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Thursday, July 10, 2008
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Monday, July 7, 2008
Answer to scottspott's question
scottspott said...
"I have an interesting question...what is the difference between weight (resistance) training and strong flexing? For example, if I flex my biceps and triceps 20 times each to the point at which they are sore, and do this instead of using weights, will my arms increase in size and become stronger?"
This is a great question, scottspott. The simple answer is yes but your arms will not noticeably increase in size or become noticeably stronger. The only way to increase size and strength significantly in any muscle is to subject it to larger loads than it is used to pushing or pulling. So if you haven’t worked out at all, then using the antagonist muscle solely for resistance will initially get you a bit stronger and maybe a bit firmer, but probably not bigger.
Let me explain. If you wanted bigger biceps, then you would do curls or an action that causes you to bend your elbow from a straight arm position to a bent one shortening the biceps. You could try to use the antagonist, or your triceps, as resistance during this movement. The triceps are responsible for straightening your arm from a bent position to a straight one. Due to the basic laws of biomechanics where when one muscle contracts or shortens, the antagonist muscle must relax or elongate. They both can’t contract at the same time. You can squeeze or tense both at the same time but the benefit from this action will not be enough to improve strength or size as you need greater resistance. Just like if you are used to curling with a 20 lb weight and then you switched to a 2 lb weight, you wouldn’t get the increase in size or strength. Just squeezing both biceps and triceps is a type of isometric exercise where the joint angle and muscle length do not change. The strength gain will be only at that joint angle that you work it at.
You can strengthen your muscles and gain size just with your body alone. The famous Charles Atlas, who was the 97 lb weakling who became the “The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man” did develop his physique by using his own body for resistance. He would use his left arm to strengthen his right instead of just flexing his muscles. He also did body weight exercises like push ups and squats.
So if you want stronger and bigger muscles, you need to use external resistance in a dynamic exercise. That resistance can come in the form as another body part, a resistance band, or traditional weights.
"I have an interesting question...what is the difference between weight (resistance) training and strong flexing? For example, if I flex my biceps and triceps 20 times each to the point at which they are sore, and do this instead of using weights, will my arms increase in size and become stronger?"
This is a great question, scottspott. The simple answer is yes but your arms will not noticeably increase in size or become noticeably stronger. The only way to increase size and strength significantly in any muscle is to subject it to larger loads than it is used to pushing or pulling. So if you haven’t worked out at all, then using the antagonist muscle solely for resistance will initially get you a bit stronger and maybe a bit firmer, but probably not bigger.
Let me explain. If you wanted bigger biceps, then you would do curls or an action that causes you to bend your elbow from a straight arm position to a bent one shortening the biceps. You could try to use the antagonist, or your triceps, as resistance during this movement. The triceps are responsible for straightening your arm from a bent position to a straight one. Due to the basic laws of biomechanics where when one muscle contracts or shortens, the antagonist muscle must relax or elongate. They both can’t contract at the same time. You can squeeze or tense both at the same time but the benefit from this action will not be enough to improve strength or size as you need greater resistance. Just like if you are used to curling with a 20 lb weight and then you switched to a 2 lb weight, you wouldn’t get the increase in size or strength. Just squeezing both biceps and triceps is a type of isometric exercise where the joint angle and muscle length do not change. The strength gain will be only at that joint angle that you work it at.
You can strengthen your muscles and gain size just with your body alone. The famous Charles Atlas, who was the 97 lb weakling who became the “The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man” did develop his physique by using his own body for resistance. He would use his left arm to strengthen his right instead of just flexing his muscles. He also did body weight exercises like push ups and squats.
So if you want stronger and bigger muscles, you need to use external resistance in a dynamic exercise. That resistance can come in the form as another body part, a resistance band, or traditional weights.
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