Weight training can bring many false assumptions along with it. Certain gym rats can give a false perception of what lifting weight does to the body. It is time to debunk those myths and remove and misconceptions surrounding weight lifting. For those interested in getting involved in exercise and weightlifting, there is no need to be hesitant! Get in the gym and start pounding those weights, and ignore the following locker room banter:
Lifting weights will make me bulkier
This is one of the most popular misconceptions surrounding weight lifting especially for women who are considering getting into the gym for the first time. Weight lifting for size and bulk requires a specific way of training that athletes like bodybuilders follow to increase their size. They follow weight lifting regimens that are geared towards hypertrophy, which involves an increase in the size of skeletal muscle, and follow specific nutrition plans where they generally consume a caloric surplus to accommodate their high-level of training in the gym.
For most average individuals, we do not equally train at the same high level nor consume the same excess number of calories. With proper nutrition and normal calorie intake, weight training will strengthen muscle fibers and will promote lean muscle mass, rather than a bulkier one. Lifting weights can help your muscles grow to a normal, healthy level that will promote increased metabolism and help you burn a ton of calories even after your workout is finished.
If you stop lifting your muscle will turn into fat
This is a truly ridiculous statement because fat cells and muscles cells are two entirely different things, and one could never turn into the other. Instead, muscle growth will help to expedite fat burn. This can happen after an intense weight training session and our body will continue to burn more calories in the 16-24-hour period following a weight training session. It is harder to lose muscle than it is to gain it, and we can regain it much more quickly than it takes to lose it. So, if you took some time off at the gym, do not get discouraged! Get back into your routine and hit it harder than before and you will catch up to where you were before very quickly.
You should work one muscle group each day
You have probably heard people saying that today is leg day or shoulder day. This is a common lifting approach for bodybuilders as it is their goal to isolate one area of the body in a methodical way. For everyone else, it is generally more beneficial to engage in workouts that involve HIIT (high-intensity interval training) or circuit training. These are developed to help build muscle while also increasing aerobic capacity simultaneously. Any workout that you decide to do should not include consecutive days of doing the same workouts. This is how you overuse certain muscle groups and burn yourself out mentally and physically. On the other hand, you should try to vary your workouts and give certain muscles at least one day to recover. Constantly changing up your workouts and including full body exercises and maintaining a healthy, portioned diet is the key to setting yourself up for success at the gym.
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So, get in the gym and do not be afraid of making a change to your body. Weight lifting is beneficial for any person, no matter your gender, age or anything else! Weight lifting can help you become a healthier, more fit individual overall. A healthy diet is the key for allowing your hard work at the gym to be as successful as it can be. Putting in the work in the gym as well as the kitchen will drive maximum results. Take the first step to living a healthier life today! Contact Healthy Meals Direct today if you are interested in our healthy and delicious meals!