# American Football Players, Marines, and...



## ZainTheInsane (Nov 21, 2007)

who else?

Those two groups (not including offensive linemen) are some of the most ripped and heavily muscled guys around. I hear from guys at college that they work out DAILY, and that they work out for hours upon hours. This counts for both marines and football players.

My question, and curiousity is, how can this be? I've got fitness professionals left and right saying 'you should only work out for an hour, two at most unless it is cardio. Yet these guys workout HARD for a few hours, if not several hours, and seem to see greater results than anyone I've ever seen?

How do they do it? How are they able to workout so much without causing injury to themselves, and all of them looking like they could crush me like a twig? How do they do it?

I'd love to hear any answers anyone may have on the issue


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## PamelaLois (Nov 22, 2007)

for some of them, steroids. The others must just be very physically fit and strong guys whose bodies tolerate the heavy work well


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## tonynyc (Nov 23, 2007)

Yep - along with the riods that some Football Players use. The game puts a tremendous toll/punishment on the body. One example is Hall Of Fame Football Player , Earl Campbell. In his hey day, he was a brute that would run oppossing players down. Now he is a shell of his former self along with many other retired players. 

Earl Campbell mows down the Opposition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdvVaTbwMrE


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## k1009 (Nov 23, 2007)

At my gym - oh I love saying that! Makes me sound like a fitness junkie _"at my gym"_ - I had a nice conversation with a man who would most certainly be described as ripped. Not in the steroid sense but still nicely muscled (and yes, I enjoyed the conversation very much :smitten, he told me that he's very strict with his diet and works out six days a week. He alternates the rest day so that he doesn't get into a routine (his theory is that people want to break routines after a while so he refuses to treat his exercise like a routine) and watches his diet very carefully. We talked about the value of free weights versus the machine weights and whether protein powders were worthwhile (he thinks they're a load of crap) and basically, what I got from him is that to have a muscular physique you've got to work out a lot, eat a good diet, ignore the quick fixes and find an understanding physiotherapist.

He was very interesting and I really admire his drive.


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## GWARrior (Nov 25, 2007)

While working out may gain you some muscle mass, it doesnt guarentee you'll be ripped like a body builder.

Our bodies are made up of red slow twitch muscles and white fast twitch muscles. How much muscle mass you gain is dependant on your red to white ratio.

Huge, ripped, muscley people (like body builders and football players) have a higher percentage of red slow twitch, the "strength" muscles, meaning while they can pick up a car, they cant run a marathon.

Long distance runners have more white fast twitch, the "endurance" muscles. They can run for hours on end, but wont be able to bench press much.

Im only saying this because I dont want anyone trying to turn into something their body isnt capable of.

and because I just learned all this in A+P and I wanted to sound smart.


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## Rainy (Nov 26, 2007)

You want results? It's one part workout routine: one part diet plan. Eat clean (including high protein content) and follow a strength training programme (my advice: google '5x5'). 

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GWARrior said:


> Huge, ripped, muscley people (like body builders and football players) have a higher percentage of red slow twitch, the "strength" muscles, meaning while they can pick up a car, they cant run a marathon.
> 
> Long distance runners have more white fast twitch, the "endurance" muscles. They can run for hours on end, but wont be able to bench press much.


I'm no sports scientist - I play men's field hockey - but you've got the wrong end of the stick.

Slow-twitch muscle fibre is more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel (ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions. Fast-twitch muscles use anaerobic metabolism/gylogen for fuel; they generate short bursts of speed or strength better than slow-twitch (but fatique more easily). Thus sprinters will predominantly rely on fast-twitch muscle whilst marathon runners will largely depend on slow-twitch fibre. Both fibre types will respond positively to strength training, however.


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## GWARrior (Nov 26, 2007)

Rainy said:


> You want results? It's one part workout routine: one part diet plan. Eat clean (including high protein content) and follow a strength training programme (my advice: google '5x5').
> 
> ---
> 
> ...




sorry, i dont follow. did i get my msucles confused (which is easy, since i did very poorly on the test :doh: )?

one is endurance and one is strength. one performs aerobisis and one uses anaerobisis.

but i do remember my teacher saying body builders rely on one, while runners rely on the other.


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