Ghost Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 When there are no apparent differences in size or strength, why does it feel like I can really contract certain muscles harder over others? I'm thinking it has something to do with the nervous system, but I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment
bigm141414 Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 Muscle cell activation. Or neuromuscular recruitment is the fancy term. Also some muscles have bigger contractile ranges than other so the "contract harder" is somewhat subjective. E.g contracting your fingers seems harder than contracting your toes because they move more/have more muscles that need contracting. Quote "Pull the bar like you're ripping the head off a god-damned lion" - Donny Shankle Link to comment
Gainsdalf the Whey Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 It can also be trained. This is part of what we frequently call "noob gains", where beginner lifters get stronger at a quick rate without much muscle size changes. It's not that they are getting stronger muscles, but training the nervous system to contract them harder/faster.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free Quote Massrandir, Barkûn, Swolórin, The Whey Pilgrim 500 / 330 / 625 Challenges: 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 39 41 42 45 46 47 48 49 Current Challenge "No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. " ~ Socrates "Friends don't let friends squat high." ~ Chad Wesley Smith "It's a dangerous business, Brodo, squatting to the floor. You step into the rack, and if you don't keep your form, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~ Gainsdalf Link to comment
Ghost Posted September 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 That makes sense. Isn't improving the nervous system for this the idea of greasing the groove? Quote Link to comment
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