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To reach a certain training goal, e.g "get more 'speed strength' ", "get more muscle mass": Should a white-muscle-fiber guy do the same workout, or a different workout than a red-muscle-fiber guy to reach this objective?.

I am assuming equal weight, equal age, fitness level, general health in both persons.

From Wikipedia: Fast versus slow twitch muscle fibers

Skeletal muscle is composed of long cylindrical cells called muscle fibers. There are two types of muscle fibers, slow twitch or muscle contraction (type I) and fast twitch (type II). Slow twitch fibers are more efficient in using oxygen to generate energy whilst fast twitch fibers are less efficient. However, fast twitch fibers fire more rapidly and generate more force.These are also called the white muscle fibers and red muscles fibers respectively.

(in fact, I had already much more text in this question, and was about to post. But then I realized that I am more interested in a general answer, rather than an answer to "I am suchandsuch, want to improve my thisandthat")

Edited: Title of the post: Changed key words, body: added wikipedia link + quote.

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What is the distinction between a "sturdy" and a "skinny" guy if they have "equal weight, equal age, fitness level, general health"? Do you just mean one guy is more muscular than the other? Stronger? Fatter? –  Yevgeniy Brikman Mar 21 '11 at 17:53
one is large and skinny; the other one is smaller but more squat and muscular –  knb Mar 22 '11 at 18:10

2 Answers 2

up vote 6 down vote accepted

If both people are looking for the same results, than the workout plan (short/long term) will probably look about the same - given everything being equal. The difference will be in the weights used, intensity, etc. expected from each. For example, if the focus is on boxing and the goal to be more explosive - then both will probably incorporate both plyrometric and explosive weight training (cleans, etc.) - the difference in the jumps heights and weights used for each.

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Yes, the workouts should be incredibly similar. What will work to build muscle in general for one person will work for another. Remember that there are many different types of exercises and routines that work better or worse for different individuals, but those routines are shared by skinny people, muscly people, and fat people alike when sharing a common goal. You will each be using unique weights and exercises based on where you are in your physical fitness, but you can share the same exercise routines as long as they're working for you individually.

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