Mathematical Model to Grow Muscle?

Have you ever wondered how or why your muscles grow when you strength train? My mind was blown when I learned that it has been only about 50 years since science has figured out the mechanisms of how muscles work, and we are only scratching the surface of how and why they grow during strength training. Science is now using advanced mathematical techniques to uncover how we can optimize exercises for muscle growth.

In a recent article published by Cambridge University researchers have developed a mathematical model that can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle.

Researcher Dr. Ibata said, "I was excited to gain a better understanding of both the why and how of muscle growth," he said. "So much time and resources could be saved in avoiding low-productivity exercise regimes, and maximizing athletes' potential with regular higher value sessions, given a specific volume that the athlete is capable of achieving.”

Terentjev and Ibata set out to construct a mathematical model that could give quantitative predictions on muscle growth. They started with a simple model that kept track of titin molecules (protein that signals growth) opening under force and starting the signaling cascade. They used microscopy data to determine the force-dependent probability that a titin kinase unit would open or close under force and activate a signaling molecule.

Researchers determined that 70% of maximum load was the best amount to create the signal for growth without putting extra stress on the cell.

In addition to muscle growth, the model the researchers constructed can also give us insight into muscle atrophy (when the muscle deteriorates over time) and how much load and frequency is needed to mitigate this physiological response.

MY TAKE: This mathematical model echoes what strength and conditioning coaches have been saying for decades now: Most of your strength training should be done at loads of 70% of your maximums for best muscle growth. However, this does fly in the face of high rep workouts that are done with lighter loads to create growth. With my clients that are looking to gain lean body mass, we try to keep loads in the 70% range and hit sets of 8-12 shying away from working until failure (more on this in a later post).

If you are looking to gain some lean body mass, I’m here to help! Click the link below to start some intelligent, science based strength training today!

Build Muscle...NOW

A majority of clients that I work with are looking to lean out and tone up (terms that drive me up the wall, but I will leave it alone for now).  However, I do have clients who’d like to put on weight by increasing their lean muscle mass.  This scenario requires different training, nutrition and lifestyle changes.  Let’s break down a few considerations:

1. Increasing Calories-To increase lean body mass, the body needs a caloric surplus.  I usually shoot for a 300-500 calorie per day surplus over a client’s baseline with a focus on protein and carbohydrates.  

2. Increase training intensity by building load, volume, or both-If you want to out on muscle, you have to train hard.  That doesn’t mean maximum intensity every day, but it does mean that training should be uncomfortable most of the time.  Increasing the load, adding more sets, or going for more reps are a few simple ways to increase the difficulty of your workouts.  As a bonus, I wouldn’t vary the exercise selection too much as it takes time for the body to adapt to any exercise.  Choose 10 exercises total, and work through those on any given day.

3. SLEEP-I can’t emphasize this one enough.  Sleep is integral to putting on lean body mass as sleep is where recovery takes place and growth hormone is released (growth hormone aids in muscle synthesis). 

This is only a small chunk of the many considerations I make when working with a client who wants to add muscle to their body.  For a more in depth look, you’ll want to listen to my most recent podcast with Scott Hagnas (link in my bio).

If you like the podcast please subscribe, rate, review, and share it with a friend!

If you have any questions you'd like Scott and I to answer, write an email to sean@flochfitness.com. 

Bodyweight Training For Muscle Mass???

Since Covid-19 hit, many athletes and prospective clients come to me concerned about not having enough equipment to put on muscle mass. I’m here to tell you:

1. You don’t need fancy equipment to put on muscle

   and

2. Stop making excuses for not exercises

If you are wondering if you can put on muscle mass with bodyweight only, you need look no further than gymnastic bodies. These athletes rarely lift weights and have substantial muscle mass (especially those who specialize in the rings).

In this video, I break down one of my favorite techniques to build muscle mass with little to no equipment: myo-reps. Myo-reps involve first performing an “activation” set, where a relatively lower load is lifted to near-failure, typically in the 12-30 repetition range. Then, a series of lower-rep “back-off” sets are completed with the same weight, e.g., 3-5 reps. These sets are repeated using 5-10 second rest intervals until the individual can no longer complete the targeted number of reps (in this case 5). In general, myo-reps “work” through traditional mechanisms of muscle stimulation, e.g. mechanically loading the muscle through a range of motion that requires motor unit recruitment of the target muscle(s) with enough training volume that produces muscle damage and metabolic stress. This stress causes the body to adapt and build muscle.

When selecting exercises, you don’t want to go too complex like olympic lifts, or something that you have to use really heavy load. More simple movements usually do great with these including pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and hamstring curls.

Need help building lean muscle at home? I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started building the body, mind, and spirit of your dreams today!