Its that time again people, the training blog I know you all wait patiently by your screens to read every week. This week I’m going to do my best to educate and dispel some of the more common gym myths we come across during our adult P.E journeys.
During my time in the gym I’ve heard and read some rather odd questions and statements about training. Written of course by the self proclaimed fitness experts or that bloke who knocks around in most gyms in a vest nitpicking on everyones technique. I’m not claiming to be an expert in fact I am far from being an expert. However I do feel it necessary to educate you guys as best as I can on all things fitness.
Right then people, the big bad list of training myths.
1) Using soreness/fatigue as an indicator of a good workout.
Every single one of us has fallen foul to this training myth at some point. Muscle soreness isn’t a good indicator of how hard you’ve trained the day before, as trainers our goal isn’t to make you sick or grind you into oblivion so that you can’t move without pain for days on end. In fact its quite the opposite we are here to make you stronger, fitter and more mobile. A properly designed program will do just those things. It can take any Jeff to push a client to the point of being sick but it takes a trainer that cares about his job to increase your strength, mobility and conditioning. Lets face it no one really wants to be sore that day after a workout, however it happens now and again when we do movements we aren’t used to, so instead of using as an indicator of a good workout think of it as a side effect to a regular training routine.
2) Cardio kills gains.
I can’t tell you how much I hate this statement, I have no idea where it stems from and in my opinion its complete bullshit.
Since the mainstream birth of Crossfit, long slow duration based cardio has taken a back seat with HIIT becoming the norm in most gyms. This is partly due to the fact some people have claimed that slow steady state cardio will interfere with your gains. However this is not the case especially in low impact cardio (Rowing/Cycling) which in some studies has been proven to increase muscle size and overall aerobic capacity (your engine). HIIT on the other hand should not be over done even in the more advanced trainer for one its unnecessary and it can have adverse effects on your recovery between your training sessions.
In the world of adult P.E having a substantial amount of aerobic capacity is just as important as having a doubt bodyweight squat in my opinion. Even bodybuilders use long slow duration cardio before the prep for a competition and they manage to hold onto insane amounts of muscle mass.
Its unrealistic and stupid to think that doing cardio will ruin your hard gained muscle mass, especially if your training hard in the gym and maximising your recovery, in fact steady state cardio will help optimise your recovery. The point is try to vary your cardio options between LSD and HIIT and enjoy the benefits of both.
3) Lifting weights will make women look ‘Manly’.
This old chestnut is the biggest load of fubar I’ve ever heard, However Joe public still believes that if women lift weights they’ll end up looking like the women you see in bodybuilding magazines, who only resemble men because they are taking copious amounts of anabolic steroids.
So people the next time you hear some Gibbon in his tank top talking about how ladies shouldn’t lift weights, please remember the following facts;
- Ladies produce far less amounts of testosterone than males, which is why it is almost impossible for a female to produce the same amount of muscle mass, unless of course your cycling anabolic steroids.
- There is also a huge difference in the distribution of muscle mass in women compared to men especially in the upper body. So ladies that incorporate strength training into their programs when you start to build muscle, you still won’t look masculine.
- Lastly you’ll also feel good, your posture will improve as will your flexibility and mobility and you’ll move a whole lot better.
So ladies if you want to look good and feel good get in the gym and lift some tin.
Thats it for now people or id be ranting on for hours, just make sure we all do our part and we can eradicate the common gym myth for good.
Train Hard, Recover Hard.
Rob and the Compello Team.