4 Harmful Muscle-Building Myths Uncovered
982
Health & Fitness > Muscle Building
Mar 1, 2007
Sean Nalewanyj
4 Harmful Muscle-Building Myths Uncovered
If you?re serious about making a solid commitment to a muscle-building program, you need to be very careful of who you take advice from. Bodybuilding and fitness is literally a multi-billion dollar industry with new websites popping up every single day. Many of the so-called ?experts? out there really don?t have a clue of what they?re talking about and are only motivated by pushing expensive pills, powders and ?miracle programs? on you that you don?t really need. If you don?t watch your step you may end up falling for some fatal muscle-building pitfalls that will literally destroy your gains and prevent you from ever achieving the impressive, muscular physique you desire. In this article I?m going to expose 4 very common muscle-building myths in order to keep you on the proper path to the mind-blowing muscle and strength gains you deserve.
Myth #1: In order to build muscle, you must achieve a "pump" during your workout. The greater the pump you achieve, the more muscle you will build.
For those of you who are just starting out, a ?pump? is the feeling that you get as blood becomes trapped inside the muscle tissue when you train with weights. The muscles will swell up and leave your body feeling bigger, tighter, stronger and more powerful. While a pump does feel fantastic, it has very little, if anything to do with properly stimulating your muscles to grow. A pump is simply the result of increased bloodflow to the muscle tissue and is certainly not indicative of a successful workout. A successful workout should only be gauged by the concept of progression. If you were able to lift more weight or perform more reps than you did in the previous week, then you did your job.
Myth #2: Building muscle will cause you to become slower and less flexible.
This one goes back to the old days when people described bodybuilders as being ?muscle bound? and ?bulky?. Contrary to what you may think, building a significant amount of lean muscle mass will actually speed you up rather than slow you down. Muscles are responsible for every movement that your body makes, from running to jumping to throwing. The bottom line is that the stronger a muscle is, the more force it can apply. Having stronger, more muscular legs means increased foot speed, just as having stronger and more muscular shoulders means the ability to throw farther. Strong muscles are able muscles, not the other way around.
Myth #3: You must always use perfect, textbook form on all exercises.
While using good form in the gym is always important, obsessing over perfect form is an entirely different matter. If you are always attempting to perform every exercise using flawless, textbook form, you will actually increase your chances of injury and simultaneously decrease the total amount of muscle stimulation you can achieve. Remember, we are not robots! It?s very important that you always move naturally when you exercise. This could mean adding a very slight sway in your back when you perform bicep curls, or using a tiny bit of body momentum when executing barbell rows. Loosen yourself up a bit and move the way your body was meant to be moved. Obsessing over perfect form will actually work against you rather than for you.
Myth #4: If you want your muscles to grow you must ?feel the burn!?
This is another huge misconception in the gym. The ?burning? sensation that results from intense weight training is simply the result of lactic acid (a metabolic waste product) that is secreted inside the muscle tissue as you exercise. Increased levels of lactic acid have nothing to do with muscle growth and may actually slow down your gains rather than speed them up. You can limit lactic acid production by training in a lower rep range of 5-7, rather than the traditional range of 10 and above. Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. Learn how to avoid more common muscle-building myths by visiting his website: www.MuscleGainTruth.com/
Myth #1: In order to build muscle, you must achieve a "pump" during your workout. The greater the pump you achieve, the more muscle you will build.
For those of you who are just starting out, a ?pump? is the feeling that you get as blood becomes trapped inside the muscle tissue when you train with weights. The muscles will swell up and leave your body feeling bigger, tighter, stronger and more powerful. While a pump does feel fantastic, it has very little, if anything to do with properly stimulating your muscles to grow. A pump is simply the result of increased bloodflow to the muscle tissue and is certainly not indicative of a successful workout. A successful workout should only be gauged by the concept of progression. If you were able to lift more weight or perform more reps than you did in the previous week, then you did your job.
Myth #2: Building muscle will cause you to become slower and less flexible.
This one goes back to the old days when people described bodybuilders as being ?muscle bound? and ?bulky?. Contrary to what you may think, building a significant amount of lean muscle mass will actually speed you up rather than slow you down. Muscles are responsible for every movement that your body makes, from running to jumping to throwing. The bottom line is that the stronger a muscle is, the more force it can apply. Having stronger, more muscular legs means increased foot speed, just as having stronger and more muscular shoulders means the ability to throw farther. Strong muscles are able muscles, not the other way around.
Myth #3: You must always use perfect, textbook form on all exercises.
While using good form in the gym is always important, obsessing over perfect form is an entirely different matter. If you are always attempting to perform every exercise using flawless, textbook form, you will actually increase your chances of injury and simultaneously decrease the total amount of muscle stimulation you can achieve. Remember, we are not robots! It?s very important that you always move naturally when you exercise. This could mean adding a very slight sway in your back when you perform bicep curls, or using a tiny bit of body momentum when executing barbell rows. Loosen yourself up a bit and move the way your body was meant to be moved. Obsessing over perfect form will actually work against you rather than for you.
Myth #4: If you want your muscles to grow you must ?feel the burn!?
This is another huge misconception in the gym. The ?burning? sensation that results from intense weight training is simply the result of lactic acid (a metabolic waste product) that is secreted inside the muscle tissue as you exercise. Increased levels of lactic acid have nothing to do with muscle growth and may actually slow down your gains rather than speed them up. You can limit lactic acid production by training in a lower rep range of 5-7, rather than the traditional range of 10 and above. Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. Learn how to avoid more common muscle-building myths by visiting his website: www.MuscleGainTruth.com/
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
One of the most costly mistakes that I see in the gym week in and week out is that the majority of lifters fail to recognize the importance of a proper warmup. Some lifters perform a wimpy, worthless warmup that consists of 1 set of 20 reps using the
Category:
Do you want a quick, simple and instant way to increase the amount of weight you can lift on virtually every back exercise you perform? Sound too good to be true? I speak the truth, my friend, and the reality is that if you aren?t utilizing this basic
Category:
No matter what you read or who you talk to, everyone has their own opinion of what the "perfect" rep range should be to allow for maximum muscle stimulation and growth. In this article I?m going to clear up the confusion once and for all and teach you
Category:
I receive emails every single day from aspiring muscle-builders all over the world, and one of the most common questions I?m asked is ?does drinking really affect the muscle growth process?? I?m sorry to say it, but yes, too much alcohol will almost
Category:
If you?re serious about making a solid commitment to a muscle-building program, you need to be very careful of who you take advice from. Bodybuilding and fitness is literally a multi-billion dollar industry with new websites popping up every single day.
Category:
The more work you put into something, the better results you will achieve. This has always been a widely accepted truth that applies to many areas of life. The harder you study, the better grades you will achieve. The more time you spend fine-tuning
Category:
One of the most currently debated issues in the t industry is in relation to the consumption of multivitamins and the role that they play in enhancing overall health both in and out of the gym. Can bodybuilders benefit by
Category:
Other links at Health & Fitness > Muscle Building
Basic calisthenics have been used for centuries to build strong, lean, athletic bodies without equipment. Unfortunately, they are often overlooked today. Find out how to make bodyweight exercise an important part of your workout program.
Category:
Something you need to keep in mind and never forget is that when you exercise, you are training for life.
Category:
A lot of hard work is required by bodybuilders in order for them to get their body into shape for competitions throughout the year. Training must stop at some point throughout the year because the body must rest and recover from the stress that it has bee
Category:
In the market, there are many muscle building supplements to choose from. The challenge, however is to choose the best product that would meet your needs and goals. Because there are various levels of supplements, you have to be careful in your choice to
Category:
After reading this article you should have three chest weight training lifts that you can do to get the chest of your dreams. Here is a look at the three most popular chest weight training lifts.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68228
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
