Deadly Myths You Don't Know-Part 2

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 next 3 of the 6 myths that must be dispelled.

4. Myth: Low repetitions are for size and high repetitions are for cutting. Your muscles do not have much personality. They are either growing, shrinking, or staying the same. If you want your muscles to grow, then gradually force your muscles to do more work and outperform your last workout’s performance. If you are content with the size of your muscles right now, then this is easy--just keep doing what you are doing. To make your muscles smaller is even easier--simply do not train them.
   
   You can't pick certain exercises to get one muscle "cut" or make another muscle "huge." This theory holds no water. Muscle "cuts" are a reflection of two criteria on your body:
   1. pure muscle size
   2. low levels of body fat (in the single digits)
   If you want to build massive muscles use the principle of progression. If you wish to get "cut" or "ripped" be prepared to drop your body fat levels into the single digits.
   
   Next time you hear someone say, "I just lift light weights to get toned," then pat them on the back and point them in the direction of the cardiovascular exercise section of the gym as a better option. Light weights do not build muscle, period. They will burn calories and that's all. You’re better off maximizing your time by burning calories running or doing jumping jacks. If you see someone with the goal to get bigger and they are a cardiovascular exercise junkie--grab their hand and lead them to the heavy weights.


5. Myth: Monday is chest day, Tuesday is Leg day, Wednesday is Back day... Splitting up a program is preached like "gospel." This doctrine is rarely on trial or questioned as the way to structure a muscle building program. Splitting up a program is fine and has some benefits. It can also be the fastest way to over-train and burn out. Too often people forget you do not get stronger in the gym. You get stronger and bigger when you sleep, eat, and FULLY recover.
   
   To super compensate from your previous workout, your muscles are not the only things that must experience a full recovery. It's also important that you remember you are taxing and depleting your central nervous system (CNS), your hormonal system, and your immune system. These systems take longer than your muscles to recover. Just because your muscles say, "Okay, we feel fine now. Let's workout again,” you must still experience a FULL recovery prior to attempting to stimulate your muscles again for more muscle growth.
   
   Consider this practical example... What is the best way to cure a sickness?
   1. By taking an entire bottle of aspirin in one sitting?
   2. taking smaller dosages at intervals?
   I hope you agreed with the second solution. By extension then, what is the best way to build muscle?
   1. Taking one huge dosage of exercise per muscle group per week?
   2. taking smaller dosages of exercise on a muscle group?


6. Myth: Shock your muscles and keep them guessing. This has got to be one of the most misleading statements ever made (no hard feelings because in theory it can be convincing). The people who used to give me this advice must have been "shocking" their muscles the wrong way, because they had no muscle mass on their bodies to back up that statement.
   
   If you think about this myth long enough, it's kind of funny. Do you really think you can change your exercises and training program to "surprise" your muscle tissues and get a different reaction out of them? Your muscle tissues do not have the capacity to reward you with new muscle growth simply because you "confused" them. Your muscles understand MOVEMENT and that's all. Push, pull, curl, extend, contract, or release. That's it. You can be lifting bags of sand or dead-lifting 400 pounds and the action on your muscles is the same. Your knees bend and your torso flexes. Where is the shock? Why would your muscles say, “Holy Macaroni Batman, you’re lifting with an Olympic bar and not sand bags anymore. Better pack on some muscle.”
   
   Maybe you can switch up the order of your program by hitting a weak body part twice in one week. If you only train your arms once a week and then "strategically" throw arms in twice one week, they will be "shocked" into growing.Please!Your muscles operate on laws of science, not on laws of trickery. Forget trying to shock, confuse, trick, or "keep your muscles guessing." The only thing that will be shocked and confused is the person messing around with this theory who has no clue why their body has not changed in the time they started this magic show.