The Constituents of a Physique
What exactly is a muscle?
Knowing what muscles are and how they work is vital for anyone looking to improve their appearance via resistance training. Our focus here is on skeletal muscles. These muscles attach directly to your skeleton and contract to literally pull your bones together(usually around a joint) to support movement. Although other muscle types exist, they control organs, or have other functions, and are not our concern.
Each muscle serves a specific function, with none being 'useless'. Muscles facilitate movement by contracting (shortening and lengthening). The muscle is in a 'shortened' position at its shortest and 'lengthened' at its longest. A concentric contraction refers to the transition from lengthened to shortened, and the opposite is an 'eccentric' contraction.
Muscles often work together with other muscles (collectively known as muscle groups) to carry out a specific function, or support a certain movement. When this happens, all the muscles in the group collectively contract (shorten) to support said movement.
Let’s take the push up as an example. When we lower down to the ground, the muscles in our chest and triceps lengthen. Even now, if you just pull your arm back as far as it can go to simulate the bottom position of a pushup, you will feel your chest stretch. When we start ‘pushing up’, the muscles in our chest and triceps shorten to produce movement.
Dissecting the Equation of Appearance
In the fitness world, the phrase "appearance = body fat + muscles" is common. It's a concise way to express how our physical appearance is largely determined by two factors: body fat and muscle mass.
Your physical appearance is a balance of body fat and muscle mass.
While essential for energy storage, insulation, and organ protection, excess body fat can obscure muscle definition and lead to health problems.
On the other hand, muscles represent the density and size of your skeletal muscles. Greater muscle mass tends to give a more toned and defined look.
The balance between body fat and muscle mass dictates our appearance. Low body fat and high muscle mass often result in a toned and sculpted look, while the opposite leads to a softer, less defined appearance.
To achieve your ideal look, consider both factors. Reducing body fat while building muscle mass can dramatically enhance physical appearance, and is generally the 'end-goal' with resistance training.
Summary
Muscles are fibres made of protein that attach to the skeleton and contract to support movement.
Muscle groups are muscles that work together to perform common movements.
Physical appearance is largely comprised of your body fat level and your muscle mass.