Most people know that muscle volume is not the only indicator of their strength. To be convinced of this, it is enough to remember what kind of physique the great Bruce Lee had and what he was capable of. Of course, in martial arts, in addition to strength, technique and dexterity play an important role. In reality, it happens that two people with different muscle volume show themselves equally well in weightlifting disciplines. And sometimes even the one who is much smaller in volume presses more weight. Probably, it is for this reason that not all men are fond of pumping muscles. Today we will find out what, besides volume, muscle strength depends on.
Volume
The bigger the muscle, the more hypertrophied it is. There are two types of muscle hypertrophy: myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic. When the muscle fiber increases in volume, it is mainly the second type that takes place. The increase occurs due to the saturation of the muscle with sarcoplasm. Such hypertrophy does not in itself bring an increase in strength. But, fortunately for athletes, it does not occur in its pure form. Therefore, even with an increase in volume, myofibrillar hypertrophy is connected to some extent,which increases strength. So even those who work exclusively for the mass, the strength is also growing.
Innervation
Muscle strength to some extent also depends on innervation. It is expressed by the provision of muscles with motor neurons. As you know, muscle tissue is reduced under the influence of a signal from the brain. It goes to the muscle fibers along motor neurons - motor nerves. The more neuronal connections a muscle has, the more motor units it uses and the more complex work it can do. In novice athletes, no more than 80% of muscle fibers are usually recruited. For professionals, this figure reaches 100%. To influence the innervation, you just need to exercise regularly. After some time, under the influence of constant loads, motor neurons will braid your muscles more densely.
Tendon Thickness
The strength and endurance of the muscles largely depend on this factor. The human body is designed in such a way that if, during the development of any physical parameters, it stumbles upon a weak spot, it stops this very development, regardless of our efforts. In this case, it means that the muscle cannot become more resistant to the load than the tendon. When the muscle contracts more than it can, the tendon simply pulls away from the bone. Therefore, the body, being a perfect system, restrains the growth of muscle strength if it approaches the strength limit of the tendon. Unfortunately, this factor can only be partially influenced. The thickness of the tendons is mainly laid down in childhood, at the genetic level. Adult man using regulartraining can slightly increase tendon endurance, but not much.
Fiber ratio
Many probably know that in the human body there are fast and slow muscle fibers. They are also called white and red, respectively. Of course, the difference between them is very arbitrary. Red fibers contain more mitochondria and are better supplied with blood, so they do not determine muscle strength, but their endurance.
White fibers, in turn, are more suitable for short-term explosive work, which requires strength. What muscles perform tasks - such are their fibers. For example, the lower leg is famous for its endurance, and the pectoral muscle is famous for its strength. As the body ages, the percentage of slow fibers increases, while fast fibers decrease. This happens by transforming one species into another. This factor cannot be influenced. The ratio of fibers is laid genetically. Therefore, some people from birth are better given aerobic exercise, while others are better at power. All that a person can do in this case is to choose exercises that better develop one or another type of muscle fiber. But the difference, as you understand, is very arbitrary here.
Muscle elasticity
As you know, all the muscles in our body work due to contractions and sprains. The greater the difference between these two states, the greater the strength of the muscles. Roughly speaking, the same principle works here as in a rubber band. The more it is stretched, the greater the compressive force will be. The elasticity of the muscles determines their ability tostretching and, consequently, the force of contraction. This is not even a physiological feature, but a biomechanical one. Fortunately for athletes, this factor can be influenced. In order for the muscles to be elastic, you just need to stretch regularly and competently.
Tendon placement
To make it clear how this factor affects muscle strength, let's analyze it in detail using the biceps as an example. Physiologically, the arm is designed in such a way that there is always a gap from the place of attachment of the biceps to the elbow joint. Its length is different for each person. How does this affect muscle strength? This is where the law of the lever comes into play. The closer the point of application of force (the place of attachment of the tendon) to the axis of rotation (the elbow joint), the more force the arm needs to expend for bending. Roughly speaking, if you move the tendon a couple of centimeters towards the hand, then the strength of the muscles of the hands will increase significantly. Of course, this is only possible in theory. The same law of leverage applies to almost all muscle groups that a person has. Muscle strength in this case is given to us from birth. The location of the tendon cannot be influenced in any way. For different people, it differs by just a couple of millimeters. It seems like a minor difference, but it plays a pretty significant role in generating strength.
Number of muscle fibers
What is the strength of the rope? Of course, in a huge number of thin threads. The same can be said about our muscle tissue. Muscles can be the same in volume, but consist of a different number of fibers. ThisThe characteristic is laid genetically and does not change throughout life. However, studies by scientists have shown that when exposed to growth hormone, muscle fibers can divide. But this topic is not so thoroughly studied today to give encouraging comments. And besides, we are interested in the natural strength of the muscles, without the intervention of any drugs. A large number of fibers contributes to an increase in innervation, therefore, it has a positive effect on strength. Someone with more muscle fibers is able to show more strength than someone whose muscles are bulkier.
Psycho-emotional factor
Sometimes our strengths do not depend on the abilities of the body, but on the level of motivation. There have been many cases in history when, with a threat to life, a person showed phenomenal strength. For example, having fallen from the balcony, the man grabbed the pipe and hung in his arms until rescuers arrived. He then tried to repeat this achievement on the crossbar, but was unable to hang even 10% of that time.
Muscles contract with the force with which the nervous system sends signals from the brain. In an emergency situation, the signal is so strong that the body uses all energy resources to complete this task. Perhaps that is why security athletes beat themselves on the chest with their fists and scream before entering the arena.
An important role here is also played by the volitional qualities of the individual. Another example is a person who cannot swim, takes out of the raging seaa drowning child, and a lifeguard with a perfect torso stands at a loss on the shore. Maybe it's not about muscle strength, but the principle is the same. Someone who is determined to save will do it even as a skinny, completely unathletic person.
Conclusion
Today we learned what determines the strength and work of the muscles, and partly dispelled the notion that big muscles are stronger. Why partially? Because the volume to some extent still increases the power performance. But if you compare muscle size with the other seven factors, his place will be quite insignificant.
Surprisingly, these factors do play an important role. If we compare two men with the same physique, but different muscle characteristics (one has all the indicators listed above), then we will see a difference in strength indicators. Moreover, it will be calculated not in tens, but in hundreds of percent.
Nevertheless, no self-respecting athlete, in case of failure, will refer to the physiological predisposition to small loads, and there are two reasons for this. First, 5 factors out of 8 can be influenced. That is, the development of muscle strength is really possible. To catch up with someone who is given by nature to lift heavy weights is real, but you have to do a titanic job. Secondly, the psycho-emotional factor plays the most important role. A properly motivated person is capable of anything.
