1. Every Workout Has To Be The Hardest You Have Ever Done

Many trainees think that they have to leave the gym absolutely crushed from their workout to see results. There are many reasons why this perception is common but it is simply not true. While it does take hard work to get stronger or improve your body composition. What it really takes is CONSISTENT TRAINING. Smarter training will almost always supersede harder training, given there is adequate effort with the smarter training. “If some is good then more must be better” is not a great way to program your training or approach fitness in general. If you keep pushing this thought or style of training you WILL get burned out or get hurt. In either case you will then lack the consistency aspect of training that is the integral piece of the puzzle. Stay consistent AND work hard.

1. Your Form Must Be Perfect Before Adding Any Load/Weight

There are so many corrective exercises thrown around these days that many trainees are under the impression that to progress with any compound/complex movement you have to master your movement with absolute grace in order to advance in weight. Sometimes this statement may be correct but the majority of the time it is not. While form is very important, sometimes you need to “feel” weight to understand how to move. Sometimes we need to get your body to understand how to use/fire your motor units and the only way to do this might be to make you do something hard. Now don’t get me wrong, if you add weight and the form keeps getting worse, to the point a good coach can’t cue someone out of faulty movement, then the load should be reduced. In my experience many lifters will move better when they can actually feel the weight and improve their mind/muscle connection, therefore improving the use of a coach’s cue. The goal should be to get form to 70-80% of correct, then progressively add weight.

1. Lifting Heavy Makes You Bulky

This is probably the most frustrating myth out there. With social media being so popular we have all seen someone with a large amount of lean muscle mass and said “that’s just too much”. But trust me, VERY few people in the world can have the dedication to lifting and nutrition that these trainees have in order to achieve their physiques.  Simply lifting heavy will not turn you into a huge musclely freak. Number one, most of us do not naturally possess the genetic and hormonal makeup to gain large amounts of muscle mass. Number two, it takes a very long time and incredibly dedicated nutrition program to gain LEAN muscle mass. However, lifting heavy (all relative to your ability) does improve the quality of the muscle; and to a lesser extent the quantity. More muscle and more efficient muscles will increase your metabolism, give you a sense of accomplishment/empowerment, increase the ease of activities of daily life, and make you more resilient to injury/sickness.

1. High Rep Training Is The Best For Weight Loss

Now, to the opposite end of the heavy spectrum is the myth that high rep training is best for weight loss or “toning up”. High rep training, usually 10+ reps is most effectively used by bodybuilders. Oddly enough they use this rep range because it is thought to be best at producing hypertrophy (muscle growth). Yet, this rep range is used very frequently by trainees wanting to lose weight. The average person training in this rep range is not training hard enough to get much of a result from this method. The common thought here is to use this rep range because it should be light and easy. “Light and easy” will not get anyone long term measureable results. When in doubt, just make the sets you are doing (whether high or low reps) difficult and remember that consistency produces the best results over time. One caveat here, high rep training may have a place in a conditioning workout.  Doing 10 burpees, followed by 10 pullups, followed by 10 pushups will no doubt be hard, but it will not be good for gaining or improving your current muscle mass. It WILL be good at making you breathe hard and burn some calories. Which, at some point in training, is the goal. The primary driver of weight loss will be your nutrition plan/consistency, with how you train taking a secondary role.

Train smart, add weight to the bar/machine when your form is good, it’s ok to pick up heavy things, eat smart to lose weight, use low rep AND high rep training to ensure the best results.

For help in reaching your goals, email us to set up a meeting with one of our certified personal trainers. Our team of trainers offers a variety of workouts and fitness classes designed to help you achieve your personal goals. Email support@gofreedomfit.com to get the ball rolling.