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"Get fit by training only 20 minutes a day!"
"Get big and cut in only 3 weeks!"
"Eat as much as you want and still stay slim!"
Countless advertisements and infomercials insinuate statements to trick us and make us wonder if we're using proper training techniques and diets or if we were just born with very poor genetics (or a little of both).
These "bodybuilding myths" are often misleading and ambiguous, lead people to buy useless products and train less efficiently therefore producing poor results.
Read up to learn some of the more common bodybuilding misconceptions.
1. Lifting weights doesn't work your heart.
Wrong. Lifting weights with relatively short rest periods (1 to 2 minutes) will increase your heartbeat well over a hundred beats per minute. For example, try to perform a complete leg workout with a short break between sets and I can guarantee that your heart will work exhaustively. Your heart will contract quickly and your entire cardiovascular system will elevate to give you a great overall body workout.
Any intensive weightlifting routine that lasts 20 minutes or more with short 1-2 minute break is a great workout for your heart and the muscles involved. For maximum results, combine a good cardiovascular workout with a sound weightlifting routine.
2. Your muscles will turn to fat when you stop training.
Wrong. Actually, if you stop training, your muscles will shrink and eventually soften up, but if you diminish your caloric intake and keep your diet lean, you probably won't gain an additional pound of fat. Make sure to decrease your caloric intake and maintain a lean diet, especially if you're not engaging in any physical activities.
All excess nutrients you consume are stored as fat and are very hard to lose. Just do the math: 5 grams of extra fat per day stored in your system over a 365-day span, will make for nice love handles at the end of the year. The ideal is obviously to engage in regular physical activity while maintaining a good diet.
3. Get big and cut-up all at once.
Wrong. Very few gifted guys with great genetics can get huge while remaining relatively cut. But for us regular people, we have to increase our muscle mass to its fullest potential and subsequently cut down our body fat percentage to achieve the desired shape.
The secret when working out to build mass is to remain more or less 5 pounds overweight so that when it's time to trim down, you'll have an easier time doing so. Cutting up too early will cost you time and muscle mass, all the while causing frustration. So remember, take your time to build your muscles before you start trimming down because without muscle mass, you'll end up trimming your bones
4. Bodybuilding will stop your child's growth spurt.
Partially wrong. Obviously, if you let your 12-year-old boy lift exceedingly heavy weights on a regular basis, chances are his growth spurt will be affected. The reality is, if your child is under strict supervision and lifts light to moderate weights with proper form, it will help strengthen his bones and improve his cardiovascular abilities.
Generally, it's not recommended that a child lift weights more than 3 times a week at a very early age. Just let children get a feel for the motion with light weights and let them gradually build up strength and motor skills.
Each child should be evaluated on an individual basis. But as a rule of thumb, once a child reaches 16 years of age, he can carry out a full-fledged bodybuilding routine (ensure proper form and rest periods). Just make sure your child is properly supervised and that he starts off small, and progressively works himself to heavier weights.
5. Lifting weights will get me big fast.
Wrong. Lifting weights alone won't make your muscles big. Only the combination of 3 main factors will get your muscles to become big and hard. You'll need to eat plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates as well as guarantee plenty of rest for your muscles to restore themselves and grow fully.
Great sources of protein are red meat, lean chicken breasts, tuna, and egg whites. You can also purchase protein supplements for quick in-between meal replacements and for after workout meals. Lifting weights without maintaining a proper diet is like driving a car without gas it won't get you very far.
Sleep is also critical in building muscle mass. Try to sleep at least 8 hours a night and keep your bedtime regular throughout the week for better results.
So remember that proper nutrition and sufficient rest periods are extremely important factors in your training efforts. It's all about discipline.
6. I'll take steroids and/or other supplements to get big and cut.
Wrong. First of all, I don't recommend that anybody take steroids or other supplements without researching their pros and cons and having the consent of a medic. Secondly, taking any kind of steroids or other supplements without a good workout routine is just plain useless, and can be very detrimental to your health. Steroids have plenty of well-known side effects that can be life threatening. Even worse, if someone uses steroids when not training, he won't have any muscle growth and will only suffer from the side-effects.
The same applies to creatine and protein supplements; it's completely useless to take them if you're not training properly on a regular basis. Consume them only if you are serious about training; i.e. you train regularly, check your diet and rest sufficiently.
"Get big and cut in only 3 weeks!"
"Eat as much as you want and still stay slim!"
Countless advertisements and infomercials insinuate statements to trick us and make us wonder if we're using proper training techniques and diets or if we were just born with very poor genetics (or a little of both).
These "bodybuilding myths" are often misleading and ambiguous, lead people to buy useless products and train less efficiently therefore producing poor results.
Read up to learn some of the more common bodybuilding misconceptions.
1. Lifting weights doesn't work your heart.
Wrong. Lifting weights with relatively short rest periods (1 to 2 minutes) will increase your heartbeat well over a hundred beats per minute. For example, try to perform a complete leg workout with a short break between sets and I can guarantee that your heart will work exhaustively. Your heart will contract quickly and your entire cardiovascular system will elevate to give you a great overall body workout.
Any intensive weightlifting routine that lasts 20 minutes or more with short 1-2 minute break is a great workout for your heart and the muscles involved. For maximum results, combine a good cardiovascular workout with a sound weightlifting routine.
2. Your muscles will turn to fat when you stop training.
Wrong. Actually, if you stop training, your muscles will shrink and eventually soften up, but if you diminish your caloric intake and keep your diet lean, you probably won't gain an additional pound of fat. Make sure to decrease your caloric intake and maintain a lean diet, especially if you're not engaging in any physical activities.
All excess nutrients you consume are stored as fat and are very hard to lose. Just do the math: 5 grams of extra fat per day stored in your system over a 365-day span, will make for nice love handles at the end of the year. The ideal is obviously to engage in regular physical activity while maintaining a good diet.
3. Get big and cut-up all at once.
Wrong. Very few gifted guys with great genetics can get huge while remaining relatively cut. But for us regular people, we have to increase our muscle mass to its fullest potential and subsequently cut down our body fat percentage to achieve the desired shape.
The secret when working out to build mass is to remain more or less 5 pounds overweight so that when it's time to trim down, you'll have an easier time doing so. Cutting up too early will cost you time and muscle mass, all the while causing frustration. So remember, take your time to build your muscles before you start trimming down because without muscle mass, you'll end up trimming your bones
4. Bodybuilding will stop your child's growth spurt.
Partially wrong. Obviously, if you let your 12-year-old boy lift exceedingly heavy weights on a regular basis, chances are his growth spurt will be affected. The reality is, if your child is under strict supervision and lifts light to moderate weights with proper form, it will help strengthen his bones and improve his cardiovascular abilities.
Generally, it's not recommended that a child lift weights more than 3 times a week at a very early age. Just let children get a feel for the motion with light weights and let them gradually build up strength and motor skills.
Each child should be evaluated on an individual basis. But as a rule of thumb, once a child reaches 16 years of age, he can carry out a full-fledged bodybuilding routine (ensure proper form and rest periods). Just make sure your child is properly supervised and that he starts off small, and progressively works himself to heavier weights.
5. Lifting weights will get me big fast.
Wrong. Lifting weights alone won't make your muscles big. Only the combination of 3 main factors will get your muscles to become big and hard. You'll need to eat plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates as well as guarantee plenty of rest for your muscles to restore themselves and grow fully.
Great sources of protein are red meat, lean chicken breasts, tuna, and egg whites. You can also purchase protein supplements for quick in-between meal replacements and for after workout meals. Lifting weights without maintaining a proper diet is like driving a car without gas it won't get you very far.
Sleep is also critical in building muscle mass. Try to sleep at least 8 hours a night and keep your bedtime regular throughout the week for better results.
So remember that proper nutrition and sufficient rest periods are extremely important factors in your training efforts. It's all about discipline.
6. I'll take steroids and/or other supplements to get big and cut.
Wrong. First of all, I don't recommend that anybody take steroids or other supplements without researching their pros and cons and having the consent of a medic. Secondly, taking any kind of steroids or other supplements without a good workout routine is just plain useless, and can be very detrimental to your health. Steroids have plenty of well-known side effects that can be life threatening. Even worse, if someone uses steroids when not training, he won't have any muscle growth and will only suffer from the side-effects.
The same applies to creatine and protein supplements; it's completely useless to take them if you're not training properly on a regular basis. Consume them only if you are serious about training; i.e. you train regularly, check your diet and rest sufficiently.