Retro Bodybuilding Myths

As we get more and more information thrust upon us each day, it's easy to understand why some people take on bad advice and include it in their training.

However, there are some old fashion, retro "body builder" tips that, for no great reason, have hung around and still show their ugly face in many gyms across the world. "BroScience" to many of you is more apparent than ever.

Just because a big lad at the gym gave you a tip, don't take it as gospel. here's a few to look out for.

Bench Press with your feet in the air to isolate the chest...
There are some people that like to perform chest press with their feet on the bench, or worse still, feet in the air. The idea being that it "isolates the chest". Remember, just because something is harder, doesn't make it better. Performing squats balanced on a swiss ball is tough but not the best way of working your legs.
Ultimately, if you want to improve your chest and your pressing ability you want to be stimulating growth and adaptation. The best way to do that is through some form of overload via increased weight or repetitions or time under tension; if you want to do that then you're best to keep your feet planted firmly on the floor. You're not a balancing act after all.

Heavier squats are more important than deeper squats...
You'll see many people looking to squat the heaviest weight they can waddle out of a squat rack at the cost of sacrificing squat depth and at times, much squat form all together. In order to recruit the highest amount of muscle fires and stimulate growth from a squat depth is key. Work on proper depth under proper control and maintaining good form throughout - the weight increases will soon follow.

Always wear a weights belt for the heavier sets...
Many people still opt for a weights belt as they reach their upper limit for lifting weights. They looked shocked at you when you ask why their using a belt as if you wouldn't imagine lifting a heavy weight without a belt. Personally, I wouldn't ever advise a non-competitive lifter to use a belt. Instead, focus on strengthening all areas of your body equally to take the load and strains placed on it. Relying on a training assistance of any kind is never a good idea.

Walk for extended periods for fat loss...
Long bouts of steady-state cardio (usually treadmill walking) has been a staple exercise for body builders looking to shift body fay and retain muscle for many years. However, what many people ignore is the benefits of sprint work in reducing body fat and improving sporting performance. Sprint work is tough, but short bouts of interval sprint work are an incredibly effective way to shift body fat and boost your metabolic rate. It's a much more time-effective and less tedious option in my opinion. If like me, you're not a huge running fan, intervals of rowing, cycling and even crawling might be a viable option.

Wear a sweat suit to burn more fat...
Sweat suits like you sometimes see a boxer in are designed for one purpose only: to reduce your immediate weight. Not your body fat, just your weight. All that it may do is increase the rate at which you lose water. If you're under pressure to reach a specific weight in time for a pre-fight weigh-in then sure, a sweat suit might be a viable (though not ideal) option. Otherwise, be warned that any fast loss in weight is merely water weight that will return once you take on water again. Rather than a positive, in fact these suits are likely to have a negative impact on your training and results. A loss in water will cause dehydration. Dehydration will reduce your performance and rate you can work at and so, reduce your potential effort so burn less calories and lift less weight. It will also hamper your bodily functions which are heavily reliant on water.

Arms days are essential...
Don't be lured into thinking that you need to put aside an hour a week just to build your arms. Most of you will have other time constraints such as work, family and friends; so why not spend your valuable gym time a little more effectively? Sure, the odd bit of isolation work will target your arms specifically, but consider the benefit of fully body, multi-joint compound exercises like squats and deadlifts if you're looking to improve strength and general body composition. If your under-sized biceps are keeping you awake at night then opt for lots of narrow grip pulling work when working your back. This will not only target your back but also require a lot of forearm and bicep effort. Bigger back and better arms in one go.

More cardio to reduce body fat and get fitter...
It's often the view that if you want to "get fit" then running is the first option. Or, if you need to lose weight, it's cardio again. "Cardio" training is designed to improve the strength and capabilities of your heart and lungs by elevating the heart rate. This can be achieved in many more ways than just running. Heavy lifting or high intensity resistance work are all viable options. Just because you need to reduce your body fat, don't instantly opt for the treadmill. Build lean muscle and improve your everyday metabolic rate while also burning calories in the gym through high intensity resistance work. This is much more likely to avoid you spending a long time in a catabolic state (muscle wastage) and so, will help to retain the muscle mass you've worked hard to gain. if you want some ides for high intensity interval workouts I've written up plenty here: http://www.michaeldarren.blogspot.co.uk/p/workouts-that-ive-enjoyed.html

Carbs in the evening will make you fat...
Ever heard "no carbs after 8pm"? This can work... but usually as it stops people from eating anything after 8 and so, reducing their calorie count every day. Where they might usually opt for late night eating, if you cut that out of your life then yeah, you probably will make a difference. However, it's not that carbohydrates that were the villain in this whole lifestyle adjustment.

Conclusion...
Most of these ideas and tips will have an element of truth or, at one stage, were a current and up to date method of training. However, they're now out-dated and sports science has allowed us to find more beneficial and effective way to stimulate adaptation in the body. Don't be surprised when you still see the above happening in a  gym... just don't join them!

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True or False?.. 10 Gym Myths

April Fools Day may have passed, but that still doesn't seem to stop people passing on joke information in the gym and even in fitness literature!

So... Welcome to "True or False" the gym version. I'll give you a quick clue - the answer to each section is "False". That's right, we're busting gym myths here people! here's 10...

1) "I don't want to lift heavy weights as I'll get bulky" - FALSE
Particularly if you're female, lifting heavy weights will not automatically make you "bulky". In fact, the impact that heavy lifting can have on your heart rate mean that it's a great method for improving cardio strength and burning body fat. Try two "heavy lifts" (5 rep max) as a superset and see what I mean. Watch your heart go nuts!

2) "I don't need to lift weights cos.." (who cares what the rest of the sentence is) - FALSE
EVERYONE should perform resistance work. Usual justification for not lifting weights include, "I don't want to get any bigger." "I'm already toned/in good shape" etc. Aside from vanity purposes, resistance work can improve posture, bone density, motor programing, joint stability and lessen the chance of injury. Pretty useful all round.

3) (Probably from the mouth of a footballer/soccer player if you're American) "I'm better being small and light - I'm built for speed!" - FALSE
Dwayne Chambers, Michael Johnson, Linford Christie... some of the fastest men to have ever lived. look at them... Skinny does not equal quick! Enough said! NEXT!

4) "I need to do cardio to lose some fat, then I'll build muscle after" - FALSE
Wrong for many reasons. Steady duration cardio is the slowest way to burn body fat; resistance work will improve your metabolic rate and allow you to burn more calories all day, every day. Why not incorporate resistance work as part of your training and speed up your metabolism, improve your cardio abilities and maintain a strong physique all at the same time? Weight loss through cardio alone will leave you looking skinny-fat. Bad look!

5) "This sweat suit is brilliant for helping me lose weight" - FALSE
You're dehydrated, not thinner! Some sports require athletes to make a particular weight (boxing, MMA etc) these athletes will use sweat suits in order to make a certain weight for a short period of time. Once they step off the scales they'll immediately consume fluids after achieving their desired weight and quickly gain an easy 14lbs or more. Worse still, a 2% drop in hydration can lead to 10% drop in performance - imagine what this sweat suit is doing to the quality of your workout! Worse STILL, poor hydration is often a root cause of a slowed metabolism and increased eating/calorie intake. So that sweat suit has made your training worse, your metabolism slower and made you eat more - nice one!

6) "I'm too heavy to do pull ups" - FALSE
You're to weak to do pull ups!

7) "My legs have always been pretty big, so I don't need to work on them" - FALSE
Legs are an integral part of all exercise regimes. Whether you're trying to cut some body fat, improve strength or just work on your general fitness levels, a stronger lower body and some resistance work on your legs will help ALL of these goals.

8) "I'm pretty fit, I can run 'X' distance" - FALSE
Fitness is relative. What you mean is, you're good at long distance running - a very specific skill. Intervene your long distance running with some higher intensity intervals or resistance work and you're likely to feel like a gym "newby" again. It's very difficult to have a "rounded fitness" where you're good at everything. And, as @TommyFatFingers likes to say: "You can only sit on one horse!" BUT... it's important to add variety to your training. Don't just do what you're good at. In fact, find what you're worst at and do that the most. Don't take the comfortable/familiar option. Don't be a one trick pony

9) "I'm lucky I can eat what I want - I have a fast metabolism" - FALSE
The second part may be correct, but this doesn't mean you can "eat whatever you want". Heavily processed, heavily saturated and non-"clean" foods are limiting your potential. Potential for exercise output, energy levels and gains experienced from exercising. You may appear "in good shape" but you're not all that you can be. Don't buy a Ferrari, fill it with olive oil and be happy that it still drives

10) "The longer I train the better" - FALSE
LOADS of people seem to feel that a long session = a good one. Not true! I've heard many times young boys boasting in the gym "I've been in here 2 .5 hours bruv!" Well done! Up the intensity, lessen the chit-chat, rest time (when not focusing on low rep/strength work) and reap the benefits. Sessions lasting over 70 minutes or so will seriously compromise your results. It's widely accepted that after an hour of intense exercise muscle catabolism begins - bad! Muscle growth slows and as a result metabolism slows too - lose, lose.

There are lots of myths and false information that you hear branded around gyms. Worse still, there can be a lot published online and on the shelves in highstreet stores. It can be difficult to filter out the nonsense from the science. But remember just that; exercising is a science so if someone gives you information and can't explain the science behind it then research it further. Be wary, common sense doesn't always apply when exercise and diet is concerned. It's not always easy to spot a false information... sorry!

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The misunderstandings and myths of "The man section"...

                                                     
Like most other gyms, my gym has, what's popularly known by the female community as "the man section" or, as most people would call it, "the free weights section".

This "man section" is surrounded by a number of myths, misunderstandings and general fear which keeps a lot of the female members away. I'm going to dispel some of these myths. Here goes...

"Everyone in there seems to know what they're doing!"...
MYTH... You'd be surprised at how few of the people in this area actually train well or train with an educated idea of what their aiming for or if their workout will help them achieve it. Most people are the same as you and still finding out what works for them.

"Everyone will look at me!"..
MYTH... No one really cares who else is in there. On the first couple of visits you'll assume that it's obvious you're new to the area and everyone is watching you. But as soon as you get into the groove you'll notice how little you look around and actually notice others in the free weights area.

"I'll get big and bulky!"...
MYTH... For a number of reasons this is untrue.
1) Have you noticed that these "bulky" guys who you want to avoid looking like train a LOT! If you're going to use free weights on a few occasions throughout the week and train in a less body building fashion, you're never going to get "bulky".
2) More importantly, as a woman you have a much lower level of testosterone, this means that you're unable to build muscle in such bulk as you see occurring in the men using free weights.
3) Unless you decide to lift weights 4 or 5 times per week, change your diet and dabble in supplements its very difficult for a woman to "bulk up". Plus it's not going to happen in one session! You won't wake up and all your clothes are too small. So if you don't like the way your body is changing, alter your workouts or seek assistance and find out what you're doing wrong!

"It all looks a bit hard core!"...
MYTH... Take a closer look. See the big groups lifting big weights? See how much ACTUAL training they get done compared to how much talking and socialising takes place. Then, when the big weights come out, keep an eye on their technique or form and range of movement. Are they lifting well or are their pals lending a hand so they can all feel good about themselves?

"I don't need to lift heavy weights, I just want to tone!"...
MYTH.. Heavy weights will NOT stop this "toning". Toning is a way of saying you want to see the muscles more clearly. The reason the muscles are less visible is not usually because they are less "toned" but instead because they have body fat on top of them. Lifting heavy weights is great way to burn fat for men and women and that's a fact! Don't fear it, go with it and lift heavy!

"I find all the men intimidating!"...
True... sorry, can't help you with that! Just get over it and get on with it.

Conclusion...
There should be no "men's section" or for that matter "women's section" at a gym; everyone needs to try and lift free weights from time to time. Resistance machines have their place, but for large areas, and often problem areas for women such as legs, hips and the bum, adductor and abductor machines (you know "the inny, outty thigh ones") simply won't cut it.

Resistance machines have their place and still serve a purpose, even for experienced and regular gym goers. But no programme, no matter the age, gender or ability of the gym user, should be complete without some form of free weight exercise.

Women - get on down to the free weights area and make the "man section" a thing of the past!

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