WEEK EIGHTY-THREE :: What Are Some Bodybuilding Myth's That Must Be Dispelled? [Archive]

Ace50

06-29-2006, 10:04 AM

I am sure every bodybuilder has heard of myths, and once believed in these myths, we all know some of these myths are just false and plain garbage.
Shown in this article, explains many myths and why they are false. How these myths sprouted, what can be done prevent more myths, and a funny myth that i have heard.

1. I wanna gain huge gains on my bench, so I will keep on benching everyday!
FALSE- Although this may make sense for beginners hitting the gym, this is just a myth. Exercising one bodypart(s) repeateadly can lead to overtraining, which can cause fatigue, lose strength, and will not give enough time to heal propery.

2. Wow Strong Abs, Nice-Six Pack Dude, You must do a million crunches a day!
FALSE- People believe that by doing many they can reveal that desired six-pack.
Crunches will help you develop a strong core, but won't get rid of that body fat in your midsection. However a good diet and exercise can help. This myth was probobly created by those who yearn a six-pack and watch those with six-packs doing many crunches, then they believe they can develop the same one if they do alot of crunches also.

3. Is it true that if I stop Bodybuilding, my hard-earned muscle will turn into fat!?
FALSE-Your muscle will not turn into fat, however they can shrink. This myth was probobly stemed from the fact that former athletes who used to be lean and muscular but are now on the heavier side. The former athletes muscles shrank, and they gained alot of fat, this probobly makes it appear that the former athletes replaced their muscle into fat.

4. You notice a beginner next to you, he goes on a leg press machine and does a fairly large amount of weight next to you, however his form is horrible.

Lifting heavy, but no form. Many believe that because they do a heavier weight they will get strong results, however some should lower the weight if the exercise cannot be performed with good form. Performing exercises with good form can lead to better results, than doing exercises completely wrong and performing them with a weight that you can barely, or cannot handle. Remember we are in the gym to get stronger, not to brag that we do greater amount of weight on a certain exercise.

5. I look up to that pro bodybuilder, he used steroids, i want to become just like him, he has the perfect body i desire, he is my idol!

Sure, that pro bodybuilders has the body that you may desire, but just because you use steroids will not mean you will achieve what the pro bodybuilders look like. The bodybuilder might train differently, eat a different diet, have different genetics, and have greater disipline. Steroids alone will not make like the pros.

6. You have to use fancy weightlifting equipment in order to make the best gains.

Futuristic-looking, complex machinery designed to give your muscles the 'ultimate workout' is typically less effective than good-old barbells and dumbbells. Using simple free weights (barbells and dumbbells) on basic multi-joint exercises, like the squat, bench press, shoulder press, and deadlift, is still the most effective means of resistance exercise ever invented. Scientific research has shown that many exercise machines lack the proper eccentric component of an exercise that's necessary to stimulate muscle tissue to remodel (grow).

7. High repetitions make your muscles harder and more cut up.

Although there is some evidence to suggest that high repetitions might induce some extra capillary intrusion into a muscle, they will do nothing to make the muscle harder or more cut up. If a completely sedentary person began weightlifting, using either low reps or high reps, he or she would experience a rapid increase in tonus, the degree of muscular contraction that the muscle maintains even when that muscle is relaxed, but that would happen regardless of rep range. The only way that high repetitions would make a muscle more cut up is if, by doing a higher number of reps, your body as a whole was in negative energy balance, and you were burning more calories than you were ingesting. The truth is, heavy weights, lifted for 5-8 reps per set, can build rock-hard muscles. You just have to get the fat off them to see how "hard" they are.

8. There are food supplements available that are just as effective as steroids, yet safer.

The only things as effective as steroids are other steroids. Despite the proclamations of some supplement distributors (Muscle-Tech, JK), usually in giant, 35-point type, no currently available supplement works like steroids. However, nutrients and supplements can be extremely effective, especially if your diet is lacking in some critical component or you're genetically predisposed to accept that nutrient or supplement. Biochemically, individuals vary enormously, and the interaction of genetics, coupled with the widely varying diets that each of us eats, makes it virtually impossible to gauge just what will work for one individual and what won't. That is why some supplements work better than others for some people, just as some people are genetically predispositioned to accept steroids more readily than others. Food supplements do have benefits that can't be overlooked -- they're generally safe, and they won't get you thrown into jail. But none of them build muscle as fast or as well as steroids.

9. Loading up on carbohydrates is an excellent way to enhance your athletic performance.

The traditional manner in which athletes 'carb up' for an athletic competition usually involves first depleting the body's stores of carbohydrates through exercise and diet. This is then followed by rest and a high carbohydrate intake. However, studies have shown that this type of preparation is unnecessary. An athlete who eats a balanced, high-carbohydrate diet and is in reasonably good shape has plenty of carbohydrates in his or her system to meet the demands of short-duration exercises that don't exceed roughly one hour. Anyone that does exercises that last more than an hour, like long-distance running or cycling, may benefit from 'carbing up', but the ability of muscles to use fat as a source of energy rather than carbohydrates in endurance events may be even more important to performance at that level.

Ace50

06-29-2006, 10:05 AM

10. You must wait 48 hours before you train a specific muscle again / more than 1 week of rest will atrophy your muscles.

The amount of recovery time required varies widely among individuals, training routines, and strength levels. The finite recovery ability that was discussed above can vary quite dramatically between individuals. If two lifters are similar in body type and strength levels, this does not indicate they will have similar recovery requirements. The intensity, number of sets performed , and frequency of your workouts will also affect recovery time. Lastly, as discussed above, as one gets stronger more recovery is required. So, to state that you should wait forty-eight hours between workouts for particular body parts is foolish. Each trainee must determine for oneself how much recovery time is required. Myth Was probobly found by those who waited more than a week and felt weaker.

11. There are "shaping" and "mass building" exercises.

This one always gives me a chuckle. It implies that certain exercises (i.e. flies, cable crossovers etc.) will only tone the muscle and not build mass. This is complete bull****! Almost all of the exercises defined as "shaping" are isolation exercises. Now, lets discuss what causes muscular growth in very simple terms. Studies have shown that if a trainee stresses his/her muscles with seventy-five percent or greater of their maximum capacity in a particular exercise, growth will result (75% you say, then why go to failure? I will discuss this in an upcoming article.). Now, why would stressing your pecs with sufficient intensity using a fly be any different than using a bench press? It would not! In actuality, doing a pec-deck fly will build the pectoral muscles more efficiently than a bench press. This is because the fly removes the weak-links that the bench press has (triceps, deltoids) and isolates the pectoralis. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not implying that you should train with only isolation movements. The beauty of compound exercises is that they target multiple muscle groups simultaneously. You have probably guessed the importance of that due to the discussions about finite recovery. What I am trying to say is that the so called "shaping" exercises are normally more efficient at building the target muscle than some of the "mass" movements. Some of you may be thinking,"you can use more weight on compound exercises, that is why they are better---more stress on the muscle." I call bull**** again! Your brain sends electrical impulses through the nervous system that cause your muscles to contract. It will adjust these impulses to increase the contraction's intensity until the desired effect of joint movement is achieved (if possible). There are many factors that can affect this chain of events. In a compound movement there is more than 1 joint and muscle group involved. Each of these takes a portion of the "burden" imposed by the weight being lifted. Your muscle can only generate a finite maximum contraction at any given time. It does not matter if it is forced to do this in a single or multiple joint movement. Therefore, the single joint movement can generate as much of a stimulus to a given muscle as a compound movement and potentially even more.

These myths are usually created by beginners, who probobly over-hear or learn from other beginners about these myths. Myths can also be spread by those who joke around and spread these myths to the beginners.

We can all rid of these myths by learning the true facts from experienced bodybuilders, trainers, doctors, books, and the internet. To prevent myths from arising experienced lifters should teach the beginners, tell them the facts and truths, learn the true facts, and be less gullible.

The dumbest myth i have heard, show below in a play format.
John: I got my new supplement, now i will get as strong as the guy on the cover
Edward: No, John, your supplement will help, but trust me you won't get like that guy in a while.
John: Wow, Strong Myth.

Yes, i have heard this myth before, and all of us should know this is false

Below, is a interesting site, filled with good facts that will teach many facts and uncover the myths that beginnres may be unraveled with.

http://www.trulyhuge.com/bodybuildingmyths.htm

rockinmoroccan

06-30-2006, 11:15 AM

cite your plagiarism lol

http://staff.washington.edu/griffin/30_lies.html#LINK19

Aussie LTD

06-30-2006, 11:24 AM

good article Smin - nice read

oh, plagarism

ho_124

06-30-2006, 05:27 PM

Totally busted

mikefromms

06-30-2006, 06:50 PM

I think one of the biggest myths is if I eat and gorge on tons of food and train hard I can lose the fat and have a massive muscular body. How about stretch marks!

Another one that comes to mind is if I train like Arnold S. says in his book then I can look like him. How about dragging your butt around all day from severe overtraining.

If I train hard I can eat what I want. If you want to get fat!

Lateral raises are for sissies. I don't think so. Isolation moves like DB side laterals can add the look of width to your delts. Of course you need to build a foundation with shoulder presses.

I just want to tone up. Yeah, right, and I like wasting my time busting my butt in the gym too.

You don't need extra protein to build muscles. Don't you need extra mortar to build an extra brick wall on your house?

If you don't sleep at least 8 hours you can't grow. Rest is important but not everyone requires the same amount of sleep. Some need more!

If I use the same one set to failure program I used last year but failed to get results, I can use that same program this year and make good gains. I think this is the definition of insanity!

You have to have a training partner to build a respectable physique. A training partner can be a great help, but he can be in your way. I train alone and am doing great. Many professional bodybuilders worked out alone for years.

You have to workout at a gym to build a great body. Again, many successful bodybuilders have worked out at home and made outstanding progress.

You can workout 10 minutes 3 times a week and build a great body. You can get some results but a great body? I don't think so, unless you are genetically blessed. In that case you can just lift boxes on the job and look great.

You can't build a great body unless you workout 6 days a week for two and three hour sessions. If you try this type of training as a natural trainer, you will likely train yourself into the ground and lose your desire to train.

There is only one true style of training to build muscle and a great body. When someone says they have the truth about bodybuilding, let the buyer beware. It's great to cycle all types of training, heavy duty, volume, supersets, training down the rack, negatives, etc.

If I weigh less I'm losing fat. Forget the scale and examine your whole body in a mirror regularly and use a devise to measure body fat percentage. Not all weight loss is fat loss. Muscle can be lost.

If I just do more aerobics I can lose the extra fat and get ripped. If you do too much aerobic exercise you can eat into your hard earned muscles. Everything must be done in balance.

Never workout two days in a row. Well, don't workout the same muscles. But I have no problem working out two days in a row, and, in fact, make great progress. Experiment with different frequencies.

A full body workout done 3 times a week is the best workout program. Well, it certainly does work, but the best? Some larger body parts when really smoked in the gym likely need more than 48 hours before being worked again. Who ever said all body parts recover equally?

The bodybuilding magazines are the best guide for bodybuilding. They are certainly helpful but often the programs are too advanced for the average Joe. About half of the pages are advertisements for supplements.

I must use supplements to make muscle gains. There are some good supplement, but your best supplement is food. Get that right first; then, take a look at supplements.

Mikefromms

PRIMAL

07-01-2006, 10:52 AM

When we were younger, how many times did we hear, "lifting weights stunts your growth," or "don't eat before bed or you’ll get fat." There are so many unproven bodybuilding myths that are still around us.

What are some bodybuilding myths that must be dispelled?

Who creates these half-truths or completely false "facts?"

What can be done to dispel these rumors or myths and prevent new ones from arising?

BONUS QUESTION: What is the dumbest bodybuilding myth you've heard

There are so many myths around, i will start with the more common ones.

Myth 1. Overtraining syndrome is due to overtraining a muscle, when a muscle is sore it means it cannot be trained

Well guys, overtraining is a CNS symptom. Meaning your brain is overtrained, not your muscles. You might feel tired, irritated, agitated or have trouble with your sleep when you are overtrained. Your muscle cannot be 'overtrained', but it can definately be injured (strains/muscle tear)

Now, does soreness means a muscle is not fully recovered and cannot be trained again? NO! DOMS is does not mean that..and studies have show that you can train a muscle everyday and its RECOVERY CONTINUES UNABATED

case study below

Title: Effects of a 7-day eccentric training period on muscle damage and inflammation.

Researchers: Chen TC, Hsieh SS.

Institution: Department of Ball-Related Sports Science, Taipei Physical Education College, Taipei City, Taiwan.

Source: Medicine and Science Sports & Exercise 2001 Oct;33(10):1732-8

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a 7-day repeated maximal isokinetic eccentric training period on the indicators of muscle damage and inflammatory response.

Methods: Twenty-two college-age males were randomly assigned to eccentric training (ET) and control groups (CON). The initial exercise was 30 repetitions of maximal voluntary isokinetic eccentric contraction (ECC1) on non-dominant elbow flexors with Cybex 6000 at 60 degrees.s-1 angular velocity. The ET group performed the same exercise for the following 6 consecutive days (referred to as ECC2 to ECC7) after ECC1. Upper arm circumference (CIR), range of motion (ROM), and maximal isometric force (MIF) were measured before, immediately after, and every 24 h for 7 consecutive days after ECC1. Plasma creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), leukocyte counts, and serum interleukin-1beta and -6 (IL-1beta, IL-6) levels were assessed before; at 2 h; and at 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 d after ECC1. Muscle soreness was measured before and for 7 consecutive days after ECC1.

Results: The ECC1 produced significant changes in most of the measures for both groups, with the exception of leukocyte counts. No indicators of increased damage were found from the second consecutive day of eccentric training to the 7th day for the eccentric training group.

Conclusion: Continuous intensive isokinetic eccentric training performed with damaged muscles did not exacerbate muscle damage and inflammation after ECC1. In addition, a muscular "adaptation effect" may occur as early as 24 h after ECC1, as shown by the ET group's performance for 6 consecutive days after ECC1.

Discussion: This study calls into question the belief that muscles can't recover if trained again soon or even the next day.

They looked at a wide variety of markers for muscle damage including plasma creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), leukocyte counts, and serum interleukin-1beta and -6 (IL-1beta, IL-6). Although both groups experienced a significant change in all these indicators (accept leukocyte count), no indicators of increased damage were found from ECC2 to ECC7 for the ET group.

What about soreness? For both the group who only did one training session as well as those who did seven in a row, muscle soreness developed 1 day after the first eccentric training bout, and remained through the 3rd day, then gradually diminished regardless of which group they were in. The group that did the eccentric sets every day experienced the same progression and subsidence of soreness as the group that did only one set at the beginning of the week. The soreness level was almost back to baseline on 7 day for both groups.

Source: http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/HSreport/iss02/index.html#art_2
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Myth 2. If you want to get lean, eat low fat diets

Well guys, this issue has been around for a long time. I have fallen trap to this myth before myself once, and i remembered i ate only 20g of Fats per day in an effort to get lean. Low fat diets are bad for bodybuilding because it makes your testosterone drop and depletes your body of certain fat-soluble vitamins

To lose weight you need to be on a calorie deficit. Your calories should be spread out like this : ~20% from fats
~50% from carbohydrates
~30% from protein

(1).Research shows that Low fat diets also increase levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a protein which binds to testosterone, thus reducing the amount of bioavailable, or 'free', testosterone in the body. It is free testosterone that is responsible for this hormone's favorable effects on growth, repair, sexual capacity and immune function

source:
1. Hamalainen EK, et al. Decrease of serum total and free testosterone during a low-fat high-fibre diet. J Steroid Biochem. Mar 1983; 18 (3): 369-370.
Reed MJ, et al. Dietary lipids: an additional regulator of plasma levels of sex hormone binding globulin. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab, 1987; 64: 1083-1085.
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Myth 3. You should eat eggs raw for protein like rocky

Eating raw eggs for protein is not hygenic. .003% of raw eggs have a bacteria called Salmonella that can cause food poisoning..of course its a very low percentage.

However, the issue we are more concerned with is that when you eat too many eggs raw, you could suffer from a biotin deficiency. And also, cooked eggs are a better protein source because they are absorbed much better.

bottom line, if you are not in a hurry, cook your eggs

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Myth 4. Cortisol rises 1 hour after training, so you MUST leave the gym within 1 hour

Well, it is TRUE that cortisol levels are sharply elevated 1 hour after training. However this is overated for us bodybuilders. Any form of exercise will produce cortisol anyway and how many of us can get a good workout within 1 hour? Even exams stress will also raise cortisol levels.

So do not be worried about this and rush through your workout like a madman please.

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Myth 5. Your body puts on muscle as a whole unit

I laugh everytime i hear someone say that doing squats make you have big biceps and big chest. Please realise that in order for that body part to grow, you actually have to exercise it. If this myth was true, we would not have lagging body parts, or see guys with chicken legs.

if you are still dont believe my words, look at this page

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/schultz14.htm

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Myth 6. Eating white rice is eating clean

White rice has a high GI(glycemic index) of 87. Sugar has a GI of 100..basically white rice can be nearly as bad as sugar.

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Who creates these half-truths or completely false "facts?"

Somtimes its just that people are ignorant. The magazines sometimes do publish information taken out of context and ppl have been misleaded by them.

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What can be done to dispel these rumors or myths and prevent new ones from arising?

The only way is to be an educated bodybuilder. Read up a lot on bodybuilding forums, ask questions and search for credible answers.

Take everything with a pinch of salt! especially if u come across a supplement that promises 10000% muscle growth in 24hours!

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BONUS QUESTION: What is the dumbest bodybuilding myth you've heard

I would say that it has to be eating before bed makes you fat. As bodybuilders, we want to preserve muscle mass when we go to sleep. Not eating before bed will cause us to lose hard earned muscle while we are sleeping

peace,
primal

Frank_The_Tank

07-01-2006, 10:03 PM

Primal you did a good job. But I don't agree with Myth 6. The Glycemic Index is flawed. But thats a whole different thread....

testprob

07-01-2006, 11:05 PM

ohhhh too much reading!

PRIMAL

07-01-2006, 11:32 PM

Primal you did a good job. But I don't agree with Myth 6. The Glycemic Index is flawed. But thats a whole different thread....

why do u say its flawed dude?

imho its not flawed or overated...normally the glycemic value is more accurate (GI x gram of carbs)..but gi is good for bodybuilders..i should know, i have been eating white rice my whole life lol

Quksht

07-02-2006, 09:41 AM

No matter who you are or where you come from you’ve heard body building myths

Some are used to make ignorance bliss

Many come from wild guesses people make

But most come from people’s inexperience

The easiest thing for a person to do to find out about someone is to make something up. This kind of though process is very lazy and is considered stereotyping. If people are sitting at home watching TV creating lies about who bodybuilders really are, then our identity is threatened!

Its not just about helping people who find there way to our forums through a Google search. It's about seeing that newbie at the gym and giving him/her some tips on the way he/she goes about their routine.

Preserving the popularity of body building is key to preserving our identity as positive people.

We are NOT the steroid munching/injecting/snorting beefed up, dumb monsters some sources portray us as.

Only YOU know your real identity. So it's up to YOU to show the world the truth!

Instead of these silly myths that grow by the day!

The only way these myths can be eliminated, is if YOU show the world the truth!

And now for a comprehensive guide through the universe of body building myths!

Body Building Myth # 1

Taking supplements eliminates the need to lift tedious weights

This is FALSE! Supplements only help bodybuilder's routine quality by adding nutrients like protein to their body. Protein helps in the repairing and maintenance of healthy muscles. It will do nothing if it sits in your system while you lounge around the house!

Body Building Myth # 2

Whatever the pro's do, I should do too

This is FALSE! Professional bodybuilders have been hard at work improving their bodies (with steroids or not) for longer than you have wanted a six pack! Just because Mr. Olympia lifts a thousand pounds with his nose hairs doesn't mean picking up a huge weight will be the best thing for your body. Start small and make sure that once you reach a plateau that you increase the intensity of your workout.

Body Building Myth # 3

There is only one prescribed method to getting ripped

This is FALSE! There is no way one "miracle" routine will work for everyone. Look around you, everyone's body has something about it that makes it different from the one next to it. People's bodies respond differently. There's no way all these different bodies will be able to succeed on the same routine. Period. .

Body Building Myth # 4

The longer I train, the better results I'll get

This is FALSE! Muscle growth comes from your muscles repairing themselves after you rip them apart by lifting weights (slightly exaggerated ). The longer and more frequent you train the less time your muscles will have to rebuild, thus hindering your progress.

Body Building Myth # 5

You can burn fat from a certain area of your body by doing weight exercises that target it specifically

This is FALSE! Just because you’re strengthening the muscle underneath a layer of chub doesn’t mean that the fat on top of your muscle will melt away. In order to burn fat you have to burn more calories than you eat. There is No way to only burn fat from a certain area, only your body decides where fat goes and where fat stays.

Body Building Myth # 6

If you eat a no fat diet then you can’t gain any fat on your body

This is FALSE! It would seem that to stop feeding your ever increasing waist that you should eliminate from your diet the essential nutrient that carries the same name as the flab hanging off your body. Fat is needed for the transport of nutrients in your body, excess calories is what is converted into fat.

Body Building Myth # 7

Weight training for women increases their chest size

This is FALSE! Think about what your boobies are made of…FAT! There’s no way to increase breast size through weight training so don’t even think about it. If anything your breast size should decrease because you are burning fat. Which is why many professional female bodybuilders need implants.
Body Building Myth # 8

Weight training turns fat into muscle

This is FALSE! You learned this in science class! No substance can spontaneously turn into another as this myths explains. If this were true then just doing crunches would burn off the fat on my abdomen and I would be ripped. Weight lifting has a very minimal effect on fat stores, you have to deal with fat in another way.

Body Building Myth # 9

As long as you do lot’s of exercise you can stuff yourself with whatever you want

This is FALSE! In order for your body to “burn” fat then you have to eat less calories than you metabolize. In order for your muscle to grow you need to provide plenty of healthy nutrition. Even eating less calories than you burn of pizza is not right because you are starving your body of much needed nutrients.

Body Building Myth # 10

If I lift weights I’ll look like one of those bodybuilders on TV

This is FALSE! Just lifting weights isn’t going to get your body fat percentage low enough, and without proper nutrition your muscles are going to make very small progress. There’s also the unfortunate fact that some of those bodybuilders on TV are using anabolic steroids and muscle stimulants, as well as having natural genetics already.

Body Building Myth # 11

If I take steroids I’ll get as big as a professional bodybuilder

This is FALSE! In order to get as big as a professional bodybuilder you have to live and breath nutrition, weightlifting and discipline. This doesn’t mean that steroids will have no effect, you will get bigger, but not to the degree of a professional bodybuilder.

Body Building Myth # 12

Eating a lot of sugar high foods should give me the energy I need to sustain physical exertion right?

This is FALSE! Eating sugars that can be broken down very easily causes an insulin spike. This insulin is how the body breaks down sugar in its system. The body however doesn’t do this insulin spike very effectively causing an excess of insulin in the bodies system. The insulin has to break down something, so it targets blood sugar. This causes low blood sugar (duh!). Low blood sugar is a very bad thing to have when exercising.

Quksht

07-02-2006, 09:42 AM

Body Building Myth # 13

Lifting weights causes you to lose flexibility

This is FALSE! Flexibility is not taken away from you by weight training. Instead, the tightness you feel in your muscles can actually get better if you stretch before and after a weight training routine. This constant stretching should actually improve flexibility, not hinder it!

Body Building Myth # 14

Lifting weights causes you to not be able to move as fast, because you are all bulky

This is FALSE! Many professional athletes use weight training to improve their speed. Soccer players, track and field athletes; They all use weights to improve upon their body and their sport. Think of a bear, a big slow animal right? Wrong, if you spend enough time watching discovery channel you will eventually come across a video clip of how fast a bear can run. So much for that big stupid animal you thought it was.

Body Building Myth # 15

Body builders represent the ultimate plateau of a healthy individual

This is FALSE! This is a common misconception that many people make. Think about how dehydrated a bodybuilder would be on competition day in order for his muscles to be the most visible. Think about the constant beating his/her muscles have been taking. Think about the steroids some have been injecting into their already testosterone full bodies. All leading up to one day where their bodies are indeed the weakest, where even one of those cabbage patch kids could take them down. It’s quite unfortunate but it’s the truth. Olympics athletes, now those are healthy individuals.

Body Building Myth # 16

Food supplements are just as good as steroids

This is FALSE! It’s impossible for anything but another steroid to come close to the bodily enhancing effects of a steroid. No matter how much whey you cake on your diet nothing beats the effects of steroids. Unless you wanted to be healthier and steroid free. Thus pretty much eliminating your chance at a bodybuilding competition where steroids are allowed and are your key to winning.

Body Building Myth # 17

Pregnant women lifting weights and doing cardio increases the chance of a birth defect

This is FALSE! Studies show that simple cardio and small weight lifting has no effect on the safety of an unborn baby. It’s perfectly fine for a pregnant woman to get on a treadmill just as long as she doesn’t try to set a new land speed record. Some extra care must also be taken in proper nutrition for pregnant women.

**DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LIFT WEIGHTS OR DO CARDIO WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR’S PERMISSION FIRST**

Body Building Myth # 18

No Pain, No Gain

This is SOMEWHAT UNTRUE DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT![/ b] If you are doing crunches with a neck injury then that is a bad kind of pain. If you are doing concentration curls and you feel a slight burn in your biceps, that’s just lactic acid (However if you feel burn in your biceps and in the seat of your pants then perhaps you should try a lighter weight). Weight training through an injury will only make an injury worse making this cliché untrue. But lactic acid is ok, as long as you have some recovery time to break it down.

Body Building Myth # 19

The Fancier your weight training equipment is, the better your gains

This is FALSE! Fancy machines and equipment are designed for your body movement to be the average efficiency. Nothing beats good old free weights, even if you’re lifting rocks they will give you a better workout than a barbell machine for the average way someone lifts a barbell.

Note: If your gym’s weights are a bunch of numbered rocks, go to a new gym.

Body Building Myth # 20

New muscle gains go away after 2 days

This is FALSE! It takes a little longer for muscle to shrink than two days, this myth must have come from a gym trying to encourage it’s contenders to show up more often and pay more money. It takes almost a month before any significant muscle gains are lost.

Body Building Myth # 21

Body building is completely serious business and if you every having any fun doing it then you are a failure

This is obviouslyFALSE! Have fun when you go to a gym, meet new people, discuss goals. A lot of athlete’s claim to know all the truths about muscle building and training when they forget the most important thing, which as cheesy as it sounds, is to have fun.

The Dumbest Bodybuilding Myth I Have Ever Heard

[b]For every inch you take off your waist you add one inch onto your third leg, because fat is covering it up

This is…a strange myth. Obviously composed by some 300 pound dude who turned himself into an 150 pound clean cut guy. But this clean cut guy also claimed to have a thirty inch willy :D

- Quksht

reflexions

07-02-2006, 09:50 AM

Cell tech is not a steroid. Thats the biggest myth in my book. :D

ambetious

07-03-2006, 03:22 PM

What are some bodybuilding myths that must be dispelled?

All the guys who have done some bodybuilding or still are doing it, surely heard of some bodybuilding myths. Some of them might have even believed in those myths. I surely heard and believed in many myths which make me laugh now. I have put together the top ten myths which I heard when I was a beginner. So here they are:

1) Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop training.

This concept is absolutely wrong. Actually, if you stop training, your muscles will shrink and your body may become a little soft but there is no way that your muscles can turn into fat. This myth has been created due to the fact that most of the guys who used to do bodybuilding have turned fat.This is only due to their diet not because they left bodybuilding. But, if you decrease your caloric intake and keep your diet lean, it is almost impossible for you to gain any extra fat.

All the extra calories you consume are stored as fat which is very hard to lose. This can be prevented by taking a balanced and clean diet.

2) You can get big and cut up all at once.

There are very few genetically gifted guys in this world who can get big while staying relatively lean but, for an average Joe getting big and getting ripped can not be done at the same time. This is due to the fact that bulking up and cutting down are two different phases in the life of a bodybuilder. All the bodybuilders who compete at any level go through these two phases one after another. First, they try to bulk up and than one or two months before a competition, they try to get as shredded as they can while trying not to get flat. Most of the guys who try to go through these two different phases at the same time, will end up frustrating themselves which in turn can make them quit bodybuilding.

3) High reps for shape / low reps for size.

This is one of the most common myths around. Most of the bodybuilders commit the mistake that, in order to lose fat and tone the muscles, they should perform high reps (15+). They also believe that in order to gain mass, they should use low rep scheme. A set performed with higher reps will burn only slightly more calories than a low rep set. Higher reps can also make muscles flat. Instead of performing higher reps for losing fat, it is better to do aerobic exercises and take clean diet. Another problem with high reps is that they do not increase your maximum strength output.

4) There are mass building and shaping exercises.

According to this myth, certain exercises like flies will only tone the muscle and not build mass. This concept is absolutely wrong. Although, compound movements are best for building mass, but the isolation exercises can also be as much effective. Studies have shown that muscle growth is induced if the muscle is stressed with 75 % or greater of the maximum capacity of the trainee in a particular exercise. In simple words, a muscle grows if it is overloaded. An advantage of isolation exercises is that they only hit the muscle which you want to hit. As the name suggests, they isolate a specific muscle. One so called disadvantage of isolation exercises is that you can not use very heavy weights as in compound movements but, this is due to the fact that while doing a compound movement, you are using multiple joints and muscles but, in isolation movements, only the desired muscle is used.

5) If you do countless sit-ups every day, you can burn the fat off your waist.

This is another very common myth. Remember, there is no possible way to reduce fat from just one portion of the body. Doing just sit-ups every day will not burn the fat off your waist. Fat can only be reduced over your entire body. This can be done by eating less calories than you burn. If you want a six-pack, you will have to adjust your caloric intake, regularly do aerobic exercises and weight training. Weight training increases your metabolism which in turn burns more calories and fat. Unfortunately, the fat around waist is most difficult to lose. Sit-ups and other abs exercises can make your stomach hard but until the layer of fat over your abs is not removed, your six-pack will not be visible.

6) The more you workout, the bigger you will grow.

Anyone who has some sound knowledge about bodybuilding will tell you that this is the most common and most damaging mistake which many bodybuilders commit. The number one reason why most of the bodybuilders do not get bigger and stronger is overtraining. When you workout, you break down your muscle tissues. It is during your resting period when a muscle repairs itself and grows. If you do not give your muscles enough time to recover, there is no way that your are going to get any bigger or stronger. Even using steroids, the pros occasionally over train themselves. So, it is not difficult for a natural bodybuilder to over train. If you train any of your body part with proper amount of intensity, that muscle group will take roughly a week to recover. Sometimes it takes even more. Recovery process also depends upon the type of muscle being trained. For example, the bigger muscle groups like chest and back take longer time to recover than smaller muscle groups like forearms and calves.

7) Whatever works for the pros will work for me.

Many guys try to follow the workout routines of professional bodybuilders. Many pros spend hours and hours in the gym and do countless number of sets. As discussed previously, even the pros might over train themselves. So, trying to follow any pro’s routine will surely get you over trained and you will be destined to get frustrated. Another fact is that many fancy magazines post workout which the pros might not have even heard about. It is better not to train at all than training like pros without having the resources that they have (steroids).

8) Training with weights will make you muscle bound.

When you train with weights, you are making your muscles bigger and stronger. Big and strong muscles do not lose functionality on the contrary, they become more functional. It is a very old myth and the most of the sportsmen and bodybuilders/ strongmen athletes have shown that this myth is absolutely busted. Sprinters are fine example of it. Muscles will give you extra edge in all aspects of your life. Some huge bodybuilders like Kevin Levrone are known to be able to run very fast. Another fine example of not being muscle bound is Mariusz Pudzianwski. The guy has won several strongmen competitions and yet he is as flexible as a gymnast. Now days, weight training is one of the most important aspects of every sport. From Basketball to golf, all the athletes indulge in some kind of weight training.

9) You can eat anything if you exercise.

Exercise and nutrition are two different aspects of bodybuilding. In order to gain muscle and stay lean, you will have to exercise as well as take a good diet. If you are trying to make up for poor diet by exercising, you will definitely disappoint yourself. You should take a good and healthy diet in order to fuel your body for weight training and recovery process. The only way to get the best out of your bodybuilding is to have a proper balance between healthy diet and regular weight training. Surely, you can have a cheat meal or an off day once in a while but doing it regularly will not help your cause. Whether you want to gain muscle or lose body fat, you should follow the basic rules of nutrition e.g take 5 to 6 small meals every day, drink lots of water through out the day etc.

10) You can get as big as pros without taking steroids.

Unfortunately, a very harsh truth about professional bodybuilding is the use of steroids. No matter what the fancy magazines say, the pros regularly take steroids. Most of the top pros weigh more than 250 pounds and are ripped to shreds come contest time. It is not possible for any human being to get that big and that ripped without the use of steroids. Most of the supplement companies higher the pros for the advertisement of their products but it does not mean that pros actually use all that stuff. Do not get disappointed because, you can still get pretty big and lean with proper nutrition, training and supplementation but if your goal is to become a natural pro, just forget about it.

Here are some other common bodybuilding myths:

Yon cannot make gains if you weight train only three times a week.

There is no valid reason that why working out only three times in a week can not yield results for you. If you train with proper amount of intensity, you can make gains even using three day split routine. However, you will have to pay extra attention to your training and diet.

Weight training will stunt my growth.

Weight training has nothing to do with stunting your growth. Studies have shown that you can start bodybuilding even at the age of 8. The great Arnold’s growth was not stunted although he competed in and won many competitions in his teens. Another pro Graig Titus grew three inches taller after starting bodybuilding.

You can reshape a muscle by exercising differently.

Every individual is born with different kind of muscle and body structure. It is impossible for anyone to reshape any muscle. The peak of your biceps or shape of any other muscle is determined by your genetics. There is nothing that you can do about it. Although, you can make your muscles bigger and more visible by following the basic rules of bodybuilding.

Instinctive training is the best.

For some guys, following their instincts might lead them to get no gains or even lose what they gained before. In bodybuilding, you will have to be consistent and dedicated to get the most out of you. Until you have a solid reason, you should never skip a meal or a training session.

ambetious

07-03-2006, 03:24 PM

Who creates these half-truths or completely false "facts?"

There are many factors which contribute to the creation of these myths. Usually, beginners are the guilty party in this case. They sometimes overhear something or take advice from people who themselves do not know much about bodybuilding. Sometimes, advanced bodybuilders mislead the beginners just to make fun of them (just like some of well known pros used to do). Some muscle magazines and supplement companies are also responsible for the creation of many myths. They create false “facts” just to sell their products.

What can be done to dispel these rumors or myths and prevent new ones from arising?

The only way to dispel all these myths and prevent new ones from arising is to educate others about bodybuilding. In this case, pros can play a very important role. They can come up with videos and books to make people know more about bodybuilding. Although some work is being done in this field, but I think that it is not enough. Moreover, we ourselves can educate our friends and beginners about bodybuilding as much as we can. Another way of getting sound knowledge of bodybuilding is through the use of internet. There are several very informative sites on the internet about bodybuilding. At this point, I should mention that I have learned a lot from bodybuilding.com and it has helped me become a better bodybuilder.

BONUS QUESTION: What is the dumbest bodybuilding myth you've heard?

Although all the myths mentioned in this article sound dumb to me now but the dumbest of them all has to be the one which says that you have to do countless sit-ups to shed fat off your waist and get six-pack abs. if would be same if you do squats to shed fat off your thighs.

mivi320

07-03-2006, 07:25 PM

What Are Some Bodybuilding Myth's That Must Be Dispelled?

Intro

Bodybuilding is a sport in which the individual's progress is determined entirely on how badly he or she wants results. To truly succeed in this sport, one must know what works best for his or her body. By tuning out the wide array of bodybuilding myths that circulate the bodybuilding scene, one will meet his or her goals in no time!

These myths can confuse beginners and also intermediate lifters. This "bodybuilding voodoo" such as "eating before bed will make you fat" or "squats stunt your growth" are rubbish and quite foolish to say the least.

Let's take a look at some of these myths and debunk them to set you out on the right path to meeting your goals!

The Myths

Nutrition Myths

Don't eat fruit

Questions in reference to whether or not fruit is acceptable in a bodybuilding nutrition regimen puzzle many bodybuilders because of it's high sugar content. However, it's clearly a myth that fruit will make you fat. The accumulation of fat is a by-product of eating an excess amount of calories, and is not caused by the fructose found in fruits.

The fact of the matter is that fruits are sparse in calories and chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, nutrients and fiber. Believe it or not, the sugar found in fruits (fructose) has anti-catabolic properties, as fructose keeps liver glycogen full, which is an anabolic property. The vitamins and antioxidants found in fruit will conclusively help one recover from workouts as well.

Momma was right -- an apple a day will keep the doctor away!

Don't eat carbohydrates and fats in the same meal

This has got to be the most bogus nutrition myth out there. Separating carbohydrates from fat fails to prevent unwanted pounds. Although it would be nice if it did it did. If this was true, you could chow down on as much
fat as you wanted on a ketogenic diet and not get fat. And that doesn't work either.

Eating protein, carbohydrates, and fats all in the same meal is also far more anabolic than dividing 6-8 meals into either protein+carbohydrate meals or protein+fat meals. If retaining lean body mass (LBM) is a primary concern of yours, well-rounded meals which incorporate all three macronutrients are the way to go.

The fact of the matter is that eating well balanced meals throughout the course of the day keeps insulin levels at bay and the individual in an overall anabolic state longer. Dietician Chuck "The Ripper" Rudolph and Bodybuilding.com's own Derek "Beast" Charlebois also swear by this principle when one is looking to add lean mass with little to no fat gain.

Toss the yolk -- just eat the whites

Bodybuilders in the "Golden Era" and in the 1980's swore by eating whole eggs. As of late, many bodybuilders just cook up the egg whites and toss the egg yolks. There's a big problem with this.

The truth is that the yolk found in eggs is where all the vitamins and minerals are located. There also happens to be more protein in the yolk than the white.

Although the yolks are high in cholesterol, they should not be avoided. High cholesterol levels are correlated with saturated fat, genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, and trans-fat.

By eating a few whole eggs on a consistent basis, one will reap all the benefits of yolk consumption.

You don't have to watch your diet as long as you work out

False.

Unless your some genetic marvel, it's pretty difficult to remain big and ripped with a low body fat and eat junk food.

Nutrition is a part of bodybuilding -- just like recovery, lifting, and supplementation is. It's just plain foolish to neglect one of the most (if not the most) important aspects of this sport.

Proper nutrition will better fuel one's workouts and guarantee top-notch performances in the weight room, which in turn means better results!

Training Myths

High reps make you cut...Low reps build size

This has got to be the oldest training myth out there.

High reps with a lighter weight will NOT make you more cut. Nor will training strictly in the lower rep range for extended periods of time with a heavy weight is guaranteed to produce predominantly gains in strength with minor size gains.

When trying to get more cut, it all comes down to diet and cardio. The weight training regimen should remain the same. Do NOT perform higher reps with a light weight, as muscle hypertrophy is still a concern when cutting.

Remember, you want to keep as much muscle as possible when cutting. The only way to do this is to focus on diet and supplementation and most importantly: keep the poundage, intensity, and rep scheme the same with your training!

When trying to build size, lower reps in the 3-5 rep range serve their purpose on the big compound lifts that deliver both strength and size (deadlift, bench press, squat, military press). However, the 6-12 rep range should also be implemented - as this is the rep range that will cause muscle growth in most trainees.

mivi320

07-03-2006, 07:27 PM

Longer workouts mean bigger muscles

If you happen to workout at a local gym, you've most likely seen the skinny guy who spends hours in the gym in hopes of getting bigger. Does he ever grow? No because he is most likely overtraining.

Spending hours in the gym is not what makes your muscles grow. Proper nutrition, recovery, and smart training are what make you bigger. How can one recover from workouts if one practically lives at the gym?

Try to shoot for 60-90 minute workouts. Any longer and it's wise to add in a BCAA supplement or possibly sip on a whey protein and Gatorade cocktail to help fight off cortisol and remain anabolic.

Performing endless reps of crunches will make you lose your gut

This myth just never seems to cease.

No matter what you've heard over time, there is absolutely NO way to spot reduce. Performing hundreds of crunches or sit-ups will not get rid of that spare tire. However, a balanced diet and cardio coupled with a solid workout program and supplementation will.

If you're not sore, you're not growing

Soreness is not an indicator of growth. However, progression in your workouts is a good sign that you're growing.

The reason being is that a trainee can curl a soup can 400 times with each arm and the next day, he'll more than likely wake up with some soreness in his arms. Does that mean he's growing? No.

It all comes down to progression. If the weights, reps, and numbers on the scale is going up each week, you're growing. Soreness doesn't mean a thing.

Supplementation and Lifestyle Myths

Creatine is a steroid

This has got to be the most amusing myth in bodybuilding history.

Steroids are classified as synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone. Creatine is NOT a steroid. It is a combination of three very important amino acids: Arginine, Glycine and Methionine.

Creatine will increase cell volumization, better hydrate muscle cells, and improve your performance in the gym.

And no, it will not give you gyno or "man boobs."

Drinking protein shakes on your off days makes you fat

Drinking protein shakes on your off days when you don't perform any form of exercises if perfectly fine. It will NOT make you fat. Again, excess calories determine whether you gain weight.

It's a wise move to drink 1-2 protein shakes daily (even on your off days) to encourage a positive nitrogen balance and amino acid profile. Doing so will improve your recovery and your workouts.

Sleep is for babies

Sleep and recovery are two of the biggest factors in this sport.

Most of the repairing process takes place overnight during the sleeping cycle. Failing to get adequate sleep is a recipe for disaster, as your workouts will suffer and energy levels will be out of whack.

For most trainees, 6-8 hours of sleep will suffice.

I recommend drinking a casein protein shake before bed to better encourage muscle tissue repair and recovery overnight.

Who creates these half-truths or completely false "facts?"

Beginners are the culprits when it comes to creating these half-truths. These myths are then passed on to their peers and so on and so forth. These bodybuilding myths came into existence through misinformed beginners "hearing it through the grapevine" and then passing it on.

Bodybuilding magazines also publish articles and push supplements that can be very misleading to readers, which conclusively causes completely false "facts."

All in all, the beginners are the culprits who take information out of context and create these myths.

What can be done to dispel these rumors or myths and prevent new ones from arising?

The only way that these myths will be debunked is to simply educate the misinformed trainees out there. Whether it be through the internet, Bodybuilding.com's forums, or simply through word of mouth, it can be done.

I encourage beginners and intermediate trainees to read as much as possible about this sport. Bodybuilding.com's article data base really helped me get started when I first began bodybuilding. The forum is a great tool as well and I still browse it religiously to this day -- sometimes even learning some new things!

Bodybuilding is a great sport that builds character and tests the individual day in and day out. It can be rather hard for a beginner to start out on the right path when there's an abundance of myths circulating the bodybuilding scene.

By reading as much as possible on the subject and doing what works best for you, results are sure to come!

BONUS QUESTION: What is the dumbest bodybuilding myth you've heard?

"Creatine is a steroid" is the dumbest, hands down.

My friend is still not convinced that creatine isn't a steroid. When I was talking about the supplements I take, I mentioned creatine and all of sudden he gave me a blank stare.

He then proceeded on with the question, "So you take steroids?"

I explained to him what creatine was and he still was not convinced. Go figure.

Live life to the fullest,

Mike

Dashik

07-03-2006, 10:20 PM

Some myths you can hear from almost every GIRL in a gym..
"I don't wanna lift weights cause I don't wanna be huge like a guy!".. This one is so booring to hear each time..

well myth that creatine is a steroid is stupid for sure but what about protein powder is a steroid? :)
I spend few hours talking to my friend mom cause she was not allowed him to drink shakes.. But instead of this he was eating tonns of raw eggs.. Well I told her that it's even better to drink protein cause you can't digest all protein from raw eggs (he hates boiled) and that you can probably catch salmonella from raw eggs (yeap the chances are very low but still) and it's more safe just to drink a shake.. After few weeks of thinking about things I told her she gave up.. And now this HAPPY guy can drink his protein shakes!! ;) Thanks to me :)

Metalingus

07-04-2006, 06:00 AM

The fitness industry is plagued with lies, scams, myths, ignorance, and misconceptions. Some of these myths have been around for decades without any evidence or truth what so ever, and yet they still seem to be believed by so many. No matter where you go or who you speak to you are bound to hear someone say something that is untrue. Hopefully this thread will help inform you on some of the common myths you are likely to hear, or may have heard already. Trouble is that so many people believe these myths, which cause them spread so fast, and few people actually step back and question their validity.
Below is what I believe to be the 10 of the most common myths and/or misconception surounding the fitness industry. Most people here are probably well aware of most of these, but ocassionally you still hear someone mention them. I got a bit off track at points so excuse any rambling. I dont expect anyone to read the entire thing (I dont blame you, I barely even proof read the thing) but atleast browse through the sub-titles to make sure there isn't anything you may have believed. I think there is some useful information in there for most people, even if it is completely off topic.

Now, if you have anything you think should be added then feel free to reply and let me know. If you would like to write something up yourself to be added then PM it to me, or just reply back here and I will cut and paste it into the original post along with the name of the author. I know Maverick said he would like to add something about getting shredded abs I think, so that would be a good addition.
If you have any questions or criticisms or you dissagree with anything I wrote then plese reply and let me know so I can try to clarify or justify myself.

Toning:
myth-"Doing lots of reps with a light weight will tone up my muscles"
Wrong. Tone, when refering to muscle composition is either a myth or at very least a poor choice or words. The definition of tone is described as "the amount of tension in a muscle", so the easiest and quickest way to increase tone is to contract your muscles - there you go, instant toning without any real work.
Most myths surrounding the fitness industry stem from some minor truth or misguided logic. In this case I assume the myth began when someone decided to use weight training as a form of cardio by doing a rediculous amount of light weight, high rep training (which really negates the purpose of weight training). Now we know that cardiovascular training is an effective form of exercose, which in this case may have reduced bodyfat in a number of people doing this form of high rep training. This reduction in bodyfat would have increased the visability, or definition of their muscles which may have been mistaken as 'tone'.

http://www.edward.org/fitness_centers/fitness_images/workoutwoman.jpg

Since then the word has spread and the 'toning' myth has since plagued the fitness industry. Now I dont have anything against high rep training, as long as you are doing it for the right reasons such as increasing your muscular endurance, practising your technique etc...
There are a few basic guidelines when it comes to resistance training and rep ranges, but basically training over 15-20 repititions will primarily work as an endurance exercises, increasing the rate at which your muscles can produce and use energy for extended periods of time. This will also target your slow twitch muscle fibers more specifically, which decreases the likelyhood of muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth). Ofcourse this could well be a good thing depending on your goals, and the rep range will also vary depending on the individual and experiance.
You will probably have to come to accept the term 'tone' and will probably even find yourself using it, which isn't the problem. The real problem here is the belief that high rep training is an effective way to increase 'tone'.
To summarise, if you want to 'tone up' then your real goal is most likely to increase muscle definition. Increasing definition can be achieved by lowering your bodyfat and/or increasing muscle mass, in which case you will need to adjust your training and/or diet.

Spot reduction:
myth-"Excercising a certain muscle will reduce the amount of fat covering or surrounding that muscle"
eg: Doing situps to decrease stomach fat.
This myth is often blended in with toning, especially amongst the female population trying to loose weight from around their hips, glutes and thighs while trying to 'tone' them up at the same time. Fat is an important energy source used during exercise, especially lower intensity longer duration type training such as jogging, or in this case it's usually high rep training once again.
Using situps as an example, the prime mover is obviously the rectus abdominus, which for men is generally directly below a major storage site for adipose tissue (fat). Females tend to store the majority of their fat in their lower limbs causing the 'pear' shape, where men are more likely to deposit their fat around their torso giving them more of an 'apple' shape. This fat deposition is largely determined by genetics and hormones, and from a health perspective women may have an advantage over men with abdominal and torso fat being a larger health risk factor than fat stored in the limbs.
Back to the issue, it is common to see people doing hundreds of situps in an attempt to burn fat from their stomach. Yes, muscle will utilise fat as an energy source under the right conditions, but fat cannot simply pass directly into the working muscles from its surroundings. The process is alot more complicated than that and the fat must first be broken down into useable molucules before entering the bloodstream and continuing to the desired location. Since your body has to undergo this complicated proceedure the location of the fat being used is of little importance, and cannot be determined or manipulated by training different muscles. Your body will most likely burn fat evenly from around your body, breaking down fat from all over. You may notice some difficult fat retention around your main storage sites, even with a low totral bodyfat percentage, this is no different to any other form of fat and should be delt with in the same manner as any other fat, which is proper diet and cardiovascular training. Situps are not an effective means of cardio, and will not utilise a significant amount of fat as energy

Muscle to Fat:
myth-"That unused muscle will turn to fat, or that with training fat will turn to muscle"

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/matt2.jpg

Okay, I have no idea where this myth began but if I had to guess I would say it was just simply ignorance. I'm hearing this less and less as of lately which is a good sign that people may finally be wising up to this one. There isn't alot to be said here unless you want to get into the molecular composition or muscle and fat and why it is impossible for one to transform into the other. This statement is just as absurd is implying that bone can turn to muscle, or that wood can turn to steel or that paper can turn to rock etc... You get the idea.
Muscle and fat are two completely different substances, they are devided within the body and don't even make direct contact with one another. It it completely faulse and unlogical to believe that one such tissue or compound can be converted to the other.

Weight training & Hypertrophy:
myth-"Resistance training will make your muscles huge, and the process is irreversable"
eg: "I dont want to do weights because I dont want to get huge" or "I'm lifting the light weights so I dont bulk up"
Many aspiring bodybuilders find this particular myth to be especially frustrating, because they know how much effort, knowledge, dicipline and dedication is required in order to increase muscle mass. Bulking up will not happen overnight, you will not wake up one morning, look in the mirror and realise you are massive. Alot of people have seen images of professional bodybuilders and dont wish to look like that, so they avoid weights all together which is a shame. Adding muscle is a very slow process, it requires a well structured routine and strict diet, aswell as alot of patience. If you do manage to stick it out and actually accumuate this desired muscle you must continue all your hard work in order to maintain it, or it will atrophy (shrink, decrease, waste away). Fact is that very few people have the commitment or knowledge to increase their muscle mass even significantly.
Hypertrophy (enlargement, growth) of your muscles occurs when you consistantly apply overload to them while supplying your body with the right nutrients, your body will respond accordingly by increasing your muscle mass and strength. In a reverse scenario if you are not using your muscles consistantly or are not supplying them with the right nutrients then your body will be unable and unwilling to maintain them, this will cause atrophy of your muscles.

Metalingus

07-04-2006, 06:01 AM

Muscle tissue:
myth-"That there is a structural difference between big bulky muscle and lean 'toned' muscle"
eg: "I want to look like Bruce Lee not Arnold, so I'm just going to do bodyweight exercises"
I'll start by letting you know that Bruce Lee lifted weights frequently as part of his routine, and he understood the benefits of doing so and had the knowledge to make weight lifting as effective as possible for his specific goals.
Basically speaking, muscle is just muscle. To quote Maverick, "Bruce Lee and Antoine have the same type of muscle, Antoine just has more.". All I am refering to here is the makeup of muscle on a cellular level, nothing else. No ammount of bodyweight, high rep, low rep or cardio training is going to alter the chemical composition of your muscle tissue.
That said, there are things you can do to train your muscle to act in a way you desire. You can train for strength, size, endurance, functionality, speed, power etc... but your muscles will always be just muscle and most of these changes will occur or a neurological level.
Without going into any real detail, because my knowledge on the subject is very limited, it does appear possible to increase muscle density. When it comes to muscular hypertrophy it can occur on two levels, sarcoplasmic or sarcomere hypertrophy. Sarcomere hypertrophy is an increase in the contractile portion of the muscle, which in turn increases the density of a muscle.
"Sarcomere hypertrophy involves an increase in the number and size of the sarcomeres which comprise the myofibrils. These are added in series and/or in parallel with the existing myofibrils. It should be noted that only parallel growth will lead to an increase in the ability to produce tension. In contrast to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, with sarcomere hypertrophy there is an increase in myofibril density and a significantly greater ability to exert muscular strength. The type of hypertrophy that you experience from your training depends on the manner in which you train. High volume/moderate rep(8-12) training leads to more sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, while lower volume/low rep(1-6) training leads to more sarcomere hypertrophy (Nikituk & Samoilov, 1990)."
You cannot single out one type of growth over the other, however you may be able to emphasise the ammount at which one occurs. This may be particularly useful for strength training athletes, but reguardless the muscle is still just muscle and the previous writting still applies.

Bodyweight V's Weights:
myth-"Bodyweight training will harness different or more functional results than weight training"
eg- "I heard doing bodyweight training will incease functional strength."
Well this may actually be true in a sense, depending on how you look at it. For example, if a breakdancer were to train doing bodyweight exercises then he may benefit from the increase of functional strength. But what makes his strength functional is really dependant on how he intends to use it. A bodybuilder may not typicaly be refered to as having functional strength, but it depends in what context you are looking at it. His strength is certaintly functional for his lifestyle of bodybuilding. But generally when people talk about functional strength they are simply refering to the ability to perform everyday tasks with ease, like picking up a heavy object, or unscrewing a tight lid from a jar. Just simple daily tasks that some untrained people may struggle with. I would also add the ability of your muscles to work co-opperatively as a team to perform a required task.
However you choose to look at it doesn't really have any impact on this myth, so don't get distracted by it.
The real issue here is whether or not bodyweight training has any functional advantage over weight training. My answer is, maybe. Now I would be typically inclined to say that there is no advantage, but I would find it very difficult to do many isolation bodyweight exercises, and that's what my arguement comes down to. I'm basing everything here on the fact that functionality is defined by the ability of your muscles to perform as one to accomplish a task (which isn't always the case if you are training for something specific).
Now this isn't to say that weight training cant be just as beneficial if not more so than bodyweight training. More importantly here is the selection of exercises, and obviously compound exercises are going to out perform isolation exercises in functionality, based on the previous description.
Why I said bodyweight exercises may have some benefit over weight training is simply because it is very difficult to perform many isolation exercises using just your bodyweight. But if you are using weights and performing compound exercises I see no difference between the two in that sense. Your body cannot tell the difference between weights and bodyweight, so in the end it comes down to how well you know what you are doing.
I believe that if you know what you are doing then you will be capable of planning an effective program reguardless of equipment, meaning that you should be able to get a good workout using weights or bodyweight. However I also believe that weights are easier to use effectively and that a good bodyweight routine will require alot more thought and improvisation, depending on your goals.
Okay, well that got a little off topic, but this was particularly difficult to explain becuase everyone has a different point of view and the myth can vary depending on your definition and goals etc... But basically speaking your body does not differenciate between bodyweight and weights, and neither will increase functionality any more than the other, it all depends on how you train with either option.

Speed and flexibility:
myth-"That weight training will reduce your speed and/or flexibility"
First I will deal with flexibility. Studies dating as far back as the 1960's have been produced to proove that correctly performed resistance training will not negatively effect your flexibility. Resistance training does however has the potential to decrease muscle length when performed in a limited range of motion. But it is always encouraged that you perform any weight lifting exercises through your fullest possible range of motion. So resistance training when performed correctly will not reduce your flexibility. There are even studies that suggest resistance training has the ability to increase your flexibility when performed correctly.
This all makes perfect sense when you break down the essense of flexibility, which is defined as 'the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion".
Speed is in a similar situation as flexibility. Like most things in the fitness industry there are alot of variables to take in, meaning that the answer depends on alot of other factors. Speed is generated by muscle contractions, so the hypertrophy of ones muscles would not negatively impact their ability to produce speed. What may impact their speed is how they are implementing resistance training into their routine.
As I mentioned, speed is generated my the contraction of ones muscles, and what increases speed is the rate at which a muscle can contract. On a physiological level speed is determined by the effectiveness on ones nervous system to recruit the largest number of motor units in the shortest possible time. The physiology of muscles would also indicate that the prime candidate for these fast contractions would be the type IIb muscle fibres, which also happen to be the muscle fibres effected most during resistance training. What I am getting at here is that resistance training can actually be a great tool for increasing ones speed, if performed correctly.
Specificity is one of the fundemental principles of resistance training, or any type of training. Meaning that if you want to be able to jump higher then practise jumping, want to run faster then practise running etc... Ofcourse this can have it's limits, muscle mass and strength being one of them. There is also merit in using variation and alternative training to accomodate your goals, and in this case it happens to be resistance training. Basically if you want to be faster at a certain activity, then you should practise that activity with speed. But if you want to enhance your speed further or faster then resistance training may be what you are looking for. Now using that principle of secificity it may be of even more benefit to lift with explosive speed, in order to train your nervous system to recruit more motor units quicker. Though I dont believe even slow resistance training would negatively impact your speed anyway.

Post exercise stretching reduces doms:
myth-"That stretching after exercise will reduce the effect of DOMS."
DOMS, or delayerd onset muscle soreness is still somewhat a mystery. Most people believe it is cause by a combination of things, such as micro trauma to the muscle, lactic acid and tearing of the muscle fibres. There isn't yet any real solid evidence on the cause of this soreness experianced after an intense workout, but there are plenty of theories on how to reduce the effects, stretching being the most common one. I'm sure you have all heard that you should stretch after exercise to reduce the soreness, well there isn't actually any evidence to proove that stretching has any effect on soreness what so ever. Stretching does has numerous other benefits when performed after exercise, or even performed on it's own but reducing DOMS is not one of them.
There is one study I know of carried out many years ago that may have been the beginning of this myth. This particular study apparently 'proved' that stretching reduced soreness in in the subjects the following day, however the study was shown to be tainted and results were descarded as simply a placebo effect. More recent studies have been conducted which have indicated stretching to have no effect on DOMS at all.

Metalingus

07-04-2006, 06:03 AM

Resistance training stunts growth:
myth-"That resistance training will stunt growth in children, or anyone not finished growing"
This has been a major problem surrounding resistance training for as long as anyone can seem to remember. I have no idea where it began, but even today you constanty hear of and meet people that believe this.
Before I get started, some background information on how we grow: There are different classifications for different types of bones in our body, but the majority of them are classified as 'long' bones, and these are the bones which will have the greatest effect on our height. Our bones begin as simple cartilage models which later will be transformed into bone, this process is called ossification (the formation of bone). Most of this ossification will occur before or shortly after birth, and for the next 18-23 years your bones will continue to develop and grow.

http://fire.biol.wwu.edu/lapsansk/348/endoch_bone.jpg

Bone can grow in a number of ways, apositional growth and enochondral growth being the primary ways affecting height. In 'long' bones it is endochondral growth which will determine the length of a bone, which inevedably effects a persons height. At both ends of a long bone there is an epiphyseal plate, which is a layer of cartilage seperating the epiphysis (end) from the diaphysis (shaft). This epiphyseal plate is what allows the bone to grow in length (endochondrial growth). This layer of cartilage is continously growing and expanding, as new cartilage is formed nearest the diaphysis the old cells are ossified (turned to bone), and this process is what makes our long bones grow.

http://academic.wsc.edu/faculty/jatodd1/351/endochondral_bone_growth.jpe

The two main effectors of bone growth are nutrition and hormones. Nutrition is important for providing your body with the necessary energy, nutrients, vitamins and minerals to continue growing. In times of illness or malnutrition children can show signs of arrested growth, which is a line of increased bone density caused by a period of slow growth. Hormones are obviously vital for bone growth, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and sex hormones are all vital for normal bone growth, these hormones can also be effected by diet. Females tend to stop growing earlier than males due to an increase in estrogen levels. Bone growth will cease when the epiphyseal plate becomes completely ossified.
Now if you happen to fracture a long bone at a young age then there could be some complications, especially if the fracture occurs at the epiphyseal plate. A break at the epiphyseal plate will result in damage to the cartilage which can interfere with the growth of that particular bone. These injuries are quite common amongst children and often result in one arm or leg being shorter than the other. This can largely impact the entire balance of a persons body and distort the positioning of their back, all leading to possible future difficulties. Especially those spinal related.
Back on topic. Now the forces generated with heavy weight lifting can be enormous, but it is highly unlikely that these pressures will have any significant effect on bone growth at all. If you do plan on avoiding resistance training for these reasons then it would be advised that you avoid physical activities all together, since the forces generated in jumping or running can be far greater than those of resistance training.
There are no studies or evidence what so ever that show resistance training to have any effect on height, though many people still believe this myth without question. One common arguement is the size of professional weightlifters, who are generally all of very short stature. This has nothing to do with their weightlifting or training, rather the process of natural selection. A 5"1 80kg person would have a large advantage over a 5"10 80kg person when it comes to professional powelifting. Why? Because the shorter person has much shorter levers, meaning they can generate more power and need to move the weight a shorter distance. These people are not short because they are professional weightlifter, they are professional weightlifters because they are short.
In my opinion resistance training is often a great way to encourage growth when performed correctly, because participants are often interested in getting their diet and lifestyle in order aswell. If they do the proper research then I think they will have the knowledge to live a healthy lifestyle and grow to their fullest potential. It is sports like dancing, gymnastics and wrestling which can have a negative impact on height. This is due to the weight categories and calorie retricted diets put in place to encourage these athletes to stay small and light, which can have a huge impact on their development.

Muscle shaping and emphasis:
The following information is very poorly worded and the information is misleading. However I left it in because there is some relevant discussion on the following pages, particularly page 7 which I think some people may be interested in. So be open minded when you are reading, and remember not everything I say is correct.
myth-"That you can isolate or emphasise different areas of a muscle along the same fiber"
Just to clarify what I am talking about here are a few common examples. Trying to isolate or emphasise upper and lower abs, inner and outer pecs, upper and lower bicep etc... this cannot be done!

http://www.physioroom.com/images/anatomy/abdominal_muscle_strain_1.gif

Now to understand why this is not the case you first need to uderstand some of the anatomy and physiology of your muscles. Skeletal muscle, as the name implies is muscle attatched to your skeleton, it makes up the majority of your muscle mass and is the type of muscle being targeted with resistance training. Skeletal muscle is responsible for all movement envolving your joints. This movement is achieved by the contrction of the muscle fibers. All skeletal muscle has at least one origin and insertion, which are the apposing points where the muscle attatches to bone via its tendons. Between these two points the muscle is arranged like a rope, with all the tiny threads (fibers) running the entire length of the muscle from origin to insertion.

http://academic.wsc.edu/faculty/jatodd1/357/muscleanatomy.jpg

Now your muscle contracts when your nervous system sends a message to the muscles motor unit(s), which is a nerve attatched to a bunch of muscle fibers. When a muscle fiber recieves the message to contract, it will contract along the entire length of the fiber from origin to insertion. This is why is is impossible to emphasise one end of a muscle when the fibers are oriented in that same direction.

thebarbarianway

07-04-2006, 09:12 PM

By Vince DelMonte

When we were younger, how many times did we hear, "lifting weights stunts your growth," or "don't eat before bed or you’ll get fat." There are so many unproven bodybuilding myths that are still around us.

What are some bodybuilding myths that must be dispelled?

Bodybuilding Myth #1

Train like a bodybuilder to become a bodybuilder.

This is the message screamed by the bodybuilding world. While this mantra may have inspired millions via popular bodybuilding magazines, it has also mislead millions by re-printing and rehashing irresponsible training nonsense that will wreak havoc on your body and make you just another one of the herd.

Imitating the training of the 'champion' bodybuilder is one of the most costly frauds in the exercise world because the 'instruction' from elite bodybuilders has no practical relevance for average people like you and me who are without gifted genetic potential and are drug-free.

The traditional 5-7 day splits, 5 exercises per muscle, 24 set chest routine is training suicide for the average trainee not spending a couple thousand dollars a week on special 'vitamins'. Not only are these magazines useless but they will cause injuries, over-training, and illness. The books and magazines will not tell you that the drugs and genetics were responsible for curing their problem of being a hard gainer. Supplements, 'better training', and more dedication are their 'secrets' so you are told.

Bodybuilding Myth #2

Train for the ‘holy’ pump.

The 'muscle pump' is described as putting your muscles under an extended period of constant tension. As your muscles stretch and contract they become gorged with blood which makes them feel tighter and fuller.

Getting a muscle pump is not necessarily what causes the muscle to grow – doing 100 reps with a light rep will create a huge pump – but does this make a muscle grow? Of course not! Distance runners get a pump in their legs when they sprint uphill. Do they get big muscles? Heck no!

Most bodybuilders swear by the 'pump' and preach that you are shuttling more nutrients into the muscle – but is that what is really happening? Sure it feels great, like Arnold says in the unforgettable scene in Pumping Iron, but all that is occurring is a 'back-up' of blood. The blood is 'stuck' inside the muscle, which creates that worshiped tight and full look.

The blood that's backed up into the muscle has hit a dead end and has nowhere to go. If you had fresh new blood that would be great, but unfortunately you just have old, stale blood getting ready for a snooze. That will NOT help you gain weight or build muscle mass!

The pump that is built up by the blood in your muscles will usually occur after you repeat set after set, which results in the famous "burning" sensation known as lactic acid. Lactic acid forms in the absence of oxygen. Lactic acid is a WASTE product and does NOTHING to build muscle weight.

Now if you are lifting extremely heavy weights and achieving a pump then this is a very good indication that you are making the muscle fibers work fully. I would only use the pump as an indicator to reveal how well you are 'targeting' the working muscle. Not as you guide to mark your success.

Bodybuilding Myth #3

You MUST train until failure.

Training to 'failure' has probably received more debate, misinterpretation, and improper logic resulting in too much wasted effort. Going to failure– going to the point in a set where you are physically incapable of going just one more rep, hence you 'fail' - is preached as the most promised way to make continuous muscle gains. Interestingly, there is no activity outside the gym that demonstrates this 'going to failure' principle is as critical as bodybuilders have employed.

Growing up as a long distance runner I often stood by and watched the sprinters compete, and was astonished by their tremendous quadriceps and hamstring muscle. Yet I never remember watching any sprinter on my team train until failure, nor do I recall them ever sprinting through the finish line and collapsing. Yet they demonstrated a greater amount of muscular work in less time each time they practiced and raced.

Also, I will never forget the phenomenal muscularity of the construction workers I used to work with when I laid bricks and framed houses. Yet I never recall them carrying timber around the yard until they could not pick up one more 2 x 4. Nor do I remember the bricklayers moving the bricks around until they could not move them anymore. Both of these groups had incredible muscularity and were able to stimulate muscle growth without going to failure. So why do so many command that 'failure' is an absolute law for stimulating muscle growth when much evidence shows otherwise?

Improving your body’s sensitivity to the cold does not require you to go outside in the middle of winter with no clothes on prior to passing out. If you want to improve your tan, it isn’t necessary to subject your skin to the sun prior to the moment of blistering. If you want to improve your ability to hold your breath under water, do you need to go to the point just prior to losing consciousness?

Since your body’s primary function in life is to survive it will adapt only to the point where your body has sufficient defense to whatever element it is exposed. Similarly, when lifting weights your body will adapt to the intensity you have exposed it to over time while maintaining your recovery resources. As you can see, muscle growth stimulation operates on the same principle and does not require over killing your muscles’ absolute limit.

Bodybuilding Myth #4

Low reps are for size and high reps are for cutting.

Your muscles do not have much personality – they are either growing, shrinking or staying the same.

If you want your muscle to grow then gradually force your muscles to do more work and outperform your last workout’s performance. If you are content with the size of your muscles right now then this is easy – just keep doing what you are doing. And to make the muscle smaller, this is even easier – simply do not train it.

You can not pick certain exercises to get a muscle 'cut' or make a muscle 'huge' - this theory holds no water. Muscle 'cuts' are a reflection of two criteria on the body: pure muscle size and low levels of body fat (in the single digits). So if you want to build massive muscles get ready to apply the fundamental principle of progressive overload. And if you wish to get 'cut' and 'ripped' be prepared to drop your body fat levels into the single digits.

Next time you hear someone say, “I just lift light weights to get toned,” then pat them on the back and point them in the direction of the cardio room as a better option. Light weights do not build muscle, period. They will burn calories and that's all. You’re better off maximizing your time by burning calories running or doing jumping jacks. And if you see someone with the goal to get bigger and they are a cardio junkie – grab their hand and lead them to the heavy weights.

Bodybuilding Myth #5

Monday is chest day, Tuesday is Leg day, Wednesday is Back day...

Splitting up a routine is preached like 'gospel' and is rarely on trial or questioned as the way to structure a muscle building routine.

And sure, splitting up a routine is fine and has some benefits BUT it is also the fastest way to over-train and burn out. Remember that you do not get stronger in the gym – you get stronger and bigger when you go home, rest, sleep, eat and FULLY recover.

To SUPERCOMPENSATE from your previous workout your muscles are not the only things that must experience a full recovery. Do not neglect the fact that you are taxing and depleting your central nervous system, hormonal system, and immune system – systems that, in fact, take longer than your muscles to recover.

Just because your muscles say, “OK we feel fine, let's train again,” you must still experience a FULL recovery prior to attempting to stimulate your muscles again for more muscle growth.

Consider this practical example. What is the best way to cure a sickness? By taking an entire bottle of aspirin in one sitting? Or taking smaller dosages at more frequent intervals? I hope you agreed with the second solution. So what is the best way to build muscle? Taking one
huge dosage per muscle group per week? Or taking smaller and more frequent dosages on a muscle group?

thebarbarianway

07-04-2006, 09:17 PM

Who creates these half-truths or completely false "facts?"

Ask yourself an honest question. Who in the last 10 years has influenced you the most with regards to how to train? Where have you and where has everyone else learned how to build muscle? Would you agree that bodybuilding magazines have contributed to the bulk of the training information and misinformation today?

I don't want to be completely critical but I am sure you would agree that the majority of mainstream bodybuilding literature caters to the genetically gifted or drug user – and that leaves the rest of us wandering...

I believe that the majority of half-truths and completely false ‘facts,’ that are leading to a jungle of conflicting and misleading messages, are a results of specifically the following:

1. Taking advice from unqualified “experts.”

The majority of these ‘experts’ have absolutely no real-world experience, zero credentials to stack up and are muscle nerds writing from their basement for a quick buck.

2. Authors and writers of rehashed magazines.

I can’t wail until it is common knowledge that almost all training articles that are supposedly written by bodybuilders in the bodybuilding magazines are in fact written by ghost writers and are influenced by hype and marketing tactics rather than real-world result and science.

3. Supplement companies.

Supplement companies have one job - to ‘prove’ their product is better than the other guys. Their weapon of war is advertising and they will go as far as dishing out false training information on purpose so that you will fail! This will force you into a deadly cycle of buying more and more of their supplements to fix the ‘problem.’ Hard to swallow, but it’s true!

4. The ‘big’ guy at your gym.

Absolutely no offense to this friendly giant and I am sure he has all the best intentions in the world but training is an extremely individualized approach, almost an art. Sure I know, ‘It works for him,” and “He swears by this training approach...” and “He has the body to show for it.” Just because I start training like Tito Ortiz does not mean I am going to become an Ultimate Fighter. You must look at the entire picture of someone’s success before taking selected advice.

What can be done to dispel these rumors or myths and prevent new ones from arising?

Criteria #1: Only take advice that is grounded to solid science and from those successful in the real world.

Every promise should be backed up with some solid references and not just some blind statements that promise the world but end up in fairy tale land. Take advice from those successful in the ‘real-world’ and have an impressive resume of results from average everyday people like yourself. Examine the person’s reputation and the length of time they have been around. Mostly likely this information will speak for itself.

Criteria #2: Have confidence in yourself and don’t follow the mooing herd.

I believe most people are seeking instant results in the quickest amount of time without any appreciation of the amount of time, consistency and hard work it takes to achieve a physical goal. This leads to naive trainee’s seeking out information in the wrong places from the wrong sources and never questioning anything they read or hear.

Society does not teach people how to think for themself and come to their own conclusions. The popular mantra is, “If everyone else is doing it than it must be right..” which leads to thousands of young trainee’s being mislead and spinning their wheels trying to figure out why the latest ‘bodybuilding’ advice did not work for them.

True results are learned by DOING, not by talking about it. How often does someone enter a chat room on a bodybuilding forum asking, “Is training program ABC going to work for me?”

I always shake my head in sympathy because this guy is about to get bombarded with 20 different opinions that are all going to conflict. His better option, instead of posting on the forum, would be to go out and test it out for himself.

Follow the program as prescribed and measure the results. Keep what is working and throw away what is not. Results are the only thing that truly matters, not what any person, text or research study claims or thinks. If you can value and live this philosophy above all else than you will learn to discern from the disastrous and false bodybuilding myths.

Until trainee’s understand that you will only learn from trial and error, testing and tweaking and manipulating training variables regularly than bodybuilding myths will come to the rescue for those wishing to be spoon fed with cookie-cutter answers.

BONUS QUESTION: What is the dumbest bodybuilding myth you've heard?

‘Shock’ your muscle and keep them ‘guessing.’

This has got to be one of the silliest and most misleading statements ever made (no hard feelings because in theory it can be convincing). Interestingly, the people who used to give me this advice must have been 'shocking' or 'tricking' their muscles the wrong way because they had no muscle mass on their bodies to back up that statement.

If you think about this myth long enough you might start to laugh. Do you think you can really change your exercises and training routine to 'surprise' your body and get a different reaction out of them?

Your muscles do not have outside eyes that reward you with new muscle growth if you 'confuse' them. Your muscles understand MOVEMENT and that's all – push, pull, curl, extend, contract or release – that's it. You can be lifting bags of sand or dead lifting 400 pounds and the action on your back is the same – your knees bend and your trunk flexes. So where is the shock? Why would your back muscles say, “Holy Macaroni Batman, you’re lifting with an Olympic bar and not sand bags anymore. Better pack on some muscle.”

Or maybe you can switch up the order of your routine by hitting a weak body part twice in the week. If you only train your arms once in the week and then 'strategically' throw arms in twice one week they will be 'confused' and 'shocked' into growing. Please! Your muscles operate on laws of science, not on laws of trickery.

Forget trying to shock, confuse, trick or ‘keep the muscle guessing.’ The only thing that will be shocked and confused is the person messing around with this theory who has no clue why their body has not changed in a month since they started this magic show.