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- Strength Training Myths (Part 2)
Strength Training Myths (Part 2)
My previous post was – Part 1 on my Myths on Strength Training that we, as a predominantly strength based Personal Training Facility
Must get people to buy into, to live longer, healthier lives.
This is not being all about weightlifting, that plays a huge role…but so does Cardio Training and they both feed into one another.
As we build into our programming at the Gyms. Being too fixated on one modality of training (just strength or just cardio) is like driving a Ferrari with the handbrake on.
So, here’s Part 2
Enjoy ????
12. I can reduce fat around the abs or thighs with specific exercises
Nope. Not possible. But I get why we all think this is possible. I want you to flex your bicep right now. Feels good, right? And you’re using the muscles in your bicep to bring your wrist closer to your elbow. So it’s only natural in your mind that you think,”Geez, I’m working this muscle so it should be using fat around it for energy, right?”
I wish that were how the body worked. If it were, we’d all have 6-packs in no time thanks to crunches. But if there’s one thing you take away from this article, I want you to write this next part down. Then paste it all around you or tattoo it on your forearm if you wish.
Nutrition drives fat loss; workouts support it.
So, if you want abs, you have to take control of your nutrition. Exercise will help. But the battle of the bulge is 80% nutrition and about 20% exercise. Just like I said above with Cardio and Strength…they all feed (pardon the pun) into one another. Keep getting a little bit better at them all and the change will be HUGE.
13. For fat burning or weight loss, I should only do cardio exercise
Fat burning: the process of changing our body’s composition levels while retaining as much muscle mass as possible.
Weight loss: losing both fat and muscle at the same time while only caring about what a scale shows us.
Cardio: those arduous minutes you spend on a treadmill dreaming about cake/wine/insert vice here and then cannibalising efforts as soon as you get home is counter productive and fine at the right times….but ultimately isn’t going to lead to real aesthetic change.
That last part was me taking a pot shot at cardio. Look, cardio is important as I said above. My favourite modality of training is probably Cardio. I feel so good after it but I also know you don’t need cardio to burn body fat. It feels good for my health and more so mentally. It can help your ticker run a lot better as well as improve your recovery time from intense exercise due to improved blood flow.
But you can burn fat by simply eating less food and walking more. Walking more is HUGELY underrated here. That’s it. Remember:
Nutrition drives fat loss; workouts support it.
14. I should be sore after every workout
The goal should never be to feel sore after every workout. Soreness isn’t an indication of effectiveness. What ultimately determines whether you had a good workout is how you feel when you’re done. And your mean progress over time. I know I know…it’s good to feel sore at times but you can’t be like that forever.
15. Squatting is bad for your knees and deadlifting is bad for your back
These exercises are only bad for you if you do them wrong. Period.
Squatting is a basic human movement pattern. Deadlifts are great bang for your buck from a compound movement ROI perspective. But just like squatting, must be done correctly. Sure, we have some members in the Gym and individually or we won’t have them use barbells to minimise spinal load, perhaps won’t have them doing either or both based on how they move etc but that individual and why it’s important to have eyes on you as you do it. You can’t always see what you do. As with ourselves, we are the gym that doesn’t have mirrors and I’d rather that.
Squats and deadlifts are not bad for you. But like anything, if you do it wrong, then it’s bad for you. Just like alcohol on a night out.
16. Crunches get abs
Crunches don’t get you abs. Consistently staying in a calorie deficit while eating plenty of lean protein and veggies while avoiding highly-processed foods — with a hefty helping of patience — gets you abs. And walk lots. Exercises like squats and deadlifts as we said above, will recruit more ‘core’ than conventional crunches…not to say never do them. But within our programming we will only sprinkle them in here and there. As if done wrong and too often, can really mess up your back/core.
17. You need a belt to lift heavy
Belts do not replace your core. If you have a weak core, you’re gonna lag behind in overall strength with or without a belt. But belts allow your abs to create more intra-abdominal pressure which helps your core create more tension and stay more rigid while you squat or deadlift super heavy.
David Dellanave, the founder of Movement Minneapolis and biofeedback mastermind, has a heuristic that I think is a good guideline in terms of when you should consider using a belt.
For men, once you’re able to hit a 2x bodyweight deadlift and a 1.5x bodyweight squat, start using a belt. And for women, David suggests working up to a 1.5x deadlift and a 1x bodyweight squat before you strap on a belt. This is just a general rule of thumb.
18. Men and women should train differently
Are there separate classes for men and women at DM Elite? Err, no. We did start female only in the old days but have since evolved. Everyone does the same basic movements:
- Squat (Knee)
- Hinge (Hip – RDL/Deadlift etc)
- Pull/Row Variations
- Press (vertical/horizontal)
- Weighted Carries
- Anti-Rotation Core
- High Intensity Small Bursts of Cardio
- Zone 2 Longer Steady Cardio (this is more likely to be prescribed away from Gym as its something people can do on their own ie 10k Steps Daily.)
That is basically our programming daily, we mix and match in terms of structure and exercise selection from there.
This was learned going to seminars with guys that trains Basketball/American Football Players/Football players/Elite level Cyclists etc.
And it doesn’t matter if you are at this level, or a beginner in your 60s/70s. This is how these people train at the top of their sport and this is how we train every day Gym goers looking to move and feel better. This works for everyone, no matter the fitness level or training experience and it’s then our job to select or ramp up/down the intensity where we see fit based on the person.
That’s because men and women don’t need to train differently. Sure, we may have physical differences, i.e. men carry more lean muscle mass and women recover faster after training sessions than men. But HOW we train doesn’t really need to change.
Lift heavy and across all rep ranges, and focus on mastering the basic movement patterns above. Oh, and toss in some curls for good order. Because it feels good.
19. You shouldn’t exercise on rest days
Does this mean that if you’re following a strength program that you shouldn’t run on a rest day? Or that you shouldn’t go for a hike or a bike ride?
Rest days don’t mean sit around and watch Netflix all day and do zero exercise.
Rest days can be active. Walking is one of the best recovery tools you have at your disposal. We have ‘Move’ Sessions at the Gym. And if riding your bike makes you feel good, why would you not want to ride your bike after a heavy day in the gym?
Sure, maybe you don’t need to go back into the gym and do what you did the day before. You do need to give your muscles time to recover and repair. But lying around isn’t how you have to spend your rest day.
Active recovery can be beneficial. But so can sitting around and sleeping all day too. Know your own body.
20. Cardio will eat your muscle and strength
If this were the case, then 100m Sprinters would be weak and small instead of the beasts you see on TV. No. Cardio does not “kill your gains.” In fact, when cardio is programmed intelligently into your program, it can improve your lifting. Cardio:
- increases blood flow;
- opens capillaries; and,
- can help you recover faster during your strength sets.
So Dan, should I do HIIT or steady state cardio?
If you love HIIT, do HIIT. If you love to get out and jump into one of our Run Clubs then by all means.
Yes, there are advantages to either form of cardio. HIIT saves you a ton of time. But steady state is less taxing on your nervous system and is less likely to get in the way of recovery from your heavy lifting.
This is my rule with cardio for our people: choose the activity that makes you feel great. Then do that for cardio. (But don’t do it to “burn calories.”)
21. Muscle weighs more than fat
When you look at the picture of the two, that statement seems to be true, right? The fat is clearly larger, and the muscle smaller. But it’s not weight that you’re seeing here. The fact is, muscle takes up less room than fat. And it is healthier. Five pounds is five pounds. Period.
22. The post-workout window is essential for building muscle
That’s right, my friends. If you don’t get protein within 30 minutes of your workout, you will lose all the muscle. ALL OF IT.
Okay. Let’s end this myth once and for all. A meta-analysis from 2013—yes, 11 years ago (this myth just won’t die will it?)—found that groups who slurped down massive protein after their workout did not fare any better in terms of building lean muscle mass vs. groups who ate the same amount of protein throughout the day.
Basically, it doesn’t matter if you have a shake immediately after the gym or a meal a couple hours later. What matters most is total protein throughout the day. Sure, shakes/supplementation certainly helps and it’s easier to consume and boost protein across the day but there’s no finite window.
23. Muscle confusion: you gotta keep your muscles guessing
Do you want know what your muscles don’t have? A brain. They can’t think for themselves. They just do what your brain tells them to do. So, you can’t confuse your brain.
What makes your muscles grow is tension and volume. And when you repeat that tension and volume for 4-6 weeks, slowly adding either more weight or more reps as the work becomes easier, then your body can adapt and change. Get sore and experience more ‘DOMS’ initially.
But if you’re changing up workouts every week because you’re trying to confuse your body, then you’re never going to place your muscles under the repetitive tension that they need to progress, get stronger and burn body fat. Sure we change up exercise selection and structures but we ensure people can see and feel progression – but when choosing weights make sure you’re giving yourself sufficient challenge.
24. You should never squat past 90 degrees
Some people when they squats can get incredible depth and some can’t. That doesn’t mean the lower you go you’re going to bang up your knees or cause more issues later in life. What it means is I have the hip mobility to be able to sit deep into a squat. But some people physically can’t.
So getting them to 90 degrees – legs parallel to the floor – is the best way for them to squat. Everyone has different hip structures, and what’s good for one person may not be best for the other.
Creating a myth based on what one person can do is wrong.
Wrap-Up
Phew. That was a marathon of myth busting and took up more time than expected but like all these emails…I find it quite therapeutic and I know people are learning/getting value if digesting and applying at the correct pace. By now you’ve hopefully discovered that the majority of strength myths are BS. Some of them make no sense when examined with science. And many of them seem like someone just created them out of thin air.
But one thing is always true: Nutrition drives fat loss; working out supports it. The Gym is more than exercise, it’s catalyst for positivity both mentally and physically.
Hope that has helped educate you on why we do what we do.
Dan