There are certain myths people get tied up with when they start bodybuilding. This isn’t the smartest thing to do because the first few years are crucial in making the greatest gains. Any mistakes means that you are stopping yourself from making gains you would otherwise have made.
If you are looking to enter into the world of weight training, here’s what you should know before you start.
MYTH#1 HIGH REPS ARE BETTER FOR TONING WHILE LOW REPS ARE BETTER FOR BULKING
The word ‘toning’ refers to losing fat so that the underlying muscle becomes more visible. You lose fat when you eat extra protein and put yourself in a caloric deficit. Basically, if you burn more calories than you consume, you are likely to lose fat. In order to build muscle, you need to apply a progressive muscle stimulus to the muscle by getting better at lifting and going heavier over a period of time.
Your personal trainer might have told you that by doing more reps, you will burn more calories, and as a result, lose more fat from the body part that you are training. However, multiple studies have confirmed that body fat ‘spot reduction’ is impossible.
Also, according to a recent edition of the Mass Research review, a typical weight training session burns about 75 to 300 calories and even if you could increase this figure by doing reps, the rate of energy expenditure does not even hold a candle to traditional cardio. A 150 pounds person would burn about the same calories with a 15 minute jog as they would with a one hour weight training session.
Based on this research, it makes very little sense to use weight training as a tool for fat loss. If you are serious about losing weight, it makes a whole lot more sense to fine tune your diet and cardio to set up an appropriate caloric deficit, using weight training to only take care of the muscle building process.
Another beginner lifting mistake is thinking that low reps are ‘better’ for gaining mass. Research has proven that both low reps and high reps are equally effective when it comes to building muscle
Typically, a rep range of between 6 and 15 is ideal when it comes to lifting. Anything higher or lower can be painful or lead to injury.
MYTH#2 YOU NEED TO GET SORE FOR THE WORKOUT TO BE EFFECTIVE
This isn’t true at all. For example, just taking a run in the park might leave you sore but might not do anything for building size as opposed to a leg day where you work out your legs far more extensively.
In fact, in some ways, soreness can actually be detrimental for muscle growth because it might hamper performance. For example, if you overwork your muscle one day attempting to get sore, you may not be able to work that same muscle the next day which might lead to a decrease in your performance.
Regardless, being sore can be an indication that you are using the muscle correctly. For example, if you are doing hip thrusts for the first time and are sore afterwards, you at least know that you were working the muscle correctly.
MYTH#3 ALWAYS SWITCH THINGS UP
Your personal trainer may tell you that your muscles need to be ‘confused’ and you need to switch things up constantly. This isn’t true at all. In fact, constantly switching things up means that you don’t have a particular intent towards progression. Doing a separate thing every week can be confusing for you and for your muscles and isn’t the best idea.
For beginners, it is recommended that you stick to more or less the same workout routine from week to week. Keeping the core of routine consistent means that you can become stronger on those movements and will cause your muscles to grow more effectively than they would if you keep switching.
Of course you can make your bodybuilding routine exciting by adding a few things here and there, but make sure that at least a few of the exercises remain the same.
MYTH#4 YOU SHOULD ONLY TRAIN ONE BODY PART PER WORKOUT
Another beginner lifting mistake is thinking that you are supposed to split up the days of the week in order to dedicate a separate day to each body part. The idea behind this is that you completely work one muscle per workout and then give it one whole week to recover.
According to research however, one whole week of resting per muscle may be a lot more than you need and there may also be an upper limit to the benefit you can get by working only one muscle per week. Scientifically, this is referred to as the ‘upper threshold for resistance training’. Rather than completely destroying one muscle in one day, it makes far more sense to spread it out over a few days.
The point of bodybuilding is never to destroy one muscle completely, it’s only to stimulate muscle synthesis and make the muscle more sensitive to amino acids, which is what triggers the muscle to grow.
25 different studies have found that training frequency actually does not impact muscle hypertrophy when volume is equated. What this implies is that the best training split is one that allows you to get in an adequate amount of volume per week. Also work on distributing working sets along the week in a way that allows you to perform optimally, while allowing time for recovery.
MYTH#5 NO PAIN, NO GAIN
This myth states that unless you almost kill yourself during your workout, you aren’t benefitting much from it. This isn’t true however.
Taking sets to failure can cause injuries, increased fatigue, form breakdowns, and reducing the volume of workout you can do afterwards.
If you are a beginner who is just starting to work out, these five busted myths are sure likely to help you in your workout journey.
At Kraken Training, we offer a lot more than just personal training. We want you to be the best version of yourself and we are willing to help you with each little step along the way! So put your faith in us and call us at 778-322-3298 for a consultation or visit this page for more information.