muscle myths!!

[J*U*icEd]

Fact vs. Fiction

The guy lifting beside you looks like he should write the book on muscle. Talks like it, too. He's worked out since the seventh grade, he played D-1 football, and he's big. But that doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about. Starting now, ignore him.

The gym is infested with bad information. Lies that start with well-intentioned gym teachers trickle down to students who become coaches, trainers, or know-it-all gym-rat preachers. Lies morph into myths that endure because we don't ask questions, for fear of looking stupid.

Scientists, on the other hand, gladly look stupid--that's why they're so darn smart. Plus, they have cool human-performance laboratories where they can prove or disprove theories and myths. Here's what top exercise scientists and expert trainers have to say about the crap that's passed around in gyms. Listen up and learn. Then go ahead, question it.

Myth #1
Lifting incredibly slowly builds incredibly big muscles.

Lifting super slowly produces superlong workouts--and that's it. University of Alabama researchers recently studied two groups of lifters doing a 29-minute workout. One group performed exercises using a 5-second up phase and a 10-second down phase, the other a more traditional approach of 1 second up and 1 second down. The faster group burned 71 percent more calories and lifted 250 percent more weight than the superslow lifters.

Find out what the real expert says!

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Myth #2
If you eat more protein, you'll build more muscle.

To a point, sure. But put down the shake for a sec. Protein promotes the muscle-building process, called protein synthesis, "but you don't need exorbitant amounts to do this," says John Ivy, Ph.D., coauthor of Nutrient Timing. If you're working out hard, consuming more than 0.9 to 1.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a waste. Excess protein breaks down into amino acids and nitrogen, which are either excreted or converted into carbohydrates and stored.

Find out what the real expert says!

Myth #3
Leg extensions are safer for your knees than squats.

And cotton swabs are dangerous when you push them too far into your ears. It's a matter of knowing what you're doing. A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that "open-chain" exercises--those in which a single joint is activated, such as the leg extension--are potentially more dangerous than closed-chain moves--those that engage multiple joints, such as the squat and the leg press. The study found that leg extensions activate your quadriceps muscles slightly independently of each other, and just a 5-millisecond difference in activation causes uneven compression between the patella (kneecap) and thighbone, says Anki Stensdotter, the lead study author.

Find out what the real expert says!

Myth #4
Never exercise a sore muscle.

Before you skip that workout, determine how sore you really are. "If your muscle is sore to the touch or the soreness limits your range of motion, it's best that you give the muscle at least another day of rest," says Alan Mikesky, Ph.D., director of the human performance and biomechanics laboratory at Indiana University?Purdue University at Indianapolis. In less severe instances, an "active rest" involving light aerobic activity and stretching, and even light lifting, can help alleviate some of the soreness. "Light activity stimulates bloodflow through the muscles, which removes waste products to help in the repair process," says David Docherty, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at the University of Victoria in Canada.

Myth #5
Stretching prevents injuries.

Maybe if you're a figure skater. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed more than 350 studies and articles examining the relationship between stretching and injuries and concluded that stretching during a warmup has little effect on injury prevention. "Stretching increases flexibility, but most injuries occur within the normal range of motion," says Julie Gilchrist, M.D., one of the study's researchers. "Stretching and warming up have just gone together for decades. It's simply what's done, and it hasn't been approached through rigorous science."


Myth #6
You need a Swiss ball to build a stronger chest and shoulders.

Don't abandon your trusty bench for exercises like the chest press and shoulder press if your goal is strength and size. "The reason people are using the ball and getting gains is because they're weak as kittens to begin with," says Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S. You have to reduce the weight in order to press on a Swiss ball, and this means you get less out of the exercise, he says.


Myth #7
Always work out with free weights.

Sometimes machines can build muscle better--for instance, when you need to isolate specific muscles after an injury, or when you're too inexperienced to perform a free-weight exercise. If you can't complete a pullup, you won't build your back muscles. So do lat pulldowns to develop strength in this range of motion, says Greg Haff, Ph.D., director of the strength research laboratory at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

How Strong Are You?

The truth is trickier than you think

When exercise experts look at strength, they look beyond the bench press and squat, which measure only absolute strength--the amount of force you can exert. But a bench-pressing behemoth with an injured shoulder is not strong. "The essence of strength is being able to use the right muscle at the right time with the right amount of force to accomplish your goal," says Mike Clark, president of the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

His definition of a strong man: a guy who can perform any exercise or daily task without pain or injury. This starts with understanding that your muscular system comprises two systems, one for movement and one for stabilization. The movement system produces force by using big muscles like your pecs and lats. The stabilizing system controls your joints and utilizes smaller muscles like your lower trapezius, your posterior deltoids, and the muscles of the rotator cuff.

"Most injuries occur because the stabilization system is not strong and the movement system is overly dominant," says Clark. You need to build both equally to avoid injury and perform better.

Alternate strength and stabilization exercises to enhance your endurance. For instance, do Swiss-ball pushups immediately after you bench-press; perform a squat followed immediately by a single-leg squat. If your stabilizing muscles are obviously weak--your shoulders are rounded, for instance--then begin your workouts with stabilizing exercises.

Aim to improve posture, flexibility, and power as well. You can follow strength exercises with power moves such as the medicine-ball chest pass, plyometric pushup, and jump squat. Incorporate core and flexibility moves to round out your routine.

[BUYLONGTERM]

Nice post!!!!

[MyBodyIsMyTemple]

funny I was just reading that not even 2 seconds ago on MSN

[J*U*icEd]

funny I was just reading that not even 2 seconds ago on MSN

thats too funny cause thats where i just got it from.....lol!

[1-Cent]

Myth #2
If you eat more protein, you'll build more muscle.

To a point, sure. But put down the shake for a sec. Protein promotes the muscle-building process, called protein synthesis, "but you don't need exorbitant amounts to do this," says John Ivy, Ph.D., coauthor of Nutrient Timing. If you're working out hard, consuming more than 0.9 to 1.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a waste. Excess protein breaks down into amino acids and nitrogen, which are either excreted or converted into carbohydrates and stored.

Is this really true? because I'm devouring 1.5-2g /day per pound... i'd save alot on groceries lol.

[LeafsFan]

Is this really true? because I'm devouring 1.5-2g /day per pound... i'd save alot on groceries lol.

That article isn't written for someone jucin'

[Latimus]

keep eating 1.5gs to 2 gs per lbs....keep yourself in an anabolic bulking state

great post bro

[bor]

Good read.....although I'm a bit skeptical about the protein thing!

[kingofmasters]

Good read.....although I'm a bit skeptical about the protein thing!

From a previous post!

Interesting; Only thing is that proteinintake "off cycle" is far exagerated and proteinintake "on cycle" is far underestimated!

With a cycle I mean Cycle + Time till PCT + PCT + time that levels are apparently stable and thus musclemass gained is "secured" (so about cycletime + 2 months) is the time that you need about 200-300 grams a day.
(Now don't give me bull about; 600 grams, nobody that is not on HGH/IGF-L3/Chemokines/Cytokines/other growthfactors can synthesize that --> perhaps if it is his first or second cycle but most of the time not!)

So unless you are way passed your "plateau" (NOT genetic limit for the LAST TIME, this simply cannot be reached!), and have difficulty keeping gained mass there, most people have enough on about 60-100 grams of proteins a day to keep enzymes and immunesystem normal (main goals for consuming protein) and thus not catabolizing muscle.
(In theory 60-100 gram is even too much, if one just uses exact ratios of Essential amino acids! --> 30-50 grams will even be enough then; given to people with kidney failure!)

What is even worse is that those doses (>200 gram while not on cycle and > 300 grams "on") of Protein (especially fast proteins) have proved to be catabolic! (or when training and/or juicing at least bottleneck gains!) (see second and third Pubmed research)

Morens C, Gaudichon C, Fromentin G, Marsset-Baglieri A, Bensaid A, Larue-Achagiotis C, Luengo C, Tome D. Daily delivery of dietary nitrogen to the periphery is stable in rats adapted to increased protein intake. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Oct;281(4):E826-36

Masanes, R, Fernandez-Lopez JA, Alemany M, Remesar X, and Rafecas I. Effect of dietary protein content on tissue protein synthesis rates in Zucker lean rats. Nutr Res 19: 1017-1026, 1999

Khalid Almurshed, Katharine Grunewald. Dietary Protein Does Not Affect Overloaded Skeletal Muscle in Rats. Journal of Nutrition. 2000;130:1743-1748

Grofte T, Wolthers T, Jensen SA, Moller N, Jorgensen JO, Tygstrup N, Orskov H, Vilstrup H. Effects of growth hormone and insulin -like growth factor-I singly and in combination on in vivo capacity of urea synthesis, gene expression of urea cycle enzymes, and organ nitrogen contents in rats. Hepatology. 1997 Apr;25(4):964-9

What is far more important then amount of protein -->
Proteintype!
Proteinratio!
Times of Intake!

Proteintype
An individual under about the "magic line" of 30 years benefits way more from
Slow Proteins (like Caseinate, Milkprotein and Eggwhiteprotein) then from fast proteins (like Whey or "already" AminoAcids).
Over 30 it is the other way around.
Both benefit much from Fast Proteins (or even better Amino Acids) before lifting and Slow proteins before bed!

Proteinratio!
The body can synthesize it's amino-acids to its need, only thing is it can't synthesize so-called "Essental amino-acids" it is therefore important to have an abundance of these since they tend to bottleneck gains!
Also there is a certain ratio between Amino-acids (some you need alot, some a little) it is just way too "hardcore" to discuss these here (not only due to the difficult theory involved) but also because this is something for "Pros" and will not differ much in an everyday Man training!

Times of Intake!
Now science has taught us that unless you are a stamina-athlete (like cyclist or Runner) that much meals on a day is countereffective and thus bad, it not only suppresses HGH and IGF production but also lowers natural
Life-expectance (Some Lifeextenionists; eat one day, vast another! which has proved to increase health and life-expectancy) but also screws up Insulin-levels (in stamina-athletes it improves it nevertheless).

Giovannucci E, Pollak M, Liu Y, Platz EA, Majeed N, Rimm EB, Willett WC. Nutritional Predictors of Insulin-like Growth Factor I and Their Relationships to Cancer in Men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2003 Feb;12(2):84-9.

Now more and more Powerlifters and Amateur-Bodybuilders are leaving the traditional approach and following this one since one cannot denie the many (same concluding) researches and real-life results (I too have better results with Three Big meals in a day instead of 7 smaller ones)!

I believe there was an article in the Thinkmuscle 2 years ago about it!

Now there are two subjective times which me and most of you bros agree upon are best for supplying protein!

1) First Thing in the morning (so this is subjective meaning when coming out of bed --> research below proves that Protein on an empty stomach is real anabolic and lowers cortisol while raising HGH 21-fold!).
(both slow proteins and fast proteins are beneficial then but best is for optimal anabolic state --> Naturally Predigested Essential Amino Acids, these are superfast in action and then a slow one like Milkprotein).

2) Before Bed (to prevent catabolizing state and increase HGH-production)
Slow proteins are only suitable for this purpose (you can also mix them with Amino Acids like Arginine and Lysine Pyroglamate which are known to boost HGH while asleep!)

Optional:
Fast Proteins before training (or even better Naturally Predigested Essential Amino Acids; they have not got to be predigested though, although if they are it certainly is a plus!)

Bouthegourd JC, Roseau SM, Makarios-Lahham L, Leruyet PM, Tome DG, Even PC. A preexercise alpha-lactalbumin-enriched whey protein meal preserves lipid oxidation and decreases adiposity in rats. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Sep;283(3):E565-72

Now there is just one timing which have caused controversy among me and my bros:

Most of you follow the traditional... Proteins Post Work-out!
(within 15 minutes).
Now if you are cycling with Insulin then that is a perfect approach!
But if not then the many researches have shown (I also follow this guideline)
that your body after a work-out does not need protein! --> It needs carbohydrates (preferabely 0,8 times in gram per KG bodyweight) within 15 minutes of excercise, but it only needs protein about an hour later (so in the form of a shake or meal) 1 hour After Work-Out:
The most common mistake is to take protein right after workout but this will cause at max 30% of the protein to be used properly the rest will be simply burned or worse stored as fat
Right after Workout the body can be 3 times as anabolic if supplied 0.8 timesin grams your weight in KG of Carbs...
If taken right Post workout; That will cause at max 30% of the protein to be used properly the rest will be simply burned or worse stored as fat
When the GLUT404-bodies in your cell shut down (about 1 hour after training) your body will be craving for proteins and this is the best time of the day to supply them...

Now I know this goes against everything you learned (I did the old approach as well) but with most things in life people do it until they find something better or discover its dangerous, as is with for instance Benzene which for many years people thought was the best Cleaning fluid until they discovered it was very carcinogous...

Here are the studies (there are more just look them up!)

1. Van Loon LJ, Kruijshoop M, Verhagen H, Saris WH, Wagenmakers AJ. Ingestion of Protein Hydrolysate and Amino Acid-Carbohydrate Mixtures Increases Postexercise Plasma Insulin Responses in Men. J Nutr 2000 Oct;130(10):2508-13.

2. Van Loon LJ, Saris WH, Kruijshoop M, Wagenmakers AJ. Maximizing postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis: carbohydrate supplementation and the application of amino acid or protein hydrolysate mixtures. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jul;72(1):106-11.

3. Pitkanen HT, Nykanen T, Knuutinen J, Lahti K, Keinanen O, Alen M, Komi PV, Mero AA. Free amino acid pool and muscle protein balance after resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 May;35(5):784-92.

4. Dangin M, Boirie Y, Guillet C, Beaufrere B. Influence of the protein digestion rate on protein turnover in young and elderly subjects. J Nutr 2002 Oct;132(10):3228S-33S.

5. Boirie Y, Dangin M, Gachon P, Vasson MP, Maubois JL, Beaufrere B. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930-5.

6. Dangin M, Boirie Y, Garcia-Rodenas C, Gachon P, Fauquant J, Callier P, Ballevre O, Beaufrere B. The digestion rate of protein is an independent regulating factor of postprandial protein retention. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001 Feb;280(2):E340-8.

Sorry for the Bore!

Greets
Kingofmasters

[Quake]

Agreed, everything except the protein part because the study is not based on steroid users. AS for myth#1 Even though I don't completely disregard what is said, everyone responds differently to different things, and sometimes doing something a little differently will help people overcome a plateau. That is not to say that I think the study is flawed because I can believe that what is stated was the case as it is much harder to go slower, and more exhausting on the muscles, than it is to bang out a few reps quickly, so by the time the people who are repping slowly hjave finished their sets at a medium weight their muscles would be that much more strained and tired than those that have gone quickly at the same weight, so leaving the muscle more fatigued and less able to lift heavier weights.

And I'm gonna stick my neck out on this one and say that if you disagree with me, then you obviously haven't tried repping slowly and controlled from start to finish!

[map200uk]

funny I was just reading that not even 2 seconds ago on MSN

haha same, it's a good read

[thejuiceisloose]

Nice post, good thing everything that I read about the myths I allready knew. Even before doing AS i researched, even before lifting weights I researched which was the best way to lift, and do exercises. I think of it like this, normally you just dont go to a car dealership and buy the 1st car you see, you RESEARCH before you buy the car b/c you would like to make sure you get the car that is the most reliable, appealing to taste, etc. Well you should apply that same concept to your body. I dont think anyone in their right mind would like to perform slower, be weak, or harm their body. So you research to see what's the best things you can do (w/e they are to maintain your body efficiently, and healthy, and not getting injuryed.) Just my .02 cents

[daos]

yeah i read that last night. thought it was pretty neat.