 |
The Biggest Bodybuilding Myths
We give you the honest truth on the following myths that so many people continue to believe.
When you train with weights its natural that your muscles burn and tighten up. For a short time you feel and look bigger and more ripped. This is what you call a muscle pump, and its a great feeling. But so many people think about this pump the wrong way. This leads us to the first of our biggest bodybuilding myths: that your muscle pumps have something to do with your muscle gains. This is completely untrue, muscle pumps have nothing to do with the muscle building process. Your muscle pump is only temporary, and after a while it will go away and you'll feel back to normal. Your muscles don't grow in the gym, they grow when you are resting. It doesn't matter how big of a "muscle pump" you get, it won't affect your muscle gains at all. So ignore those people who strive for a bigger and better pump, and measure your performance in the gym on how much weight you lifted and how many reps you performed compared to the week before. That's how you build muscle successfully, slowly improving each and every week. Read our article The Muscle Pump Misconception for more information on weight training myths to do with muscle pumps.
This is another big misconception you will hear around the gym. I'm sure you've all seen guys doing high reps thinking they will become more ripped, or more defined. They couldn't be further from the truth. Lifting lighter weights for higher reps won't make your muscles more defined. If you want ripped muscles then you need to lower your bodyfat levels, simple as that. A proper cardio program work will accomplish that for you. This is one of the bodybuilding myths that is often believed by personal trainers and so-called "experts" in the fitness industry. So remember, doing high reps with a light weight is a waste of time.
Following what you hear in bodybuilding magazines isn't always a good idea. The pages are usually filled with ads on magical supplements and pills, and the next big "breakthrough" supplement that will transform you overnight into a huge, lean muscle machine. A lot of these products are a waste of time and money, and the magazines and supplement companies are just trying to steal your cash. Also, the advice given out in such magazines by professional bodybuilders usually won't do you any good. You see, these professionals are most likely drugged-up or are genetically gifted for building mass. The majority of us aren't, and so doing what they do won't work for us. You should take advice from those who have accomplished what you are trying. So if you're a skinny twig who can't seem to gain mass no matter what you try (known as a "hardgainer") then find someone who has successfully transformed naturally from weak and skinny to large and muscular, and copy what they did. Check out my own weight gain story to learn how I transformed my body from skinny to muscular in a matter of months.
Out of the bodybuilding myths on this page, this is probably the easiest to fall to. It seems common sense to most people that the more you train in the gym, the more you'll get out of it? If your aim is losing weight then sure, it's true. But if you are trying to build muscle, which is what you're all here for I presume, then the answer is a big no. When it comes to the world of bodybuilding, you must understand that training less WILL give you better gains. Over-training is a common problem made by weight lifters, and it will impede your results. In the worst case, you may even lose muscle by training too much. To build muscle mass you must shock your muscles into growth with a few high-intensity sets with heavy weights, for each different muscle group. That's all you need, nothing more. Check out our article Building Muscle Mass: Spend Less Time in the Gym for more information on this.
Think this is a good idea when trying to build muscle? Think again. Resting for a certain period of time between sets is a recipe for mediocre muscle gains. To understand why, let's think back to how you actually build your muscles. You need to shock them into growth by lifting heavy weights, and using every ounce of energy you have to perform your set. The heavier the weight you lift and the more reps you do will determine how much muscle you break down. The more muscle breakdown, the better. Just say you rest 45 seconds in between each set. Sometimes that's not enough to fully recuperate from the previous set, especially on the more taxing exercises such as squats and deadlifts. You need to give your body the time it needs to recover so that you are as close to 100% as possible for performing your next set. Read our article Build More Muscle Mass By Resting Properly for more detail on this. Well there you go, we have opened the lid on some of the biggest bodybuilding myths out there that are believed by many, from beginners to the so-called experts in the field. If you want to learn the absolute truth on how to build muscle naturally, and avoid these muscle building myths and all the others out there, then check out the highly recommended Muscle Gain Truth program. It teaches you step by step how you can pack on lean muscle mass in a short amount of time and I couldn't recommend it any higher. Just like thousands of other average guys around the world, I have used the program to transform my physique dramatically in the shortest time possible. You won't find a more complete and life-changing muscle building program anywhere else.
|
