Fitness Book

The body is comprised of approximately 650 muscles, which make it possible for us to walk, lift, swim, sleep, and do every movement imaginable.  Although without muscles, we would be nothing, most people have little understanding of them.  Instead of taking our body’s muscles for granted, it is highly beneficial to learn the anatomy associated to the muscular skeleton system, as well as taking better care of the body we have been given.  With proper diet and exercise, the muscles of the body can be toned and strengthened, providing more energy and reduced risk of health problems.

What makes muscles so intriguing is that the actual muscle and the use of muscles vary depending on the task.  In other words, to lift a five-pound bag of sugar opposed to 200 pounds of weights, different muscles would be used and in different ways.  In this article, we wanted to provide information specific to the roles use of muscles plays, giving you a better appreciation for the body and its incredible capabilities.

Muscles are made up of one or more bundles of muscle fibers, known as a “motor unit”.  Within each of these unites are nerve endings, which work by stimulating the muscle.  For this to occur, an electrochemical impulse goes from the nerve ending to the fiber via a transmission of chemicals.  Once the chemicals reach the fibers, the motor unit will contract.  Now, based on the type of lifting needing to be done, varying numbers of motor units would be involved.

This means that our body’s central nervous system works constantly to make appropriate decisions.  In other words, when lifting something light, the number of motor units called in to work would be far less than required for lifting 200 pounds.  In addition, with fibers, the more contracted the larger and firmer the muscle would develop.  As an example, if you were simply lifting your hand to your mouth to drink a cup of coffee, few motor units would be required, thus doing nothing to harden and grow the biceps.  On the other hand, if you were doing 100-pound curls, three days a week, the more fibers would be contracted, resulting in hard, firm muscles.

Another interesting fact about use of muscles is that we can actually control the strength of our muscles, which is based on the amount of fibers located in each of the motor units.  Take the fingers as a prime example.  Usually, the number of fibers in the motor unit is 10 or less, which allows delicate tasks to be performed such as picking up a pencil, typing on the computer keyboard, and so on.  However, larger muscles, such as the thigh, cannot perform these small movements and tasks because they contain so many muscle fibers, often 100 or more.

Then, we have skeletal muscles, which are somewhat different, using slow and fast twitch fibers to work.  This means the use of these muscles provides bursts of energy.  In this case, these muscles work in the following ways:

• Slow Twitch Fibers – Designed for slow but also steady amounts of energy
• Fast Twitch Fibers – Fast or high bursts of energy

Keep in mind that for all the muscles within the body to work, stimulation has to be provided.  Otherwise, the muscles are simply not able to function.  For someone who works out at the gym, those with good muscle tone, performing tasks associated with everyday life is simple.  In addition, when muscles are toned and healthy, the mind is affected too, being much more alert and able to focus.

While many people will work out to build solid muscles for appearance, added strength, or for better performance in sports, the benefits also include health to the mind, giving you even more reason to work the muscles.  By gaining a better understanding pertaining to the use of muscles, you will have the opportunity to focus attention on specific muscle groups when working out.

Many people worry that working the muscles will cause then to become bulky.  The truth is, you can work the muscles as a part of your weekly workout and never get too big.  The key is choosing the right exercises, as well as the correct number of sets and repetitions.  The way in which the body’s muscles are designed is that simply by changing the way you work out, you can have huge, defined muscles, or lean, toned muscles, your choice.

The key to your goal either way is to get in the gym or workout at home, doing something.  The body’s muscles are truly amazing, the way they are made and the way they work.