Despite the advances in exercise technology and gym awareness that we’ve seen in recent years, there are a number of workout myths that just won’t die. As a result, they are still confusing and leading astray many people. In this article we tackle five of the most pervasive workout myths.
Women Should Train Differently From Men

The idea that women should train differently from men stems from the belief that they will get too bulky from strength training. This is simply untrue. Unless a woman artificially adds testosterone to her body through anabolic steroids, she simply will not have enough of this male growth hormone to get bulky.

Men and women gain and lose muscle the same way. They may have different areas of the body that they focus on, but these goals can be set with similar training. Most women are more interested in firming and toning their entire body than building up the arms and chest the way that men want to. However, a well designed weight training program that is similar to what a guy would do is the best way to achieve that type of body. 

High Reps are for Definition and Low Reps are For Mass

Low Reps


High reps do not make a muscle group more defined. That results from the size of the muscle and the amount of fat that is covering the muscle. The best way to get your body fat level down so that your muscles are defined is to combine proper nutrition with high intensity interval training. Reduce your carb intake and increase protein, which is high thermic and satiating. Take a post workout protein drink and get plenty of healthy fats.

When it comes to building muscle, you should perform both high and low reps within a set. This will allow you to work both your fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers. Higher reps will also warm up the muscle group for the more intense sets to follow.

Begin your set with high reps and then progressively lower the reps as you increase the weight. We recommend the following six set pattern:
  • Set One - 30 reps
  • Set Two - 15 reps
  • Set Three - 10 reps
  • Set Four - 10 reps
  • Set Five 8 reps
  • Set Six - 6 reps

Weights Make You Big While Cardio Makes You Lean

Cardio


The truth is that weight training is one of the best things you can do to get lean. Every ounce of muscle that you add to your body will make your body a far more efficient fat burning machine. That is because it will boost your metabolism five times more than an ounce of fat will.


The way that most people perform cardio is not an efficient way to lose fat. That is because it is too slow and, therefore, does not provide enough intensity. Both forms of exercise will provide you with extra health benefits, such as acting as immunity boosters and improving your cardiovascular heart functioning. 

You Cannot Build Muscle & Lose Fat at the Same Time

Build Muscle


The common belief is that, in order to build muscle, you need to train heavy and eat a lot. To lose fat, in contrast, you need to do a lot of cardio, lighten the weights and reduce your caloric consumption. We have already identified the falsehood of many of those ideas. As a result, it is quite possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. 

People who are new to strength training will find it relatively easy to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. The longer you train the harder it gets. The real key to success in building muscle and losing fat at the same time lies in getting the right balance of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality protein in your diet.

More is Better

Many people still believe that the more you work out, the greater results you will get in terms of strength and muscle gains. What they don’t seem to realize is that your muscles get weaker and smaller in the gym. It is only when you rest that they grow.

Overtraining is the biggest impediment to progress in the gym. If you think that you are overtraining, make adjustments to your training frequency, intensity and duration and be sure that you’re getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night.