JM1000
04-05-2013, 12:22 PM
As wee see on most weight-lifting forums, some prefer lower volume workouts vs higher volume. I just want to share this cool part of ''The Black book of Training Secrets" by Christian Thibodeau whom you might know.
People will respond to different stimulation according to their muscle fiber type and he gives a couple ways to find out the average ratio of your muscle fiber type:
Simple tests to get an idea of an athlete’s fiber makeup
It is impossible to know the exact ratio of muscle fibers within a muscle unless you use
the very painful and intrusive muscle biopsy. However some tests can give us a good idea
if an individual is slow-twitch dominant or fast-twitch dominant. While it will not tell us
that somebody has 65.786% fast twitch fibers, it can give us a general perception of the
makeup of the individual. And really, that’s all we need to design optimal training
programs.
Test no.1: The 80% reps test
This is an oldie but a goodie. It’s probably the easiest, and most objective way of
determining muscle fiber dominance. The procedure is simple, after a proper warm-up
load the bar to 80% of your maximum and perform as many reps as you can in good
form. The table below will help you interpret the results you got.
Number of reps with 80% Muscle fiber dominance Most beneficial training
1-3 Fast twitch extremely dominant Very low volume of work High acceleration exercises High load exercises
4-6 Fast twitch very dominant Low volume of work High acceleration exercises High load exercises
7-10 Fast twitch dominant Low volume of work High load exercises High acceleration exercises
11-13 Equal ratio Moderate volume of work High acceleration and slower tempo training Moderate load exercises
14-17 Slow twitch dominant High volume of work Long duration sets Slower eccentric tempo
18-21 Slow twitch very dominant High volume of work Long duration sets Slower eccentric tempo
+21 Slow twitch extremely dominant Very high volume of work Long duration sets Slower eccentric tempo
For best results using this test you should include exercises for all body parts with as little
cross-over as possible. Not all muscles in the same individuals will have the same fiber
dominance, so I suggest using the following test exercises:
Exercise Muscle(s) tested
"Black book fo training secrets" Christian Thibodeau p.25-26
People will respond to different stimulation according to their muscle fiber type and he gives a couple ways to find out the average ratio of your muscle fiber type:
Simple tests to get an idea of an athlete’s fiber makeup
It is impossible to know the exact ratio of muscle fibers within a muscle unless you use
the very painful and intrusive muscle biopsy. However some tests can give us a good idea
if an individual is slow-twitch dominant or fast-twitch dominant. While it will not tell us
that somebody has 65.786% fast twitch fibers, it can give us a general perception of the
makeup of the individual. And really, that’s all we need to design optimal training
programs.
Test no.1: The 80% reps test
This is an oldie but a goodie. It’s probably the easiest, and most objective way of
determining muscle fiber dominance. The procedure is simple, after a proper warm-up
load the bar to 80% of your maximum and perform as many reps as you can in good
form. The table below will help you interpret the results you got.
Number of reps with 80% Muscle fiber dominance Most beneficial training
1-3 Fast twitch extremely dominant Very low volume of work High acceleration exercises High load exercises
4-6 Fast twitch very dominant Low volume of work High acceleration exercises High load exercises
7-10 Fast twitch dominant Low volume of work High load exercises High acceleration exercises
11-13 Equal ratio Moderate volume of work High acceleration and slower tempo training Moderate load exercises
14-17 Slow twitch dominant High volume of work Long duration sets Slower eccentric tempo
18-21 Slow twitch very dominant High volume of work Long duration sets Slower eccentric tempo
+21 Slow twitch extremely dominant Very high volume of work Long duration sets Slower eccentric tempo
For best results using this test you should include exercises for all body parts with as little
cross-over as possible. Not all muscles in the same individuals will have the same fiber
dominance, so I suggest using the following test exercises:
Exercise Muscle(s) tested
"Black book fo training secrets" Christian Thibodeau p.25-26