Fast Twitch Muscles

I am a firm believer that the world would be a better place if everyone was able to admit when they are Wrong!! After some research, one of my first posts on The Multidisciplinary Workout, which focused on Ab Workouts, was not necissarily the best advice...

I recommended 4 different Ab Exercises to be repeat once maybe twice; I will now admit this is not the most efficient workout because Abs are Fast Twitch Muscles ie they fire strong and will get exhausted fast. Therefore for Fast Twitch Muscles it is more efficient to perform aggressive exercises than multiple sets at a lighter weight. 

Back to Abs the best practice is subjective, especially when using your self weight but note that 100s of sloppy sit ups will not get you 6 pack abs. Personally I still stick to my core core lift of Super Crunches, squeezing at the top to emphasize the resistance. I also found a great new exercise, Side Plank with a Knee Tuck. No more than 20 slow reps and repeat... but maybe repeat the next day :)

It's hard to confirm exactly which muscles are Fast Twitch vs Slow Twitch as everyone is different. Sprinters will typically have a higher percentage of Fast Twitch Muscles compared to Distance Runners. If you want Size & Power check out these Tips for you body to develop Fast Twitch Muscles. If you're like me, a non specific athlete, and just want to be as efficient as possible in the gym heres one rule of thumb: Fast Twitch Muscle are likely pull muscles ie Biceps, Lats, & Hamstrings therefore respond better to less reps with heavier weight.

For the athlete seeking Muscle Tone & Endurance; check out guide to Slow Twitch Muscles!

Balance & Moderation

Life is full of Balance and Moderation... especially when Eating!! I wrestled growing up and watching my friends gluttonously eat lunch while I feverishly ate my salad pretty much scarred me for life. Luckily Fear of Dieting is not an actual phobia.

Dieting is not even in my vocabulary. I always tended to focus on trying to burn the calories I enjoyed and more recently tried to eat in moderation to meet the caloric intake of my daily activities. This combined with a Healthy Diet I see no issues to balance a delicious Chicago Style Pizza on occasion if this makes you happy! It's healthy if it has Spinach, right?? Check out the link...

Now my "Occasion" usually comes to fruition during my Annual Thanksgiving Holiday in the Midwest... In chronological order the combination of Jetlag, Coffee, Road Trips, Dehydration, Football, Beer, Buffalo Wings, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Turkey, Stuffing, Family Fun, Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies, Chipotle, More Football, More Beer, and Al's Italian Beef definitely pays a toll on the body especially when cold weather and public transportation come into the picture.

Now I'm fully aware this is very hypocritical considering my Pseudo Mantra: Eat Healthy Live Healthy but I can't condemn the enjoyment of food. Mental Health is just as important as Physical Health!! Especially if you're Emotionally Diabetic and that perfect Burrito just doesn't exist in the Middle East...

So to make it up to my 14 Healthy Followers and prove my legitimacy as a committed fitness blogger I propose The 25 Day Healthy Press Challenge... Workout everyday until Christmas!! 

Any sort of High Intensity Exercise leading to Increased Heart Rate will do... The Challenge starts today 30 November at 1am and includes limiting the consumption of empty calories ie alcohol!! Now I just need to catch up on sleep from the trip, still on Midwest time!!