Exposing the following 10 myths will demonstrate how many fitness concepts can be misconstrued into these. Lisa Berry, RHN, CPTN, CTA and owner of Graciously Living, sat down and devoted her professional knowledge to revealing the truths behind these myths so that weight trainers can prepare their bodies for a regimen in the most correct way possible.
High Repetitions Burn Fat While Low Repetitions Build Muscle
No matter what type of weight training you are doing you are burning fat and strengthening muscle.
“If someone goes fast and hard they give the heart a better workout and if the repetitions are completed slowly they will build muscle. However, both types of exercise build muscle and burn fat,” says Berry.
Definition as we know it has two characteristics, muscle size and low fat prevalence. In order to reduce the fat to obtain definition you must burn calories. While a high-rep exercise will help to burn these calories it would be more efficient to just jog or walk it off. Better yet, using a low rep routine to speed up the metabolism will burn more calories consequently leaving less fat.
Vegetarians Cannot Build Muscle
To say that vegetarians cannot build muscle is like saying vegetarians are not human. All human beings are made up of muscle and in a lifetime will continue to build, lose and rebuild the muscle supporting the structure of the body.
Berry confirmed that, “Protein supports muscle growth and vegetable protein is able to do this. You can actually get great protein from grains, legumes, seeds and nuts; meat is not the soul source.”
Studies have also confirmed that athletes following a meat-free diet have no handicap to their athletic performance.
By Eating More Protein I Can Build Bigger Muscles
Consuming protein is certainly a key aspect that supports muscle growth, however protein does not fulfill the two components involved in creating muscle mass; progressive overload and a higher calorie intake.
“If you are trying to take your muscles to a higher level you are going to have to start with a new program first! A more intense workout will rip the muscle and your protein intake will need to be increased in order to help repair this muscle overkill,” says Berry.
With a program designed to exercise the body beyond its normal limits, a high calorie intake is necessary to feed the muscles and allow the body to perform the routine at its highest capabilities.
If I Am Not Sore After a Workout, I Did Not Work Out Hard Enough
The aches that are never looked forward to after a great workout are not an indication of how hard the workout was but rather how fit one's body is. When a personal trainer creates a new program for a client, the post-workout soreness will only decrease as the body continues to condition itself to the routine. Continuing to workout on the same routine will eventually cause the body to hit a plateau prohibiting further muscle growth. By switching up the program or, even better, the type of exercise, the muscles will be used in a way they are not accustomed to. Try switching a regular weight-training routine for a cardio funk dance class; it is guaranteed to result in that morning soreness.
Resistance Training Does Not Burn Fat
Of all the myths out there, this one could possibly be the furthest from factual.
“By contracting the muscles you are not only burning calories but you are assisting the metabolically active tissue in the muscles. This will help to increase the metabolism and we all know the faster the metabolism, the faster fat burns off. Resistance training is also a major fat burner because the muscles are fed the oxygen they need at the appropriate time,” states Berry.
Strength Training Will Not Workout Your Heart
Any type of exercise causes the body to pump blood and oxygen through the body at a higher than normal rate, so yes, strength training will condition the heart. However, doing a different type of exercise such as jogging or running will work the heart out more.
If I Am a Body Builder and I Stop Working Out, My Muscle Will Turn Into Fat
This is another myth that continues to baffle professionals such as Berry who says, “adipose tissue (fat) is completely separate from muscle tissue and one will never turn into the other.” For body builders who stop working out and notice a significant muscle loss it must be understood that the body is just returning to its natural shape.
The More You Workout, the More You Will Grow
Tearing the muscle is only half of the battle when increasing muscle tissue. If the muscle is over-trained and not left to heal the outcome is ultimately zero growth and possibly even a loss in tissue. Think of the agonizing pain the quadriceps have after a serious squat session. If that same session were to be performed before the muscle rebuilds the tissue it will only tear it more, hindering the growth of more muscle.
You Should Only Rest 45 Seconds in Between Sets
Using this statement as a rule of thumb is exactly what not to think when weight training. Berry explains, “It really depends on your goal. Shorter rests will increase cardiovascular health and help burn fat, while longer rests will allow the body to build muscle tissue.” Having a professional create a detailed program made specifically to target an individual's body is highly recommended when beginning any sort of weight-training regimen and doing this will ensure that all reps, sets, and weight are adjusted according to the desired look of the muscle.
Training With Weights Causes Your Muscles to Get Tight and Hinder Flexibility
A more correct statement would be that, when done properly, weight training will increase flexibility. This misunderstanding seems to have stemmed from the tight feeling in the muscle during a weight-training regimen. When the muscles are torn in the process, the normal tonus (the normal contraction of a relaxed muscle) of the muscle is disrupted causing that tight feeling. It is perfectly normal and should be alleviated with regular stretching pre and post-workout.
“Stretching after a workout is imperative to lengthen the muscle and keep its liability. A good way to understand it is to picture the bump that moves up when a calf raise is performed. With every action there is a reaction and the reaction to that bump moving up is for it to move down,” Berry explains.
