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!