Posts Tagged ‘muscle fibers’

Muscle Pumping Force and Hypertrophy

Find out the difference in force vs. hypertrophy in this muscle pumping article.

It is well understood that the force produced by any muscle pumping is dependent on its cross sectional area. For example a bulkier part of a muscle would equal more strength corresponding from that area.  Therefore force from a muscle is the direct result of activity of your muscle’s subunits.  Your muscle or muscle groups, need maximum strength, maximum speed, maximum hypertrophy, according to the motor act to bring about the correct stimulus with the right training. This is why we have different workout methods and intensities.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to muscle pumping hypertrophy.  Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and miofibrilar hypertrophy.  Sarcoplasmic hypertorphy takes place when the sarcoplasm growth and does not contribute directly to the production of force.  For example the size of muscle (cross-sectional area) increases but there is no increase in density of the area of ​​the filaments in the muscle fibers.  Which simply means you put on the mass after pumping the muscle without any significant improvement in strength or force production.

Muscle Pumping Force and Hypertrophy

On the other hand, myofibrillar hypertrophy is when the widening of the muscle fibers occurs, contributing to the significant increase in force production.  Harder methods of training cause micro-breaks in muscle fibers and induce, in principle, fluid retention as a defense mechanism, and also give the muscle a fuller pumped look.

So far there has been no conclusive evidence to affirm the existence of a relationship between training intensity and myofibrillar hypertrophy or sarcoplasmic hypertorphy.  However, as we notice everyday in real life, there is a clear difference in the actual strength among weightlifters, bodybuilders and Olympic weightlifters.  Each athletes muscle design is different, the shape of body is different, the force production from each is different and the training methods that each use to reach their goal, are completely different.  For example when looking at a bodybuilder you see all his muscles well defined and large.  This does not mean they are stronger.  On the other hand, an Olympic lifter, may not have as aesthetically pleasing body, but they are much stronger.

No matter what science tells us about muscle pumping force and hypertrophy, one has to train according to their goals to maximize their own body’s potential to the fullest.

_{»crosslinked«}