Ques.: We all love muscle size. But does size define your strength on the field?
Ans.: No.
Ques. And what’s the role of shape? Does that define your strength?
Ans.: Yes.
Why can’t everyone get the right muscle shape?
How commonly do you see the two muscle groups shown below in their proper shape? Lets look into the anatomical structure of these muscles to understand what I mean by proper:This is the subject of my article today.
You can see how the triceps muscle is structured, laid or designed. Because of all these features, the muscle does what it does. Therefore, any deviation compromises the number of motor units and hence would impact the muscle’s output.
Think…Of a chair with four legs. You disturb one of its legs position or use it any different manner than how it is laid, and the chair will loose its strength.
Similarly, the shape of a muscle gives us a clear indication whether we are working out properly or not.
You have well built calves, but if they don’t match its anatomical display, then there has to be something wrong. They may be good to look at – don’t get me wrong! But if the muscle doesn’t resemble the structural graphic you’d see in any basic book on anatomy, it means that you are not paying attention to muscles movements on the field.
Regardless of your correct form and weight output in the gym, if you are not following the proper movements (biomechanics) on the field, then you can never make optimal usage of your muscles. Can you correct these movements overnight? It’s like asking: Can I walk into a gym and bulk up like the regulars immediately? The answer is – no. But we can can all improve our form regardless of where we’re working out – all we need to understand is the importance to it.
Drills that improve and work on your biomechanics while simultaneously train your desired muscles. You have no control on your sporting movements, but you retain full control of what you do while you are training.
We worry so much about the muscular form and size in gym workouts and that becomes our central focus. What we forget to see is the muscle structure – the shape, and whether they are functioning the way they are meant to be on the field. Isn’t that where you need your muscles to give their best?
Let me give you an example. If you were a runner, you’d have a simple question:
When would my running muscles work best?
The answer would be just as simple:
When you have a proper running action.
Similarly, is it possible for a cricketer (take any sport really) to improve their actions – running, standing, bending, swinging – and extract the maximum output from their muscles that have been trained in the gym?
Never….not possible.
Only when your muscles are in proper shape will they be able to contribute in any action effortlessly.
You can see how my abs muscles are more at work in this picture as compare to the above picture. The forward bend (flexion) is the work of your abs muscle and therefore, its role changes depending on how upright or flexed you are. A well shaped muscle would have no apprehensions on the extent of their usage and would work to its full potential in any movement/action.
This is why proper shape is the fundamental principal of strength when it comes to sports.
Q. Strength or shape?
Ans: Think yourself…
Simplifying training…..
Umesh Chhikara
Umesh Chhikara 