movement for example. Back Squat, Front Squat, Goblet squat and air squats are all under the same body movement just variations of that skillset. In the short terms skills are learned slowly but enhances performance that is more sport specific. In sports, not all movements are the same, so learning new motor movements are imperative in unfamiliar conditions. As a coach I can model variable practice that would stimulate game like conditions or to an opponent in individual sports.

Observational Practice:

    This style of practice is learned by observing the skill or task at hand. Using videos (film review) or live demonstration are examples of how to incorporate observational practice. Pairing your most technique savvy lifter with a novice lifter can reap benefits for the beginner as they can watch the technique and learn. In sports example this is Patrick Mahomes learning from Alex Smith by watching during his rookie year. Or a freshman learning from a senior. Alabama football used to stack depth with talented players, so they can watch and learn from more experienced players.

    Incorporating each of these styles will facilitate learning amongst your players. A key aspect is knowing your players and how they respond to different styles. 

    

"We are talking about practice.... PRACTICE!"

       The title of course is paraphrased from the famous Allen Iverson press conference where he goes back and forth with a reporting about the importance of practice. It is a nearly a 30 min press conference outlining how Iverson only missed one practice the entire year and played nearly every night giving outstanding effort. This is quite the contrast to today's game in which rules were put in place for end of season awards that players have to play a minimum number of games. The only clip in that 30 min press conference that stands out the practice portion.

    Not everyone is Iverson though....most people need practice. Micheal Jordon (aka the G.O.A.T.) took practice so seriously he punched a teammate. On a scale of Iverson to Jordan we need to be in the middle in terms of practice. I wouldn't recommend punching a fellow lifter nor would I advocate skipping a training session. 

    If you think of a training session as practice, then learning the movements of the lifts are paramount. An over-simplification of the process can be divided into two categories: Whole and Part. Whole is learning the skill in its entirety. Take bench press for example. Pretty straight forward lift. Lie down on the bench, five points of contact (Two feet, two shoulder blades and head against the pad). On a side note, if your one of those gym bros that puts their feet up so make the lift harder stop doing that. If you want to make the lift harder, then add more weight-OK rant over.

      Part practice is simply dividing the skill into subcomponents. Part practice can be broken down into several subcomponents such as segmentation, and fractionalization. Segmentation refers to breaking it down into different parts that can be separated into blocks. Take the power clean for example. The first block can be the set up; feet shoulder width apart, a pronated grip inside of the shoulders, bar near your shins, etc. The second block can be the first pull to the thighs. Next you would perform the second pull by rapidly bringing the bar up to your clavicle (It is a far more complicated than that, but this article focuses on learning principles instead of a how to guide).

    Implementing part practice has varying techniques. Pure part technique entails practicing each skill multiple times independently. For the power clean I would practice the first pull multiple times independently then practice taking the bar from the hang clean position to a front squat position multiple times independently. Progressive part training is performing two parts in isolation followed by the next sequential movement. Let's say I wanted to add a jerk portion to the clean and jerk. I would learn then clean then add the jerk later on. Repetition technique is practicing the first part first then adding the next sequential movement. In a non-weight room example If I am making a pizza, I make the dough, and sauce, and toppings all independently (pure part). Or if I make the dough and sauce simultaneously then add toppings (progressive). If I make the dough, then sauce then toppings in order (repetitive).   

    Simplification is a technique that adjusts difficulty of the task by changing certain characteristics. In other words, this is setting the video game to easy mode. Our power clean example using a PVP pipe would simplify the movement. Using the pizza example; simplification would be buying the pizza dough and sauce.

    Next time you're in the gym (or making pizza) think about how you are performing the tasks associated with that movement (or food). Are you doing things independently of each other? Are you mastering one skill then progressing towards another? Are you keeping it simple? learning new skills in the weight room are no different than learning new skills in life. You just have to practice.

How muscles behave like snitches

        Did you know that the human body has snitches? Yep, that's right snitches. 

    Ever seen the Departed? .... you haven't? Have you been living under a rock? First of all, go watch the movie because this post is littered with movie references. The plot is centered around an undercover cop played by Leonardo Dicaprio getting into the Irish mob while Matt Damon plays a dirty cop that works for the mob. If that doesn't entice you the movie is littered with over-the-top Boston accents and Bostonian banter. 

     Within the body you have deeply undercover snitches within muscle tissue that rat on you. Proprioceptors or the snitch in this metaphor are specialized sensory receptors that relay information about muscles and tendons directly to the brain. Intertwined with myosin and actin lie Muscle Spindles.

Muscle Spindles aka the snitch

    Within the picture the yellow rope looking things (In real life they are white....yellow stands out more) are your Muscle Spindles. They are intrafusal (Intra-meaning inside) fibers that sense muscle stretch, muscle length and rate of change. They take that information and send it directly to the brain via alpha motor neurons. As you lift weights these Spindles are stretched allowing that muscle to activate. The heavier the weight the more the spindle is stretched allowing you to lift heavier and heavier weight. Indirectly when you lift weights you are activating that spindle. You know when you're at the doctor and the doctor tests your reflex's by taking the rubber hammer against your knee? What they are doing is attempting to activate the muscle spindles that enable your leg to kick to test your stretch reflex. A sports application is a baseball pitcher winding up (stretching the spindle) to activate muscles in the shoulder. 

    Another snitch I mean proprioceptor are your Golgi Tendon Organs (GTO's).

   

    Located within Tendons Golgi Tendons that sense muscle tension. Ever lifted weights and it's a weight that is too heavy for you. Thats your GTO sending signals via the Alpha Motor neuron to shut down muscle activity. The "shut down" of muscles is used to protect the muscle from too much resistance. While Muscle spindles activate muscles GTO's block too much muscle tension. This is similar to that one parent that allows their kid to eat candy before dinner while the other parents say no.   The principle of overload is the motor cortex to override the GTO's in order to lift the weight. 
  

What happens when you miss a workout

     Missing a workout is like when Stewie from Family Guy took steroids-got jacked then lost all of his gains overnight. 

You.

After missing one workout.

    I am over of course over exaggerating. Missing one workout will not lose your gains, and ultimately not a big deal (as long as you get back in the gym the next day). For those who have lifted weights or exercised regularly, then you know those mornings where it is just not your day. Body is beat up, overextended yourself at the gym the day prior, kids got up several times during the night, Murphy's law happens. Anyway, losing your gains takes a bit longer than one day.

    Detraining is simply the loss of physiological adaptations and decrement in performance. In laymen's terms it means losing your gains (atrophy) and not performing as well in your sport or fitness test. This happens when a significant reduction in frequency, volume, intensity or any combination of the three. Repeating the same workout over and over without using progressive overload (gradually adding weight to a set) or increasing the number of sets or increasing the number of times I work out the gains will eventually go away. If you can remember the articles about how gains are introduced through neural adaptations then muscular adaptions. Detraining happens in the reverse order, first you lost your mental (neural) gains then muscular atrophy happens.

    The depth of detraining depends on the length of detraining and training status of the individual. If I take off a week from the gym or take a week to focus on stretching/foam rolling it is probably not going to be a big deal. In fact, I would recommend taking a week "break" after a macrocycle (4-6 weeks of training) and stretch/foam roll, conduct some light running or light lifting. Many in the fitness industry call a period of light lifting de-load week. Taking off a month of training is another story. Also, If I am already in good shape than taking a few days won't hurt me. In fact, it may help has the body had a chance to recover. Even after four weeks of inactivity strength gains are maintained. However, if I am a newbie at the gym and take time off then my detraining will happen sooner. Getting back in the gym after time off isn't as much as an undertaking. as you might think. Very rarely is strength lower than pertaining levels promoting the idea of "muscle memory." If you have squatted 315 before and take time off the gym, then it won't be long before you can squat 315 again. The caveat to this is injuries; having knee surgery will 100% stunt your gains as you have to build up the legs all over again.  

    Don't get it twisted though, some immediate gains are lost. Peak power and peak speed decline much faster than strength gains. Hence why Anaerobic athletes such as sprinters and jumpers do not detrain. They may reduce the volume, but not the peak. Difference between doing 4 sets of 6 squats at 85% to 2 sets of 6 at 85%. See how the peak is still there but the volume decreases? This would be a way to keep peak power and reduce volume. Additionally, muscle fiber transitions that took place when you were grinding in the gym are now reversed. Your peak fast twitch muscle fibers (Type 2x) will transition back towards Type 2a. 

In summary, missing a day or two at the gym will not immediately cause atrophy of the muscles.   

       

       

Adaptations to Resistance Training (Endocrine system)

     Progressing through this current series of resistance training adaptations we have discussed the neural system, muscular, and connective tissue adaptations. Today's post will cover the hormonal responses towards resistance training. For fully disclosure, I'll briefly cover the role of the endocrine system in terms of resistance training as I've covered Testosterone, and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in previous posts. Also, I'll be looking at the endocrine system is how it relates to resistance training.  

    Hormones are chemical messengers that are synthesized, stored and secreted into the blood by the endocrine glands. These glands can be found in multiple compartments in the body such as the brain (pituitary, hypothalamus), thyroid, liver, adrenal glands, kidneys, and sex hormones. Hormones that are released is the body's attempt to maintain homeostasis's. Binding of hormones to receptors to the body is often referred to as the lock and key theory. In this metaphor the keys would be the hormones released and the lock would be the hormone receptors. Much like locks and keys (hence the theory) a specific hormone bids with a specific receptor. Now, in some cases hormones can partially bind with another receptor or another chemical can bind with a receptor. Receptors can also be unresponsive to hormones which is called downregulation. Downregulation can be a negative aspect (think disease or illegal drugs), or it could be the muscle fiber is saturated with protein and can no longer intake additional protein. We have all heard about genetics and muscle growth. It is 100% true. Genetics play a significant factor in how swole you are going to be. This is another reason (outside of disease and drugs) that downregulation can occur. This is why the recommended dosage of protein is 20-25g every few hours. These hormones are secreted by the body before, during and after exercise in response to amount and type of stress (Anaerobic vs. Aerobic) and metabolic demands (Intensity of exercise) that exercise puts on the body. If I lift weights my body sends out hormones that can bind with the increased hormone receptors (chronic adaptation of resistance training is increased hormone receptors). Pending the intensity of the exercise the aftermath is commonly to rebuild and repair muscle tissue. Anabolic hormones are sent to signal deep inside the muscle tissue to receive additional nutrients in order to build and repair damaged tissues. This increased sensitivity of muscle tissue can be elevated for up to 24-48 hours. On the flip side catabolic or the degradation of cells can also take place. Too much exercise without proper nutrition and rest can cause an imbalance between catabolic and anabolic hormones. If that ratio tilts towards catabolic side, then overtraining may occur. Overtraining is a chemical imbalance in the body that may take weeks to months to recuperate from. This is why training plans must have rest days or at least a few light days to ensure the body has a chance to play catch up from the previous intense days. When creating or starting a new training plan pick a few days to allow the body to hormonally catch up.    

          

Adaptations to resistance training (Connective tissue part 2)

    In part 1 of connective tissue adaptions, we discussed how bones adapt to anaerobic training. This post will focus more on the adaptations of ligaments, tendons and cartilage. A little background about connective tissue before going into the adaptations. Ligaments and tendons attach bone to muscle causing bones to move. The stronger these connective tissues are the more force you can move with. Cartilage acts as a shock absorber with bones and joints. Cartilage also acts as an aid to reduce friction from bones rubbing against each other. Connective tissue has poor vascularity meaning nutrients are limited causing a longer period of time to heal. I am sure you or someone you know has experienced an injury to connective tissue either macro trauma (complete tear) or microtrauma (tendonitis) that took a while for that injury to heal up. I experienced tendonitis's in my patella tendon a few summers ago and it took all summer for that to heal up to begin running again. Even world class athletes need at least a year to rehab connective tissue tears. Cartilage on the other hand has no blood supply and relies on diffusion of oxygen from synovial fluid around the tissue.  

    Connective tissues are primary made up of collagen (Tendons also have elastin to maintain flexibility). Cartilage Type 1 collagen makes up bones, tendons and ligaments while Type 2 make up cartilage. Connective tissue responds well to mechanical loading. Crossing that strain threshold (not too much as that causes injuries). Continued progressive overload (resistance training) is one way to apply mechanical loading, another way is through sprinting and plyometric movements. You may have seen fighters in movies or in real life punching or kicking solid material over and over. This is an example outside of the weightroom that causes adaptations. These movements cause strain within the tissue signaling adaptations to take place. Additionally, moving the tissue through full range of motion will cause adaptations to connective tissue.

    Three ways that connective tissue adapt are in the junction areas between the connective tissue and the bone. Within the body of the connective tissue, and in the network of fascia with skeletal muscle. Network of fasica refers to the deep makeup of muscle tissue of the endomysium, perimysium and epimysium.    

Cross-Section of Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Cross-Section of Collagen fiber

     

    As you can see the cross-section of a collagen fibers looks very similar to a skeletal muscle fiber and adapts very similarly. Collagen adaptations can increase in fibril diameter causing thicker collagen tissue. A greater number of covalent cross-links within hypertrophied fiber causing a stronger connection between connective tissue and bones. Another adaptation is the number of collagens fibrils creating denser tissue along with the number of collagens the packing density increases as well. 

    Continued anaerobic training (resistance/sprints/plyometrics) will cause connective tissue adaptations. Outside of the weight room supplements are an option. Collagen supplements can be expensive. A better option (and cheaper) would be Vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a significant role in collagen formation and provides additional value to the body that pure collagen supplements do not provide.      

       

Adaptations to Resistance training (Connective tissue)

     As we have progressed in this series, we have learned all about the Neural adaptations of resistance training and the muscular adaptations to resistance training. Now, we will discuss the connective tissue adaptations. Connective tissue refers to bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. For this article I'll focus more on the bone adaptation with the rest of the connective tissue adaptations to come in future posts.

    Before we deep dive the adaptations, we need to have a little background knowledge about bone structure. Bones are generally fall into two categories: Axial and Appendicular. Axial bones are found in the skull, Vertebrates, Ribs, and the sternum. Appendicular bones are found in the shoulder girdle, pelvis, and bones of the extremities. Within Axial and Appendicular bone structures lie Trabecular and Cortical bone. Trabecular are your spongy bones while your cortical bones are more solid and compact. Cortical bones surround the trabecular bones. Think of a turtle in how the outer shell is solid and compact while underneath is soft and spongy. Within the Trabecular bone structure encompass blood vessels bringing nutrients to the bone. Since the trabecular bones are less dense, they responded better to adaptive change then Axial bones. What are those adaptive changes?

    Glad you asked.

    When you lift weights, you create force on the bone structure that can either be bending, compressive or torsional. This process is called mechanical loading. As mechanical load takes place, and the bone bends the body responds through osteoblasts (protein collagen molecules). Through osteoblasts a new bone matrix is formed thus increasing the diameter of the bone. That diameter of the bone is called Bone Mineral Density (BMD). In order to have these adaptations a few things have to take place. For starters, the Minimal Essential Strain (MES) threshold must be met. The MES is typically 1/10 of the force to fracture the bone. As long as the force applied to the bone is above that ratio then your good. Meaning lifting those 10-pound dumbbells won't get you those bone adaptations that you are looking for. (Hence another reason to lift HEAVY while in the gym).

     In addition to meeting the MES specificity of loading, speed and direction of loading have to take place. Specificity of loading means that bones will adapt to areas that were under tension. Performing heavy deadlifts and squats will adapt the femur, not the clavicle. Speed applies to how fast the impact is. Slow, application of force.... think grinding through a heavy squat set is a different force then performing plyometrics. Those applications of varying force help expose the bone to different intensities. Direction of loading applies more so to exercise selection. Single-joint machine-based selection that isolates a single muscle group with the machine itself providing support instead of bone structure are not the best choice for bone adaptations to exist. Barbell/ Dumbbell Multi-joint exercises that apply force in multiple directions will elicit more of a response. 

    These adaptations will not take place overnight. Continued progressive overload that incorporates variation in training for at least six months will provide the stimuli necessary for connective tissue adaptations. One caveat, a younger adolescent crowd will have adaptations faster due to the younger nature of the bone.     

Muscle fiber types explained.

      It dawned on me that you cannot have a series about resistance training adaptations without first explaining what muscle fibers are. 

    Generally speaking, muscle fibers fall into two categories: Type 1 and type 2. Type 1 or slow twitch muscle fibers are smaller, have low force production capabilities and contract slowly. These fibers are fatigue resistance and highly oxidative meaning they are slow to fatigue and use oxygen as a fuel source. Due to the use of oxygen, the mitochondria are larger to fulfil the oxygen demands with the Krebs cycle. Since oxygen is used transporting that oxygen needs to be efficient; type 1's have a higher capillary density in order to transport blood more efficiently (along with hemoglobin that transports oxygen). Consider Amazon delivery process; in order for the packages to be delivered in a timely manner drivers need to be hired to drive the product to the location. Similar process for type 1 muscle fibers. We need oxygen to run! I got you fam..... here are some mitochondria to help you produce oxygen and some capillaries to transport that oxygen. Due to the increased oxygen type 1 muscle fibers are often depicted as red. Type 1's are predominantly used in endurance type events such as walking, running long distance, cycling long distance, etc.

     Type 2 muscle fibers on the other hand can be broken down into several different types. I mentioned all of them in a previous article about resistance training adaptations to muscle fibers. For this article I'll mention the more prevalent ones. Type 2a present a mix of oxidative/glycolytic properties that are used more for moderation. They possess properties of type 2 muscle fibers coupled with type 1 properties. They are larger motor units then type 1 and have high nerve conduction. Think about how the mind-muscle connection works in this scenario. When I jump the cerebral cortex sends that signal to the leg muscle to jump it is a fast, powerful response. Since these muscle fibers do not require oxygen, they have low myoglobin levels. These are used in repeated jumps, lifting heavy weights and sprints.

    Another category of type 2 muscle fibers is your Type 2x which are your largest muscle fibers that are extremely low fatigue resistant meaning they tire out quickly. Since the force is so high is has the highest recruitment rate amongst the muscle fibers. More rest is required to restore the muscle to full capacity as well. They are also white in color because they do not use oxygen in order to contract. Type 2x have the lowest capillary density and the lowest mitochondria. These are your weight jumps, resistance training in repetitions of two to three and your short distance sprints like hill sprints.   

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Adaptations to Resistance Training (Muscular part 2)

     In part one of Muscular adaptations we learned how "gains" are made in muscles, the increased diameter of smaller proteins actin and myosin coupled with the additional myofibrils create bigger muscles. In addition, to increased muscle size resistance training has an effect on the type of muscles.

    For the most part skeletal muscle fibers can be divided into two groups: Type 1 and Type 2 or also called slow twitch and fast switch. In a nutshell Type 1 are more geared towards aerobic activities such as long-distance running, cycling or walking. They are smaller, fatigue resistant fibers that work much like a car engine. The engine runs off timing and fires cylinders at different times. This is done to balance the engine block, and to ensure that power is constantly produced. This is an over simplified as we can deep dive it later on a different post. Since this is a post centered around adaptations to resistance training. We will deep dive Type 2. Type 2 are your larger muscle fibers that are used in fast motions (hence the name quick twitch). Sprinting, jumping and lifting weights all predominantly use type 2 muscle fibers. When you resistance train your type 2 muscle fibers respond more than your type 1 due to the makeup. I can completely nerd out between the two at a later date. As long as you have a decent background you can follow along with this post. Genetics dictates the breakdown of muscle fibers. As you would imagine an Olympic marathoner will have predominantly type 1 muscle fibers while an Olympic Shot Putter will have predominantly type 2 muscle fibers. One theory is that individuals with a larger ratio of type 2 muscle fibers will experience more growth in the weight room then individuals with more of a ratio of type 1. This is due to the more responsiveness of type 2 muscle fibers for resistance training. This theory of course is dictated on no illegal drugs.  

    Type 2 muscle fibers can be broken down in classifications. Type 2 includes 11x, 11ax, 11a, 11c. In order these are the least oxidative to the most oxidative, in other words the force production from left to right is listed from most force production to the least. More training that stresses the anaerobic system (sprinting/jumping/resistance training) causes a change in 11x to 11ax to 11a to 11a to 11c. On the flip side detraining (period of time where adaptations revert to pre training state) will cause the shift in the other direction. 

    Another adaptation for muscle fibers is the increase in pennation angle of the fibers themselves. Pennation angle creates an opportunity where the fibers line up to fire at once instead of alternating like you would see in type 1 muscle fibers. When you jump you want all the fibers in the legs to fire at once to maximize the height of the jump. Additionally, increasing the pennation angle increases the range of motion of said muscle fibers. Resistance training really boils down to weighted stretching. Increasing that range of motion increases the opportunity for those muscle fibers to extend the eccentric movement. As you continue to lift weights your muscles become better at muscle buffering. After a set of squats your legs might feel "burnt out "This is due to the increased H+ deep down in the fiber causing the PH balance to decrease making more acidic. Muscle buffering delays that reaction increasing the amount of volume that can be used during a training day.

    Continued resistance training also causes more of a "Supercompensation effect." As you exhaust the muscle fiber of creatine and ATP. Creatine and ATP storage increases by 28% (creatine) and 18% (ATP). Keep in mind this study was conducted with a good amount of volume (5 sets of 8-10 reps with 2 min rest).

    Resistance training not only increases the size of the muscle but increases other variables that will eventually lead to better performance.    

Adaptations to Resistance Training (Muscular)

    Gym bros across the country are like Brucie in the Longest Yard for this article. You know when Brucie comes in the game to kick the onside kick and yell "Brucie time to shine!" Yes, gym bro this article is dedicated to you and how to get big "Yea bro you lift heavy and eat protein. Thats how you get swole!!" To a degree they are correct. However, the process of building muscle is a bit more complicated. For starters, hypertrophy (getting swole for the gym bros) takes a longer process for as you remember Neural adaptations takes place first. Depending on your genetics, training history, hormonal response (patience.... we will get to hormonal responses), nutrition, and stress of training. Newbie gains are a real thing so if your brand new or a novice lifter you're going to make strides in the weight room faster than a more trained lifter. A more trained lifter already has neural adaptations in place and has to further adapt to elicit more adaptations. Nutrition boils down to carbohydrate and protein consumption to replace glycogen lost and repair damaged muscle tissue. Stress of training pertains to the intensity of the workout. Continued increase volume of workouts will induce more adaptations and increased muscle tissue.

    So, what does happen after neural adaptations? Deep into muscle tissue lay a sheath of muscle fibers called Myofibrils. Within Myofibrils lay two proteins Myosin and Actin. Myosin and actin are the key to muscle contraction. They operate like pistons in an engine consistency moving to produce movement. through a process called the Sliding Filament Theory.

Cross section of a Muscle Tissue.

    As you damage cells through a process called Exercise Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD). Through nutrition the cells grow back thicker and stronger. This is called protein synthesis; in order to have protein synthesis you have to have a net positive of protein intake. In laymen's terms you have to eat enough protein to rebuild these cells. After a workout the muscle cells are sensitive to protein synthesis for 48 hours. In addition to increased thickness of Myosin and Actin more myofibrils are added to your cell increasing the overall diameter of the muscle thus increasing the size (bigger muscles). This entire process is called myogenesis. Now, I am oversimplifying the entire process, but you get the gist. Another process is expressed in the fitness community called Hyperplasia. Hyperplasia is where the muscle splits and grows. This, however, is only a theory and has not been proven in humans. Animals (outside of humans) are thought to grow muscle tissue through Hyperplasia. 

       Ultimately, hypertrophy depends on a few factors that center around the training stimulus. Going to the gym and performing the same rep count with the same weight will not provide intense enough stimulus for the body to adapt. Strategic periodization will lead to continued growth-meaning lifting arms everyday may not be enough to stimulate bicep size. Increasing mechanical factors such as volume (reps and sets) and metabolic stimuli (stressing various energy systems) will lead to getting "swole" 

    

      

Adaptations to resistance training (Neural part 2)

         In a previous post we covered the first half of the neural adaptations from resistance training today we will cover the second aspect of neural adaptations. If your too lazy to click on the hyperlink, I'll give you the cliff notes version: As you include more resistance training in your workouts rate coding, recruitment and greater synchronization take place. Not sure what those are? Go ahead and click on the link. It won't take long. The question remains.... how do exercise scientist know that? Don't worry I'll do my best to answer that.

    Exercise Scientist use a method called Electromyography or EMG for short. This is performed two ways: Surface and intramuscular. Both use electrical nodes attached to the skin (Surface) or using a needle or fine wire inserted into the muscle (Intramuscular). The electrical signals stimulate muscle fibers and send data into a computer for readings. This is how we know that rate coding, recruitment and synchronization happen. 

    Additionally, we know that a phenomenon called cross-education happen. Cross education is where you train only one side of the body i.e. bicep curls and the untrained arm experiences small increases in strength by 8% and increases the size by 22%. We also know that individual muscle fibers produce more force then when both limbs contract together. This is called bilateral deficit. Cross-education and bilateral facilitation prove that neural adaptations happen first. In the first six to ten weeks of training your neural adaptions trump structural. After those ten weeks then muscle hypertrophy happens. To continue neural adaptations, one must incorporate variation in training (front squat over back squat), or progressive overload increased volume)   

Adaptions to Resistance Training (Neural)

    If you have been reading this blog you have figured out at least two things about my philosophy concerning exercise. I favor Resistance Training over aerobic training. Aerobic training does have merits and can be incorporated into resistance training. Plus, if you are having one of those day getting running will put you in a good mood. There is science to it, but it is a conversation for another day. The second is having a goal pertaining towards working out. I've extensively covered having a goal and how to build a program around that goal. Today's post is about resistance training and the neural adaptations that happen when you lift weights. 

    Neural adaptations are adaptations that your brain makes when consistent resistance training is applied. When you first start resistance training neural adaptations take place before any structural changes. Meaning before you start seeing "gains" in the motor cortexes in the brain that send signals to your muscles adapt first (hence why it is first in this series). The way the brain sends signals to the muscle is equivalent to a simple circuit with a battery, wire, switch and light bulb.  Battery is the brain (source of power), wire is the alpha motor neuron, switch is the Neuromuscular junction (Where the nerve attaches to the muscle) then the light bulb is your muscle. As you train the signals change in three aspects: rate coding, recruitment and greater synchronization within the mind muscle connection.

    

    Rate coding refers to the firing rate of the muscles that are being worked. As you lift heavier weight the mind sends increased signals to the muscle that increase the firing rate. Think about when performing a set of ten squats. The muscle is under tension and needs the brain to send firing signals to complete the ten reps. As you train more those signals become faster and faster.

    Muscle recruitment is simply how many muscles does the motor cortex need to recruit to lift the weight. If I am squatting 200 pounds, then my brain has to recruit enough muscle fibers in order to lift the associated weight. In the squatting example every motor unit (collection of muscle fibers that one nerve innervates. Eye muscles might have one or two motor unit while the quadricep has multiple motor units). When a motor unit is activated every muscle in that encompass that motor unit activate. This principle is called the All-or-nothing Principle. In terms of recruiting smaller, type 1 muscle fibers first then larger type 2 muscle fibers. One exception to this is selective recruitment. This is when highly trained athletes such as Olympic athletes and professional athletes recruit type 2 muscle fibers first then type 1. Smaller muscles rely more on rate coding while larger muscles rely more on recruitment. 

      Greater synchronization of motor units is another adaption to resistance training. Synchronization is the timing of motor units into a more focused approach. During a firework show fireworks are lit one or two at a time to extend the show; now imagine all the fireworks are tied together into one giant firework. Thats the synchronization adaptation.

    As you continue to lift weights it takes less neural activation to lift the weight in order to combat this progressive overload is needed to continue adaptations. Steadily increasing the total volume of the workout will continue to have adaptations. 

Putting together an entire training plan

 Over the past seven articles we have discussed the “how to” on building your own training plan. We started with a Needs Analysis, Exercise Selection, Training Frequency, Exercise Order, how to obtain your 1RM, Training load and reps, volume and rest periods. Today we will put it all together to formulate an imaginary training plan using myself as an example.

Needs Analysis:

Trainee information: 37-year-old male

Evaluation of the sport/A

Assessment of the Athlete: No injury concerns or previous injuries

Training status: Advanced

Primary goal: Hypertrophy

Test Results (1RM): 275-pound Bench, 315-pound Back Squat, 375-pound Deadlift.

Exercise Selection:

Core Bench, Back Squat, Deadlift, Bent over row.

Assistance: Bent over row, Shoulder press, Lunges, Hamstring curls, Bicep Curls and Triceps curls

Training Frequency:

Three days a week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) at one hour training sessions using split routine.

Exercise Order:

Core then assistance exercise following upper body then lower body.

Training Load: 

Core: 80% with goal of 8 reps

Assistance: 10 reps

Volume:

Core: 4 sets

Assistance: 3 sets

Rest Periods:

Core: One minute and 30 seconds of rest

Assistance: 1 min rest.

Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Bench at 220 pounds with 4 Sets of 8 reps with 90 Second rest	Back Squat at 252 pounds with 4 sets of 8 reps with 90 second rest	Deadlift at 300 pounds with 4 sets of 8 reps with 90 seconds of rest
Bent over row at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest.	Lunges at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest	Shoulder Press at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest
Bicep curls at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest	Hamstring curls at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest.	Cable row 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest
Triceps curls at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest	Calf Raises at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest.	Shoulder Shrug 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest
Weighted abdominal crunch at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest.	Weighted abdominal crunch at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest.	Weighted abdominal crunch at 3 sets of 10 reps with 1 min rest.

 

How to figure out Volume and Rest for training plan

 In the first part of this series, we covered the topics of Need Analysis, Exercise Selection, Training Frequency, Exercise Order, 1 RM, and training load and reps. In the final part of this series, we will cover two of the final two topics: Volume and Rest. Volume and rest are two of the more overlooked aspects of building a training plan. Without further ado we will dive into it.

Volume is the total amount of weight lifted in a training session. That is simply the weight multiplied by repetitions and sets. If I bench 200 pounds 10 reps with 3 sets then its 200x10x3 which is 6,000 pounds for that exercise. This is correlated to the eccentric portion of the lift or the negative aspect of the lift. A better way to look at it is when the muscle is stretched. In our benching example when I lower the weight that is the eccentric portion. This is where the muscle tears or microtears and through protein synthesis the muscle grows back bigger. When folks hit a plateau performing eccentric lifts (spotters would help with the concentric portion) is a good way to break through the plateau. Scientifically speaking, the most gains are derived from added sets to the workload. 3x10 is much better for “gains” than one set of 10. For runners the total volume is a bit more complicated as distance and speed is measured into metabolic energy cost. For plyometric exercises this is the number of foot touches or throws that are performed.

So how much volume should I do? Don’t worry I have a chart.

Training Goal	Goal Repetitions	Sets
Strength	6 or less	2-6
Power (Single effort)	1-2	3-5
Power (Multiple effort)	3-5	3-5
Hypertrophy	6-12	3-6
Muscular Endurance	12 or more	2-3

    

*For power exercises volume should be lower since more emphasis is placed on technique.

** These are also recommendations as time dedicated towards a training session trumps allocated sets.

*** These are also allocated towards your core lifts. Accessory lifts may be different.

One of the most overlooked aspects of a training plan is to allocate the proper amount of rest between sets. Having the proper amount of rest ensures the body is ready to perform another set. A simpler method is the relationship between load lifted and rest. The higher the weight then more rest is needed to recover. The rest period is dictated by goals. If the goal is to lift heavy weight then more rest is needed to hit your rep goal. Sometimes rest periods are expressed as W:R meaning work to rest ratios. You might see 1:1 or 1:5 meaning for 1 min of work its 1 min of rest or 1 min of work equals 5 min of rest. These are typically listed for aerobic training. Strength training is typically listed in numerically.  For brevity and clarity I’ll list in easily digestible terms of minutes and seconds.

Training Goal	Rest Period
Strength	2-5 min
Power (Single effort)	2-5 min
Power (Multiple effort)	2-5 min
Hypertrophy	30 seconds to 1.5 min
Muscular Endurance	Less than 30 seconds

 

*For power exercises volume should be lower since more emphasis is placed on technique.

** These are also recommendations as time dedicated towards a training session trumps allocated sets.

*** These are also allocated towards your core lifts. Accessory lifts may be different.

Use this chart as a guide and keep the amount of weight and reps in mind. If I am on the 

lower end of reps then I should be on the lower end of rest inversely If I am lifting heavier weight with less reps then my rest period should be longer.

As you can tell, your goal of training is imperative towards building a complete training plan. Without a goal the reps, sets, rest can all be different. The key towards building a complete plan is to work backwards.