Muscles are truly a fascinating bodily tissue. They can exert an amazing amount of force in a fraction of a second, they can be strengthened or stretched in order to become specialized to specific activities or movements, and are basically at our beckoning call. Now what you do with all this power is up to you, but in order to get the most out of your muscles you’ll need to have some basic knowledge as to how they work.

1.) Muscle Contraction is the primary function of your muscles and is what gives you the ability to move. You see this clearly when you do a bicep curl and that little bump forms on your upper arm. Believe it or not, that is one of 3 basic types of contractions that your muscles can perform. So here is the contraction types and what they are best for.

• Concentric Contraction is where a muscle shortens, just like what your bicep does during a curl. Performing this movement can help build overall Strength of that muscle.
• Eccentric Contraction is the opposite of concentric. That is, the ability for a muscle to lengthen in a slow and controlled manner. This is also where most of the micro tears in your muscle fibers happen. (Sounds bad but it doesn’t have to be. I’ll explain why if you continue reading.)This type of contraction is more linked to building muscle Hypertrophy (Which means size). Do not get strength and size confused as they do not necessarily mean the same thing. Granted a large muscle is a strong one but a small muscle can be a powerful one as well.
• Isometric Contraction or a muscles ability to hold a position without any movement. If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, a good example of an isometric move is the wall sit or plank (shown on my 15 minute office workout). This type of contraction is good for building Strength at a specific position. For example if your a downhill skier it would be smart for you to do a squat and hold the position similar as to what you would perform while competing. By practicing this type of movement often you can train your legs to be excellent at holding that position for long periods of time without fatiguing.

2.) Why do I get Sore? Many people have been told that the soreness you experience the day (or few days) after a workout is due to a buildup of lactic acid. This is an older method of thought and we have actually proved otherwise. What actually happens is micro-tears in individual muscle fibers, caused by eccentric contractions, lead to inflammation, tenderness, and a constant dull pain.

Here’s an example to help you imagine this: Think of your arm as a guitar with 100’s of strings. When your are playing your guitar (exercising) many of those strings may break but not enough to stop you from playing since there are 100’s more that will be able to take up the slack. When you are finished there are dozens of strings that need to get repaired. This may take a while and will cause some slight inflammation and pain but it’s all part of how your body functions. Once your body has repaired those broken strings they will come back stronger and a little larger than before. Now if you pull too many strings you’ll experience what we call a torn or pulled muscle. These are never fun but just ice it and leave it alone for 9-12 days to recover.

3.) How Can I Develop My Body To Make It Look Exactly How I Want It Too? A lot of muscle size and shape is determined by genetics. Some of us have big legs others have chicken legs. So to some extent you cannot control what type of body your parents gave you. Don’t call them up and curse them for knocked knees just yet since you can do plenty of things to give yourself the best body possible. Focus on what you want to improve and alternate days where you use high and low repetitions. It also helps to work muscles at different angles by using different exercises often. Depending on what you wanted I could spill out a detailed plan but it may not work for everyone. So instead try out a completely customized fitness system that I have designed and use every day. Go to www.therpmsystem.com and type in the code: 346976698 to try it risk free for 1 week. 

I know I’ve just thrown a lot of information your way and it may take some time to process. There is so much more behind how the muscles work together, but I’ll save that for another time. If you have any questions or think I may have missed something important please shoot me an email and I’d love to help you any way that I can.

Justin Didlott

jdidlott@therpmsystem.com

Many of us strive to get the same results we see on The Biggest Loser or when Oprah feels like dieting. We’ve read 100’s of articles on “EXACTLY” what we should be doing this month to get that ripped, sliced, and shredded body. Whether it’s installing a stripper pole in the bedroom or buying a treadmill for extra hanger space, most of it doesn’t seem to get the job done. For most people it’s not a matter of time (Despite what we tell ourselves) it’s a matter of motivation or enjoyment. Exercise is like building a campfire. Many of us dump on the gasoline light a match and burn out in no time. Instead use a slower, more mediated approach. Here are some tips to starting your routine.

1.) Set Realistic Goals How many times have you watched Coyote Ugly or 300 and said, “I’m going to get into that kind of shape… starting tomorrow.” Don’t set huge goals that may be a little out of reach at the beginning. Start by picking a slightly smaller pant size, 1/2 inch loss around your waist, or the ability to jog 1 mile without doubling over and gasping for air.

2.) Be Nice but Not Easy Many of us are WAY too hard on ourselves. If we slip up and eat a twinkie we’ll be calling ourselves names for days and eventually just give up. Be reasonable and set punishments for straying from your program but let’s make sure that they aren’t in the form of 40 lashings. Here’s an idea on how to set this up: If you ate a doughnut over the weekend that you know has added extra calories then assign yourself 15 extra minutes on the stairmaster or do 50 extra pushups throughout the week. This will help burn off the extra calories and you’ll have a more positive outlook while speeding up your progress.

3.) K.I.S. (Keep It Simple) Stop trying to combine everything that you see in Cosmo, Women’s Health, Body Builder.com, etc… and stick to the basics. If you want to see some good old fashioned routines then youtube Jack Lalanne. The best fitness moves are the most simple. As always you can try an awesome at home program that I have designed and use by clicking here and using the code:346976698

4.) Habits Last, Fads Don’t If you’re using a system that works for you then stick with it. Too many people start on one program then hopscotch to the next newest thing. I know that the cookie diet sounds great, but unless your 3 foot tall, live on sesame street, and don’t have to worry about cavities then it may not be the right diet for you. 

5.) Never Give Up I know that fitness isn’t easy for most and it’s much easier to just quit. Very few people love getting up at 5:30 to go for a morning jog and I’ve met only a handful of people who actually like doing pushups and lunges. The truth is that you have to learn to love it. Like anything, once you start to see progress everything becomes a little easier. Pick a goal and stick to your guns. Give it 6 weeks and if you don’t see any progress then try something else.

If you are curious about which program may be a good fit for you then shoot me an email and I’d love to help you out. I’ve read about many of the different programs and have used several myself so between the two of us we can get you pointed in the right direction.

Good Luck,

Justin

jdidlott@therpmsystem.com