different ways of buliding muscle

Help Support Steer Planet:

showchick

Active member
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
28
For building muscle in our lambs, we ramp them and we put them on the cheriot. what else do some of you do to bulid muscle?

Thanks
 

SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
I am going to try having my daughter's goats pull weights when she walks them.  Haven't done it yet, so not sure how well it will work.
 

kfacres

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
it starts with genetics.. without that, you're pretty well wasting your time trying to make something that isn't, or will ever be there. 

It's like trying to make a paper airplane out of a paper clip... sure you can make a bigger paper clip, but it'll never be a good old fashion paper airplane.
 

SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
So, are you saying just feed em, and don't worry about working them??  I know genetics will determine a lot of the end results, but most everyone will agree that you have to excercise them to enhance whatever it is they have.   

The chariot is a cart that you pull behind an atv or riding mower- the lambs stand with their front feet on the chariot and have to walk on their hind legs only, hence building muscles in their back legs/hindquarters. 
 
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
10
Location
Marion & Stephenville, Tx
BIG PROBLEM! !!  with chariots and have them stand on something to eat- by having the front legs to high, it WILL break down the loin, so yes it will build up the rear but break down the loin. i guess its up to each to weigh their option.



We tried chariot, blocks, and liked what a plastic barrel cut length ways to make a jump did to our lambs  & goats
 

kfacres

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
Tarleton_Ag_Major said:
BIG PROBLEM! !!  with chariots and have them stand on something to eat- by having the front legs to high, it WILL break down the loin, so yes it will build up the rear but break down the loin. i guess its up to each to weigh their option.



We tried chariot, blocks, and liked what a plastic barrel cut length ways to make a jump did to our lambs  & goats

ditto this.
SlickTxMaine said:
So, are you saying just feed em, and don't worry about working them??  I know genetics will determine a lot of the end results, but most everyone will agree that you have to excercise them to enhance whatever it is they have.   

The chariot is a cart that you pull behind an atv or riding mower- the lambs stand with their front feet on the chariot and have to walk on their hind legs only, hence building muscles in their back legs/hindquarters. 

no what I'm saying is that if you don't have the genetics there, you'll never get what you want with a majic wand. 

If you have the money to buy the genetics it takes, then chances are that you won't be on here asking for other people's advice, and stating that you are using two techniques to build muscle, that are actually proven to hurt desireable muscle more than help a different set of desireable muscles. 

If you have that money, and have those lambs.. then you would be going to the breeder, and doing what they tell you to do.

maybe it's just my 2 cents...
 

MYT Farms

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
1,061
Location
Peyton CO
We're big believers in having them have to stand on blocks to eat, and even drink. Makes them build on that leg handle some. But we just hook them to the ATV and drive and drive and drive. Then we work them out in the pasture on bracing, setting, and showing. After that, just turn them loose and let 'em haul back to the barn. Good fat burner. Twice a day when it's warm, three times a day if the weather cooperates. Works for us.
 

[email protected]

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
285
Location
SW Oklahoma
I will chime in on this.  If we could naturally build muscle by hard, extreme exercise, then all we would have to do is go to stock yards and buy any lamb and delvelop them.  You will break more muscle down than you build if you don't know when to back off.

They have to aquire their muscle by genetics.  Hard exercise will tone and define muscle and may build a little  but I don't believe you can take a lamb and create more substantually more muscle.  Not enough to change the animal.  You have to buy an animal with muscle. 

We excercised to trim the middle and  we spent more time making sure that animal responded when we asked him to show like a champion.  We sometimes outshowed the competitors to a higher placing.  Its alright to get beat by a better lamb but not by a weaker showman.

Bottom line buy a better lamb from breeders that have produced winners and spend more time practicing for the show.  As a parent and advisor  it is nice to know that enough time has been spent on showing that you have confidence the animal is going to respond when it is asked to perform.

Good luck with building that muscle.
 

showchick

Active member
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
28
okay.. im not a snoty person but im going to be. first of all YES genetics have something to do with it.... but you have to exersise them to show that muscle!!! you can't just buy a good lamb and just FEED it... it can't sustane the muscle without building it!!!

when i asked this question i was looking for like " WE do thisthis this and this" ...not well exersising them doesn't make them win and that stuff.
 

kfacres

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
showchick said:
okay.. im not a snoty person but im going to be. first of all YES genetics have something to do with it.... but you have to exersise them to show that muscle!!! you can't just buy a good lamb and just FEED it... it can't sustane the muscle without building it!!!

when i asked this question i was looking for like " WE do thisthis this and this" ...not well exersising them doesn't make them win and that stuff.

Yes, actually you can buy, or make a good lamb, and keep it all summer on feed and take it to a show and win with it...  Some of the most competitive market lamb show'rs I know don't work with isometrics before 2 weeks prior to the first show.  Sure they teach to brace, but most wether type sheep of today do that naturally, or after 5 min of a good workout...

For instance, back when we jockied a few wether lambs (when I was in 4H), I took a wether lamb and a market ewe lamb to Springfield (IL State Fair).  The wether lamb stood 4th in the AOB show, which was good enough to be either champion or reserve champion oxford of both days (Open and Jr); the ewe lamb I remember stood 3rd in the market ewe lamb show, which was all breeds combined.  She weighed 132, and showed against about 15 other ewe lambs-- why do I remember this-- it was a great moment. 

These two lambs lived with my breeding ewe lambs all summer, and a self feeder like the others.  I walked into the pen the day I loaded up for state fair, and took these two out to go.  Poor judgment on my part- probably.. but at the time I was gone all summer showing, and nobody was home to work with them.  What would have happend if I had worked them.. who knows?  At any rate, they both stood extremely well, with nothing but genetics...  I know I have pictures to prove it, and imagine if I look hard enough at my parents house, I'd find the ribbons as well...
 

[email protected]

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
285
Location
SW Oklahoma
We exercise our lambs walking backwards on a treadmill to a certain extent and then we exercised the old way by walking forwards with a halter attached to the showmans hand. Total exercise was 3 minutes on the treadmill and 15 at a fast walk.  Then 15-20 minutes practicing for the showring.  YOu had to beat us with a good lamb because you would not beat us by outshowing us.  We did that after ball practice both winter and summer.  You can over exercise to the point that you will the muscle and structure will break down.  You have to be knowledgable enough to know when to slow down or stop. 

We exercised by walking backwards for 3 minutes at a fast pace.  This toned muscle that normally doesn't get the tonement of walking forward.  We walked forward at a fast pace to slim and tone the belly muscle to get a trip look.  Like an old fat man.  If he did set ups he would not have a pop belly    a humans fast walk is a jogg for sheep.  15 min should equal close to a mile.

Different locations across america and different seasons of the year should dictate how much exercise you do as well.  Summer time in Oklahoma this summer may be too hot to do anything.  too much could lead to a thin lamb that is toned to the top.  Or coyote bait because he got too hot.    As well Jan and Feb can be horrible and to much exercise can burn too much energy to the point the animal can't keep warm enough to maintain body condition.

If I lived in texas in the winter the environment would allow me to exercise different than Oklahoma.  Different parts of the world might mean a different type of exercise.

Lastly.  A university in Texas did a study on southdown lambs.  3 Groups.  group 1 got no exercise and same feed as others.  Group 2 got a little exercise and same feed.  Last group got a lot of exercise and same amount and kind of feed.  The harvest all on same day and scored the carcasses.  Group 3 had the smallest loin eye and leg score.  They were also the leanest.  Group 2 was most ideal in finish with moderate scores on loin and leg.  Group 3 was the fattest but also had the largest loin and leg score and not by a little either.  They out scored all by considerable amount.    This is what I got out of the test.  You can overexercise,  You need to observe the condition of your animal daily to evaluate how much exercise  an animal should have.  Largest leg also meaned too much fat so the happy medium was moderate exercise with an animal that had the genetics to have muscle.

Bottom line.  buy an animal with the genetics to have muscle.  buy from a breeder that has invested to produce the winners.  If you can't afford that go to the next level and make your purchase. 

You can tone but not build much muscle.  You also need to know how much exercise is too much.  Have you ever seen a avid jogger.  They have very little fat on their body.  Most don't have lots of muscle just no fat.  Body builders have big muscles.  That has everything to do with resistance and repitition.  And other substances.lol    Pretty illegal in food animals. lol

We first started by buying my daughters cheap lambs that I thought we could develop to be good ones.  WE placed between 5 and 10th at the state shows in Oklahoma.  We lowered the number of how many we bought and spent more money on quality from the top breeders and we moved up to the top 5 including several champions and reserves and bronze animals at Tulsa, OKC, and KC.

Good luck and I hope you figure out what works for you.
 
Top