You got to be big to be strong
Being big often equates to strength. But the beefiest individuals are definitely not always the strongest! Afterall, you know the old saying, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” To get to that size that many aspire to, these individuals workout in certain rep ranges (8-12) that allows a neuromuscular stimulation that promotes hypertrophy in the muscle fibers (and inject steroids). But if you want to get strong, you got to lift heavy! Anything under 6 repetitions will promote strength gains. Half of these bodybuilders today are so unfunctional that they can’t even run because they neglect their lower half, (and that’s where most of the muscle mass on the body is).
Muscle transforms into fat
Muscle and fat are completely different tissues. I think this one got started when individuals started losing fat and seeing the muscle that was underneath or losing muscle (which lowers your metabolic rate) and started getting fat (primarily because the decrease in muscle mass lowered their fat burning ability). Muscle burns calories at rest. It is the ultimate way to get slim.
Infomercial results
Lies, lies, lies. Don’t ever believe a magazine ad in a fitness magazine! These pictures are all air brushed and most of those guys are on steroids. And most infomercials are designed for one thing – make money! Get that impulse buyer to pay for that useless gimmick that will create dust underneath their bed.
Yes, there are great bodies at many gyms, and maybe you start asking that individual questions for pointers. But it takes time and dedication to get those perfectly defined muscles, and your diet better be impeccable too, so don’t expect any miracles. Whatever you do though, don’t get stuck in a rut and do the same workout for months or even years. The body will adapt and wont look the way you want.
In the gym 7 days a week for 2 hours
Overtraining is a rampant problem. As a bootcamp trainer, I see many people trying to work out too often and not giving their muscles adequate recovery time. You wont get results if you never give your body time to rest and repair! Even going your hardest every workout can be detrimental, as your body will become accustomed to the stimulus and thus will not change. Remember, the body adapts, so keep it guessing! A good rest is 48hrs between workouts of similar muscle groups.
Form doesn’t matter
You may see some roiders in the gym with crap form and huge biceps even though they cheat on every rep with a swinging shoulder. Don’t worry about people who cheat! Steroids help prevent and heal injury, you can’t compete with that. They can put their joints through a grinder and come out feeling fresh. If your form is bad, you may be targeting different muscles than you intend and creating muscle imbalances over the body that may lead to injury down the road. (Not to mention, bad form on squats or deadlifts is just downright scary).
Genetics in a box
You are not limited by your genetics. You have the ability to change your body with discipline and a well structured fitness program. Use this as motivation to be the best you can, and take with you the knowledge that you have to work much harder to get where you want to be (supreme character builder).
Crunches will get me flat abs
This might be the biggest misconception of all. You can not spot reduce fat! You can do crunches till you’re blue in the face everyday and still may not get the flat stomach you desire. The most effective way at burning fat and uncovering the muscles below are compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, pushups, burpees, and rows.
Going to the gym for less than an hour is a waste of time
You must not be exercising hard enough if this is the case! All my bootcamps are under an hour and they are wiped. And if you ever do a 30min personal training session with me you are wishing it was over by the 11th minute.
Anytime you can get out and exercise you are doing wonders for your mind and muscles. Our bodies weren’t designed to sit in chairs all day, so if time is tight in your schedule that 30 minutes of running, pushups, or bootcamp, may be just the shock your system has needed.
Lifting weight will make me bulky
It will actually make you slimmer because it will raise your metabolic rate and make you a fat burning machine! Women are typically concerned about this, but most are starting to figure out they possess nowhere near the amounts of testosterone in their body to produce that amount of muscle (not to mention they won’t eat nearly enough to produce large amounts of muscle).
Running is best to burn fat
Running is a great activity, but any cardio activity is not as effective at burning fat as resistance training. Resistance training and short burst interval training has been proven to burn more calories through the day via excessive post oxygen consumption. It will raise your lean muscle mass which is your number 1 weapon in getting that sleak body.
Josh Saunders is the founder of The Bootcamp Effect. Visit his White Rock Bootcamp Page at http://www.thebootcampeffect.com/whiterock
