28 Jul 3 Weight Lifting Myths That Might Be Holding Back Your Progress
Are you trying to build or to maintain lean muscle mass? If so, it is important for you to gain a greater understanding of how muscles work and how they are built up. By gaining a greater understanding of your muscles, you will be able to develop a fitness program that includes a weight training program and helps you achieve a higher level of fitness. Here’s a look at a few of the most common myths surrounding weight training and the truth that you need to know.
Weight Lifting Myths
Myth: I Need to Lift Weights Every Day In Order to Gain Muscle Mass
Many people mistakenly believe that they should lift weights every day or several times each day in order to built their muscle mass more quickly. While this may seem logical, the reality is that working out every day is counterproductive. This is because the muscles need some time to recover from your workout in order to get bigger. If you workout every day, your muscles won’t receive the necessary recovery time to grow. Most experts agree that each muscle group should only be worked about two to three times per week, though working out every other day is also a good option.
Myth: Muscle Replaces Fat When I Engage in a Weight-Lifting Program
Many people think that weight lifting will replace fat with muscle and that their muscle with “turn into” fat if they stop working out. The truth is that fat and muscle are two separate tissues and neither one turns into the other. In fact, if you engage in weight lifting and you do not take steps to burn away the fat, you may not actually see the increased muscle mass because it will still be covered with fat. In addition, if you build up muscle mass and quit working out, the muscle will simply go away. Whether or not it is “replaced” with fat will depend upon your diet and your workout schedule.
Myth: The More Reps I Do With Weight Lifting, the Better
In order to get the best results, you should only do 7 to 12 reps of each exercise you perform. If you are able to do more than 12, you should increase the amount of weight you are lifting. The goal is to work your muscles to the point of fatigue with each exercise.