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Whether you’re new to the body-building scene or a seasoned
veteran it’s doubtless that you’ve been offered
advice on just about every aspect of body-building. Everyone
seems to have an opinion on what is best, most effective,
and proper. However, if you’ve been to a gym lately
you’ve seen that although they “know” what
is best, they don’t look anything near an Arnold or
Ronnie. This article is going to try and dissect 15 of the
most common body-building myths.
Myth 1: Creatine is a steroid
With ESPN’s anchor’s ranting 24/7 about steroids
in baseball, a wave of steroid-phobia has swept across the
country. Tell a lot of people you use creatine and they’ll
get a serious look on their face and warn you about how dangerous
it is. Totally disregarded is the fact that creatine is a
naturally occurring substance, produced by their own bodies
and found in meat. The simple fact is, creatine is not a steroid.
Myth 2: One or two beers on Friday won’t do
anything
The truth is that alcohol has an incredible impact on your
body, especially its ability to build muscle. Consumption
of alcohol lowers your testosterone (in men) and causes severe
dehydration. If you’re going to be serious it’s
best to just leave drinking behind. If that’s not possible
then try to keep the drinks to a minimum and drink as much
water as possible.
Myth 3: Instinctive Training is the Best
Instincts are great in many of places, the football field,
the car, the bedroom… However, don’t bring using
an instinctual approach to weightlifting will most likely
cause less than optimum results. To achieve optimum results
requires a strict diet and if good diets were instinctual,
weight wouldn’t be the issue it is today. A scientific
approach to bodybuilding will promote optimal gains.
Myth 4: Professional Bodybuilders know what is best
They have freakish builds with a combination of immense size
and extreme vascularity. Unfortunately for the rest of us,
this is more the byproduct of gifted genetics and steroids
than the discovery of the Ultimate Workout Program™.
The truth is the workouts of the pros should be left to the
pros (along with steroid use). It would help instead to listen
to the advice of people with actual credentials (other than
being freakish).
Myth 5: A ‘pump’ is the sign of a good
workout
Everyone likes the feeling of a good post-workout pump. Your
muscles feel bigger and look bigger (one of the reasons you
started working out in the first place) but does this you
just had a good workout? The answer is no, as a good pump
is not necessarily indicative of an effective workout. To
prove this to yourself, go pick up a weight you feel is light
and curl it for 30 minutes. Feel that blood rushing to your
biceps? Good. Next myth.
Myth 6: Do a thousand sit-ups a day for washboard
abs
If you can’t see your abdominal muscles and you’ve
been working on them then the problem is with your overall
body fat percentage. (Keep reading, the next myth is extremely
related).
Myth 7: I can target an area to reduce fat
As much as many infomercials would like to have you believe,
there is no way to eliminate fat from one particular part
of your body. To see those abs that you’ve working on
you need to lower your overall body fat percentage. Try watching
your diet more vigorously and doing some more cardio.
Myth 8: Certain exercises target certain parts of
a muscle
The main determinant in the shape of a particular muscle is
genetics. It isn’t possible to develop outstanding peaks
on your biceps if your genetics won’t allow it. Next
time you hear someone telling you to do a certain type of
curl to develop a particular aspect of your arm follow these
instructions.
1. Smile and nod.
2. Walk away.
Myth 9: My body-type isn’t meant for body-building,
I can’t gain muscle
Regardless of your body-type it is still possible to gain
muscle. To pack that muscle on your ectomorph frame requires
a high caloric intake and dedicated lifting. If you have excess
amount of nutrients available to build muscles and stress
your muscles by lifting heavy you will build muscle.
Myth 10: I’m eating like a horse and lifting
regularly, I’m still not gaining weight.
You aren’t eating enough. Try adding 500 more calories
into your diet each week until you start seeing gains. If
you’re trying to maximize gains then don’t be
afraid to put on a little fat, but keep your diet strict to
minimize fat gain.
Myth 11: Doing too much Pec work will cause gyno
This is pure and utter nonsense. Working out your pecs will
cause muscle growth. You aren’t going to be growing
any feminine boobs from the bench press.
Myth 12: If it is in an article it must be true
The internet is a great thing because it allows people access
a huge amount of information. However, the bane of the internet
is inaccurate information. If you’ve been to any bodybuilding
websites then you know I’m talking about, articles and
message boards chock-full of inaccurate information. The point
is, be careful who you’re taking information from (make
sure it’s a reputable site).
Myth 13: Supplement labels tell the truth
“Wow, so if I take this I’ll be able to lift 20%
more?”
No. you won’t.
If a supplement seems to be making outrageous claims then
it probably is.
Myth 14: Supplements are required
There are several things required in bodybuilding; a strong
work ethic, dedication, and a will to push your body past
its normal limits. However, supplements are not required.
As proof, go check out some of the older bodybuilders. Supplements
can be helpful in making gains but in the end the gains are
made through hard work and not some chemical formula (of course
if you’re on steroids you’re going to get huge
lifting just about anything, probably even your fork to your
face).
Myth 15: You must lift everyday to experience gains
Lifting everyday is not required for anyone. In fact, in many
cases lifting everyday will cause overtraining. Overtraining
will lead to an injury will lead to an injury which will keep
you from lifting at all. Go ahead, lift everyday, I dare you.
Seriously though, many people are successful lifting everyday
and many are successful lifting 3 times a week. What works
best for you might not work the best for someone else.
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