# Finger Muscle?



## Lotsofsloths (Jul 31, 2008)

As speedcubers(and especially OH cubers), we MUST have a muscle that is way stronger than the average person. Does anyone know what exact muscle this is? And what does it do for the average person?


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## StachuK1992 (Jul 31, 2008)

Perhaps it isn't purely stronger
I think that it just becomes more and more loosened up over time.
But I'm no doctor, so hey...


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## brunson (Jul 31, 2008)

The muscles that flex your fingers are in the forearm. I don't know that they're so much stronger, but I'm sure the fast twitch fibers get more development than the average person. Probably similar to what a pianist or a drummer might develop.


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## Rabid (Jul 31, 2008)

Lotsofsloths said:


> we MUST have a muscle that is way stronger than the average person. Does anyone know what exact muscle this is? And what does it do for the average person?





Stachuk1992 said:


> Perhaps it isn't purely stronger
> I think that it just becomes more and more loosened up over time.
> But I'm no doctor, so hey...




I thought this was a Family Forum..


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## yeti09 (Jul 31, 2008)

Rabid said:


> Lotsofsloths said:
> 
> 
> > MUST have a muscle that is way stronger than the average person. Does anyone know what exact muscle this is? And what does it do for the average person?
> ...



lol!


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## StachuK1992 (Jul 31, 2008)

yeti09 said:


> Rabid said:
> 
> 
> > Lotsofsloths said:
> ...


holy cow...AI just got that! Nice Catch!


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## Dene (Jul 31, 2008)

I think, rock climbers would have the strongest "fingers". That's only my opinion.


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## Escher (Jul 31, 2008)

Yeah, Dene is definitely right. perhaps cubers get toned forearms, but strong? no. I play guitar (a lot) and with thick strings (.13s), so my forearms are quite good. I have a heavy tension gripmaster (google it) and i can go for a minute to a minute and a half at about 2 reps a second. My friend who climbs, can last for 5. Which is frankly ridiculous. (incidentally, if anyone climbs, he on-sighted an 8a+ today...) (p.s he's just 17)


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## Carson (Aug 3, 2008)

I have been playing rudimental snare drum for years and play guitar a little as well. I can attest that the "finger muscles" (which aren't actually in the fingers) can be strengthened and trained. If you now anyone that plays drums in marching band and practices a lot, or if you happen to know someone that marches drumline in a drum corps... ask them to flex there forearm muscles. Back when I was playing all the time in college, my forearms were much stronger than my biceps.

On a side note: I would imagine that right-handed guitar players would tend to be much better at left hand finger-tricks than most people. Even though I am right handed, I am better at some left hand mirror algorithms than the right-handed counterparts.


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## pjk (Aug 4, 2008)

I've been rock-climbing for around a year now, and I haven't noticed any effect in regards to cubing. It certainly makes your hands stronger, but I think the muscles that are used are different.


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## ajmorgan25 (Aug 4, 2008)

Carson said:


> I have been playing rudimental snare drum for years and play guitar a little as well. I can attest that the "finger muscles" (which aren't actually in the fingers) can be strengthened and trained. If you now anyone that plays drums in marching band and practices a lot, or if you happen to know someone that marches drumline in a drum corps... ask them to flex there forearm muscles. Back when I was playing all the time in college, my forearms were much stronger than my biceps.
> 
> On a side note: I would imagine that right-handed guitar players would tend to be much better at left hand finger-tricks than most people. Even though I am right handed, I am better at some left hand mirror algorithms than the right-handed counterparts.



I can second this. I was in my highschool's drumline for two years, did a year of WGI Indoor, and almost did drum corps this summer and my forearms are much more toned than my biceps.

I'll wait for Jason to reply to this as well.


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## brunson (Aug 4, 2008)

pjk said:


> It certainly makes your hands stronger, but I think the muscles that are used are different.


Your muscles are composed of a combination of fast twitch and slow twitch fibers. Climbing and cubing probably use one set each, almost exclusively.


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## JBCM627 (Aug 4, 2008)

brunson said:


> Your muscles are composed of a combination of fast twitch and slow twitch fibers. Climbing and cubing probably use one set each, almost exclusively.


I don't know about this. I think climbing or other finger exercises use those fast-twitch muscles too. After doing something like throwing many frisbees forehanded, or doing something that is more strenuous on my fingers but doesn't require them to twitch (gentle frisbee throws come from the wrist... fingers remain fairly rigid), I often have a bit of trouble triggering and using my fingers. Same with swimming where my hands are held extremely rigid for extended periods of time. Thus I don't think the activities are exclusive.



pjk said:


> It certainly makes your hands stronger, but I think the muscles that are used are different.


This might be true in a different sense. Cubing certainly hasn't made my hands significantly stronger in terms of how hard I may grab something... in fact I've regressed quite a bit in terms of strength since I started cubing. I used to swim competitively, and had a much stronger grip back then. Now that I cube a lot but don't swim much, I have a weaker grip. I'd only go so far as to say I am more dexterous now.


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## blah (Aug 4, 2008)

Carson said:


> On a side note: I would imagine that right-handed guitar players would tend to be much better at left hand finger-tricks than most people. Even though I am right handed, I am better at some left hand mirror algorithms than the right-handed counterparts.



Yeah, you're right. Because for righties, the left hand does all the fretting, which requires much more effort than plucking. (But I thought lefties held the guitar the same way as we righties do?)


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## Rob2109 (May 24, 2009)

I've played the piano since i was 5 and am classically trained, there are many similarities between speedcubing and piano technique. The tendons may be in your forearm but the muscles you train are in your hand. The R move is fairly similar to a staccato note and you should always use different fingers for two rotations like U2 or R2. Its standard to use different fingers for fast repeated notes and it makes it worthwhile. The muscles you need in piano are the ones in the underside of your finger at the first joint, thats where the power comes from and its the same principle for cube/piano, no unnessary movement. Give me a shout if you fancy any more info


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## BigSams (May 24, 2009)

for crying out loud.
eh, cant blame him. made the same mistake of bumbing old threads in the wca forums my first time.


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## dakimfo137 (May 24, 2009)

I think that you can train your muscles. I've play piano, violin, and guitar. Also I've been an avid computer gamer my whole life. I like to believe I have fingers like biceps.


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## Poke (May 24, 2009)

I think that cubing is all muscle memory, and if you get your muscles "Remembering" a specific tension at a specific time for a specific algorithm/cube/move, that muscle strength is not a huge matter. But I am sure those who are really fast(Frequently sub-10, maybe) do have muscles which are toned to their speed.

Once you get, like, Yu, or Erik speed, it probably is a lot of toning muscles. But it would probably have to be done on a cube to help further reenforce muscle memory.


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## blah (May 24, 2009)

Fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscles.

NOT "muscles which are toned to their speed".

Same reason why some people sprint better and others endure longer.


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## ConnorCuber (May 24, 2009)

blah said:


> Fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscles.
> 
> NOT "muscles which are toned to their speed".
> 
> Same reason why some people sprint better and others endure longer.



And why people can lift 200 pounds, and others can throw a baseball nearly 100 mph.


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