how can muscles be big but not strong, like body builders vs rock climbers?
In: Biology
Neuromuscular adaptations: It’s not enough to have muscle fibers. You need to coordinate them to be strong. Practicing exercising heavy will increase your brains ability to coordinate muscle fibers and exert more force.
Lack of supporting muscle strength: All of your big muscles have many smaller muscles that provide balance and support when lifting. If you haven’t practiced those smaller muscles (by for example lifting only with fixed machines and no free weights) those muscles won’t be able to provide the necessary support to lift heavy.
Muscle fiber balance: Muscles consist of three types of muscle fibers. Type 1 (slow-twitch oxidative) are slow-twitch high endurance but low strength muscle fibers. Type 2a (fast-twitch oxidative) are fast twitch intermediate muscles with a balance between strength and endurance. Type 2b (fast-twitch glycolytic) are fast-twitch high strength musculature with low endurance. Training and genetics will influence your mix of these muscle fibers in different bodyparts. High-weight exercises will typically stimulate the growth of 2B muscle fibers, while high rep-low weight will typically promote Type 1.
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