Why are the muscles that are trained in fitness called "dead muscles"?
In the world of fitness, we often hear the controversial saying that muscles that have been built through hard training are called "dead muscles". For many people who are passionate about fitness, this is undoubtedly a confusing and even offensive statement. So, why is there such a title? Today, let's take a closer look at this seemingly contradictory but profound concept.
First of all, we need to be clear that the term "dead muscle" is not a scientific term, but a colloquial term in fitness circles. It usually refers to muscles that, while looking muscular, are lacking in actual functionality and flexibility. In other words, these muscles may be enviable in appearance, but appear stiff and lacking in vitality in practical application.
So, why is this happening? Behind this is actually the method and purpose of fitness training. In fitness training, we usually use a variety of equipment and movements to stimulate muscle growth and strengthening. However, if you focus too much on the shape and size of your muscles, and neglect muscle functionality and flexibility training, it can lead to the emergence of "dead muscles".
Imagine two fitness enthusiasts, A and B. A focuses on strength training with large weights for rapid muscle growth, while B focuses on balance development and flexibility, coordination, and aerobic training in addition to strength training. After a period of training, A's muscles may be more developed, but their movements may appear stiff and lack fluidity, while B's muscles are less pronounced than A's, but they are more flexible and coordinated in actual movements.
At this point, if someone refers to A's muscles as "dead muscles", they may not be belittling the results of his efforts, but pointing out the limitations of his training methods. Because in real life, we need not only strong muscle strength, but also muscle functionality and flexibility. After all, the purpose of fitness is to make our bodies healthier and more energetic, not just to look good.
So, how to avoid developing "dead muscles"? This requires us to focus on balanced development in fitness training. Specifically, we can start from the following aspects:
Diversify your training styles: Don't limit yourself to just one or a few training styles, but try a variety of different training movements and equipment. This not only stimulates muscle growth in more areas, but also improves muscle coordination and functionality.
Arrange the training intensity reasonably: Don't blindly pursue heavy weight and high-intensity training, but should reasonably arrange the training intensity according to your physical condition and training goals. Overtraining can not only lead to muscle fatigue and injury, but can also affect muscle functionality and flexibility.
Focus on flexibility training: Flexibility is an important part of muscle function. By doing flexibility training such as stretching and yoga, it can help us improve the stretching ability and flexibility of our muscles, so as to avoid muscle stiffness and lack of vitality.
Aerobic training combined with strength training: Aerobic training can help us improve our cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance levels, while strength training builds muscle strength and explosiveness. Combining the two allows our body to develop more holistically and balancedly.
In practical application, we can also combine specific cases to better understand the concept of "dead muscle". For example, a professional bodybuilder may have amazing muscle shape and volume, but may struggle to perform simple movements in everyday life because of muscle stiffness. This is because they focus too much on the shape and size of the muscles in their training, and neglect the functional and flexibility training of the muscles.
Of course, we can't generalize that all muscles that have been trained through fitness are "dead muscles". In fact, as long as we pay attention to the principles of balanced development, reasonable arrangement of training intensity and method, flexibility training, and the combination of aerobic training and strength training, we can avoid the embarrassing situation of "dead muscles".
In closing, I would like to say that "dead muscle" is not a derogatory term, but a cautionary tale to focus on muscle functionality and flexibility. In fitness training, we should pursue the development of comprehensiveness, balance and coordination, not just the shape and size of muscles. Only in this way can we truly enjoy the health and happiness that fitness brings!