Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.
For those who are weight training, here are the non-truths about weight training:
The 12 rep rule: Most of the weight training programs out there include this much repetition but this approach places the muscles without enough tension for effective muscle gain. High tension, heavy weights provide muscle growth in terms of the muscle growing larger and leading the muscle to maximum gain in strength. If you have longer tension time this will boost the muscle size by generating the structures around your muscle fibers which will improve your indurance.
Typically, the instruction of eight to twelve reps will provide a balance by just using that all of the time. The problem is, it does not achieve the greater tension levels that are provided by heavier weights with less reps and the longer the tension is achieved the better the build. Changing the number of reps and adjusting the weights will add to the stimulus of muscle growth.
The three set rule has not really many faults but as well, there really is not much good that can come from it. The number of sets you perform should be based on your goals and not something that was established a half a century ago. The more repetitions you do, the fewer sets you should do and vice versa. This will keep the total of the number of reps done in one set equal.
Doing three or four exercises per group is a waste as well. Instead, doing two sets of 15 or five sets of 10 will be more beneficial.
Not letting your knees go past your toes. This is another myth and mainly I think what they were trying to get across to people is that leaning forward a little too much could cause injury. Mainly knee stress was at first thought to be the issue, however, the real issue was hip stress. When you move forward, your knees are restricted and when you are doing squats you have to lean your body forward which forces your hips to take on the brunt of the strain as well as the lower back.
Lifting and drawing in your abs. The truth is, your muscles work in groups to stabilize the spine and the most important muscle group changes depending on the type of exercise. The transverse abdomen is not always the most important muscle group to work. Typically, what the body will do regardless of the exercise, is that it will utilize the most important muscles needed for support of your spine. If you focus mainly on your abdomen, you can start to recruit the wrong muscles and also limit the right muscles which in turn will help in getting an injury.
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