Among the high-level bodybuilder, the use of anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass can lead to gains temporary, mostly composed of water and muscle glycogen (the energy of muscles reserve). Discontinuation of products, coupled with a poor diet can lose a significant number of kilos.
Among the sports that does not use this type of banned products, gain muscle mass comes from hypertrophy of sarcomeres (contractile tissue) and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (the non-contractile tissue that contains water and glycogen). These gains as a whole represent the gain of muscle mass that is so not 'from the air' but that may gradually disappear when mechanical stress (sport) and food are more than enough good quality; in the same way that the sedentary can lose its muscles if it remains extended throughout the day.
Myth 1: "creatine is a doping product"
By definition, a doping product is a substance made by the human hand which significantly increases performance and which is usually accompanied by side effects. The list of doping products is set by the Agency world anti-doping (WADA) which is an international consensus. Creatine is not on this list and has never appeared.
Creatine has spilled much ink and having been mixed awkwardly by the media with doping scandals, it is not uncommon that a doctor claims that creatine is a product banned and/or doping while it is or has ever been the case.
Creatine is a substance naturally produced by the body and made in small quantities by the power supply. It is available free in light of its safety.
Myth 2: "pumping exercises and bodybuilding"
A polyarticular movement without additional resistance (using his own body as a resistance) is easy. The inclination of the body during the exercise allows to increase or decrease the difficulty: for example, pump exercises on the knees or pump exercises with the feet in height on a Chair. Bodybuilding is a sport whose goal is to strengthen the body as a whole. Pump exercises target that a work of the pectorals, triceps and anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). If this movement is very effective to start, its unique practice may result in imbalances of the muscular chains (weakness of the back of the shoulder and back) which will later be at the origin of pain. In addition this movement does not solicit the legs.
Myth 3: "it is stronger when you breathe out"
The idea that when you breathe out at the time where you are doing your the exercises is, in part, an error. When a movement becomes very difficult it is natural to block your breathing. This block has the effect of contracting the stabilizing muscles and increase strength and stability. For example by lifting a heavy object from the ground, blocking the breathing will facilitate the contraction of the back, which will protect the risk of injury (e.g. a herniated disc). Therefore, we are more strong in blocking breathing for a high-intensity effort.
Nevertheless, this respiratory blockage translates to an increase of blood pressure. This increase is normal but can be very important and problematic in certain groups of people at risk: including people suffering from severe hypertension or heart. In these cases the idea of performance must be put aside in training less burdensome to expire slightly during the muscular contraction phase.
Myth 4: "A discontinuation of bodybuilding, muscle turns into fat"
This idea comes from the fact that when a regular athlete stops training there is often a decrease in muscle mass and fat mass increased. But muscles are made up of proteins. Think that proteins can be transformed into lipids (fats), it would be like saying that you can change lead into gold! In truth both phenomena occur at the stop of bodybuilding: mechanical stress decreases, the muscles no longer need to be as strong for the elevator or sit at a computer, they will then gradually be used to provide energy. This process is very slow and takes place even among the sedentary. Parallel to this, the judgment of sport is often accompanied by resumption of bad eating habits that will lead to fat mass. Visually it will be a loss of muscle and fat gain but at no time the muscle not turned into fat.
Myth 5: "bodybuilding is not a real sport"
On the contrary, bodybuilding is a complete sport seeking muscles but which also strengthens bones and makes the body more resistant to infections. It is not uncommon to hear that 'bodybuilding is not a complete sport"and that it must necessarily be accompanied by a cardiovascular activity (running, cycling). This is true if you want to maintain a certain level of endurance performance but the practice of single strength still has a positive effect on endurance. This has been demonstrated by Norwegian researchers: the increase in strength translates into better capabilities of endurance through an economy of labour supplied. This can be conceived as follows: suppose you have to carry your shopping bags out of the supermarket to your housing. You then decide to do weight training. After a few weeks, miracle: carrying shopping bags has become easy. Consequence: you are able to carry the bags on a long distance, you have thus gained endurance.
Myth 6: "to warm up, cycling is sufficient"
This statement is particularly taken up by Olivier Lafay in his book "bodybuilding method 110 exercises without equipment" (page 21). But cycling has two effects: activate the cardiorespiratory system, slightly work the thighs. Therefore, this is not sufficient to warm up. The warm-up aims to prepare the muscles and joints to the mechanical stress which will them be taxed. For many working muscles therefore warm up all of the muscle chains that will interfere with the exercise. For example before pumps will it work the front and back of the shoulders in simple movements with light loads then it will begin pumps with an easy Variant (on knees) and will increase the difficulty gradually to allow time for the nervous system to develop all its power and our joints to be lubricating, which will be severely diminished the risk of injury.
Myth 7: "to gain strength, eat everything in abundance"
Eat everything in abundance, is a heresy. As for the sedentary, if you eat more than its needs the inevitable consequence is the taking of body fat. However the main objective in bodybuilding is the muscle mass. To eat everything in abundance in the hope to optimize the capture of muscles by bringing his body all the elements it needs. As explains Julien Venesson, the author of "Nutrition of Force", this strategy is generally unsuitable for the beginner athlete and has unfortunate consequences: the fat is stored in cells, adipocytes. These cells never die. So when we lost weight, they are still there. A simple quality, protein-rich diet is sufficient to produce muscle mass without danger to health.
Myth 8: "do not eat just after the workout"
During the workout, mechanical stresses cause of strain to the muscular fibres. These injuries will have to be repaired by the body once it is at rest, it is the role of food and sleep. Such notions are fairly recent: in the 1980s people were advised not to eat protein after exercise and not to drink during the workout. Today it is commonly accepted and demonstrated that the falling moisture impact negatively the performance and no power after a workout prevents progression.
Myth 9: "training with light weights is as effective as with heavy weights"
There is a technique infallible marketing since the dawn of time: make believe that it is possible to get everything you want without effort. Remember to teleshopping emissions that you offered magic capsules to lose 10 pounds in a week. For bodybuilding the concept the most fashionable is to suggest that it is possible to obtain the results of high level with less effort. For example, pumping may strengthen you if you're not used to but quickly your progress will be limited by insufficient strength, which will not force the muscles to adapt by becoming stronger. This is why the gyms machines use additional settings: This allows to constantly use high loads to stimulate progress. In some cases the machines also have the advantage of protecting of the risk of injury, for example at the level of the back. Studies have shown over many years that muscle growth was highest for loads used in the range of 60-90% of maximum force (the maximum weight that you could raise only once on an exercise) (2, 3). Of more, in young adults, the increase in the volume of work (for example, make 8 series 50 pumps instead 4 sets of 50) doesn't appear to offer more in terms of muscle growth (4). Studies show that training with light loads is less effective that train with loads for muscle growth, even if many authors as Olivier Lafay continue to assert that a method without additional load may be more effective than a workout in gym ("bodybuilding method: 110 exercises without equipment" page 11).
Myth 10: "bodybuilding stunts growth"
This idea was born in the 1970s when Japanese researchers had found that young children subjected to physical work of convict frame problems and very slow growth. It took not more to conclude that work with load impactait negatively the growth of young children and that therefore, bodybuilding was not a sport advised at this age.
In truth, and Cédric Ribassin, coach and professional trainer, says studies show that bodybuilding has no negative impact on growth. A recent analysis that reviewed 60 years of studies on the issue has shown that the practice of bodybuilding was safe for health and gradually increased muscle mass, at the age of 8 years. For researchers, the practice continued and regular weight training makes the stronger children and causes no health problems when training is supervised by a professional to avoid injuries in the short or long term. Concerning the proper size, other studies have shown that weight training was not blocking the growth, even for children who start bodybuilding relatively early (before puberty).
