5 Muscle Building Myths

by: BradMartinson
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As a bodybuilder yourself, you have doubtless heard some of these myths before at some point.

1. 12 Rep rule

Most weight training program include this much repetitions for gaining muscle. The truth is this approach places the muscles with not enough tension for effective muscle gain. High tension e.g. heavy weights provides muscle growth in which the muscle grows much larger, leading to the maximum gains in strength. Having longer tension time boosts the muscle size by generating the structures around the muscle fibers, improving endurance.

Heavier weights provide the maximum gains in strength and muscle mass. Longer tension means more muscle growth. This is because it promotes the strengthening of the muscle fibers (which also increases endurance).

Eight to twelve repetitions fails to create the greater tension levels that less reps with heavier weights can, or the longer tension that you'll get with light weights and more reps. To stimulate all types of muscle growth, vary your regimen - the number of reps and that this your weights.

2. Three Set rule

The truth is there's nothing wrong with three sets but then again there is nothing amazing about it either. The number of sets you perform should be base on your goals and not on a half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do on an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. This keeps the total number of repetitions done of an exercise equal.

3. Three to four exercises per group

There is no particularly good reason for this rule. It's a far better thing to have more reps of one exercise than to do many different exercises per group. Stay focused; Try doing more reps, maybe thirty to fifty, broken up into sets (say 3 sets of 10, 2 of 20; you get the idea).

4. My knees, my toes

It is a gym folklore that you "should not let your knees go past your toes." Truth is that leaning forward a little too much is more likely a cause of injury. In 2003, Memphis University researchers confirmed that knee stress was almost thirty percent higher when the knees are allowed to move beyond the toes during a squat.

The strain is merely shifted from the knees to the lower back, which can cause worse injuries than can having ones knees pass the toes.

Focus on your upper body position and less on the knee. Keep the torso in an upright position as much as possible when doing squats and lunges. These reduces the stress generated on the hips and back. To stay upright, before squatting, squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold them in that position; and then as you squat, keep the forearms 90 degree to the floor.

5.Lift weights, draw abs

The most important muscle group is not necessarily the transverse abdominis. Depending on which exercise you are doing, the most important muscle group can be any group at all. Most of the time though, the body will instinctively call the appropriate muscle group onto the field to keep the spine well supported. Focusing on the wrong muscle group can actually cause injuries, not to mention keeping you from lifting as much as you otherwise could.

About the Author

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