Activating both fibre types

**Bodybuilding-Student** · 02-25-2012, 11:48 AM

In order to maximise gains we need to activate both slow and fast twitch fibres right?
So would it be beneficial to add a day which concentrates on allbody and high reps? Or should i add exercises in to my current routine which focuses on 15+reps?

***FireGuy*** · 02-26-2012, 04:02 PM

Your slow twitch fibres (red) tend not to have the same potential for growth as the fast twitch (white). Even so I feel its still important to hit the slow ones with a bit of frequency. Every once in awhile I would do 50 reps in the squat rack with 225lbs and that was my entire leg workout for that session. If you have never squatted for 50 reps try it sometime. Even if you are just using 95lbs it will wipe you out. I will also sometimes just add in a 50 rep set for a specific muscle at the end of a normal workout just to hit these fibers as well.

**gmoltono** · 02-26-2012, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by FireGuy

Your slow twitch fibres (red) tend not to have the same potential for growth as the fast twitch (white). Even so I feel its still important to hit the slow ones with a bit of frequency. Every once in awhile I would do 50 reps in the squat rack with 225lbs and that was my entire leg workout for that session. If you have never squatted for 50 reps try it sometime. Even if you are just using 95lbs it will wipe you out. I will also sometimes just add in a 50 rep set for a specific muscle at the end of a normal workout just to hit these fibers as well.

I do the same, but I do 3 sets of 40 on the leg press machine! 200lbs, 300lbs, 400lbs! It kicks my a**!

**Bodybuilding-Student** · 02-26-2012, 04:55 PM

Ok i understand. I was doin a training programme called fst-7 which requires that u use and isolation exercise and perform 7 sets of 12-15 reps at the end of every workout. I now realise why lol. Thanks guys

**gearbox** · 02-26-2012, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by FireGuy

Your slow twitch fibres (red) tend not to have the same potential for growth as the fast twitch (white). Even so I feel its still important to hit the slow ones with a bit of frequency. Every once in awhile I would do 50 reps in the squat rack with 225lbs and that was my entire leg workout for that session. If you have never squatted for 50 reps try it sometime. Even if you are just using 95lbs it will wipe you out. I will also sometimes just add in a 50 rep set for a specific muscle at the end of a normal workout just to hit these fibers as well.

225 at 50 reps. Omg. That is insane. I will start incorporating this method at the end of my wk out

***FireGuy*** · 02-26-2012, 07:29 PM

^The first 25 were usually pretty normal tempo, the next 15 or so I had a breath of two between each rep, the last 10 like individual sets of 1. I always felt like my legs still had a few more reps in me it was just my lower back would be cramping like crazy and my lungs would be gasping for air.

Before anyone calls me out on them, they were done below parallel but not ass to calves and I always wore wraps.

**Back In Black** · 02-27-2012, 03:13 AM

Mate, have a read up on Neil Hill's Y3T training philosophy for hitting various fibres. I haven't tried it but may give it a go on my next programme.

**Bodybuilding-Student** · 02-27-2012, 04:52 AM

Ive been reading it and i like the sound of it, but should i use i while cutting or when bulking? what can i expect from it when cutting? Im not sure if i buy into the the whole adding muscle whilst cutting, but then again ive never tried.

***FireGuy*** · 02-27-2012, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by SteM

Mate, have a read up on Neil Hill's Y3T training philosophy for hitting various fibres. I haven't tried it but may give it a go on my next programme.

Have you ever seen any videos of Hill training legs? BRUTAL!!!!

**Back In Black** · 02-27-2012, 07:46 AM

Suitable for cutting or bulking. The guy is a beast. Not sure I could do one of his workouts let alone programmes, justice!

**crazy_rocks** · 02-27-2012, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by FireGuy

^The first 25 were usually pretty normal tempo, the next 15 or so I had a breath of two between each rep, the last 10 like individual sets of 1. I always felt like my legs still had a few more reps in me it was just my lower back would be cramping like crazy and my lungs would be gasping for air.

Before anyone calls me out on them, they were done below parallel but not ass to calves and I always wore wraps.

so the trick is to use weight that kicks my butt in one set of 50reps or did you break it down into 3 sets with very minimum rest?

**crazy_rocks** · 02-27-2012, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by FireGuy

^The first 25 were usually pretty normal tempo, the next 15 or so I had a breath of two between each rep, the last 10 like individual sets of 1. I always felt like my legs still had a few more reps in me it was just my lower back would be cramping like crazy and my lungs would be gasping for air.

Before anyone calls me out on them, they were done below parallel but not ass to calves and I always wore wraps.

so the trick is to use weight that kicks my butt in one set of 50reps or did you break it down into a few sets with very minimum rest in between?

**M302_Imola** · 02-28-2012, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by FireGuy

Your slow twitch fibres (red) tend not to have the same potential for growth as the fast twitch (white). Even so I feel its still important to hit the slow ones with a bit of frequency. Every once in awhile I would do 50 reps in the squat rack with 225lbs and that was my entire leg workout for that session. If you have never squatted for 50 reps try it sometime. Even if you are just using 95lbs it will wipe you out. I will also sometimes just add in a 50 rep set for a specific muscle at the end of a normal workout just to hit these fibers as well.

Man 225 lbs. squats for 50 reps...you're a damn beast! I think I could get around 25 reps w/ that weight but 50, now way! I would like to get your take on a concept I have recently been reading about where you perform 3 sets heavy weight low reps (6-10) and then perform 1 set lighter weight high rep (~20) on big lifts such as bent over barbell row, flat or incline bench, and squats. I'm sure you've heard of the concept of tearing/stretching the muscle fibers w/ the heavy weight low rep sets and then you fill the muscle fibers/cells with a lot of blood (in hopes to expand these fibers/cells) by doing the lighter weight higher rep set. Your thoughts on this please?

**M302_Imola** · 03-02-2012, 06:47 AM

^^^bump, Fireguy where you at?

***FireGuy*** · 03-02-2012, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by crazy_rocks

so the trick is to use weight that kicks my butt in one set of 50reps or did you break it down into a few sets with very minimum rest in between?

It was one set of 50 continuous reps. I guess you could do it with minimal rest between mulitple sets but I think you would be defeating part of the purpose.

Originally Posted by M302_Imola

Man 225 lbs. squats for 50 reps...you're a damn beast! I think I could get around 25 reps w/ that weight but 50, now way! I would like to get your take on a concept I have recently been reading about where you perform 3 sets heavy weight low reps (6-10) and then perform 1 set lighter weight high rep (~20) on big lifts such as bent over barbell row, flat or incline bench, and squats. I'm sure you've heard of the concept of tearing/stretching the muscle fibers w/ the heavy weight low rep sets and then you fill the muscle fibers/cells with a lot of blood (in hopes to expand these fibers/cells) by doing the lighter weight higher rep set. Your thoughts on this please?

Yes, I got some good results employing that concept on leg presses. I would do my heavy sets then drop down and do a set of 50 reps, slow, continuous tension reps,never locking a rep out and no pauses at the top or bottom. After this I will go into some hardcore stretching of the quads in an attempt to get some really good fascia break up.

Originally Posted by M302_Imola

^^^bump, Fireguy where you at?

Sorry man, 7 weeks out and a bit scatter brained.