Common Misconceptions In Bodybuilding

If you think you are overtraining take a few days off to fully recover. And to avoid overtraining, please read my workout routines to simply avoid it.

Pro routine for newbies

The routines that Ronnie, Jay Cutler, and Arnold do aren't ones that would work for the average Joe trying to get big. These guys are on steroids and can train heaps more often than you and get away with it. Following any Pro routine will lead to overtrianing and all of it's negative causes listed above.

High reps with low weight > Low reps with high weight.

This is crap. The truth is you get definition when you burn of your fat and get down to a lower bodyfat percent. High reps don't train your fast twitch muscle fibers as well as lower reps do. Fast twitch muscles are responsible for short and high intensity activity.

Hundreds of sit-up's a day will give you a 6 Pack

Doing hundreds and hundreds of sit-ups will give you tighter abdominal muscles, but you will never see them if they are covered up with fat. The secret to getting a six pack mostly relys in getting down to a low bodyfat percent (10% or lower).

Remember to train your abs like any other body part and give them sufficient time to rest. For more info on how to burn the fat off, please read my six pack abs article.

Fat turns into muscle, and vice versa

Muscle and fat are made of completely different cell structures so one cannot turn into another. Muscle is made up of individual breathing cells and fat is just storage of lipids. If you stop working out or stop putting stress on any of your muscles they will adapt and shrink.

Say you eat more calories to put on more muscle and then you stop working out but keep the same diet , you will lose some muscle and gain fat from the unneeded calories. This is one reason why this myth is so common.

Big muscles slow you down

Every movement we make comes from our muscles. The stronger the muscle the more power and more force it can apply , so if you want to run faster or swing a bat faster etc. then you have to work those muscles! But in some sports it does slow you down E.g. Boxing , some running etc. It all depends on the sport you compete in.

Full Squats are bad for the knees

The knee has 4 protective ligaments. These are most effective at keeping your knee safe when at full extension (standing with legs straight) and Full Flexion (when your hamstring and calf are against each other.) When the knee is at 90 degrees these ligaments are almost completely relaxed and won't do much protecting.

So Full squats are actually safer then Half squats.

All fat is bad.

You need fat. Your cell membranes are made up of fats. Fat is also needed for the absorption of vitamins A E D and K. Your brain is made mostly from fat, your heart prefers fatty acids as fuel rather than sugar. Fat is a much more efficient energy source for low aerobic activity (such as for sitting down and reading this article). Fat does not interfere with HGH release (but sugar does). Fat is responsible for creating hormones such as testosterone. Fat is so good, I prefer doing a ketogenic diet (low carb/high fat diet) while cutting up, and keeping fat high during a bulking phase is important as well.

The more you sweat the more fat you lose

The harder the cardio the more fat you will burn by increasing your metabolism. Just because you are sweating a lot doesn't mean you are working hard. Some people sweat more because they are bigger or just because they do :P. If you exercise in an extremely hot temperature you will lose mostly water and yeah you'll get that back by drinking again! Sweating is not an indicator of progress, it does not mean you are losing fat or working hard.  Sweating, although is a very good way of detoxification of harmful free radicals and other harmful substances out of the body.

Training a specific area will reduce the fat in that area (Spot Reduction)

Spot Reduction is a myth. You cannot lose fat in a particular area by exercising the muscles in that area. Now visually, if you work the muscles in a particular area, that area will look more defined with muscle and fat will be less noticeable, but the same fat level will still be there. When you lose fat, you evenly do it across your whole body.

 

General Info Articles
How to Get In Shape & Gain Weight as a Bikini Competitor
Common Bodybuilding Myths
Motivational tips
How to get 6 Pack Abs
Beginner Body building Guide
How to do Natural Cutting and Bulking Phases
Common Misconceptions In Bodybuilding

Diet Advice
General Bodybuilding Diet Info
Zig-Zag Calorie Diet
Ketogenic Diet for Rapid Fat Loss
Great Tasting Bodybuilding Recipes

Workout Info and Routines
Weight Workout Routines and Info
The Importance of Deadlifts
Dumbbells vs. Barbells - Which is Better?
How to Increase Your Bench Press
Is a Military Press the same as a "behind the neck shoulder press"?
How to Build Lower Abs
Keys to Lower Abdominal Definition

Cardiovascular Info
Understanding What Cardio Does for Bodybuilders
Track workouts
Phases of Sprinting
Track Competition Race Preparation

Supplements
What Supplements are Important for Bodybuilders

Improve Bodybuilding With Health And Lifestyle
Is this site for Women?
Hormones And Bodybuilding
The Importance of Growth Hormone
Lifestyle Factors that Effect Bodybuilding