Tips for Getting Fit

10 Myths That Fool the Smartest Exercisers

Even the most seasoned gym-goers can fall for faulty "facts" that work against their workouts. Stop believing these muscle myths and watch your fitness soar
By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS menshealth
 

Myth #4

Weight training bulks you up.

Women seem especially afraid of this, as if regular weight lifting will make them look like NFL linebackers. To debunk this myth, look at the female fitness model in my book. (You can get your own copy here.) The woman in the pictures is named Anna—she works as a trainer at my facility in San Diego. And not only does she work out with weights regularly (if not religiously), she knows all the moves to the extent that she can model them with perfect technique. Now . . . does she look bulky?

The fact is, ladies, if you want to change the way your body looks and performs, you need weight training. If you want to prevent degenerative conditions like osteoporosis as you get older, you need weight training.

“Bulk” is bunk. Two things make you bulky: your diet and your training method. A specific type of training exists called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy that aims to build huge, bodybuilding-style muscles. People who train this way also need to eat massive amounts of food to fuel that muscle growth.

You won’t be doing that here. Whether you’re male or female, the IMPACT program will make your body look more like the respective models in the back of this book, not like a bodybuilder or an offensive lineman.

5 Muscle myths holding you back

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