How to quickly build muscle for a dog: expert advice

The first rule that every owner should remember when doing fitness with the dog is “Do no harm”. If only because the animal cannot tell us that it is bad. And the dog needs to build muscle properly.

Types of muscle fibers in dogs

When planning activities for pumping up muscle for a dog, owners are thinking about the success of the event, muscle relief and how to spend minimal effort on it. To solve this problem, you need to know how the dog’s body works. After all, ignorance of the basics is the reason for the erroneous training strategy.

Muscle fibers are divided into the following types:

1. Red - slow - type I (MMB - slow muscle fibers). They are densely dotted with capillaries, possess high aerobic ability and good endurance, work slowly and get tired slowly, use “economical” energy sources.
2. White - fast - type II (BMW - fast muscle fibers). The content of capillaries in them is moderate, they have high anaerobic ability and sprinting qualities, work quickly and get tired quickly, use fast energy sources.

Dogs were created to perform a specific function. And different breeds perform different functions. In order to do the job well, the body must correspond to it. For example, hunting dogs are mainly sprinters, they need to quickly catch up with prey, and, of course, their corresponding muscle fibers predominate. And the division of muscle fibers into these types is beneficial, first of all, to the dog’s body. She needs to spend as little energy as possible on the most efficient performance of a certain job.

Both muscle fibers are needed to pump muscle mass.

What type of dog is your dog?

To understand which muscle fibers predominate in the body of a particular dog, you need to answer questions. Who is your dog: sprinter or weightlifter? Athlete or marathon runner?

Marathon runners are riding rocks that can travel long distances without getting tired. And sprinters are some hunting dogs, for example, greyhounds.

What functions does your dog perform: hunter, sled, guard or shepherd?

Sprinters are dominated by fast muscle fibers. Slow muscle fibers prevail in marathon runners.

Dogs can be divided by breed.

In shepherd, cattle, sledding, primitive breeds, slow muscle fibers predominate.

In hunting, girlfriends, watchdogs, and sports dogs, fast muscle fibers predominate.

For rescuers and decorative dogs, the distribution of muscle fibers between fast and slow is approximately 50% to 50%.

During the walk, you can offer the dog physical exercises - this will not only build muscle, but also good for health. If all the muscles are developed, the dog will not have an imbalance in certain parts of the body, and the internal systems will also work well.

Which fibers are better: fast or slow? The correct answer: to maintain the functions of the dog - those that are laid down by the dog’s genetics. To achieve the desired strength, volume and relief - both of them. In this case, the result will be as beautiful as possible and the dog as healthy as possible.

You can start pumping muscles after the dog’s body is finally formed. And this moment is different for each breed.

How to train both types of muscle fibers of a dog?

It is necessary to observe the necessary intensity for each type of muscle fiber of the dog. To train fast muscle fibers, you need a sharp, strong, intense load. Rather, static exercises are suitable for training slow muscle fibers, where, for example, you need to hold the paw in one position for at least 30 seconds, etc.

1. Performing maximum explosive exercises with short pauses. This item is strictly forbidden to puppies or elderly dogs. Principle: weighted total body weight (use of belts), evenly distributed during a sharp start and stop. On day 1, you can use 1 powerful exercise of the following: sprinting with weighted body weight on a flat path plyometric jumping training with jumping to the surface (at a fast pace, surface height - the height of the dog at the withers * 2) jerking training uphill (start should be from a sitting position, the angle of inclination of the surface is not more than 25 degrees). The rest time between repetitions is not more than 15 - 20 seconds. The final number of repetitions is no more than 10. The weight should lie only on the back muscles running along the spine, the weight of the weight is from the withers to the end of the ribs, the weight at the initial stage is 10% on each side (only 20%), you can gradually bring it to 20% on each side (only 40%). You can’t run on asphalt, only on the ground, so as not to harm the joints of the dog. Pre-workout required.
2. Biomechanical principle. The use of more winning exercises, including the maximum amount of muscle at the same time. Unstable single-level surface (for example, a sofa mattress). Use of obstacles. You can use 1 winning exercise in 1 day from the following: sit / lay / stand / lay / sit / stand obstacle course (at home you can make cavaletti from mop sticks placed on books on the same level) multi-speed training (step - slow lynx - step - fast lynx, etc., with a time limit - not more than 10 minutes).
3. Complexes of exercises. The principle is supersets for a specific muscle group, consisting of speed exercises, strength exercises, isolated exercises, exercises with your own body weight. On day 1, you can apply 1 of the supersets: the muscles of the neck, back and body of the muscles of the hind limbs of the muscles of the forelimbs and the chest. Supersets are made at a very fast pace to maximize the dog’s muscle system. For example, if we talk about the muscles of the hind limbs, exercises may include: jumping or jumping - the height is not higher than the elbow of the dog, a lot of jumping to low height at a fast pace walking or running with weighting exercises "Sit - stand", while the hind legs are on a raised surface - for example, on a step the complex "Sit - stand - lie" at a fairly slow pace.
4. Negative phase. Principle: quick contraction, slow muscle relaxation. For example, the front legs of the dog are on a raised surface, and it executes the “Sit - Stand” commands without removing the front legs from the raised surface. She should get up quickly, and lower herself on her hind legs - as slowly as possible, and by no means fall into the “sitting” position. Such exercises can be done every day.
5. Voltage time. Principle: as long as possible the muscle tension of the dog (up to 30 seconds). For example, a dog stretches for a treat for a long time, straining the muscles as much as possible (standing on tiptoe). Such exercises can be done every day.

For puppies and adolescents, you can use methods 5, 4, 3 (without power and isolating exercises), 2 (without running with obstacles).

Formed young healthy dogs can receive all kinds of loads.

For elderly healthy dogs, all methods are suitable, except for the most explosive exercises with short pauses.

Exist 5 dog muscle building techniqueshaving passed tests for performance. These methods involve both types of muscle fibers.

Additional devices for pumping up the muscles of the dog

In order to quickly pump up the dog’s muscles, additional devices will come in handy:

• unstable surface (at home it can be an air mattress - the main thing is that it can withstand the claws of the dog)
• steady elevations (border, step, bench, books, etc.)
• girdle weights
• bandages, cavaletti
• band expanders
• stopwatch
• necessary auxiliary ammunition.

If you want to achieve muscle hypertrophy, do not do without additional devices. To create a beautiful embossed body, you can do without some devices, replacing them with other exercises. If the goal is to maintain the health and functioning of the muscles, additional devices are not needed.

3 rules for dog muscle growth

1. For muscle gain, a regularly increasing load is needed. But here, too, it’s important not to overdo it.
2. Nutrition plays a key role in success.
3. For full recovery and growth, you need a full sleep and rest.

Safety measures for pumping up the muscles of the dog

1. Preliminary examination of the dog’s health status (pulse, condition, respiratory rate, joint mobility).
2. Properly selected promotion.
3. Compliance with the rules of thermoregulation.
4. Compliance with the drinking regime. The dog can be drunk during training and immediately after, but not much (a couple of sips).
5. Strong nervous system of the owner. If something does not work out today, it will work out another time. Do not break on the dog, take care of it.

Watch the video: Pitbull feeding for weight gain (February 2021).