Muscle Facts Versus Fiction

If you've been weight training, here's a short list of bodybuilding myths that are fictional - and the corresponding truths that will help you safely make the most of your weight training workouts.

1. The 12 Rep Rule

Cover of The Truth

Most weight training programs include this many repetitions for gaining muscle. The truth is this approach doesn't give the muscles enough tension for effective muscle gain. High tension (e.g. heavy weights) provides muscle growth in which the muscle grows much larger, leading to the maximum gains in strength. Having  longer tension time boosts the muscle size by generating the structures around the muscle fibers, improving endurance.

The standard prescription of eight to 12 repetitions with medium weights provides a balance, but by just using that program all of the time, you do not generate the greater tension levels that are provided by heavier weights and lesser reps. Change the number of reps and adjust the weights to stimulate all types of muscle growth - you want some lower weights and more repetitions, and some with higher weight and fewer reps.

2. The Three Set Rule

The truth is there's nothing wrong with three sets but then again there is nothing amazing about it either. The number of sets you perform should be based on your goals and not on a half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do on an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. This keeps the total number of repetitions of a given exercise equal.

3. Three to four exercises per group

The truth is this is a waste of time. Combined with twelve reps of three sets, the total number of reps amount to 144. If your doing this many reps for a muscle group, you're not using heavy enough weights to make much of a difference for most of your muscles. Instead of doing so many varieties of exercises, try doing 30 to 50 reps total. That can be anywhere from 2 sets of  15 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps.

Upright squat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. My knees, my toes
It is a gym folklore that you “should not let your knees go past your toes." Truth is that leaning forward a little too much is more likely a cause of injury. In 2003, Memphis University researchers confirmed that knee stress was almost thirty percent higher when the knees are allowed to move beyond the toes during a squat.

But hip stress increased nearly 10 times or (1000 percent) when the forward movement of the knee was restricted, because the squatters needed to lean their body forward and that forces the strain to transfer to the lower back.

Focus on your upper body position and less on the knee. Keep the torso in an upright position as much as possible when doing squats and lunges. This  reduces the stress generated on the hips and back. To stay upright, before squatting, squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold them in that position; and then as you squat, keep the forearms 90 degrees to the floor.

5. Use your abs to lift weights

The truth is the muscles work in groups to stabilize the spine, and the most important muscle group changes depending on the type of exercise. The transverse abdominis is not always the most important muscle group. Actually, for most exercises, the body automatically activates the muscle group that is needed most for support of the spine. So if you focus only on the transverse abdominis, it can recruit wrong muscles and limit the right muscles. This increases the chance of injury, and reduces the weight that can be lifted. Listen to your body - it knows best! If you have an ingrained habit of intentionally tensing your stomach muscles when lifting, try relaxing your body, then lift a lighter weight, and see where your muscles naturally flex to complete the movement. Once you know which muscle group is engaged for each various exercise, you'll strengthen the correct muscles for each movement, and get a more complete workout.