Ever wonder why the person next to you in training seems to develop strength faster than you, or seems to magically develop those coveted shoulders or abs, when you are doing the exact same exercises and following the same training program? While it is only natural to compare yourself to others, it is important to remember that there are many factors that affect your ability to achieve strength and muscle definition, and we have little or no control over most of them.
Since you know us well and have probably already identified differences in our fitness abilities and body types, I am going to use Katie and myself as examples to illustrate the factors that influence our ability to develop strength. Katie is always whining like a little sister that I can do everything better than her. NOT TRUE! I am going to pick on Katie for her "whining" but I am going to give her kudos as well for where she excels, but of course she won't remember that. :-)
One of the most influential factors is muscle fiber type. We have two basic types of muscle fibers, slow twitch and fast twitch. Everyone has a combination of both but one type is more prevalent for each of us. Slow twitch muscle fibers are best suited for endurance activities that require small levels of force for long periods of time. I have more slow twitch fibers and can seemingly run forever, or do endless reps with a moderate amount of weight. So when Katie complains that she will never be able to run as fast as me she is half right. She will never be able to run as fast as me over long distances. Fast twitch fibers, on the other hand, are best suited for anaerobic activities such as sprinting, jumping, or lifting large amounts of weight for one, or very few, repetitions. Katie has more fast twitch fibers and can out sprint me any day. She can also lift more weight for a one repetition max lift. There, kudos for Katie :-) The important difference to recognize here is that even though both fiber types respond positively to strength training, the fast twitch types will experience greater increases in muscle size and strength and will likely obtain greater and faster results from a strength training program. Translation: I will always have "stick" arms no matter how much strength training I do.
A second factor over which we have no control is age. Studies show that people of all ages, even into their nineties can increase muscle size and strength when they take up a strength training program, but as we age those improvements simply don't come as quickly. Another point in Katie's column. Yep, she's way younger than me.
Okay, finally a factor where we are equal, but instead of each of us being able to tally a point, we each lose a point on this factor. Gender does not affect the quality of our muscle, but it does influence the quantity. Men generally have more muscle tissue than women because muscle size is increased by the presence of the male sex hormone, testosterone. The reason that most men are stronger than women comes down to the simple fact that the larger the muscles, the stronger the person. HOWEVER, for any woman who still thinks that by lifting heavy weights, she will look like Arnold, it is not possible for the same reason. It takes testosterone to build bulky muscles.
Another strength factor that we have no control over is limb length. There are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, persons with short limbs tend to be able to lift more weight because of advantageous leverage factors. Katie scores another point. Actually, I wouldn't say that Katie has short arms and legs compared to the average woman but she is two inches shorter than me and her arms and legs are a bit shorter. This is an advantage in an exercise such as the chest press, and she can definitely bench press more than I can. For the physics explanation, work equals force multiplied by distance. Therefore, if two lifters have different arm lengths, even if they are both lifting (or pushing in a bench press) the same amount of weight, the one with longer arms will have to move the bar further, thus increasing the distance and the amount of work needed to complete the lift. Now before Katie squeals, or any of you Warriors who have shorter arms or legs, think I am saying you are not working as hard as everyone else, don't go there! I see your effort and intensity. What is fun and interesting to watch is each individual's mechanics, and the power and fluidity in some of you with shorter limbs.
Muscle strength is also influenced by the point of tendon insertion. For example, let's say Katie and I do both have the same arm and muscle length, but Katie's biceps tendon attaches to her forearm farther down from her elbow than mine does. This would give Katie a biomechanical advantage and she would be able to lift more weight than me in biceps curls. Which she can. But is it because of the tendon insertion point? I don't know the answer to this one. We talk about a lot of things but we don't sit around saying, "Well, where does YOUR biceps tendon attach to YOUR forearm?".
The above are all Olympic athletes. Notice the wide range of body types. Obviously, to compete at such a high level, each of the above individuals must have a high level of fitness/strength in their sport. In spite of that, not a single athlete in that picture could transform him or herself to match the body of any other pictured athlete. The point is that we are all unique individuals and there isn't much benefit to comparing your physique or strength to that of your best friend or the person working out next to you. Compare you to you and ask yourself if you are progressing. Genetics plays a very important role in our appearance but genetics does not determine how often or how well we train. You can influence many factors such as ensuring that you are following a varied and progressive program, training with intensity and then allowing recovery, and staying consistent with your training. In fact, the most limiting factor in a person's ability to gain strength and muscle definition is not a problem for you Warriors. It is the inability to get their rear end off the couch and work out! As those of you who have been strength training for months or years know, with consistency and a sound program you will increase your strength, you will notice muscle definition, and you will see positive body composition changes.
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