Recently, we did an article on bodybuilding myths. Well, there are just too many for a single article, so here are MORE Bodybuilding Myths That Just Won’t Go Away! Even after this, there’s STILL more. The best way to judge the value of something is to see if there’s research to back it up. Once they are exposed to research, many quirky myths quickly fall apart. In the meantime, let’s check out the myths presented here!

You Can Out-Train A Bad Diet If You’re Training Hard Enough

Are you a Mickey D’s or BK lover and routinely wolf down junk food meals? Guess what, you’re not going to out-train that. It’s nearly impossible to look lean eating that level of junk calories. It’s one thing to eat a cheat meal here and there, it’s something else to eat nothing but junk all the time. For best results, you need to focus on eating high-quality, real food, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. You also need to keep sodium and sugar in check. Then and only then can you expect to look lean. 

The Second You Stop Working Out, Your Muscles Will Turn To Fat

Here's an old myth that makes no sense yet refuses to die. Just like you can't turn fat into muscle, muscle can't turn into fat. They are 2 different types of tissue and 1 can’t turn into the other. Where, then, did this myth come from? If you stop working out for whatever reason, chances are you also relax your diet. A couple of things happen. You lose muscle size and gain body fat. You soften up, and your physique changes for the worse. That creates an illusion of muscle turning into fat. 

If It Worked For Mr. Olympia, It Will Work For Me

One of the many mistakes rookies make is the idea that Mr. O's 6-day-a-week, 2-hours-twice-a-day routine will work for you. After all, it worked for Mr. Olympia, so it must be good for me. Maybe once you’ve reached that level, but not when you’re a newbie. You don’t throw a football around today and go try out for the NFL tomorrow, right? It’s the same thing. It takes years to reach that level. In the meantime, train to your experience level. That means using a routine designed for those just starting out. 

Working Out Makes You Muscle-Bound

This one’s as old as bodybuilding itself. The thinking is, if you work out, you won’t be able to comb your hair or tie your shoes because you’ve become “muscle-bound”. The truth is that resistance training improves functionality. Sure, if you’re 300+ pounds like Rich was, you may experience the same difficulty moving around that any 300-pound person would. But historically, many bodybuilders are very flexible. Guys that come to mind are Tom Platz, who used to do extreme stretching for his legs and was amazingly flexible. If he was muscle-bound, no one told him. 

Recap

Well, that’s another 4 myths busted! The key takeaway is to not believe everything you hear. Take the time to research, look for studies where applicable, and then go from there. In the meantime, 5% Nutrition has plenty of valuable, research-backed, and insightful information on our website. Check it out!