10 Muscle Gain Myths

 
When it comes to muscle gain and body building, there are tons of myths that are too believable to not try. To save you from experimenting on them, here are 10 muscle gain myths that you should know:

Myth 1: You must lift everyday
You don’t have to lift everyday for muscle gain. In many cases, it will cause overtraining, which can lean to an injury.

Myth 2: Creatine is a steroid
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance, produced by their own bodies and found in meat. It is not a steroid.

Myth 3: A few bottles of beer every Friday won’t hurt
Consumption of alcohol lowers testosterone in men and causes severe dehydration. If you're serious with your personal training, it's best to just leave drinking behind. If not possible, then try to keep the drinks to a minimum and drink as much water as possible.

Myth 4: Instinctive training is the best
An instinctual approach to weight lifting will most likely cause less than optimum results. Go for a scientific approach to bodybuilding instead with your personal trainer to promote optimal gains.

Myth 5: A 'pump' is the sign of a good workout
A good pump is not necessarily indicative of an effective workout.

Myth 6: Do a thousand sit-ups a day for washboard abs
If you can't see your abdominal muscles even if you've been working on them, the problem is with your overall body fat percentage.

Myth 7: You can target an area to reduce fat
There is no way to eliminate fat from one particular part of your body. For abdominal muscles, you need to lower your overall body fat percentage. Watch your diet more vigorously and do some more cardio.

Myth 8: Certain exercises target certain parts of a muscle
The main determinant in the shape of a particular muscle is genetics. It isn't possible to develop outstanding peaks on your biceps if your genetics won't allow it.

Myth 9: My body-type isn't meant for body-building, I can't gain muscle
Regardless of your body-type it is still possible to gain muscle.

Myth 10: When you stop exercising, your muscles turn to fat.
Muscle and fat are totally different types of tissue. But lack of exercise does make the muscles shrink, reducing the body's calorie-burning rate. The lack of activity itself further reduces the number of calories you burn. Just cut back on the calories you consume.

Body Building Like an MMA Champ

Want to get a knockout fighter physique like your favorite MMA stars? Before you jump into a body fat loss and muscle gain program with the goal of building the upper body of an MMA champ, you need to know that those fighters that you look up to undergo an intense personal training. Competing for the MMA requires power, speed, strength, flexibility, endurance, mental toughness and a serious set of compound exercises. MMA fighters work every aspect of their fitness through functional movements and compound lifts. With the guidance of your personal trainer, get intense action workout with these MMA-tested routines:

Target Muscles: Chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abs
Workout Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Frequency: 45 minutes. Up to three times per week with at least a day of rest in between.

Complete each round as “straight sets”, finishing all three sets of each exercise before moving on. Rest as needed in-between each round and record how long it took to complete the workout.

Round One
1. Barbell Push Press 3 x 6
2. Alternating Medicine Ball Push-up 3 x 10 (each side)
3. MB Russian Twist 3 x 15 (each side)
Rest for up to two minutes

Round Two

1. Weighted Chin-ups 3 x 8
2. Dumbbell T-Push-up 3 x 5 (each side)
3. Medicine Ball Slam 3 x 15
Rest for up to two minutes

Round Three

1. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press 3 x 10 (each side)
2. Towel Barbell Curl 3 x 10
3. Medicine Ball Woodchop 3 x 8 (each side)

Benefits of Stretching for Muscle Gain

When it comes to personal training with the goal of muscle gain, stretching is not exactly a high-priority for fitness enthusiasts and lifters. But according to one study, a regular stretching program may actually enhance performance, making people stronger and increasing their endurance.

According to the author of the study, Arnold Nelson, an associate professor of kinesiology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, “Stretching appears to do more than just increase range of motion. The extent that some people improved was surprising, some people had fantastic improvements.

Nelson says stretching won't take the place of aerobic and strength-training programs, but it may supplement them. It’s a smart idea for people who are traveling, don’t have a personal trainer to guide them, and don't have a good place to work out. It may especially benefit people who need exercise the most but are too weak to lift weights or get moving.

All You Need to Know About Muscle Building

A better understanding of the whole muscle building process will help you to more likely enjoy your workouts and achieve your personal training goals. Here are some important things you need to know and understand for a more effective muscle gain workout program:

1. Challenge yourself
Don’t do the same exercise routine throughout the whole process, or else your body will get used to the stimulus, and you’ll more likely gain less growth and strength. Your routine should gradually progress if you want your personal training to progress as well. Use heavier weight or increase the number of reps that you perform. This will help you see effective muscle gain as they become bigger and stronger.


2. Hormones
Training kick starts your body to produce a number of anabolic hormones, most notably testosterone and growth hormone, which are responsible for muscle growth and repair.