Part 1: What is muscle?

Hello there... I think before diving into anything, it's best to have a bit of background information as to what you're actually doing. Understanding how something works gives you a better idea of what you need to do to achieve a desired effect... And I don't tjust think that applies to this category, but more like almost everywhere... So - before you go workin out them muscles, I think it's best to know what one is. You may also understand why certain things take time, and why certain things happen too! I'm going to try and make this not a daily installment but not too far spread apart. Now, onto the science.

So... what is muscle?
Put simply, a muscle is tissue that is a composite of fibres capable of contracting to cause movement of, and within the body. In general, the bodies muscle comes in three various forms: striated, smooth and cardiac - however we will concentrate on striated muscle. More on this down below.

Below is a fantastic diagram of all the different muscles of the body. It's a bit more complicated than the kind of angle I'm coming from - but it's a powerful resource. Well worth a print out and a stick on your wall (appologies to ladies, I couldn't find one - but the muscles are still the same! :).

Figure 1: A diagram showing all muscles of the body

For a lot of people that have never looked into weight training before, there are probably a lot more muscles than they first imagined. From head (or neck as it were) to toe, there are a HUGE range of muscles to play with. We'll see in a later blog what I think a good group of muscles would be to work out that wouldn't be too taxing, for an improved physique (oh how we adore the V shape). But back to today.

Skeletol (striated) muscles are attatched to the skeleton via tendons - usually in pairs that pull in opposite directions e.g. biceps (flexor) and triceps (extensor) that move the forearm at the elbow. Striated muscle (muscle which we and animals have conscious control over) - is composed of numerous cylindrically shaped bundles of cells, each enclosed in a sheath called the sarcolemma. Each muscle fiber contains several hundred to several thousand tightly packed strands called myofibrils that consist of alternating filaments of the protein substances actin and myosin. Now you know why protein is so good for muscle!

For the keener person, some more detailed information on the muscle...
The energy required for muscle contraction comes from the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a substance that is present in the cells and is formed during cellular respiration. A muscle fiber is stimulated to contract by electrical impulses from the nervous system. The point of contact between nerve and muscle is the neuromuscular junction, where the chemical substance acetylcholine is secreted, initiating the changes that cause the muscle to contract.

The tensed up feeling you get after a workout...
During resting states, some of the fibers in the musculature are maintained in a state of partial contraction, known as muscle tone. This permits muscles to contract quickly when stimulated without having to overcome the inertia of total relaxation.

In the next part, we'll look at what actually happens during the training of muscles, and what causes the feeling the following days after a hard work-out (and isn't it a great feeling?). Until then - train hard, and train safe!

My Blog on Weight Training and Fitness: Introduction

Apologies for the late initial post, it's been a very lazy day for me. This blog is where I'm going to talk about the physical aspect of life e.g. keeping fit, and as a hobby... weight training. I'm pretty into the whole thing as I like to look and feel good. I tend (most of the time), to watch what I eat and also weight train. I'm hoping to provide my insight on some truly good tips without ram-raiding the reader with lots of jargon and "get a carved 6pack in 2 weeks" type jibber-jabber.

After trying numerous things I feel like sharing these with other people, who could also perhaps extend on this. I noticed when researching the best way to weight train - there was an overwhelming amount of information, and on top of that people providing different suggestions as to what they think works best. The truth is that every person, so what works for one person may not work for another.

One of the biggest problems when someone decides to lose weight, or gain muscle - is not knowing where to start and if they do, then what exactly to do. The big question is do they start by losing weight, or trying to put on the muscle first? Then there are all sorts of other questions that result of either decision. What weights to start with? Methods of burning calories? How often to do these things? etc etc, the list can go on forever. I think the key to getting results from wanting to put on muscle or generally get fit is to plan and understand what it is your taking on, thus what you have to do to achieve this. As both of these things take motivation, persistence and time, working blindly does not work. The chances are trying this way will end up in getting bored after a few weeks and giving up.

My aim is to slowly try and break down the field, providing you with information for what has worked for me, and to give an insight in general. Fitness and weight training are much bigger than people think. However they tend to discover this before they begin, meaning they drop out once they realise what is needed of them, to achieve results. Weight training is more than going to the gym, curling a dumbbell 200 times, eating lots of protein shakes etc. And becoming fit and healthy is more than going on a round the block run for 2 weeks, and starting a fad diet for 4 weeks, and expecting to look slim. There is a lot more involved.

I hope readers will return, possibly even help me out too! Now you know what the blog is about, tune in tomorrow for a deeper insight :)