Hard vs. Soft Muscles - Also Speed Reps ve Slow:

[SaiBoT]

Eprom

I can see your frustration about it! from 1 to 10 how would you describe your flexiblity?

Ok so since that you have no issues with dieting down I will just say that the type of training you can do to maximize hardness is in fact strength training like powerlifting routines, do you have any experience on strength training or is it mostly bodybuilding type of workouts you have done?

 

[mkiitrd]

I know this is an old thread but i was looking for this answer too because i am like this (soft muscles)...

I have been working out for 10 years and am big for my height. 5'6" at 158-162lbs ....
You cant say i need to do Heavier weights and increase intensity cus I bench 245lbs. I do a 10-8-6, 245lbs being on my 6 reps (I used to do 275lbs back in the day)...
You cant say its fat cus last time i checked I was 7% bf

so for all those looking for this answer this is what i found when googling it .... i found this on another forum...

Just wanted to share for those looking for this answer.

"Its a genetic advantage some people are lucky enough to have.

It means your muscles are more flexible and elastic. Less likely to injure and normally faster to react to central nervous system commands.

Enjoy your advantage and don't worry about it."

 

[nrbrhys]

You wont have soft muscle it would just be fat. For me example i am averagly skinny and only started lifting a few months ago yet my biceps are rock solid but not that big as i dont have much fat around my bicep

 

[BODIUC]

I had the same problem, but i started to lift with max 6 reps, going to max 4 reps on my last set( 3 sets max), and i started to develop rock-hard muscles, but my size decreased, also my power went sky-high, so to each his own, i guess...

 

[skinnybeast]

Well I came upon this post becuase I too have this problem ...I am 31 years old and I weigh 135 naturally...I am 5'11" and I am all muscle ...what I mean is that the body fat indicator thingamajig at the gym that you hold onto for a few seconds and tells you your body fat always says error when i use it...with that said I am and always have been althletic and can run faster jump higher and have better reflexes than most people...but for some reason even though I have a great looking upper body my muscles can't ever be real hard like some of my friends and even family ...let me put if like this I am skinny but my skinny 135 lbs ass can bench 235 6 times after 2-3 sets of lighter but more repetitions sets....sometime other guys even tell me "like yo your pretty strong for a skinny guy"...only other thing I can say to describe my body type is that I'm all top heavy ...my legs are straight up skinny there guys that have bigger bi's than I have legs...sad but it is what it is...I'm still faster than 90% of people that I play football basketball and baseball with ...I don't get why my muscles don't get that real hard feel like other people though...

 

[ha1a1]

There are lots of variables. Do you log everything? Also have you had your estrogen/test checked? Do you work hard physically at your job? Some of the hardest dudes I know mix concrete and make footpaths. Do more stuff that requires tension in your muscles and body besides working out. Ive seen guys do 100s of partial reps with light weight as well.

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[zazen5]

It regardless of your muscles condition fast repping on certain exercises could hurt your joints. You may have hypertrophied the endurance fibers which are also considered postural and by this function aren't neurologically wired to reach tetanus like a 2b fiber. That is my hypothesis. If u want speed of contraction do the lifts that require it such as Olympic lifts. Curls are an accessory exercise. If you do rows heavy only 3 sets of curls per week should be required.

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[buttbeater]

Practice flexing, especially when working out. This can make your muscles very hard.

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[surferdad]

My muscles are soft as well. Even when I was super cut and only 7% body fat, my muscles were soft when flexed. I've noticed that other guys have harder muscles but may not even be as cut or as strong as me. For example, my wife has really hard muscles and she has more body fat than me. Underneath her thin layer of fat, you can feel rock hard muscle.

I am very flexible for a guy. Maybe having soft muscle contributes to that. As far as I can tell there's no disadvantage to it, other than if someone squeezes my bicep when flexed they might notice it feels soft. My wife teases me about it.

I haven't researched this, but I'm guessing there are different muscle types that we are genetically born with. And little can be done to change it.

-Surferdad

 

[Pepe Le-r3]

I believe it is all a game of hormones, have you ever seen supplements and certain pro hormones advertised as muscle hardeners? I would have to research into how it works, but it might have also to do with water retention and glycogen stores within the muscle. I would suggest doing some research on these things.