Oh, the things you hear around the gym! There are dozens of silly myths flying around the gym and it’s a problem. If you have the wrong facts, then how will you get the right results? Let’s debunk some of the most common myths of the gym so you can get your facts straight and get more out of your time and effort at the gym.
Lifting weights will bulk you up:ope. Just to be clear, you would need to lift a high volume of sets, reps, and weight consistently to create muscle hypertrophy. This means doing the same body parts and movements multiple times per week using 3-6 sets of 8-25 repetitions with medium to heavy weights. We’re talking bodybuilding type stuff here. Oh, by the way, you would need to be eating protein like it’s your job too! Rather than bulking you up, a comprehensive resistance training program will be more likely to help you to build strength and durability.
Squats are bad for your knees:ope. Loading your knee joint is one of the best ways to promote healthy joint surfaces and surrounding knee joint structures. When squats are done properly, they are a great exercise to promote healthy knees. There are many variations of squats and many ways to scale squats. One key is to find the variation or progression level of squat that is right for you. Another key is to work your tolerance to squats up slowly. Try something like a Wall Sitf you’re having trouble with traditional squats. This might be a better version for you and exactly what you need to get back to traditional squats over time.
You should keep your muscles guessing:ope. Your muscles crave repetition and progressive overload. When you change it up or do random workouts all of the time, you never give your muscles a chance to accommodate and get stronger. The key is to stick to a plan that only gets progressed every 4-6 weeks. This will give your muscles the chance to gain strength rather than just feeling the burn or burning calories.
You need more cardio if you want to burn fat:ope. There are many ways to burn fat. You are better off participating in a balanced strength and conditioning program than you are sticking to a cardio heavy plan. Resistance training is a valid and effective way to burn fat. Your program should include a healthy and balanced amount of resistance training work combined with comfortable doses of high and low-intensity cardiovascular work sprinkled in. However, the kitchen is the key! If weight loss or fat burn is your primary agenda, you need to make your eating habits a priority. Improving your habits in the kitchen will benefit you more than trying to run a few more miles every week. Click HEREo learn more about our TDAE Nutrition Coaching.
You will burn more calories if you do your reps faster:ope. In fact, you are better off slowing your sets and reps down to get more out of them. Going fast in many cases is going to make an exercise easier. Try isometric holdsnd slow eccentric work in any exercise if you want to get more bang for your buck. Slowing down your reps will also help you to promote greater strength and durability gains. Slowing down your reps will pump up the overall time under tension per set. This is like pouring a spinach infused salad dressing over your bowl of spinach salad: you get more spinach and more benefits from the spinach.
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Tim DiFrancesco, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS spent 6 seasons as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and is the founder of TD Athletes Edge. He is nationally renowned for his evidence-based and scientific approach to fitness, training, nutrition, and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
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