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Check out this article at Natural Strength: Muscle Fiber Type and Reps.
First of all, what do you all think about this methodology for determining muscle fiber type? The only questions I have is why 75% of 1RM? I've read other articles that say you should use 80% or 85%....what's the magical number, or does one even exist? Also, what about pre-exhaustion effects of doing these tests on the same day you are trying to find your 1RM? Wouldn't it be better to find or calculate your 1RM one day, and then go back the next day, or two days later after your muscles have recovered and then do the optimal rep range tests? I know for most of us, we probably have a pretty good idea of what our 1RM is on most of our main lifts, so this might be a moot point, but I guess my arguement here is, has their methodology in the studies cited tainted the results, or am I reading into this too much?
Second question...Assuming you have determined your primary muscle fiber type for each muscle group, is it a good idea to only do sets in the rep range specified for the muscle fiber type, or should you maybe include a set that trains in just the opposite manner at the end or beginning. For example, if you determine that your biceps are primarly fast twitch, should you maybe do a final drop set with a light enough weight that you can crank out 12 or more reps, after the first series of sets you've done have been in the 6-8 range? Conversely, if you find out your chest is primarly slow twitch, should you maybe start with a set that is heavy enough to keep you in the 6-8 rep range, followed by your other sets that have you in the 10-12+ rep range. The reason I ask, is that other stuff I've read says that no muscle group is comprised of only one fiber type. Groups can be predominantly one or the other, but they aren't exclusive. So, my thinking here is, to make the greatest inroad, you should train in rep ranges that target the primary fiber type for the muscle group, but also add in a set that attacks the other minority fiber type. Just a theory I'm kicking around....comments?
First of all, what do you all think about this methodology for determining muscle fiber type? The only questions I have is why 75% of 1RM? I've read other articles that say you should use 80% or 85%....what's the magical number, or does one even exist? Also, what about pre-exhaustion effects of doing these tests on the same day you are trying to find your 1RM? Wouldn't it be better to find or calculate your 1RM one day, and then go back the next day, or two days later after your muscles have recovered and then do the optimal rep range tests? I know for most of us, we probably have a pretty good idea of what our 1RM is on most of our main lifts, so this might be a moot point, but I guess my arguement here is, has their methodology in the studies cited tainted the results, or am I reading into this too much?
Second question...Assuming you have determined your primary muscle fiber type for each muscle group, is it a good idea to only do sets in the rep range specified for the muscle fiber type, or should you maybe include a set that trains in just the opposite manner at the end or beginning. For example, if you determine that your biceps are primarly fast twitch, should you maybe do a final drop set with a light enough weight that you can crank out 12 or more reps, after the first series of sets you've done have been in the 6-8 range? Conversely, if you find out your chest is primarly slow twitch, should you maybe start with a set that is heavy enough to keep you in the 6-8 rep range, followed by your other sets that have you in the 10-12+ rep range. The reason I ask, is that other stuff I've read says that no muscle group is comprised of only one fiber type. Groups can be predominantly one or the other, but they aren't exclusive. So, my thinking here is, to make the greatest inroad, you should train in rep ranges that target the primary fiber type for the muscle group, but also add in a set that attacks the other minority fiber type. Just a theory I'm kicking around....comments?
