The Biggest Gym Myths

You did your research on how to become a bodybuilder, and now you’re starting the journey. You will instantly notice that the gym world is full of myths. Sometimes it gets very overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out. You have people around you and all over social media spreading myths and things that are not necessarily true. The problem with this is that some people fall into that trap and believe the lies. These misconceptions can lead to frustration, overwhelm, and injuries. In this article, we will debunk some of these gym myths and uncover the lies so that when the time comes for you to put on your best gym t-shirt and head to the gym, you know a little more and feel more comfortable.

Myth 1: Overtraining builds more muscle.

This is arguably one of the most famous, if not the most famous, gym myth. A lot of people think that if you want to build more muscle and get bigger, you need to be in the gym every single day for multiple hours, or in other words, overtrain. Well, this is completely false. See, there is a difference between training hard and overtraining. Training hard is when you go to the gym, say, 3-5 times a week, where each session lasts 45 minutes to about an hour, and you truly give it your all. You train your muscles well, you lift challenging weights and progressive overload, and you train with intensity. On the other hand, overtraining is when you go to the gym many times a week, each session lasting more than needed, and all you’re doing is just exhausting your muscles. You keep looking for random exercises to do just so you can train the muscle. Your form is probably not looking good, and you’re not training effectively because, you guessed it, your muscles are exhausted. You’re not giving your muscles enough time to recover, and as you know, recovery is one of the most important factors when it comes to hypertrophy, so stop listening to anyone that says train each muscle as much as you can and you will get in better shape.

Myth 2: The big guys are scary.

When you first step inside a gym, you might look at all the big guys wearing their gym tops that allow their muscles to pop, and feel intimidated. You might feel like you’re not welcome in the gym because you’re not at their level (yet). However, what you need to know is that usually the biggest guys are the best to deal with. Most of the time they’re welcoming and are willing to help, because remember, these guys were once where you are. They weren’t always big and lifting heavy weights. They started somewhere just like you, and they know what it feels like to not know much and be confused. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice (when the time is right) and learn from them and their experiences in the gym. They can have a lot of valuable insights that will help you in your journey. But keep in mind that a lot of the time these guys are there to just train, so don’t go up to someone and try to chat for 15 minutes. If you want to ask for advice or something related, keep it short and simple, and don’t waste their time because no one likes their time wasted.

Myth 3: You need supplements to grow and get stronger

When you start getting into the gym, don’t be surprised when everyone online says, “You need this and that to grow and get stronger.” No. You don’t need supplements to make progress. You don’t need supplements to get bigger or stronger. Supplements are there just to help you whenever you need them. Take whey protein, for example, one of the most popular gym supplements. If you get your protein intake from your meals, then you do not need whey protein. However, it does come in handy when you fall behind on your protein intake and need just a little extra to make sure you hit your target; then you can have a protein shake. This does not mean that you should rely on it as a source of protein. All supplements are there just for convenience; none of them are necessary. Some of them might be useful sometimes, just like the whey protein that we talked about, but they’re not essential whatsoever.

Myth 4: Cardio kills your gains.

This right here is one of the most popular, if not the most popular gym myth and that is cardio kills your gains. Done right, cardio will improve your health, cardiovascular conditions, and fitness. Cardio will help improve blood flow in the body. Additionally, it will also help you in not running out of breath during your lifting sets. As long as your cardio is not too heavy and you’re consuming the right amount of calories and protein, cardio will not kill your gains, in fact, it might increase them over the long term. Do your cardio!

Myth 5: Everyone is judging you.

You just started going to the gym and all you’re thinking about is everybody looking at you because you are new with no experience, not lifting heavy weights, and still trying to figure out what this place is. Let me tell you now, no one is judging you. Just like I told you in myth 2, everyone you see in the gym has been exactly where you are right now. No one knew everything when they first started. No one was lifting immensely heavy weights when they first started. Everyone was trying to figure everything out just like you are, so these guys understand what you’re going through and are not judging you because you’re “new.” As long as you’re respectful and not trying to cause trouble, everything will flow smoothly in the gym, because the gym community is one of the best out there. Yes, not every community is perfect, and the gym community definitely isn’t the perfect community, however, there is a very good side to it. If you involve yourself with that good side, you will have a good time and be a lot more comfortable in your journey.

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Gym myths are everywhere, and they are a lot. Be careful who you listen to and the information you consume. Unfortunately, you cannot escape from the lies, so make sure to do your own research and separate what’s true from what’s false. Don't overthink things, grab your gym wear and get going.