By: Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
There are some things you hear that make you want to bang your head against the wall. Others make you laugh and then look at the other person until you realize they were being serious, and you’re left with a deer in the headlights look. Either way, workout myths are constantly being pushed in gyms and the fitness community, and it’s time we cross some of them off the list for good — hoping they never resurface again.
This article will look at five workout myths that cause people to get confused and frustrated. After we reprogram what you’ve been told, you may finally be able to see the results you desire through PROPER workout tips and techniques. We even have a bonus for you at the end you don’t want to miss.
Let’s jump into the list of terrible workout myths!
Disclaimer: It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program to ensure you are healthy enough to do so.
5 Workout Myths You Need to Toss in the Garbage
Below are a handful of workout myths that are completely bogus, and we should forever rid them of print magazines and online publications once and for all.
1. As long as you train hard, you can eat whatever you want
Many of us wish this were true, but it’s not. Just because you work out does not mean you get to eat anything you want. There are many reasons why people say this.
One is that after you exercise, your body will use everything you eat to improve recovery. While that is somewhat accurate, it’s far from the truth. Another theory is that you’re burning a bunch of calories during a workout, and therefore, you have more calories you can eat. Yes, but the amount people generally burn is so low that a small snack typically replenishes the calories lost during a workout.
2. Focusing on ab workouts will give you a defined six-pack
It would be fantastic if we could do crunches, and all of a sudden, we get a washboard six-pack. I mean, everyone would walk about showing them off, no? Unfortunately, this is one of the most common workout myths heard around gyms. The fact is, doing crunches does not eliminate the abdominal fat that is covering your abs. In order to remove that fat, you will need to clean up your nutrition, put yourself in a caloric deficit, and do cardio.
You could do a million crunches a day, but if your body fat is high, you’ll never get a lean and hard six-pack. Now, doing the crunches WILL help build core strength and shape your abdominals, but they simply will not be shown until your body fat gets below around 15%.
3. Light weights will not provide you with any results, you must go heavy
While heavy weights are a great way to break down muscle fibers, overload the muscle, and force growth, that doesn’t mean it’s the ONLY way to achieve hypertrophy. Light weights are generally thought to only be used for muscle endurance training, but when taken to and past failure, they CAN help build lean muscle mass.
Related Article: How Do I Build Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time?
Instead of the usual 8-12 reps that people are accustomed to completing for hypertrophy, it may take you upwards of 25 reps or more before you completely exhaust the muscle and take it to failure. One thing to consider is the pain threshold you can tolerate when using light weights. You’re going to have an extremely intense burn to the point where most people will stop before actually achieving muscle failure — which wouldn’t allow you to see any muscular growth.
4. Doing cardio is the best way to lose weight and body fat
What if I told you this was one of the craziest and most overused workout myths out there? Well, it’s true. Go to any gym in America and ask members what you should do to lose weight, and they’ll point you in the direction of the cardio equipment.
Cardio is a great way to burn calories and fat, but it’s not the most ideal way in the grand scheme of things. If you were to run a mile, you would only burn around 100 calories.
That’s the same number of calories as three crackers with cheese — not a whole heck of a lot. A better plan would be to lower your calories and ensure you are in a caloric deficit. If you reduce your calories but are still eating above your maintenance, you’re, unfortunately, going to continue gaining weight.
When doing cardio, you need to focus on your hydration. Not only can diminished hydration levels hurt your performance, but several adverse health effects could occur if you don’t replenish water and electrolyte levels. To ensure you’re always prepared, invest in a quality water bottle and be sure to have it with you when doing your cardio. Fill it up with water, and don’t leave home without it!
5. No pain, no gain
Can we please just put this one to rest once and for all? If you look at all the workout myths mentioned, this is by far the most dangerous of them all. NO PAIN, NO GAIN! Such a statement is asking for someone to get hurt or injured in the gym. This statement is generally used by those new to the gym, as the veterans know better.
There is a difference between physical pain and muscular/workout pain. One is a burning sensation you achieve as a byproduct of resistance training (lactic acid buildup), while the other pain is due to trauma to a muscle or tendon. Pushing yourself through the fatigue and burn is the only kind of “pain” you should endure in the gym. Pushing yourself to the point of injury by using a weight you cannot handle is a sure way to tear something — sidelining you from the gym and pumping the brakes on any health and fitness goals you were trying to achieve.
*BONUS* Any pre-workout will get the job done
This could be one of the worst workout myths of them all. If you took two products and did a side-by-side comparison, you’d find there are some drastic differences between pre-workouts. That’s not to say that there are pre-workouts out there that don’t work, but if you want to “get the job done,” there are certain products that stand out more than others.
For example, if you want a super potent pre-workout analog, it’s hard to compare MuscleSport Rhino Rampage to anything. This high-stimulant pre-workout is one of the best out there, and we’re confident in saying that.
We pulled out all the heavy hitters when it came to sourcing the best ingredients for this formula, and Rhino Rampage is nothing short of bonkers. With research-backed ingredients along with patented ingredients like Pepform® Citrulline Complex, Amentopumpä, Infinergyä, Advantra-Z®, Dynamineä, and TeaCrineä, this is a show-stopping formula.
Related Article: Do You REALLY Need a Pre-Workout Supplement Before Training?
If you want performance and power, extreme pumps, and an explosive pre-workout with hard-hitting stims, Rhino Rampage is off the charts.
Compare MuscleSport Rhino Rampage to other pre-workouts, and you’ll find out first-hand that the workout myth of “any pre-workout will do” is simply a bunch of nonsense. Try it for yourself!