Question for El Pietro OR Iron Fist...

[Apprentice]

I know other people are gonna read this, but you guys seem to have alot of knowledge on "Muscle Fibers" and stuff like that...

I got a question, I definantly have more fast twitch muscle fibers than slow twitch, i can strike real quick and i can sprint, but when it comes to endurance, i get tired extremly quick, i always have since i was little...

El Pietro said something about training just the required muscle fibers such as fast, will do something(forgot) and if you train BOTH, then you use more energy because of the more work or something...(sorry this is starting to sound like i dont know what im talking about)...

But anyway, i want to continue to get fast, but i have a pretty bad endurance problem, i eat as good as i can(try to get protiens/carbs and a little fat), when i get my job im gonna start eating real good. I dont have real bad health or anything, im 17yrs. 5'5 my weight alters daily(even if i weigh myself at 1 time at night) between 128-132(its random)...I got much more muscle than anythign else, (i think i got a little fat cuz my abs got some skin on em, maybe from when i lost like 10lbs from being sick, i got an extremly high metabolism, can never gain weight)...

What I do now isn't exactly a ROUTINE...but i probably should be, but i dont have enough weights, i have just 1 hammer curl bar, with a little weight(so i curl EXTREMLY slow, 2-4 seconds each way, squeeze out about 10 reps/3 sets) and i do pushups, situps when i feel like it, neck bridges, tricep extensions on occasion, lower back workouts(laying on edge of couch, lift up n look toward ceiling)...i kinda just do whatever i feel like doing(in proper order though, like abs before pushups to stabalize trunk, ect.)...

What do you suggest i do to train Strength, Speed, and endurance with the equipment i have, u can even devise an entire workout(if you feel like it) and i'll decide the reps/sets, (so i dont overtrain or nothing)...

Also, when i train i never feel sore or tired, i feel relatively good, jes a little weaker(just a little)...The way that wrestlers train is crazy(to me), they do tons of running and pushups and then wrestle on top of that, and they are sore almost every day, and they do it like 6 days a week, is that healthy?

"True victory is giving all of yourself without regret"-Ryu

"Your best move is the move you regret not doing"-Fei Long

"Are you prepared to fight today? Someone else is as we speak"-Apprentice

[Apprentice]

welcome as well

"True victory is giving all of yourself without regret"-Ryu

"Your best move is the move you regret not doing"-Fei Long

"Are you prepared to fight today? Someone else is as we speak"-Apprentice

[ElPietro]

Hey Apprentice I'll see how much I can answer right now as I'm about to leave work. Maybe someone else can fill in any gaps that I leave.

Fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibres....your muscles are either one or the other...you cannot change the number of how many you have of each, but you can increase the size of one or the other. Fast twitch is associated with power and anerobic activity, and slow twitch is more endurance based and aerobic. World class sprinters may have a disposition of 80% muscle mass being fast twitch, whereas a marathon runner will be the opposite.

From what you have said you seem to have trained your fast twitch muscles more than slow twitch. Training both is a good idea but you should decide on a goal for yourself first. Is it to gain some more mass? Or would you like to shed some pounds...don't try and do both at once. If you just want to get bigger and stronger I would suggest to train for power and just increase your caloric intake. In otherwords try the Eat Like a Mofo diet. Then once you are a bit more bulky you can start cutting down and hopefully you will lose most of the fat you gained and keep most of the muscle you gained while bulking.

I would train for endurance on seperate days, but if you train for endurance you will suffer in strength. So yes you will lose some strenght if you train for endurance all things being equal. But you can eat heartily and train for power some days and hopefully increase your muscle mass and therefore will not lose as much strength when you train for endurance.

As for your weights etc, I'm not the best to ask on how to create a make-shift gym at home. I live in a condo so not much room, i've always had to use a gym. One thing I'll say is don't feel limited to things designed for body building. You can grab pails or jugs and fill them with water to get the weight you want, or I'm sure there are other things around the house. Free standing squats, calf-raises, pushups, dips on a chair, situps, lunges can all give you a good workout. If you have the opportunity to train with weight make sure you train to failure, so push yourself but make sure you maintain good form in everything you do.

Well gotta go now...not sure how well I answered your questions so feel free to bring up some of your points again or post new ones...or hopefully someone else can elaborate.

[Apprentice]

I never really train to failure, and i AM tryin to gain mass, so i guess ima start doing that, and start grubbin more, i am right now :) ...my hands are really fast right now, and i wanna get them even faster, is there a way to gain mass, strenght, and not sacrafice speed?(This is to anyone)...oh yeah, i forgot, I also have a heavy bag

[shaolin_knight]

why don't you try body weight excersises? I don't have to much experience with them, besides push ups and pull ups. but from what I've heard, hindu push ups and hindu squats is probably what you need.

[ElPietro]

Bodyweight exercises are great when you are starting out but you very soon outgrow them. Unless you eat more to gain weight so that you are working harder... ;)