Why do some peoples muscles seem more dense?

[JrWildman1]

Okay... bare with me.. I'm new as you can see with my post count...

I have been working out and reading the forums a lot and from what I can tell, there is no such thing as toning a muscle, just cutting... Those muscles that look like tight skin stretched over rock are caused by big muscles and a low body fat. So why does my friend who is no stronger or thinner than I am have a bicep twice as hard as mine when I squeeze it for comparison?
We curl about the same, we are about the same height and bodyfat.

Is this genetic? Do some people have more dense muscles? Also I stretch my muscles a lot more than he does if that could have any effect.

[DJAuto]

Genetics.

[txapn]

a couple things can cause it...

if done after a rep he could have a bigger pump than urs meaning if like stated you hand more of an eccentric portion of the curl and he had less rom then he probly would have alittle more pump...

also it could be maturity, if he has been working out longer regardless if he is bigger or not his muscles will be more dense than urs...

and of course like statde above genetics can play its hand in everything!

[aman88]

when it comes down to it everything is about genetics. you can only improve within your genetic potential. for instance, most of us will NEVER reach dead lifting 1000 pounds like some WSM competitors can, just because we train hard.

[Jack_Lupino]

are you on dat dere cell-tech?

[ChecksandGiggles]

are you on dat dere cell-tech?

the better question is, is OP lifting heavy and taking a multi?

[dethmetalanimal]

when it comes down to it everything is about genetics. you can only improve within your genetic potential. for instance, most of us will NEVER reach dead lifting 1000 pounds like some WSM competitors can, just because we train hard.

defeatist attitude.

[aman88]

its not a defeatist attitude. if you actually think its possible for everyone to dead lift 1000 pounds if they work hard then you know 0 about the human body, kinesiology, and exercise science. no offense.

[Tyrbolift]

Okay... bare with me.. I'm new as you can see with my post count...

I have been working out and reading the forums a lot and from what I can tell, there is no such thing as toning a muscle, just cutting... Those muscles that look like tight skin stretched over rock are caused by big muscles and a low body fat. So why does my friend who is no stronger or thinner than I am have a bicep twice as hard as mine when I squeeze it for comparison?
We curl about the same, we are about the same height and bodyfat.

Is this genetic? Do some people have more dense muscles? Also I stretch my muscles a lot more than he does if that could have any effect.

Not yet mentioned... more density can be caused by favoring heavier/low rep work, whether it's lifting weights, doing physical work, or even lifestyle.

Do you enjoy different sports?

It can all make a difference, including genetics.

[Ironlife]

its not a defeatist attitude. if you actually think its possible for everyone to dead lift 1000 pounds if they work hard then you know 0 about the human body, kinesiology, and exercise science. no offense.

I know where your coming from although the post above does seem overly pessimistic.

[UCFBuilder]

yeah genetics to play a big role...but get several years of hard training under your belt..low rep work/high rep work..always heavy..basically build a solid base..then diet down to contest levels of BF..and i assure your muscle will have that dense and "mature" look

[Lencho]

Not yet mentioned... more density can be caused by favoring heavier/low rep work, whether it's lifting weights, doing physical work, or even lifestyle.

I agree with Tyrbo.

[Ironlife]

Tyrbo my man is on the money here, when it comes to the big guys you see training hard and for years and years in the weight room you can notice how thick and dense these guys are all over, what may surprise you is some of these guys may not weigh all that much or as much as you think they weigh though. This hardness is density of the muscle.

I have seen many guys my height and weight yet are 10 years older than i am but look a lot bigger than myself! This is due to years of heavy heavy training, low bodyfat and general thickness of their tendons and connective tissue that gives them this look.

Obviously genetics play a role in our bodies and can put up some barriers in terms of development but we can achieve that dense look in time.