What are four harmful bodybuilding myths that you should quickly dismiss? If you are serious about your bodybuilding journey, you must follow scientifically-backed research. Bodybuilding and fitness is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many products and experts are looking to exploit your enthusiasm.
If you don’t stay educated, you may fall for some fatal bodybuilding myths that will destroy your gains and prevent you from reaching your fitness goals faster.
Many harmful bodybuilding myths still exist. For example, some people believe you’re not doing it right if you don’t work out for hours or eat nothing but protein. But this isn’t the case!
Overworking can be dangerous and lead to injuries, and overeating protein can harm your health. So what are some of the most common bodybuilding myths? Keep reading to find out!
Bodybuilding Myth #1: To build muscle, you must achieve a “pump” during your workout. The greater the pump you gain, the more muscle you will make.
For those just starting, a pump is the feeling you get as blood becomes trapped inside the muscle tissue when you train with weights. As a result, the muscles will swell up and leave your body feeling bigger, tighter, stronger, and more powerful.
While a pump does feel fantastic, it has minimal, if anything, to do with properly stimulating your muscles to grow. A pump is simply the result of increased blood flow to the muscle tissue and is certainly not indicative of a successful workout. The concept of progression should only gauge successful training. You did your job if you could lift more weight or perform more reps than you did the previous week.
Bodybuilding Myth #2: Building muscle will cause you to become slower and less flexible.
This one goes back to the old days when people described bodybuilders as being muscle-bound and bulky. Contrary to what you may think, building a significant lean muscle mass will speed you up rather than slow you down.
Muscles are responsible for every movement your body makes, from running to jumping to throwing. The bottom line is that the stronger a muscle is, the more force it can apply. Having more robust, muscular legs means increased foot speed, just as having more powerful and muscular shoulders means the ability to throw farther. Strong muscles are able muscles, not the other way around.
Bodybuilding Myth #3: You must always use the perfect textbook form for all exercises.
While good form in the gym is always important, obsessing over perfect form is entirely different. For example, suppose you always attempt to perform every exercise using a flawless textbook form. In that case, you will increase your chances of injury and simultaneously decrease the total muscle stimulation you can achieve.
Remember, we are not robots! It would be best if you permanently moved naturally when you exercised. This could mean adding a slight sway in your back when performing bicep curls or using a little body momentum when executing barbell rows. Loosen yourself up and move the way your body was meant to be driven. Obsessing over perfect form will work against you rather than for you.
Bodybuilding Myth #4: If you want your muscles to grow, you must feel the burn!
This is another huge misconception in the gym. The burning sensation from intense weight training is simply the result of lactic acid (a metabolic waste product) secreted inside the muscle tissue as you exercise. Increased lactic acid levels have nothing to do with muscle growth and may slow your gains rather than speed them up. You can limit lactic acid production by training in a lower rep range of 5-7 rather than the traditional scope of 10 and above.
The last word on bodybuilding myths
There are many myths about bodybuilding that people believe to be true. In this post, we’ve debunked a few of the most common ones. If there is one thing you can take away from this article, it should be to do your research!
Also, listening to your body and tracking your steps and outcomes will help you stay on task. Finally, follow scientific-backed methods such as progressive overload and planning for better results. When in doubt, visit and use best practices to get results. What has been your experience with these myths? If you or someone you know is considering bodybuilding, share this article on Facebook or Twitter so that others can learn more about building muscle.