Working out. It is something that some Americans are too lazy to do while others dedicate their lives to it.
However, that number is only a minority of people in the country. Only about 23% of American adults meet the minimum guidelines for muscle-strengthening activity.
This includes workouts for arm training, bicep training, muscle building, and more.
A lot of people have their own workout routines and dietary habits to try and get the best body that they can get.
However, not everybody has the same line of credibility. There are people who spread myths about working out and living a lifestyle. If you closely enough at some of these claims, they can easily be debunked.
So, what are some of the biggest myths when it comes to working out? What should you be doing differently from those myths?
These are some of the biggest myths about working out.
Heavier Is Better
One of the first things people tend to think when it comes to working out is that the more weight you lift, the stronger you are. Well, this is not always the case.
This is because it is not ideal to lift the most weight that you possibly can in the early stages. You see, when you are just starting to lift weights, you should want to get the technique down.
Say you are trying to lift 300 pounds at one time. You can do it successfully once, but your technique is off and you are going to lift that weight the wrong way going forward.
Ideally, you should try to lift about half of that weight as many times as you can. That will not only get you in a routine of repetition but because the weight is more manageable, you increase your chances of doing it in the correct form.
Consistency is the key here. Start slow and then move up later once you get more comfortable with the weight.
Also, do not put too much pressure on yourself to lift a lot if you are just starting out. The average untrained man can lift about 135 pounds (that includes the bar that weighs 45 pounds).
Cardio Is the Key to Weight Loss
Cardio is usually used for people that are trying to lose weight. While it definitely can be a step in the right direction and it is better than sitting on your couch, it is not the only form of exercise that will help you lose weight.
This can help you build up your stamina but you have to remember, losing weight is partially about burning calories. While cardio does accomplish this, it is not the only way to do so.
Muscle building can be a great way to burn calories as well. For example, if you weigh about 200 pounds and you lift free weights for about an hour, you can burn between 500 and 600 calories in one workout session.
Admittedly, you can put up similar numbers with cardio exercises such as jumping jacks, running laps, or swimming laps. However, what you should take away here is that cardio is not your only option when it comes to exercise to lose weight.
Working Out Means You Can Eat More Junk
Some people develop a false sense of entitlement when it comes to working out. They may feel that as long as they work out that day, they can eat and drink whatever they want.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. A healthy diet is still vital to your body and your health. So, not matter how much you work out, it is not going to be ideal to have a six-pack of beer and a bag of potato chips when you can have apples and meatloaf instead.
You need protein and you need food that is healthy for you. Instead of soda or beer, it is best that you have water.
Maintaining this discipline as many days as possible is what will help you lose weight faster. Some people may like to have a cheat day once in a while and that is ok. However, what you cannot do is cheat every time that you workout.
You will slow down your progress significantly if you listen to this myth.
Pain Is Good
There is a saying out there that some athletes like to use called “no pain no gain.” It means that if you do not feel some pain after a workout, you are supposedly not working out hard enough.
While you should try to test your limits once in a while, this should not be a hard rule to live by. This is especially the case if you are untrained or a novice person at the gym.
You run into some risks trying to do more than you can handle. The main risk being if you press certain muscles too hard, you could risk seriously injuring yourself. Pain is your body trying to tell you that your muscles can only handle a certain limit.
You need to be aware of your limits and listen to your body when it is trying to tell you not to go any further. While you may feel like that you can lift more or you can get more repetitions in, listening to your body and being aware of your limits will help you in the long-term.
The Scale Is Gospel
When it comes to working out, the goal for some people doing it is to lose weight. So, when you are building arm strength, you still may try to weigh yourself every now and then.
Do not be fooled by the scale. It is not always accurate in what your overall body health is.
Say you started out weighing 225 pounds and after two weeks of exercise and working out, you did not lose any weight. That does not necessarily mean that you still have the same body.
The logic behind this is that if you are building muscle, that muscle is going to weigh more than average. So, if you gained muscle, you might not see any results when it comes to losing weight.
Keep this in mind when you are working out because there are other signs that you are making progress and are developing a healthier body.
Some examples include measuring your arms, your legs, and your stomach. Another indicator can be what your BMI is (body mass index) and it can also be what your body fat percentage is.
Take these other factors into account before you start to panic about what your weight on a scale is.
Sweat Is Key
Some people like to measure how hard their workout is by how much of a sweat they put up during a workout. Well, this is not always the most accurate way of going about it.
Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself off. It is a way for your body to release some unwanted conditions if it feels overwhelmed by the inner body temperature.
However, the level at which you are working out is not the sole factor in how much you sweat during a workout.
You need to consider other conditions such as if you are working out outdoors or indoors. If it is indoors, is it air conditioning? But if it is outdoors, is it hot and/or humid out?
If the answer is yes to either of those questions above, then your body could just naturally sweat by the conditions. The same can be applied to your body not sweating when it is cooler out or if the air conditioner is blasting in a gym.
Also, something that you should consider is that some people just tend to sweat naturally more than others. You could either be more susceptible to sweat or just someone that does not sweat much.
Keep these things in mind before you jump to conclusions.
Machines Are Safer Than Free Weights
If you are newer to the gym scene, you may feel that a machine is safer for you to go with than using weights that are not attached to anything. While it makes sense to think that way, truthfully, your mind is playing tricks on you.
Admittedly, you may not feel like you are going to drop weight that is attached to a machine rather than free weights that you have to put on and pick up by yourself.
However, a few factors can make this a myth for some people. The first factor is if you know the proper technique for that machine’s workout. If you do not know this technique, then you risk exercising the wrong way on it and potentially straining a muscle.
The second factor is what your body proportions are. For example, if you are someone that has longer legs, then you may be better off using free weights for certain workouts. Free weights can give you a lot more room and a lot more flexibility depending on what your body type is.
Keep these factors in mind the next time that you go to a gym before you automatically decide to use the machines.
Cardio Machines Are Accurate
This one may need a little more context. You see, some people like to use cardio machines as a measurement for how many calories they are burning during a workout. The problem with this is that they take cardio machines as gospel and do not double-check the numbers.
That can be a problem because at the end of the day, a cardio machine is limited on how accurately it can measure your burned calories during a workout. It can try to do its best with certain information such as your gender, your weight, and your age.
However, it is rare that these machines have all of the information that it needs as options to be completely accurate about your calories burned.
You can use that as a range for how many calories that you may have burned. However, it is best not to take the number as gospel and exact when it comes to this sort of thing.
Supplements Are Always Bad
Finally, there may be a myth out there that supplements always lead to bad things and that they are not necessary to achieve peak health. While it is true that you can get healthy without any supplements, the right ones can help you do it faster and more efficiently.
Another rumor out there is that supplements tend to only be for bodybuilders and that it can lead to certain side effects like mood swings. The truth is that you just need to do your homework when it comes to supplements.
Take a look at this rad 140 for sale. Keep in mind that this one tends to be for research purposes. However, the goal of this supplement is to mimic testosterone and see if it can get people to feel similar effects.
Well, reading the reviews for this product, it looks like it has done so with ease.
The key here is to do your homework when it comes to supplements and not group them all together.
Learn More About Proper Arm Training
These are just a few of the biggest myths when it comes to performing certain workouts for arm training and more. The key here is to do your research to have a more accurate idea of what is good and not good for you.
If you do that and maintain a healthy balance on workouts and lifestyle, you should see improvement in no time.
For more relevant information, see out Fitness section.
