6 training myths - disproved

Before the dawn of the internet age, the world of strength training was based on practical experience. While many trainers and bodybuilders were correct with their training principles, others propagated dogmatic beliefs that have somehow persisted to this day. Today, these ideas are often treated like training principles - as if they were based on scientific facts.

But ideas do not become facts just because they are spread by many people. Words don't become true just because they are repeated over and over again. Let's take a look at some common myths and see what's really going on.

Training the core

• Myth: Multi-joint exercises like squats and deadlifts give you all the core training you need.
• Fact: Building a core that is strong and aesthetically pleasing requires dedicated ab workouts.

It will be a hard pill to swallow for many long-time exercisers, but the truth is that multi-joint exercises are not "all the core training you'll ever need."

The fact is that most (if not all) exercisers need dedicated core training to address weaknesses, imbalances and postural issues in order to stay healthy and build strength over the long term. Additionally, building chiseled abs requires specific training that follows the fundamental principles of hypertrophy, just like any other muscle group. There are two primary areas where multi-joint exercises fall short:

1. function

The core should be trained to resist unwanted movement in the spine. A strong core generates a stable base that allows you to produce more power and move more weight as a result.

Core stability is also important for the longevity of your training career. It plays a key role in preventing your spine from folding up like an accordion. For this reason, performing 'anti-movement' exercises is crucial for a strong and resilient core.

• Anti-extension exercises (planks, ab wheel rollouts) train the core to resist extension of the lumbar spine.
• Anti-rotation exercises (Pallof Presses, Chops) prevent unwanted rotation of the spine.
• Anti-lateral flexion exercises (Suitcase Carries - Loaded Carries with only one weight on one side) force the body to resist lateral flexion of the trunk.

2. aesthetics

The core should be trained with the goal of hypertrophy. Many exercisers perform countless exercises such as squats, deadlifts and presses and still have a core that is as soft as a stack of stuffed pancakes.

The problem is that abdominal muscle development requires dedicated training that stimulates hypertrophy via mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress. This requires three things:

1. Exercises that allow for progressive overload over time.
2. Exercises that promote a strong mind-muscle connection.
3. Slow repetitions with a controlled range of motion to emphasize time under tension.

The training time

• Myth: Don't train for longer than 60 minutes.
• Fact: Train for as long as you need to get the right results - no matter how long it takes you.

Many old-school exercisers would train for 2 to 3 hours, then go hard physically for 6 to 8 hours and end the day with a ribeye steak and a few beers - all while maintaining impressive body development.

At some point, however, a theory emerged that the body releases a lethal dose of cortisol once a training session exceeds 60 minutes, causing the muscles to disintegrate into an athrophic pile of dust.

Even though scientific research and anecdotal reports show that there is no truth to these claims, many exercisers are afraid to stay in the gym for longer than an hour.

Can you make progress if you only have 30 to 45 minutes to train? Definitely. Is this optimal? Probably not, especially if you are a heavy exerciser with several years of training experience. In this case, the reality is that you need more time to train.

For example, let's say there are two exercisers who both want to work their way up to their 3RM weight. Trainee A has been training for a year and can deadlift 100 kilos, while trainee B has been training for 20 years and can deadlift 270 kilos.

Example increase sets for trainee A:

• 40x8, 60x5, 75x3, 90x1, set of 95x3

Example sets of increases for trainee B:

• 65x8, 100x5, 130x3, 145x1, 175x1, 190x1, 215x1, 240x1, 250x1, set with 260x3

Trainee A can achieve his maximum set after four preparation sets, while trainee B needs nine preparation sets to achieve the same goal. Trainer B will also need longer rest intervals between sets and additional preparation sets for supporting exercises and will also spend more time loading and unloading the bar with weights. In addition to this, exerciser B (who is likely to be older and more prone to injury) will need more time to warm up thoroughly.

Don't waste time in the gym, but don't race against the clock either. Time is a guideline, but not the benchmark. Completing a quality workout and achieving an optimal training effect trumps everything else.

The exercise sequence

• Myth: Perform multi-joint exercises first, then supporting exercises and finally isolation exercises.
• Fact: Determine the exercise sequence based on your individual needs and goals.

Multi-joint exercises will give you the most results for your efforts, so it makes sense to do them when you are fresh and rested. But again, it's not all black and white. As every exerciser is different, the exercise sequence should be based on your individual needs and goals. Sticking with a "one size fits all" approach to training can severely hinder your progress.

Here are reasons why choosing a different approach may make sense. Starting with isolation exercises can be beneficial for hypertrophy. Isolation exercises may not be as "functional" as multi-joint exercises, but you can't deny that they are better at providing a razor-sharp focus on the target muscle.

When bench pressing, for example, most exercisers end up working their shoulders and triceps. That's fine if the goal is to move as much weight as possible, but it's less optimal for building the pecs.

Instead of placing isolation exercises at the end of the workout (when the target muscle is already fatigued), an isolation exercise like crossover cable pulls at the beginning of the workout will put more stress on the muscle - stimulating more growth - while building a stronger mind-muscle connection before the press. Using heavy weights in supportive training is beneficial for developing strength, hypertrophy and overall function.

What is the downside of starting a training session with a multi-joint exercise? This type of exercise is physically and mentally demanding, which inevitably puts supporting exercises in second place. However, prioritizing strength development in supportive exercises is undoubtedly the best way to become more muscular and stronger while improving overall function.

And why can't exercises like pull-ups, split squats with an elevated back foot and/or push-ups with added weight be performed with weights like primary strength exercises? There are enough "supportive" exercises that can be superior for building mass and strength because they provide a greater range of motion, allow for a longer time under tension, require more stability and expose imbalances better than standard barbell exercises.

Starting with isolation and supportive exercises can also be a cure for pain and dysfunction in overloaded exercisers. Despite the fact that their joints are whimpering for mercy, many exercisers go to the gym, pop a handful of ibuprofen and rub on Tiger Balm before starting the next heavy barbell exercise.

But instead of exacerbating existing problems, one strategy could be to move the multi-joint exercises to the end of the training session to protect the joints and improve overall function.

This may sound like a radical approach, but if you do this in a lower body training session, for example, you would achieve the following:

• Preparing the posterior muscle chain is an effective way to relieve pain and improve mechanics before heavy barbell training. It's not uncommon for people with chronic hip and knee problems to be able to do squats pain-free after several sets of hip thrusts, leg curls and calf raises.
• Supportive training can be the key to improving overall function. Getting brutally strong on split squats with an elevated back foot, for example, can be a game changer when it comes to correcting imbalances, strengthening weak links in the chain and optimizing lower body mechanics.
• Since it is much more difficult to sustain an injury when performing isolation exercises and supporting exercises, placing these exercises at the beginning of your training session is a safe and effective way to warm up joints and CNS before heavy barbell training.

The exercise technique

• Myth: Always use perfect technique.
• Fact: Use a technique that is safe, passes visual inspection and fits your goals. Exercise form matters - period. But the functional gurus who force exercise to achieve absolutely perfect form are just as bad as those guys who can't tell the difference between bicep curls and repositioning from a hanging position. Do quality repetitions matter? Absolutely, but it's not that simple.

The truth is that there is no such thing as perfect exercise form. If your mother told you that you are unique, then she was (at least partially) right. Everyone has a unique body type and unique movement abilities, goals and genetic predispositions. Would you tell Yao Ming, who is over 2 meters tall and has thigh bones like an ostrich, that he should perform squats just like a 170 cm powerlifter? Probably not.

If we take our individual differences into account, then it is practically impossible to define something like a perfect form of exercise execution. But then how do you assess the right technique and make sure you're performing exercises in a safe and effective way? Ask yourself these three questions:

1. is it safe?

Exercises must be performed with a technique that minimizes the risk of injury and chronic wear and tear. To perform solid squats, you don't need to be able to sit almost on the floor in the lowest position of the snatch like an elite weightlifter. All that is necessary from a movement perspective is "enough" - you need enough hip and ankle mobility to perform squats through the full range of motion, move with good mechanics and minimize stress on the joints.

2. does it pass visual inspection?

Mike Boyle said it best: if it doesn't look athletic, it probably isn't. Take standard push-ups as an example. Is your spine straight or is your lower back curved towards the floor? Do your upper arms form a 30 to 45 degree angle with your torso or are they flared out to the side?

Such a visual check is not rocket science - if the target muscles appear to be doing most of the work and the exercise is performed in a fluid and coordinated manner, then you have passed this check.

3. does it fit your goals?

If Uncle Bob wants to build 5 pounds of muscle, then there's no need for him to perform bench presses with a arched back after sniffing ammonia. Instead, he should relax and perform each repetition with a slow eccentric/negative repetition and focus on maintaining a strong mind-muscle connection.

A powerlifter, on the other hand, should do whatever it takes to move more weight (e.g. push through the back, shorter eccentric reps, etc.). Neither uses an inherently "good" or "bad" form of exercise execution. Because they train with the technique that supports their goals, their form is as perfect as it needs to be.

Training goals

• Myth: Focus on a specific goal and adapt your training accordingly.
• Fact: Focus on strength in the gym. Focus on your goals by adjusting your diet - not your training.

Beginners aside, it's hard for an exerciser to build muscle, get stronger and lose fat at the same time. For this reason, a common piece of advice is to choose a specific goal and adjust your training accordingly.

When it comes to nutrition, the approach is clear. For example, if you eat everything you can think of to build muscle, then it will be difficult to lose any significant amount of fat. And if you starve yourself to lose belly fat, it will be impossible to gain muscle mass.

In the gym, however, strength is the factor that trumps everything else. It doesn't matter if you want to lose fat, build muscle or increase your performance - if you get stronger, the rest will come naturally.

If you want to lose fat while maintaining as much of your existing muscle mass as possible, then you should train to get stronger in all areas. Training plans for fat loss should actually be called muscle maintenance plans. What builds muscle also maintains muscle.

Can you speed up your fat loss with a few HIIT sessions and/or metabolic finishing sets? Most definitely. However, you're playing with fire when you combine a calorie deficit with excessive training volume.

If your goal is to become more muscular, then you should train to get stronger in the 4 to 8 repetition range. There is a training philosophy that says that to build one pound of lean muscle mass, you need to increase your 6RM weight by 5 kilos for all heavy basic exercises. Increase your 5RM weight by 25 kilos and you will build 5 pounds of muscle.

Can you manipulate certain variables to promote fat loss or hypertrophy? Of course, but the focus remains the same - focus on strength in the gym. Adjust your diet based on your goals, not your training.

Machines

• Myth: Machines are worthless for functional strength - all you need are free weights.
• Fact: Machines deliver unique unrivaled benefits that you can't achieve with free weights.

Sure, free weights are superior for strength, muscle mass and performance. But machines offer a number of unmatched benefits that can accelerate your gains in strength, stimulate muscle hypertrophy and improve overall function.

• Machines deliver more consistent tension than free weights. Muscles don't respond to specific equipment - they respond to tension.

In free weight exercises (like flying movements), up to two-thirds of the movement is performed with less than maximum tension.

Well-designed machines (such as butterfly machines) use varying levels of resistance to maximize tension throughout the full range of motion, forcing the target muscle to contract maximally for the entire duration of each repetition.

• Machines promote strength gains by taking balance and stability out of the equation. Although machines are often criticized for their inability to promote balance and stability, this is beneficial when the overall load is the goal.

This is the sole reason why exercisers can move three to four times more weight on leg presses than squats. Are leg presses as functional as squats? Probably not. Can this exercise increase strength and stimulate growth? Definitely.

• Machines promote hypertrophy while maximizing safety and minimizing fatigue. Machines have a set path of movement, which makes it harder to compensate.

At the same time, training on machines is less fatiguing from a neurological perspective, reducing the demands on the forearms, core and lower back. For these reasons, machines can be an effective tool for accumulating additional volume and promoting growth while maximizing safety and minimizing fatigue.

• Machines allow you to train around injuries while still achieving a powerful training effect. Often the best rehab after injury is to train around an injury. With free weights, it is often impossible to achieve optimal training effects in the presence of pain.

If you suffer from chronic back pain and sore knees, doing squats is about as useful as banging your head against the wall to treat a migraine. Machines, on the other hand, are an effective alternative for training a muscle or muscle group without aggravating existing problems.

For a struggling exerciser with back pain and worn knee joints, an exercise like leg presses can produce a potent training effect without straining the lower back, while a wide range of possible angles can make it easier to find a knee-friendly position.

• Machines make it easier to isolate muscles and eliminate weak points. Most exercises performed with free weights recruit multiple muscle groups simultaneously, which is useful in many cases. However, if the goal is to target a lagging muscle group or eliminate weak points, machines may be superior.

For example, prone leg curls isolate the hamstrings much more effectively than straight leg deadlifts, which also involve the forearms, gluteus, core and lower back. At the same time, leg curls are far less demanding on the CNS, allowing for more quality volume without taxing the rest of the body.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/6-meathead-myths-debunked/

by Charley Gould