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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Training partner chemistry

Today I was speaking with a friend about a mutual friend of ours and he said,

"I don't want to train with him. I don't want to personal train someone for an hour when I'm trying to train."

Now, while this may sound a little cut-throat to some people, it's a fair point. It got me thinking about training partners, the chemistry between two training buddies, successful training relationships and the other side: arrangements which have a negative impact on training and results.

I see all combinations, two best friends training, large groups working together, solo-trainers or friends who became friends through the gym. However.. some are more successful than others.

Here's a few tips when picking your training partner:

Train with someone who brings something to the table...
Everyone has their first visits to a gym, and we're all constantly learning. No one knows EVERYTHING about working out, but the relationship needs to be a two-way street. It's one thing lending someone a hand, pointing them in the right direction, sorting out their program etc, but it soon wears thin when you need to spoon feed every part of the session.

Find someone that has prior knowledge or a different sporting background to yours but similar goals. For instance, as a rugby player I enjoy gym training with other rugby players but also fighters, sprinters and other power related athletes. Take a break from your usual routine when it's offered. Learn about flexibility from someone, move to a more cardio-based session if someone offers to show you a few bits. Approach sessions with an open mind and be willing to learn.

Big groups don't always mean big results...
I see it LOADS.. big groups of guys and girls who go to the gym together. It probably started as a pair and someone invited someone and so it went on. Bad news.. these aren't great for the gym.
More likely than not, these will be the groups who spread their time between working and chit-chat. For large groups doing weights based exercises, it's going to be a pain adjusting weights to suit everyone; an even bigger pain waiting around for your second set and getting cold while the other 4 do theirs.

As for peak time training, good luck finding 5 treadmills together or enough dumbells and benches for you and your pals.

Last but by NO means least, it's pretty unlikely you're going to find a group of friends all with similar goals. Which leads me to my next point...

Train with people who have similar goals...
Sessions can become HUGELY unproductive if time is spent arguing over exercises, repetitions, order of session etc if partners have different objectives. It's ESSENTIAL to find someone who wants the same thing. True, there's more than one way to skin a cat, but if your goals are poles apart the session is going nowhere.

Working hard... or hardly working?
Make sure when you pick a training partner it isn't someone who is more intent on catching up with you, telling you about their day, their family, their life and every other detail that isn't going to benefit your gym session It's fine to train with a friend but keep the social time and gym time seperate. If your gym partner is a talker or is spending their time trying to look good in the gym and attract members of the opposite sex, then change them. Or, explain your situation and ask them to change themselves. You'll bot benefit from it as the intensity of your sessions will increase so don't be afraid of offending them - it's for their own good.

Get pushed...
A little competition in the gym is always healthy. While I always use the old saying "train your body, not your ego", competition from your friends can improve the intensity of a session. It may be difficult to find a partner of equal size and strength but you may compete in other ways. For instance, weights wise use a percentage of your body weight as the scale for strength. Can you both bench press 100% of your own body weight? What about chin-ups and dips?

With regards to cardio, why not race? Give the less fit person a head start then let them try to not get caught while the fitter person tries their hardest to make up lost ground. Think laterally and introduce competition for the sake of improvement, not for the purpose of an ego boost, embarrassing your friend of to show how big and clever you are.

Without this level of competition and someone pushing you on, it's easy to get complaisant that you are the bigger or stronger or fitter person and if this continues, progress in the gym will be seriously damaged.

Listen up and be open minded...
You may be bigger, faster, leaner, fitter than your training partner, but you don't know everything. If they have an idea, go with it. Variation is key! Likewise, you see something you like that someone in the gym is doing, don't be afraid to ask. We're always learning so if you can get a little something from another gym goer then soak up all you can. I know I said to train with people similar to you, but if the opportunity comes to train with someone new as a one-off session go for it. If you trained with a gymnast and a powerlifter on two separate occasions, you may hate it but if you can take away just one thing from each session then it's been productive. Learning what you don't like and what doesn't work for you is just as important.

One-man(or woman)mission...
To the solo trainers. These guys have it in their favour in terms of time spent in the gym. I myself am usually a solo trainer most of the time and like that I don't need to wait for friends to finish sets, explain an exercise or adjust weights for other people and I can be done with a session quicker than most partners.

However... there are some things you don't get training alone. No spotter for heavier sets, no "let's do one more set" on the day you're feeling tired or even more essential for some people, "we ARE going to the gym - don't be lazy" discussions.

Most significant in my mind, is that unless you consciously aim to do so, sessions will become formulaic and stagnant. Without variety, suggestions from a training partner, tweaking of exercises and new approaches, most people will plod through the same sessions week after week and seriously compromise results.

Don't forget, you can follow me on: http://twitter.com/MichaelD_PT