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10. Women will get bulky from lifting weights
Let me be more specific – women are afraid that lifting HEAVY weights will make them bulky. Crappy fitness videos abound with women performing biceps curls and triceps kickbacks with dumbbells that should only be used as paper weights.
Women can not get big and bulky for one very good reason…their bodies don’t produce enough testosterone to build the large bulky muscles you’re likely to see in bodybuilding ads. Testosterone is a key ingredient to putting on muscle mass, and the only way women can get this type of big bulky look is by taking steroids and hormone injections. This is why you see bulky female body builders.
So don’t be afraid to lift heavy weights if you’re a woman. Lifting heavy will make a woman strong, not manly. And personally, I find a strong woman sexy as hell.
9. Yoga will make you long and lean
I’ve been to a few yoga classes in my day. And yes, I’ll admit my attendance was at least “partly” motivated by the target rich environment of fit young ladies (there was only one other dude in the class). But the flexibility and breath training of yoga appealed to the martial artist in me, so I took the class seriously.
My take on yoga? After over 25 years of martial arts training, yoga was the best flexibility training that I ever experienced. I also found yoga to be outstanding for balance, static strength, and breath work. But hearing someone say that yoga will make your muscles long and lean makes me cringe. Maybe we’re dealing with semantics here, but I’m thinking the “length” of a muscle is not going to change anymore than the skeletal structure it’s attached to. Perhaps the increase in flexibility from yoga training causes people to use the term “long” to describe their muscles. Whether it’s poor terminology or marketing hype, yoga will not make your muscles long.
As far as lean, yoga will contribute no more to being “lean” than any other activity using equivalent caloric expenditure. I’m saying that if your yoga class causes you to burn 150 calories and mopping the floor causes you to burn 150 calories, mopping the floor will make you just as lean as doing yoga. But then you’re unlikely to see the hot blonde chic doing the downward dog in yoga pants while mopping your floor.
8. Deadlifts and Squats are dangerous.
Have you picked a bag of groceries off of the floor recently? Then you’ve done the deadlift. Have you stood up from a seated position? Then you’ve done the squat. Danger in these movements is a factor of load and technique. Proper technique will ensure proper skeletal alignment, reducing the chance of injury. Using a load appropriate for your current fitness level will also reduce the chance of injury. Notice I did not say eliminate injury. All movement involves the risk of injury to some extent, whether it’s rocking a 400 pound squat or crossing the street.
We don’t cross the street before learning the proper technique (look both ways, Johnny) and the same applies to the deadlift and the squat.
7. Three sets of ten repetitions is the best program for building muscle.
Let me make this clear from the start: There is no “best program” for building muscle. There are too many factors that change from person to person to call anything “best”. That being said, three sets of ten reps is a good program for building muscle – for the beginner.
But damn near any resistance training someone does if they have no prior training is going to garner a muscle building response. Beware the lofty promises of the glossy fitness mags. Three sets of ten reps is not a cure-all for the muscularly challenged. The Gym Junkies muscle buiding program would be a better starting point for people with prior training experience.
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6. Machines are safer than free weights
Damn near every exercise machine lulls you into a false sense of security. The machine makes you think you are strong, when you are much weaker than you would be if you spent the same time and effort with free weights. The machine forces you into a plane of motion that is not natural and almost always robs you of the opportunity to develop stabilizing muscles, posture, and balance.
So when the real world strikes – and the real world always strikes – and you have to lift a couch or push a car or pull your dog off of the mailman, you’ll find that all of your machine work doesn’t quite transfer to the task at hand. Skeletal and muscular injuries are a risk in ANY exercise program. A deadlift isn’t bungee jumping. Grab the bar and move some damn weight!
5. Looking fit = being fit.
Oh how I love it when the former high school football star walks into my gym for the first time. He’s five or ten years removed from his varsity jacket, but he still appears to be in pretty good shape. Hell, he still goes to the gym three days a week and he IS in better shape than the average Joe.
But his fitness mag workout built muscles lie to him. They give him an arrogance that I smell and I can’t help but satisfy the urge to serve him some humble pie. So I feed him a simple 4 minute workout of Tabata squats. No added weight – just his body. His face reddens, his legs quiver, but he makes it to the end. And then curls into the fetal position in the corner.
Being “fit” should give a person relative high performance across a broad spectrum of physical attributes including strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, and coordination. You can look like an underwear model and still get humbled by having to move the refrigerator.
4. Targeting specific muscle groups is the best way to lift.
How many times have you heard “Today I’m doing bi’s and tri’s” or “Monday is my chest day”? How you plan a resistance training program depends on several factors, but the one factor we’ll concern ourselves with here is the goal in mind.
Why are you doing resistance training? I prefer to design programs around movements instead of muscles. The real world is never going to give you a task that focuses only on your “bi’s”. The body moves as one piece so it is important that you treat it accordingly. Full body movements like deadlifts, power cleans, and presses should be the staples of any resistance program.
At least any program that wants to get you fit and not just ready for your beach vacation.
3. You need supplements to get in good shape
Supplements should be used only for what they’re name implies: to “supplement” an already nutritious diet. Pills, powders, potions, and magic elixirs are not the Holy Grail they are purported to be.
Most supplements are useless, and the few that are beneficial should only be applied after solid nutrition is in place. What supplements do I consider alright? A good multi-vitamin is never going to get bad mouthed by me. An omega-3 supplement if you are unable to get it from your diet (and few of us can) is alright. And maybe, and I said maybe, a protein powder if you are unable to acquire the required amount of protein from your diet. Keep the Horny Goat Weed to yourself.
2. Long slow running is the best way to lose weight
I so wish this one would go the way of the dinosaur. But I still hear people saying how they’re running 5 miles a day in their efforts to lose weight. I tell them that if they want to run to lose weight they should sprint their ass off until they see stars and then walk until the stars go away. Then repeat this cycle until they feel like it is impossible to continue.
The reality is that long slow cardio training of any kind – whether pounding the pavement or watching the wheels go ’round on the eliptical is inefficient to put it nicely and a waste of time to put it bluntly. And for all of you wannabe-gerbils rocking the treadmills, don’t get me started on the pretty lights and the “fat burning zone” of the digital read out. Just like your prom date saying it’s her first time, those things lie – don’t believe the hype.
Cranking your metabolism into a fat burning furnace takes pushing yourself to an exertion level that is “uncomfortable”.
1. Crunches will get rid of belly fat
Oh man, this one is right up there with long slow cardio as far as pervasive myths that get my blood boiling go. In a very broad sense, getting rid of fat is a simple factor of expending more calories that you take in.
And doing a crunch, which moves the body through a minuscule range of motion, is not going to expend many calories. Cranking the metabolism with some solid muscle building resistance training is going to go a hell of a lot farther in reducing your spare tire than racking up your crunch total.
I’ll even go as far as to say you can get the abs of a Greek god without doing a single crunch.
Any more myths I need to put to rest?
What are some of the fitness questions or myths you need answers to? Post them below and I’ll answer them ASAP!
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-Vic
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Vic Magary is a personal trainer, a US ARMY veteran and karate/taekwondo black belt. You can get a proven fat loss plan by picking up my 31 Day Workout Manual or by signing up for my Free Newsletter |
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Awesome! I couldn’t agree more with you on these points and feel so validated as a fitness professional to hear like-minded pros. I will be passing this along as an educational tool.
This site just keeps getting better and better!
Interesting, I always thought machines were safer than freeweights tho
Great write up. I think you can still incorporate some of the above into your routine and see some positive results.
If long slow runs did the trick I’d be showing 6-pack abs. I ran a marathon in ‘07 and in all of the training I maybe lost a few pounds. I didn’t run to lose weight mind you, I’m just agreeing that LSD’s won’t shed the flab.
That’s good stuff, Vic! I think #10 is huge as it’s very important for the health of women as they age. Too many weak, decrepit women running around.
I also love #8. I think the most important exercise that anyone can do is the deadlift. It’s functional, can be done without a spotter, and as long as proper form is maintained you’re unlikely to get hurt. Very little likelihood of having muscle imbalances from a lift like the deadlift also.
Cheers
Scott Kustes
Modern Forager
Vic,
Great post buddy! I slipped a disk close to 20 years ago using the leg press machine, but never had troubles with squats when I was younger. Machines can be useful when used in moderation, but like you I believe that routines should be structured around free-weights.
Also…funny that you mention looking fit -vs- being fit. Most of the “muscle-bound” guys in my experience have terrible conditioning. Guys in elite military units or athletics that require good conditioning (like soccer) have better proportions than most guys in the gym.
Here is another myth…”Getting Sore Being an Indicator of a Good Workout”. I remember using all of those traditional “80’s” bodybuilding techniques like forced reps, negatives, pre-exhausting the muscle, etc…using tons of sets and reps and getting extremely sore. Breaking down the muscle too much is counterproductive.
Great list. I always like to say if aerobics was the answer for real weight loss, the 80s would of ended the obesity epidemic (and we would all be stuck still wearing neon headbands). I would also add the myth of eating 6x a day to increase metabolism, as it doesn’t (it’s just a way to keep in calorie deficit for weight loss, that’s all).
Great list! #5 babay… I love that one. I always want to tell “that guy” to “Keep holding on to that letterman’s jacket. I’m sure you can still throw a football over those mountains, just like back in ‘82.” Hahaha
All the Best,
Andrew R
Hi. Just found your site through Rusty’s fitness black book site. I have been doing a 5×5 stronglift routine (www.stronglifts.com) for the past 5 weeks and am seeing great results.. When I started I couldnt do 1 pull up (even though I had been training in the gym for 6 months) I can now do 8 pretty easily. My strength has gone through the roof!However I recently heard that working out can accelerate hairloss!! This has really freaked me out! and I’m considering giving up working out altogether even though I love it! Is this a myth. I cant seem to find a definitive answer anywhere!
great site btw!!
#1 sure is my favourite, but but won’t my new ab blaster melt my blubber away?
although I will take any excuse not to do a boring crunch again!
@ Rusty: Right on about soreness not necessarily being the indicator of a good workout. Strength training in particular usually does not make me very sore. Log those stats and let the numbers tell the tale!
@ Mike OD: I graduated high school in ‘89 so I’m feeling the neon headbands. I still have a predilection for chics in leg warmers.
@ Ciaran: Ummm, hair loss? Well, the best I can tell you is that the 5×5 program is great and very well should increase testosterone production. And I think I remember reading once that bald men have a higher T-count statistically. But man, I’m no follicle expert. Sorry.
@ theoddbody: Ah, yeah! Set up the ab blaster, baby. And the thigh-master too, with Suzanne Summers. Told you I was a child of the ’80’s.
Hey Vic. I found your blog through Rusty’s (of the Fitness Black Book) latest post. Really entertaining post. I don’t think point 10 is going anywhere soon. I hardly ever see women exerting themselves when using free weights in my gym.
This is a great list! I wish more women would listen to that advice about building muscle, I know a young female athlete who does lots of weight training, she lifts heavier weights than my husband and doesn’t have bulky muscles, she’s just very strong. She actually developed a weight training programme for my husband, essentially teaching him to do the same thing she did and he bulked up even though she didn’t, and she is still lifting heavier weights than him. Just proves that women & men can train in the same way but build strength very differently.
Ciaran,
You won’t end up being a baldy like me unless it runs in the family
If you do start going bald, make sure you pay attention to style. I visited your site and judging by your cutting edge graphic design work, you probably dress well with your own style. I’m glad you clicked over to Vic’s site. This site will explode soon…so much good info!
Rusty
Horny Goat weed!!! lol! Can’t thank you enough for this site Vic. I’ve stumbled on to a treasure chest of fitness here. The links you have provided to all the other awesome sites are so helpful. I’m hooked!
Great site and post! Thanks to you and Rusty, who directed me here.
A possible myth pertains to forbidding kids from gyms because it would damage growth cartilages. I think that would happen only if kids pulled heavy weights, not did free bodyweight training.
it AMAZES me so many women STILL think they will bulk
Id love me some bulk!
Oops, the “Lifting increases your testosterone production” is also a good one that you should put on the myth list as lifting has nothing to do with testosterone production. Testosterone levels are determined by other things. Among them, testosterone production requires cholesterol, and cholesterol for testosterone production comes exclusively from the liver. It has nothing to do with the cholesterol you ingest. Therefore, if your diet is on-spot but you still have a high cholesterol level, you will almost certainly find out that you’re low on testosterone. And yes, lifting heavy can cause hair loss due to hormone imbalances. Eating and resting right will avoid this.
Rusty,
Cheers for that. Hairloss does run in my family. In fact most of male cousins on my fathers side were bald by the time they were 25. My dad is bald and my younger brother is showing signs of hair thinning. I am 28 and havnt noticed any signs of it myself… but I think it may only be a matter of time although I dont want to speed the process up if I can help it! I appreciate what your saying about style. If I do go bald I guess I’ll just concentrate on my physique and make the most of what I’ve got! lol
Thanks for checking out my site!
Vic,
You and Justin are doing a fantastic job man. So clean, so professional! Great video quality. You guys are impressive in a world of garbage sites!
Hey Vic,
Just came across your site by pure fluke but loving the content. I love #9 because most guys think yoga is for women but after the first time I did it, I was hooked!
Great list and looking forward to your updates.
Nehal Kazim
Enjoyed what I read, I’m 52 years old work out three times a week. I only use free weights. I deadlift once a week, squat 3 times a week, bench press, overhead press, pullups and chinups, and pushups. I never work just my shoulders or arms. I don’t need to. I don’t run anywhere ever. I weight 210 pounds with a 32 inch waist. Free weights are the bomb.
@Tom: Here’s how I get my female clients to lift heavy. . . I ask them how much their husband / boyfriend weighs. Then if it’s not too much (200lbs or under), I tell them our goal is to be able to deadlift their man. Man, they start pulling that bar with a vengeance!
@Bonnie: Amen. Women and men can use the exact same exercises and protocols when training.
@Rambodoc: I agree kids can train – and train hard – relative to their individual growth development.
@ NixNet: Thanks for your hormone expertise.
@ Brian: Many, many, thanks.
@ Nehal: Yoga straight up kicked my ass. No joke.
@ Kenny Bob: Dude, you are a f’n machine! Way to show the young bucks how it’s done!
Hey Vic, this is an awesome list. As a woman, it drives me insane to hear other women say they don’t do strength training, because they don’t want to get bulky! 35lb kettlebell swings haven’t turned ME into Schwarzenegger.
The one I have the hardest time following is the slow cardio. Granted, I only do 20 minute runs, but I find myself feeling like I’m not trying hard enough when I do intervals rather t. Guess I need to turn up the incline, eh?
Thanks again for the great post!
Hey Vic, just wanted to say that your site friggin rocks, I love all of your advice and tips. Ive been working out for 6 months without any type of success until I started using your advice and so far so good.
Intersting. Although I don’t work out myself, my girlfriend who does might find this interesting. Thanks for the article.
@Stephanie: As far as intervals go, if you’re not seeing stars and questioning your ability to survive the session, you have plenty of room to ramp up the intensity. Seriously.
@ Eric: Thanks, man! Glad to hear you’re seeing some results. Keep it up and train hard!
@griffin: Man, everyone needs to workout. I’m not saying you need to push the iron or make yourself nauseous with circuit training (although I strongly recommend them both). I am saying the body is designed to move and everyone should find a physical activity that they enjoy and engage in it regularly.
So, true. You see it so often in the gym, same people making the same mistakes. Misinformation.
Vic I love this. Your tep ten myths are spot on as is all of the information you give. I love the humor in your frustration! It is amazing how many people are hoodwinked by marketeers into so many pills, powders and gimmicks when they could actually achieve great transformations with a little properly focused w…w…w…oh yeah- the dreaded “w” word: WORK!
Ei Vic Great Article indeed… specially about that slow long running thing… i do agree with you there… im a runner and regularly run 5 miles a day and i do enjoy it… but the i lost a lot more pounds and flab by incorporating sprints when running… btw… love your site…very informative indeed and im going to take what i’ve learned and incorporate it in my workout routine…thanks
)
@ Chris – Thanks man. I agree, people need to WORK!
@Rolan – I’m glad you enjoy the site! It makes it easier to write when people are getting help from it.
Vic,
Great to see that you found your calling. I saw Quan Jang in Nashville last year and we had a beer. I’m pretty proud as I know you are, to have been one of his students and I’m glad to see you’ve become an instructor. I was searching for him on Youtube and came across your posts. You’ve got some great things to say. Nice job.
I’ll swing by the studio sometime and say hi.
Later
@ Rich: Man, the internet is amazing! Quan Jang Cook actually taught a seminar here at my place over the summer because I was able to track him down through the internet. And now you and I have reconnected. Great to hear from you and stop by anytime.
And for all of the Gym Junkies readers, I’ll let you know that Rich used to BEAT MY ASS back in the day in Tae Kwon Do class. Ahh yes, the good ol’ days.
How about posting something about speculation that cardio ruins a workout plan. I hear it all the time
Hey Vic, one more myth…Bigger muscles mean stronger muscles. Maybe it’s a cliche but ’size doesn’t matter!’ At least not when it comes to strength and power. I wish people understood that training for strength and training for size (hypertrophy) are quite different.
Does lifting weights at a young age stunt growth?
Does it stunt your growth? Well, not that I’ve seen. But then, I’ve never really trained any youngsters on lifting weights. But weight is weight. If you start with your body weight, let’s say a push up, and that becomes easy – the load of body weight only is no longer producing a desirable training effect – then adding weight to increase the difficulty (whether through use of a weight vest or switching to the bench press) should be fine regardless of age. I don’t know where this myth came from. But then to be honest, I don’t have any personal experience to refute it. But I smell B.S.
this website gives me the best strategies in working out and i love it ! but i have one question. if you work out at a young age will that stop your average growth rate?
Vic:
Love the site — not sure if this question falls into the myth category, but all the “he-men” in my gym use weight belts when they squat (actually when the do anything). Do you recommend using them? Do they help prevent injury (or provide any other benefit)?
Thanks…
I’m not a trainer. However, I grew up on a farm, working hard. At 18 I could lift a railroad tie and put it in a post hole without letting it touch my body (fresh creosote is VERY caustic). I would handle about 10,000 40# bales of straw in 3 weeks during the summer. Not to mention all the other stuff we did. At a little over 6′, I’m 4 inches taller than my dad. I don’t think lifting weights stunts your growth. (or maybe I should have stayed home and ended up 6′4″ like I wanted…)
There is one small problem with #10. While it is not true for 99% of women, those genetically gifted few aren’t helping. Did you happen to watch the Olympics? MOST of the weight lifters were pretty bulky except for one Canadian athlete. Moreover, Crossfit ladies, with their constant flexing would turn me off from anything that wasn’t light and neon-colored if I were a woman.
Am I supposed to be attracted to this?
http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/EvaClaire2009CrashBS.html
Are you sure this is a woman?
http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/oakland.html
There are really several pictures of lean good-looking women but the first time I ever visited Crossfit I saw pictures like those.
OK, so the first link didn’t work for me. . .
The second link. . . forearms like that do not turn me on. I’m the first to admit. Not my thing. I mean, we all have our kink, but that ain’t mine.
But like you said for 99% of women, resistance training will not make them bulky.
I’ve been to CrossFit Level I Certification. I agree with much of the CrossFit protocol. Bottom line is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And where large defined forearms in a woman make me less than attracted, another guy (or girl as the case may be) may be struck with love, lust, or infatuation.
Let’s forget the aesthetics and attraction factors for a moment. Bone density, muscle mass, and just the ability to move shit around when you want are worthy reasons for strength training. Don’t duck because a few have genetics that may not be “attractive” to some percentage of the public. Resistance training is good for overall health – undeniably so.
Hi Vic,
love your 10 myths busted, totally agree and love the way you put it. I would be interested in what your approach would be for toning a female upper body. I am 5′6″ and 122lbs. I am a martial artist (kenpo karate) and my legs are super strong but my arms are just not there and I feel the disadvantage in sparring. My kicks are great but when it comes to punching range, not that good. I would like to see more definition in my arms and more punching power.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hey Vic,
This is a great post!! Especially the long slow cardio being a waste of time, its more entertaining to do a shorter more intense session and plus hopefully it burns more fat, I’m beginning to like the “overexertion” feeling of getting exhausted through intense cardio. Also Looking fit = being fit is also SUCH a freakin myth..LOL
Talking about these things seem unbelievable until you actually experience it yourself. Several years of seeing and experiencing these myths proven wrong, I would also agree with you on all 10 points… Myths Busted!
I’d love to see you bust the myth that low-weight high-rep sets will get you lean and cut and high-weight low-rep sets will make you big and bulky.
great article, thanks for posting
what about *build 30 pound of muscle and lose 40 pound of fat at the same time* myth. oh and get great abs in 7 minute a day/3 days a week.
These are awesome, I have clients or people that ask me aboout these all the time and I give them the same answers.
Thanks, Brandon. Always good to see comments for like minded people!
ive been doing about three 5 mile runs a week in an effort to lose weight but it doesn’t seem to be working. your post just confirms it.
my thinking was always that going for longer sessions meant that i would burn off the quick-release energy and then the low-release energy or the fat would then burn off. if i ran as fast as i could for as long as i could does this not build up muscle?
Running as fast as you can may build muscle. I mean look at world class sprinters – those guys are jacked!
In Yoga, they say crunches are not good at all as in the long run our respiratory system gets deterioted. Crunches have an ill-effect on our respiratory system.
You hit it right on the head when you said that “there is no best program for building muscle”. A lot of guys think that there is some magical workout routine or nutrition program that will help anybody build muscle. It just doesn’t work that way. Based on my experiences, the muscle building process is a completely individual process based almost entirely around the experience level and preferences of the person. What works for one will not always work for others – that’s why variety in training and strategy is so important!
Your are absolutely right. While reading your article I cannot help but laugh! Thanks!
This myths should be on all fitness websites. Well done ! I love this site..
Thanks Mike!
#5 may be my favorite! Nothing better than leveling those big egos..