10 Weight Training Myths
1) You can't make gains if you only train with a few times a week.
There is absolutely no reason why a limited training program cannot achieve results –as long as each session works on the whole body and pushes you to the very limit, you should still see gains happening pretty quickly.
2) You should never rest for more than a minute between sets.
For anyone looking to develop their cardio or just shed some excess body fat, a minute’s rest between sets should be more than sufficient. For heavy weight training, look for at least two minutes between each set to avoid overtraining.
3) Specialist weight training machines are the best way to get good results.
Normally, machines like this are actually less effective than good, old-fashioned free weights. Exercises such as the bench press, squat and deadlift have been scientifically proven to be the best means of resistance exercise available.
4) Weight training makes you big; aerobic exercise makes you toned
Not necessarily. Aerobic exercise is meant for improving the body’s cardiovascular performance, rather than specifically for muscle tone. Muscle tone is achieved through expending more calories than the amount taken in--how you manage this doesn’t really make a difference.
5) Training the muscles too intensely will make you look squat and blocky.
Because somatotype, or body shape, is determined by genetics, there’s not much difference that weight training will make. If you are naturally blocky, then bodybuilding will make you a bigger blocky person. If you are not, then it will simply make you larger.
6) The more reps, the tougher and harder your muscles will be.
There is some evidence to suggest that this is the case, but for most people the amount of reps is less important than the amount of energy used to achieve them.
7) Women cannot train in the same manner as men.
Because muscle is the same in men and women, the main concern in how each can train is affected by the desired result, not the actual exercises themselves.
8) Eating lots of sugar makes it easier to work out.
The problem with eating lots of sugar before a workout is that you never know when it will crash, causing you to become more exhausted. Eating nutrient-rich foods is a far better way to maintain sugar and energy levels.
9) All anabolic steroids are bad.
Like any other medication, the danger comes from misuse. Consult your doctor before using any form of steroid.
10) Once you stop working out, the muscle turns in to fat
If you stop working out, your muscles will shrink, but they won’t turn in to fat. What causes the fat buildup is the increased caloric intake a sedentary lifestyle promotes.
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