TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM

• 1. Muscles make up 40% of your total body weight.

  

  In fact, muscles are the most dense thing in your body. Also, muscle weighs more than fat. Typically, when people start to work out, they lose weight at the beginning (losing fat), but then start to gain weight (muscle).

  2. It takes half as long to gain muscle than it does to lose it.

  

  For example, if it takes you a month to develop a muscle, it will take two months for that muscle to degenerate back to its original size/strength. However, that’s not motivation to sit on the couch all day! Your muscle learns quickly and it’s very easy to get in shape and build muscle, so there’s your encouragement to go take that afternoon run!

  3. The smallest muscles are found in the middle ear.

  

  The same is true with the smallest bones. These small muscles, including the tensor tympani and the Stapedius, may be small, but they are very important. They are what is responsible for connecting to the ear drum and holding your ear together.

  4. To take one step, you use 200 muscles.

  

  The average amount of steps a person takes each day is 10,000. That’s a lot of work for those 200 muscles.  So next time you’re off for a walk, remember the hard work that’s being put in. Looks like a nap isn’t sounding too ridiculous after all!

  5. Muscles cannot push.

  

  They can only pull. When something on your body is “pushing,” it’s actually because another muscle is pulling. For example, when your push something with your arms, it’s actually your muscles in the back of your arm pulling the elbow.

  6. Humans are born with all the muscle fibers they will ever have.

  

  Muscle fiber doesn’t just “grow” randomly throughout your body. That means that we have the same amount of muscle fibers as Arnold Schwarzenegger!  It is possible for it to get thicker, like Mr. Schwarzenegger, which is what happens when we work out. The work out will tear the muscle down and it will get thicker, causing muscles to get bigger and stronger.

  7. Your tongue is the strongest muscle in your body.

  

  Don’t get me wrong, your tongue isn’t going to be able to pull a car. But in proportion to size, the tongue is by far the most worked muscle we have. But no need to go lift those tongue weights, it develops through eating, talking, pretty much anything involving your mouth.

  8. It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown.

  

  Being optimistic never hurt anyone! In fact, it’s easier to slap a smile on your face. Isn’t that reason enough to turn that frown upside down?

  9. When you’re cold, your muscles contract involuntarily.

  

  This is what happens when we get shivers. The muscle contractions send out energy that warm up your body.

  10. The only muscle that never tires is our heart.

  

  Just think about it, it never stops working. The average human heart beats from 60-100 times per minute. Through your sleep, through your workouts, through your showers, through everything. It’s a good thing your heart doesn’t tire, because we’d all get pretty sore pretty fast!