1. Training Specific Muscle Fiber Types
Intro:

2. Training your Muscle Fiber Types
Training your muscles according to their fiber type makes sense.
It will help you to get better results from your training by allowing you to more specifically target your training according to the exact specifications of your muscles.

3. Training Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers
Must use high repetitions (12 – 15)
Short rest periods (30 seconds)
High volume
You must do the 3 above because Type 1 muscle fibers take longer to fatigue, they recover quickly & they require more work to maximize growth
Know that Slow Twitch muscles are limited in their ability for growth

4. Training Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers
Long-distance endurance training (running and cycling) and lifting lighter weights for high repetitions will develop slow-twitch muscle fibers
Running long time/distances makes Type 1 more efficient, building their aerobic capabilities, and also making them more fatigue resistant
Continuous long runs also help convert a greater percentage of your muscle fibers into slow-twitch fibers, which is one reason you continue to get better with years of mileage

5. Training Type 1 & 2A Muscle Fibers
Tempo runs target slow-twitch and intermediate muscle fibers
Slow-twitch fibers reach maximum recruitment and contraction speed at tempo pace, which is one reason why tempo runs are so critical to endurance training
Tempo runs help improve the recruitment patterns of intermediate fibers with slow twitch fibers
In essence, it improves the ability of both fiber types to work together for maximum effectiveness

6. Training Type 2A & 2B Muscle Fibers
Traditional interval workouts like 12 x 400 meters help recruit intermediate and fast twitch muscle fibers
When used together, these two fiber types learn to interact more efficiently by reducing activation of unnecessary fibers
More importantly, it improves your neuromuscular coordination – the speed at which the brain can send signals to the muscles to fire, thus making you more efficient

7. Training Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers
Use low to moderate repetitions (4 to 8)
Longer rest periods (1 – 2 minutes)
Moderate volume
You must do the 3 above because Type 2 (A & B) muscle fibers fatigue more rapidly, they take longer to recover & they require less work to maximize growth
They are much easier to build mass in
They have a greater potential for size
By Using Strength Training

8. Training Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers
Strength training and speed training can be very effective in developing maximum force
Lifting a heavy weight with slow acceleration will develop maximum force, but you can also achieve maximum force by lifting a lighter weight with fast acceleration
Heavy Squats, Deadlifts and Bench Presses are good ways to increase Type II fibers
So is running sprints, agility drills and medicine ball training
By Using Speed Training

9. Training Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers
Plyometric training and Olympic lifting are also effective fast-twitch fiber recruiters.
They do this by using the stretch shortening cycle, which involves a pre- stretch of the muscle followed by a rapid contraction of the same muscle, resulting in the production of maximum force
Other effective exercises include Vertical Jumps, Broad Jumps, Power Cleans, Power Snatches and Depth Jumps
By Using Plyometrics & Olympic Lifting

10. Training All Muscle Fiber Types
If your muscles have a fairly even mix of fibers, you can evenly divide your training between focusing on the lower-rep, fast twitch fiber training and the higher-rep, slow twitch fiber training
This will help you to develop all the fibers in your muscles, maximizing your ultimate development

11. Comparing your Muscle Fiber Types