Common Myths Related To Bodybuilding
After thinking about it for several months, you have finally decided to work on yourself and step into the gym. As soon as you start working out, you start to get conflicting information from everywhere. Most of this information is not true, and before you adapt advice from anyone at the gym, be sure to search on it online to verify if it’s even true or not. The problem even when you turn to the internet for advice, forums can be misleading and unreliable information can still reach you.
When you enter the fitness industry, you’ll find many people sacredly following a piece of advice that is not based on fact at all. To help you through all these myths, we have collected the most common ones you are likely to face at the gym and shed light on how much truth lies in these myths.
Myth 1: Unless You Push Yourself Like A Bodybuilder You’ll Never Become One
The first thing many young gym enthusiasts do is search up the bodybuilding routine of a professional builder, and then applying the same routine to themselves in the gym. They fail as expected, and when they keep on failing, most just quit assuming weight lifting is just not for them.
Our media has shown that unless you follow the rules and routines of the best bodybuilder out there, you won’t achieve the killer defined abs of the said individual and any exercise less is just not worth it. In reality, those routines are impossible for normal bodybuilders to perform let alone complete beginners. Some of these top performers are not only there due to lifting, but also take help from various drugs most of which are not taken by the average bodybuilder.
These harsh training regimes are only advertised so people end up spending a significant amount on magic ‘vitamins’ which will get them their defined body shape in no time. These not only cost the average gym-goer their hard-earned money, but can also pave the way for several injuries, and illnesses. So instead of focusing on these impossible training routines coupled with expensive vitamins, start slow and gain your information from trusted individuals instead of going for bodybuilding magazines.
Myth 2: It’s Possible To Target Specific Areas Of Your Body To Reduce Fat
This is more related to reducing fat than building muscle. There are people in the gym who might tell you techniques to remove fat from a specific area of your body. Now the problem is that most people have problematic areas they want to work on first, and when they hear that it’s possible, they might train vigorously to achieve that effect. In the end, it doesn’t happen as it is simply not true. You cannot reduce fat from regions of your own choice, your body decides that based on your genetic makeup. So spot-reduction is simply not possible unless you opt for surgery.
Myth 3: Train Until You Fail
Mantras such as ‘no pain, no gain’ or training until your hands give in, are famous in the fitness world. This can lead to many beginners pushing themselves to unrealistic boundaries which do them more harm than good. When bodybuilding, going one step further than your ‘limit’ is seen as the only way to muscle gains. However, this myth is not only false, it can also cause injuries to young gym-goers who probably have no idea how much to push their bodies. So to avoid accidents in the gym, push yourself to realistic boundaries, gradually increasing that limit as you make progress.
Myth 4: Body Builders Should Not Eat At Night
This is another myth that is deeply rooted in the bodybuilding community. There are guides all over the internet that tell you about how you should not be eating at night as it will ruin your lifting progress. In reality, you should be doing the exact opposite. When you sleep at night, your body starts to convert your protein into fuel. Now, since many bodybuilders have abstained from eating in the evening, their body as no protein and now muscle will be used instead for fuel, destroying your gains for the day.
According to a study done by by the Weider Research Group, one set of bodybuilders were told to ave their protein shake during the night, while the other set was told to have it during the day. After about 8 weeks of testing, it was confirmed that bodybuilders who had their protein shake during the night gain more muscle mass than their competitors.
Now we are not saying that you go have a huge meal every time before bed. Instead, opt for something lighter such as 30 grams of cottage cheese. ESA therapist near me always said that for those who are looking to gain more muscle mass should aim for whole-wheat bread or oatmeal.
Myth 5: Weight Training Makes Women Lose Their Feminine Features
Once again the media is responsible for this famous myth. Whenever you see a professional female builder in the spotlight, you see that she has lost her feminine features, and most assume that this is how women become when they start weight training. However, this is far from the truth as only when women start to take supplements, they become more ‘manly’.
We are not implying this is something wrong to pursue, however, some of our female friends are only deterred from the gym from the fear of losing their feminine features. In reality, when women start lifting weights, their body gets more defined curves and the general definition and tone of the body improve. The features of a ‘manly’ bodybuilder only start to appear on women when they go for steroids and various other supplements to gain more muscle mass.
Myth 6: Vegans Face A Hard Time When Building Muscle
Bodybuilding for people following a vegan diet is definitely possible and there are famous vegan bodybuilders such as Brian Turner and Torre Washington that stand proof. Vegan bodybuilders should go for tofu and tempeh as they are a perfect source of protein to build muscle. Flaxseeds and chia are also popular choices for protein sources.
Author Bio
Written by Meghan Hale, a content writer, and editing machine. She is working with La Dolce Studio. You’ll find me yelling at my dog to stop barking, whether it be at the neighbors or on a long afternoon walk.
About Author
