HOW TO TRAIN FAST TWITCH MUSCLE FIBRE

In this video I take a look at fast twitch muscle fibre and how best to train it. This is in part a response to a question from a channel subscriber - James. James went into some detail about new research into fast twitch fibre and how it can or cannot be trained. He focussed on a more newly discovered or at least getting more widespread attention type 11x fibres. These are a further intermediate fast twitch fibre - like the type11a. These however are seen to have a greater potentiality to provide power and speed. In producing this video I looked at some more research and it does seem that it may be more difficult to produce more type 11b fibres than perhaps previously thought. Type 11bs are the real speed and power producing muscle fibres. Now it seems that the number of these that we have may be relatively static and determined at birth. It’s the potential to alter the contractile properties and rate of firing of the the type 11a and type 11x fibres that may now provided the greatest return on our training. Consequentially I provide some information on what may the best training means to do this. I provided some research of the stretch-shortening cycle and plyometric exercises as these may provide superior gains in terms of fibre transference (i.e. making type 11a and type 11x fibre more explosive. Also I point to the benefits of complex and contrast training. This way of combining weights exercises with plyometrics has long been a favourite of mine. The benefits are seen to be greater neuromuscular recruitment and the ability to recruit larger numbers of fast twitch muscle fibres and the motor units which control them.