Deadly Myths You Don't Know-Part 1

There are so many unproven muscle building myths that are still around us. Would you believe me if I said you are being scammed out of 90% of the muscle growth you should be getting because you have been mislead and misinformed by one or all of these deadly myths? Here are the first 3 of 6 myths that must be dispelled.

1. Myth: Train like a bodybuilder to build muscle. This is the message made popular by the bodybuilding world. While this mantra may have inspired millions via popular fitness magazines, it has also mislead millions by reprinting and rehashing irresponsible training nonsense that will wreak havoc on your body and make you just another one of the herd.
   
   Imitating the training of the "champion" bodybuilder is one of the most costly frauds in the exercise world because the instruction from elite bodybuilders has no practical relevance for average people like you and me who are without gifted genetic potential and are drug-free. The traditional 5-7 day splits, 5 exercises per muscle, 24 set chest program is training suicide for the average person not spending a couple thousand dollars a week on "special supplements." Not only are these magazines useless, but they are often the cause of injuries, over-training, and even illness. The books and magazines will not tell you that the drugs and genetics were responsible for curing their problem of being a hard-gainer. You're told that the sponsor's supplements, better training, and more dedication are their "secrets."


2. Myth: Train for the "holy" pump. The "muscle pump" is described as putting your muscles under an extended period of constant tension. As your muscles stretch and contract they become gorged with blood which makes them feel tighter and fuller. Getting a muscle pump is not necessarily what causes your muscle to grow. Doing 100 repetitions with a light weight will create a huge pump. Does this make your muscle grow? Of course not! Distance runners get a pump in their legs when they sprint uphill. Do they get big muscles? Heck no!
   
   Most bodybuilders swear by the "pump" and preach that you are shuttling more nutrients into your muscles. Is that what is really happening? It feels great, but all that is occurring is a back-up of blood. Your blood is stuck inside your muscle, which creates that worshiped tightness and full look. The blood that's backed up into your muscle has hit a dead end and has nowhere to go. If you had fresh new blood that would be great, but unfortunately you just have old, stale blood getting ready for a snooze. That will not help you gain weight or build muscle mass. The pump that is built up by the blood in your muscles will usually occur after you repeat set after set, which results in the famous "burning" sensation known as lactic acid. Lactic acid forms in the absence of oxygen. Lactic acid is a waste product and does nothing to build muscle. If you are lifting extremely heavy weights and achieving a pump, then this is a very good indication that you are making your muscle fibers work fully. I would only use the pump as an indicator to reveal how well you are "targeting" your working muscle. It's not a guide to mark your success.


3. Myth: You MUST train to "failure." Training to "failure" has probably received more debate, misinterpretation, and improper logic resulting in too much wasted effort. Going to failure–-the point in a set where you are physically incapable of going just one more repetition--is preached as the most promised way to make continuous muscle gains. Interestingly, there is no activity outside the gym that demonstrates this "going to failure" principle is as critical as you might think.
   
   Have you ever been to a track meet and noticed the difference between long distance runners sprinters? Check out the tremendous thigh muscles on the sprinter in the picture. Compared to the long distance guy, they're huge. Yet you'll never see any sprinter train to failure. When they sprint through the finish line, they don't collapse. Sprinters demonstrate a greater amount of muscular work in less time each time they practice and race.
   
   Why then are we commanded that "failure" is an absolute law for stimulating muscle growth when evidence shows otherwise? Improving your body’s sensitivity to the cold does not require you to go outside in the middle of winter with no clothes on until you pass out. If you want to improve your tan, it isn’t necessary to subject your skin to the sun until it blisters. If you want to improve your ability to hold your breath under water, do you need to go to the point of drowning? Your body’s primary function in life is to survive. It will adapt only to the point where your body has sufficient defense against whatever element it is exposed to. When lifting weights your body will adapt to the intensity you have exposed it to over time, while maintaining your recovery resources. Muscle growth stimulation operates on the same principle and does not require over killing your muscles’ absolute limit.

Tomorrow, myths 4 through 6.