MUSCULAR ACCENTUATION

by Jim Cordova

Can you change the shape of a muscle? This has been debated within the
bodybuilding realm since the conceptualization of the sport. And just as the sport has
evolved over the years, so has the obscurity and speculation as to what changing the
shape of a muscle actually entails. This doesn’t come as a surprise given that the level
of fitness knowledge among those peering into the notion varies quite remarkably
across the bodybuilding realm. Even so, the extent of which it can be accomplished, if
at all, will become much more apparent simply upon clarification as to how one
defines it.

The majority of you reading this are already aware that you cannot modify a muscle
beyond the limitations that the attachment points will allow for. Without some sort of
implant or other surgical modification, you cannot build the “lower biceps” to fill in
the gap, lengthen the upper calves by stretching, or do anything to change the shape of
a muscle belly in this way. Likewise, the fiber density of each muscle (including the
proportion of slow and fast twitch fiber types) is what dictates the degree of
hypertrophy that one is able to attain in every bodypart. Though difficult to accept, the
sad truth is that the fiber composition of each muscle was predetermined before you
were born and, presently, most scientific evidence suggests that there is no way to
change this.

These two factors equate to the basic structure and growth potential of every muscle
on your body and a sound understanding of changing muscle shape will acknowledge
the fact that everyone is limited to working with the cards they have been dealt in this
regard. Therefore, if your definition of the concept involves overcoming these genetic
limitations, I can state with certainty that your efforts will result in futility. But don’t
get down on yourself just yet! I promise that this article ends on a high note!

Before we get into the good stuff, we need to delve a bit more as to why solving the
enigma of muscular alteration presents us with such a challenge. You see, even when a
muscle appears to have transformed within the genetic framework spoken of thus far,
conflicting views arise as to whether it has actually changed shape. For example, if one
were to flex their arm and make a mold of it before the pursuit of bodybuilding, and
every few years up through the advanced level, there will be obvious changes to the
musculature of the arm on each occasion. If the arm was initially flat and under-
developed, but years later the biceps rise up and the triceps billow down, these
attributes reveal a non-uniform hypertrophy. In the strictest sense, how could anyone
interpret the alteration in their dimension and form as anything less than a progressive
change in muscle shape?

Conversely, some would argue that the biceps, triceps, and underlying muscles have
simply become a larger version of what was there before he or she ever picked up
their first weight. The fiber dispersion varies throughout a muscle belly from
origination to insertion, inevitably leading to an irregular growth pattern. So, if the
biceps had a moderate peak to begin with and now it is noticeably higher, that is
merely a result of enlarging the outer head (and/or the brachialis, which will push the
biceps up) and the same goes for the long head of the triceps. A simple glance at the
before and after pictures of these muscles will reveal that they are the exact same
shape on each occasion, just larger!

Basically, you have two groups of observers viewing the change in size and overall
appearance of the same muscles, but forming opposing conclusions. What you have to
ask yourself is how you view the matter. Upon reflection, it should become apparent
to you that both sides present sound arguments. The disagreement arises simply as a
result of the terminology used to describe what has occurred. For this reason, I find it
wise to revise the idea that you can change the shape of your muscles since its
implication is too vague. It might be better to view it in terms of changing the
appearance of a muscle, or even muscular accentuation.
I must make it clear to you that your muscles will always have the same basic shape.
However, I am certain that you can take what you have and, in a literal sense, make it
look different. Some muscles have the capacity to be manipulated more than others,
but even at the advanced level of bodybuilding it is possible to make such incredible
progress that it speaks of nothing less than the attainment of muscular modification! In
this article, I will discuss three effective approaches that you can use to alter the
appearance of a muscle.

The first method involves creating the illusion of enhanced size and aesthetics of a
muscle by stimulating those that lie underneath it. Examples include increasing the
height and girth of the biceps through hypertrophy of the underlying brachialis
muscle, building the pectoral minor to increase overall chest thickness, developing the
soleus to enhance the bulge of the gastrocnemius, and creating a more pronounced
look in the upper quads by building the vastus intermedius, thereby pushing out the
rectus femoris. In time, the change in both the dimensions and appearance of the
overlying muscles can be quite remarkable with consistent application of this strategy!

If you seek to maximize your potential as a physique competitor, you should know
that every muscle is composed of fast and slow twitch fiber types, which are dispersed
irregularly throughout the belly. While you cannot isolate one type over the other,
numerous studies reveal that both training style and intensity level can dictate their
degree of recruitment. Both types are capable of growing (though fast twitch fibers are
more prone for such), and if one were to consistently implement a training style to
influence their activation pattern, the end result would be a non-uniform hypertrophy.
Over time, the results of strategically training in correlation with this notion would
lead to a perceptible change in the appearance of a muscle belly. While this might
seem far-fetched to some, given that most muscles are comprised of equal amounts of
fast and slow twitch fibers, a bodybuilder seeking maximum hypertrophy will require
that he or she probe into training methods that target individualistic fiber types
anyway!

It has now come time to delve into the most effective method to create the illusion of
muscular modification, which is by way of the hotly debated concept of fiber-specific
training. Basically, this refers to being able to place more emphasis on a muscle within
a group or an area of fiber within a single muscle, which, of course, hints toward the
prospect of changing its shape. Here you have two obscure concepts in a sport where
many athletes have both contradictory definitions and a limited understanding of
each. The result produces a great deal of miscommunication, and of the sort that I find
most responsible for rattling the hopes of many ambitious physique competitors.

Oftentimes, a young aspiring bodybuilder asks a veteran of the iron game how he can
build up his “inner chest.” He explains that he can bench a respectable amount of
weight and has been doing so for years. Nonetheless, he is losing hope because his
front delts and outer pec region seem to grow, but the inner region isn’t up to par. In
many cases, the veteran will shoot this notion down, stating that you cannot apply
extra tension to a given region of fiber within a single muscle and that all of the fibers
in the pectoral region fire and break down equally. The young man walks away
believing that he is relegated to building a larger version of what he has, which
appears almost as if he is carrying a half-pipe fit for Tony Hawk on his sternum!

Likewise, it might be that you have worked your triceps to death and cannot get them
to billow down, or maybe your side delts or outer quads will not flare out despite
endless hours of training. The relevance of these particular scenarios is that this is
what many have in mind when they wonder if they are able to achieve what they
would define as “changing the shape” of a muscle. What you really seek to pull from
this article is whether you can improve these problem areas, better stimulate those
fibers to grow, and enhance the appearance of a specialized area, or are you doomed
to this level of development forever. Well, I have good news for you: there is
outstanding potential to advance toward the aforementioned goals and enhance your
physique through region-specific development!

Anyone can place themselves in position to reap the rewards of progressive muscular
accentuation – literally! To do so, the first thing you need to understand is that a
muscle responds to the stress load. This means that the body will recruit fibers that
have a mechanical advantage relative to line of tension in a given position. In other
words, you can position the body against gravity (or the path of resistance) to place
extra stress on a target region of fiber and cause specialized hypertrophy. I am a
realist, so I will tell you that cannot totally isolate a specific muscle within a group.
The specialized focus, stimulation, and growth potential of a particular region will be
limited, with notable enhancements taking years in some cases. Moreover, there will
be a great capacity for fiber manipulation in some muscles and not so much in others.
Nevertheless, I will state that considerable region-specific improvements can be
achieved, even among advanced-level bodybuilders!

It is important to realize that the development potential afforded to you through

positioning tactics will be diminished without at least a basic knowledge of muscular
anatomy, specifically as it relates to the fiber direction of a given muscle. Such
knowledge will expand your understanding of muscular function, aiding in your
ability to establish accurate movement pathways. In turn, this allows you to position
the body to appropriately match the movement pathway with the line of tension so
that the target region takes the brunt of the stress when performing an exercise. Once
you grasp these concepts, you will boost your potential to thoroughly break down
each muscle to attain complete development and apply extra emphasis to a particular
region.

Essentially, your gym is a toolbox with every tool imaginable at your fingertips. Like a
tool, each exercise, including the exact combination of principles and strategies within
that framework, is best suited for a specific purpose. As you increase your
understanding of the correlation between these elements and how they affect a muscle,
you can more precisely structure a plan according to your individualistic needs and
rapidly advance toward your goals. Maximizing your potential to mold your physique
in accordance with the bodybuilding or figure archetype is simply a matter of selecting
and utilizing the right tools for the job!

The pursuit of reaching your full potential as a physique competitor necessitates that
you make the most out of what you have. Due to genetic limitations, you might be
limited by less-than-ideal insertion points and muscular fiber density. Nevertheless, I
can promise you that, through implementation of the strategies discussed in this
article, you can turn those inferior bodyparts into praiseworthy assets! Ultimately,
with consistent application of an intelligently sound exercise approach, you can
accentuate the musculature of your physique, combine it with meticulously detailed
posing tactics, and create an on-stage illusion that speaks of nothing less than a
masterpiece!