5 Common Workout Program Myths To Avoid

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These days there are so many diet and fitness programs, it can be hard to know what ones to follow and what ones to avoid. There are many knowledgeable fitness experts out there that can offer their advice and help you achieve your goals. However, you need to be aware of some of the common myths that exist in the fitness world. I admit that in the past I have believed some of the myths below. Falling for such myths can cause injury and slow down your progression at gym.

Make sure you avoid believing the following myths.

YOU NEED TO EAT LOTS OF PROTEIN TO BUILD LEAN MUSCLE

Some people believe that the more protein they eat the more muscle they will gain. They are wrong!

Your body only needs a certain amount of protein each day. The basic guide line for how much protein you should consume per day is 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. This ensures that your body is getting enough protein to build new muscle. If you consume more protein than this, it becomes surplus requirements and will simply be extra calories.

YOU DONT NEED TO DO LEG EXERCISES IF YOU WORKOUT ON THE TREADMILL

Many men in the gym seem to only concentrate on their upper bodies when working out in the free weights area. They concentrate on there arms or chest and avoid the squat rack completely. They believe that because they went for a run in the morning or the day before that they have worked their legs enough.

Men who believe this are making a fundamental error in their workout program. Training your legs indirectly helps your body to grow. Your leg muscles are massive and when stimulated, they release high amounts of testosterone (hormone responsible for muscle growth) throughout the body. Therefore your upper body will benefit from a leg workout.

YOUR FRIENDS WORKOUT PROGRAM WILL WORK FOR YOU TOO

It is common for men down the gym to ask fellow gym partners what kind of workout program and diet they use, and assume that if they do the same then they will see the same results.

However, you need to realise that everyone is different and responses will vary among people using the same program. Play around with the program, changing the amount of reps, substituting exercises and find out what works best for you.

YOU NEED TO PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT TO ACHIEVE RESULTS

To build muscle and gain strength you need to allow time to rest in between workouts. If you're working out for hours down the gym every day, it is possible that you are not allowing your body to recover and therefore not getting stronger. You need to let your body rest as this is when it repairs itself and rebuilds muscle tissue. If you workout before your body has recovered, you will only be breaking down muscle tissue further, making you weaker rather than stronger.

Include some rest days in your workout program. I go to the gym Monday / Wednesday / Friday / Saturday, allowing rest days in between workouts. This allows my body to recover, reducing the chances of overtraining and injury.

HOUR LONG CARDIO SESSIONS ARE THE BEST WAY TO BURN BODY FAT

You see many people in the gym spending hours on the treadmill running at a moderate intensity level. Their main aim is probably to lose body fat, however they seem to get no where. Why is this?

People believe that because you burn more fat calories during a moderate-intensity session, this is the best way to burn body fat. However, although you will burn more calories from fat, the more important thing to look at is the amount of calories you burn.

High intensity interval training (HIIT), burns more calories per minute compared to working out at a lower intensity. The main advantage of HIIT is that it increases your resting metabolic rate, meaning you carry on burning a significant amount of calories after you have finished your workout. Therefore the amount of calories burned throughout the day will be greater, meaning increased fat loss.

HIIT is also good for preserving muscle tissue. Long moderate intensity workouts can break down muscle tissue. Compare the physique of a 100m sprinter athlete to a long distance runner. I know which physique I would rather have!

To find out more on High Intensity Interval Training read my post below.

=> Why High Intensity Interval Training Rocks

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