MYTH!

Jim Bryan

1. You have to have supplements to succeed. The reality is that some supplements do help but why not fix your diet first?
2. Functional Training. This is one of the big buzzwords now. Seminars are being held as I write this. They will show you how to balance on a ball, how to throw a medicine ball, how to balance on one leg. How much of this is needed and how much of it is pure bull hockey? Somehow we are being led to believe that the way we have been weight training is not “Functional.” Please! The fact that you are making your muscles stronger, more flexible, better conditioned is “Functional Training.” If you are lifting weights you have been doing it already. Just another gimmick for the latest Expert.
3. Pilates will not make your muscles longer! If you want to train that way, go ahead. But use your brain and don’t fall for the marketing.
4. You have to Olympic lift to be a successful athlete. Any method of Strength Training that allows you to progressively load your muscles safely will work. Period. Olympic Lifting can be that method but others have done JUST as well WITHOUT using it.
5. “HIT” is the best way to Strength Train. Let me put this to rest. Most of the first generation that trained with Arthur Jones are not going to tell you this. What you will hear from them or me is: High Intensity Training is a Safe, Efficient, Practical, and Productive way to workout. The BEST way for you is what you’ll actually do. Getting in the gym to lift weights is the most important decision. The method is your choice. My opinion is to forget the latest “Bloat Freak’s” routine. He didn’t write it and he most likely doesn’t do it. You’ll soon be reading about his fall do to health problems anyway. Last conversation I had with Arthur Jones he told me he wouldn’t change a thing except, he wouldn’t workout as often as he once did.
6. Women shouldn’t “Train like a Man.” Just what does this mean? I had a friend (Female trainer) tell my Wife this once. My Wife was doing a routine I made for her. Standard exercises in a pretty much free weight gym. She was doing squats, overhead presses, Benching etc. Just standard stuff. I never knew she was training “like a Man.” I just thought she was training.
7. Free weights are for Athletes and Machines are for the Fitness crowd. Who came up with this? This keeps coming up in any Discussion Board anywhere. It is not true! You can use either/or. You can use any combination. Use what you have. This is not worth the time wasted thinking about it. If you do use free weights MAKE darn sure you have a safe way of doing it. Use a power rack. If you don’t have one….GET one! Never train by yourself without one.
8. All machines are the same. Not true! Even to the casual user, some feel right and some just downright suck. I happen to like Leverage Machines. Pendulum is my choice. If you have a chance to go to a Trade Show for Exercise equipment, go! Try it all. Then decide what you want for your personal gym.
9. Drugs will turn you into a Bodybuilding Champion! You have to have the POTENTIAL first. Without POTENTIAL nothing will turn you into one of the cartoonish characters dominating Bodybuilding right now. BUT they may turn you into a corpse.
10. Exercise Science. Much that is being passed around as Science in Strength Training and Conditioning is flawed. There are a lot of personal axes being ground. I won’t mention his name but most of you reading this know who I’m referring to. I know of one person that was really interested in the outcome of his studies. He really wanted to know the truth and he invested millions to find the truth, even if it proved him wrong.
11. Women that exercise with weights will develop large bulky muscles. Forget this! As long as you train in a safe practical way you’ll look great and feel better too. The Women Bodybuilders are not an example of anything except excess. Are they on drugs? Ya think?
12. You have to use “Split Routines” to be a successful Bodybuilder. Truth is “Split Routines” work for some better than others. Full body is a more Time efficient way to train.
13. Overtraining is a major problem. I feel that many involved in High Intensity Training carry this too far. To the point of being afraid to “live.” Some that I come in contact with, could use some daily activity. That doesn’t mean I feel you should workout every day. But if you are afraid to carry out the garbage on a non training day, your carrying it to far. Yes, there are some in HIT that are obsessed.
14. A Certified Trainer is an Expert. I have found that this can be a problem if you go by this assumption. Would it surprise you if I said that many have no real clue? EVEN if they do train celebrities. Some of the “Gold Standard” Certifying Orgs. Function as “Diploma Mills.”

Strength Development