People have so many misconceptions about bodybuilding. Getting ripped muscles and a toned body is not an easy feat. If you have made the decision to build muscles, you must first unlearn certain myths about bodybuilding. Let’s begin:
Contents
- 1 1: You must eat a high-calorie diet to get big
- 2 2: If you are eating a low-fat diet, you won’t get fat no matter how many calories you consume
- 3 3: The more you train, the more you will grow
- 4 4: Fancy weight lifting equipment provide the best gains
- 5 5: Food supplements are just as effective as steroids
- 6 6: Weight training can make women manly
- 7 7: You can eat anything if you are working out
- 8 8: If you are muscles are not sore after a workout, you won’t see results
1: You must eat a high-calorie diet to get big
More calories certainly make you big but if you are talking about getting big lean tissue wise, you a high-calorie diet is not the answer. It will only work if you have a higher metabolic rate that you are able to burn the calories before they deposit themselves as fat.
Unfortunately, about 65 percent of the new tissue gains brought by taking a high-calorie diet consists of fat. Therefore, don’t think you will be able to jack yourself up with a high-calorie diet.
2: If you are eating a low-fat diet, you won’t get fat no matter how many calories you consume
A low-fat diet is good, but if you exceed your energy requirement, you will start getting fat.
Fat tends to metabolize in your body differently. It takes less amount of calories to assimilate the energy from fats as compared to that of carbohydrates. Also, our body tends to store more fat calories as compared to carbohydrate calories. If you
3: The more you train, the more you will grow
This is absolutely untrue. Overtraining is a thing and it can have an adverse effect on your health. If you end up overtraining your muscles, they take more time to heal and the result is zero muscle gain.
Instead of inhibiting gains, make sure you train just enough. It’s ok to be out of the gym and let your body recover. Otherwise, you will eventually end up hurting yourself.
4: Fancy weight lifting equipment provide the best gains
The fancy and futuristic machines are less effective than traditional barbells and dumbbells. Yes, if you just use free weight on basic exercises such as shoulder press, bench press, deadlift, and squat, you will be amazed by the results.
There is scientific research that the modern exercise machines of today lack the eccentric component of an exercise which is necessary for the muscle tissues to grow.
5: Food supplements are just as effective as steroids
No, food supplements don’t bring the same results as steroids. There is no supplement currently available that works like steroids. But that does not mean supplements and nutrients aren’t effective enough to compliment your gains. They are not the same as steroids though.
It’s important to remember that supplements work differently on each person. Supplements are generally safer and legal to use. However, they won’t help you build muscle as fast as steroids do.
6: Weight training can make women manly
Lots of women are scared of training with weights because they are afraid it would make them bulky. This is not true. In fact, weight lifting is a great way of getting in shape. A woman can only turn into a bodybuilder-like figure if they ingest a large amount of steroids, eat and train like professional bodybuilders.
7: You can eat anything if you are working out
Just because you are hitting the gym and working hard to burn the calories you have consumed, it does not mean you are free to eat anything.
Exercise and a proper diet go hand in hand. If you want to stay lean and make your muscles grow, you must take a healthy and balanced diet. You will need energy to make your muscles recover. You need to consume the right amount of proteins, fats, fibers, and carbs.
8: If you are muscles are not sore after a workout, you won’t see results
The progress of your workout session is not determined by the pain you feel after working out. Muscle soreness becomes evident after 6 to 8 hours of working out. It is just an indication that your body is making adaptions to prepare the muscles to repeat this activity. That is why your muscles are sore the most on the first day of your workout. The soreness is never an indication of the success or effectiveness of a workout plan.
The list of myths goes on and on. The key is not to believe everything you hear. Do your research, ask the experts and then decide if you want to believe or not.