There are countless amounts of myths on the internet regarding building muscle. For each person you ask, you will get a different answer. Here we list 10 of the most crucial facts based on science and decades of personal and client coaching experiences:
1. Building muscle has a lot to do with genetics.
If your parents are naturally slim or have a petite frame, chances are you have the same traits. This does not mean that you have no chance of building a strong muscular body. It just means that you are going to have to work hard.
2. Your metabolism has an effect on your size.
If you’re having a hard time gaining weight, whether it’s fat or muscle, you most likely have a fast metabolism. Your body is burning calories faster than it can consume them.
3. There is no universal weight training program that will get massive results for every single person.
The best way to find a program that works for you is to find someone who has the same body type as you before and start walking their path. Certainly, there are standard exercises that will build muscle, but there is more to building muscle than lifting weights.
4. More training does not mean more muscle.
This is one of the most difficult concepts for many to understand. The purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth, that’s all. Once that’s done, your muscles need to repair themselves and new muscles need to be built, which only happens when you’re resting.
5. Isolation exercises won’t make you grow fast.
The best exercises to gain the greatest amount of overall size are multi-muscular exercises. These are exercises that require more than one muscle or muscle group to do the work. These lifts put the most stress on your body. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system into releasing the most muscle-building hormones.
6. Free weights build muscle faster.
Free weights are preferred over machines because they make your body work harder. They require greater concentration and allow the stimulation of the supporting muscles. Machines are good for beginners to help with basic form and control, but they limit the effectiveness of the exercise.
7. No pain, no gain.
Lifting the same weights over and over again won’t make you bigger. In fact, it will do the exact opposite.
To build muscle you need to go heavy. This stimulates the type IIB muscle fibers that cause the greatest amount of muscle gain. Heavy lifting is when your body fails after 4-8 reps.
8. Long training sessions are FORBIDDEN
The idea is to stimulate the muscle, not hit it from every possible angle. This is only a concern for developed bodybuilders looking to tone muscles. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. Your weight training sessions should be no longer than 60-75 minutes max.
9. You don’t need aerobic activity to lose fat.
Time spent running or swimming is lost muscle building and recovery time. Building muscle is the fastest way to lose fat. Aerobic activities will help you lose fat, but not if you’re following a high-calorie diet to build muscle.
10. 3 full meals a day will not help you build muscle.
Eating is an important part of muscle development. You need to eat more often and eat more protein. You should eat about every 2.5 hours, which works out to about 6 meals a day. Spreading your meals out throughout the day will improve muscle breakdown and ensure your body always has the calories it needs to build and repair muscle.
