Saturday, June 21, 2014

3 Weightlifting Myths You Have To Know

By Adam McBenza


Go for the pump! No pain no gain! You have probably heard those kinds of mottoes in the gym. It's like the only way to become bigger. It's understandable, every time you workout in the gym, you see body builders doing exactly the pump method and high repetition exercises. And as you stare at their huge arms, you finally made up your mind that what they do must be the only way to successfully build massive muscles.

For many years, phrases such as the one above have been passed down from generation to generation of weight lifters. And you know, just because they are old, it doesn't mean they are right.

No Pain No Gain.

No Pain No Gain.

Yes, a little bit of pain is an essential indicator of induced hypertrophy (simply put, you have actually achieved a great exercise), but too much soreness decelerates recuperation time as I have just mentioned; which causes extended duration of rest and inability to perform well on subsequent workouts, in other words, you won't be able to perform well the next time you hit the gym, and this will not help you have a good training; which is something you need to avoid if aiming for size and strength.

Opt for the Pump.

Another statement that appears true for muscle heads is the renowned "pump". But this idea is very incorrect. What essentially occurs during the pump is that you flood your muscles with blood alone! No more, no less. As soon as the blood goes back to where it was, so is the muscle to its original size. But wait, bodybuilders have done it for centuries, then why are they big? Well... that's just an easy answer for veteran gym rats. And it's either genetics, pharmaceutics (yap, we're talking about steroids), or they are just too hard workers that efficiency is not a problem for them.

But wait, bodybuilders have done it for centuries, then why are they big? Well, pharmaceuticals and genetics aside, when executing high sets of lower loads (pumping), type I fibers are the ones getting the job done, while type II are sitting back unwinding. Though the former have the capability to grow, the latter have the highest capacity for development.

In connection with the last myth, performing workouts using high repetitions is another absurd belief roaming around. Merely utilizing 80 to 100 % of your rep max will activate type IIb muscle fibers, which are the ones responsible for establishing size and strength. That's why higher reps workouts only activate type I fibers, resulting in limited gains (unless, naturally, you're planning to develop stamina while leaving muscle mass aside.).

In connection with the last misconception, executing exercises by utilizing high repetitions is another ridiculous belief roaming around. Merely using 80 to 100 % of your rep max will stimulate type IIb muscle fibers, which are the ones responsible for establishing size and strength. That's why higher reps workouts just trigger type I fibers, the ones responsible for stamina rather than strength and size. So if ever you're trying to build stamina, high repetitions are ideal, but if you want to build size and strength, then low repetitions are the best. As a conclusion, below is a sentence that sums up everything we have actually discussed up until now:

You do not need to work harder, but WISER. It sounds old. But this statement really does apply not only in fitness, but in every facet of life as well.

So, no matter what your training goal is, always make sure that what you are doing is truly right. Keep on doing some research, and by the time you know it, you'll be in great advantage. Otherwise you're actually going to screw up your training and end up with the very same outcomes all over once more (well...as long as injectable stuff and genetic makeups are out of the picture).




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