Introduction
When it comes to lifting, things are simple. Your goal is to lift more, thus getting stronger. You try to increase the weight you lift through time, either by increasing the number of reps, or the load on the bar. That’s pretty much it, you do that, and your strength will increase, and with it, your size.
However, people are often reluctant, polluted by common gym myths, stopping them from even trying new things. In this article, we will debunk 5 common gym myths, so stay tuned.
#1: Deadlifts Are Bad For Your Back
The king of all exercises, and the strongest lift, deadlift, has a scary name, that’s true. However, the deadlift is not bad for your back; it is exactly the opposite, it will make your back stronger.
Deadlifts are one of the best posterior chain activators, forcing your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, lats, but also your quads, abs, and a bunch of other muscle groups to work together. So where’s the problem?
Although deadlifts with good form strengthen your back, doing them without proper technique can seriously harm you. One of the most important things is to prevent your lower back from rounding. This is not just when performing deadlifts, but any movement. Keep your core braced, and your back in a natural position, never rounded.
#2: Squats Are Bad For Your Knees
This is similar to the point above. Squats are the best exercise for developing leg musculature, both size, and strength. And one of the keys for stable knees is having strong muscles that support them. Those are primarily quadriceps, but also hamstrings, calves—in short, all muscles around the knee.
Therefore, a movement like the squat will promote knee health, if you do it with proper technique, of course. While performing squats, make sure never to lift your heels off your ground. Second, never raise your toes. Your whole foot should be in contact with the ground throughout the movement. Your entire weight should be above your midfoot, equally distributing the force straight down into the ground.
One more thing—don’t be afraid to let your knees go past your toes. That is the only way to reach depth. After all, squats are a knee dominant movement. If you just focus on pushing your hips back, and trying to reach the parallel with minimal knee flexion, you are doing something more similar to a deadlift, not squat.
#3: Training Abs Will Show Your Six Pack
While training abs will definitely increase their strength and size, like any other muscle group, the primary reason why you can’t see them is probably excessive body fat, not muscle size.
Humans (especially men) have a natural tendency to store fat around the waistline. Therefore, even skinny people have issues with making their abs show. Fat around the waistline is the most stubborn. Also, if you break your diet, new fat is most likely to end up there.
Yes, training your abdominals is important for more than looks—they are stabilizing your whole body—but if you want to see your 6-pack, the best approach is to correct your nutrition, not to do more crunches.
Conclusion
Those three myths that we’ve just debunked are common among beginners. Unfortunately, once you decide to start visiting the gym, you will encounter many more.
The best approach to training is to hire a personal trainer. We at FitAndPsyched, West Palm Beach, have years of experience working with people like you. With us, you will learn the right steps, avoiding common myths and misconceptions that can hinder your progress. Visit us today, and see why we have so many satisfied clients.
