Bodybuilding is an activity that is very badly misunderstood, and while lots of people will admit to wishing they were more muscular or bulkier, it seems that they nevertheless look at bodybuilding through a very distorted lens which often means it doesn’t come off well (and which furthermore will prevent them from getting anywhere in building muscle themselves). There are a lot of myths, half truths and downright lies then when it comes to bodybuilding, but don’t worry, that’s what I’m about to get to the bottom of. Here are five of the most common misconceptions in bodybuilding.
Protein Shakes Are Bad For You
Whenever I use a protein shake in front of my Mum or a friend, they will say something along the lines of ‘you shouldn’t poison yourself with that rubbish’. What annoys me about this is the fact that they quite clearly do not know what they are talking about even a little bit and that if they had done even the slightest bit of reading before having a go they’d know that there’s nothing harmful whatsoever about protein shake. For the record: It is a by-product of the cheese making product and it comes from milk. Whenever you drink milk you are consuming whey, and milk certainly isn’t ‘poisonous rubbish’. That is all.
You Don’t Need to Hurt After Training
Many people seem to pander to those who’d rather not put any effort in by saying that you ‘don’t need to feel any discomfort to have a good workout’. Sorry but this is downright nonsense yet again. The fact of the matter is that you need to create micro tears in your muscles (meaning that the muscle fibers get ripped and the muscle is built back stronger and larger). Those hurt so if you aren’t hurting after then you aren’t creating micro tears and you aren’t going to grow. Of course not all pain is good, it has to be the right kind but you do need some.
Muscle Turns to Flab When You Stop
This one is completely 100% scientifically inaccurate. Muscle and flab you see are two entirely different things, so if you stop building muscle it literally cannot be transformed into fat. All that might happen is that you’ll have some lose skin as you’ll be skinnier, but that fades with time.
Bodybuilding is Bad for Your Heart
People see someone huge and assume that their size is taking a toll on their heart. This is wrong again though, as actually the heart gets a workout during bodybuilding too, so if anything bodybuilders are less likely to suffer heart problems.
Bodybuilders Are Meat Heads
I think the reason that people claim bodybuilders are meat heads is that they are jealous. The idea that someone can be both physically in great shape and intelligent may seem far-fetched, but actually it’s more likely. This is because bodybuilding requires not only incredible mental discipline and drive, but also a very sound knowledge of the human anatomy and biology – so these guys have to be smart to succeed. Furthermore, if you bodybuild you will actually improve your brain function so you’ll get smarter even if you weren’t to start with.
Pauly Singh is a bodybuilder and fitness blogger. His website Ellipticalreviews.net helps people buy the right exercise equipment for their homes and gyms.
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