Sean Nalewanyj asked:


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.



Muscle Growth

Shawn Lebrun asked:


There are some common muscle building myths out there that seem to never go away.

As a result some people believe them and it can hinder the benefits they get from their efforts.

Being able to separate the truth from the myths about muscle building will help ensure you devise a plan of action that is going to get you terrific results.

Some individuals assume that cutting back on calories is essential when you are engaging in muscle building practices.

However, the opposite is true as you need to consume more calories.

You definitely need to make sure you consume the right foods though. Plenty of protein will help you get the energy you need.

Your body also needs plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and water.

You should try to eat a combination of such foods every 3 hours. Perhaps the biggest myth about muscle building is that you have to lift weights every day.

You only want to do so every other day so that your muscles can rest.

It is during that resting and repairing stage that you will see the size and definition of your muscles improving.

So by lifting every single day you prevent your body from being able to produce those results. Some individuals believe that you don’t need to incorporate any other type of exercise into your routine when you are muscle building.

However, in order for your body to be as healthy as possible you need to include aerobic exercises to help your health and your circulation.

In fact, if you do this on the days when you don’t lift weights you will have a very well balanced workout routine.

There is a myth that muscle building will cause a person to become less flexible than they are right now.

This is a concern for many athletes as they don’t want to lose their ability to perform well in a variety of sports.

There is no truth to this though and many football coaches encourage their players to lift several times a week.

One myth you definitely don’t want to pay attention to is that you have to lift large amounts of weight in order for muscle building to be effective.

This particular myth can result in a person injuring themselves because they attempt to lift more than they reasonably should.

You need to focus on lifting what you can and then increasing your endurance from there.

Don’t compare what you can lift to anyone else but do motivate yourself to keep on making progress.

Many people also feel that if you aren’t feeling the pain then you aren’t going to make the gain.

While you should feel the results of your muscle building efforts you shouldn’t be in pain day after day because of it.

Pay very close attention to what your body is telling you. That way you aren’t going to do unnecessary damage to your body.

It is important to research the information you find about muscle building. That way you will know for sure if it is credible or not.

When you don’t take the time to do so you may be investing your time and money in methods that don’t work.

You can also increase your chance of getting hurt during our muscle building routine.

There are plenty of reputable magazines, websites, and trainers out there that can help you discover the right ways to go about effective muscle building.



Muscle Building