Which slice of BAD advice do you hate the most?

[xblitz44x]

I'll start:

I hate when the average person can't seem to get it through their skulls that leg curls don't trim fat from the legs, and curls don't take fat from the arms. People always explain to me that they "Did these (as they make a curling motion) at the gym to try to tone up my arms (as they slap the sagging turkey skin hanging from the back of their arms)".

So what is your least favorite misconception?

 

[BiggT]

Where do I start, lol...I could type all day, but I will name a few.

The myth that certain types of exercise makes you 'bulky' and certain types 'cut' you.

The myth that one can spot reduce bodyfat.

The myth that women will 'blow-up' and look like 'shemales' if they lift heavy weights.

I also hate when people think that compound lifts, olympic lifts, and generally anything beneficial is "dangerous".

 

[xblitz44x]

Where do I start, lol...I could type all day, but I will name a few.

The myth that certain types of exercise makes you 'bulky' and certain types 'cut' you.

HAHA. This is great too. "Barbell curls put on mass but preacher curls shape the muscle."

 

[BiggT]

Another of my favorites is when someone sayd that muscle turns to fat or vice versa. That is the most ridiculous concept on the planet, it just as assinine as saying toothpaste turns into super glue, or rubber turns ino steel.

 

[xblitz44x]

"Deadlifts are bad for your back."

"Squats are bad for your knees."

 

[Protobuilder]

The "super duper hardcore mother F'er!!" mentality annoys me. Like the guys who think the only way to grow is to breakdown, shake, bleed, & punch themselves in the nuts during each set. Some systems are infamous for requiring this attitude or "you ain't sh!t!!" They're retarded, IMO, especially when you consider that OLY guys are doing at LEAST as much weight with at LEAST as much intensity as these guys and yet they're not doing stupid antics each rep.

I also hate advice coming from someone who has no F'ing clue but who is blessed w/ good genetics. E.g., the guy who can bench 400 at age 35, but who has been benching that weight since his senior year of high school when he was 18. He "must" know how to TRAIN for a big bench . . . or not.

 

[eat big]

The one that always gets me is, when people ask, "What exercises should I do to make my abs more visible?" I say cardio and diet, and they get pissy because they want an easier answer.

 

[BiggT]

Also, any advice coming from a 'guru' or 'expert' who has never put the time in under the bar themselves.

Like some certified through the mail PT who has never had a bar across their back saying squats are dangerous, do Swiss Ball wood chops on a cable with one leg in the air.

I also hate the idea that newer and cutting edge is better.....the human body hasn't evolved in the last 30 years, whats built muscle then still builds it now.

I also hate when people look at today's BBs and think that the training methods used must be better than back in the day because they look freakier. The only thing that adds up with the physique changes of pro BB's over the past 40 years are the doses of drugs and ancillaries.

 

[Guinness5.0]

On the internet:

-the "show me a study or I won't believe it" people: you can find studies that contradict each other for pretty much anything. Studies are BEYOND overrated/overvalued by many, IMO.

-The "I don't wnat to get strong - just big" people who are convinced that there is magic and voodoo behind hypertrophy, and that concentrating on every little nuance of training is more important than just getting under the damn bar and making imporovements on a regular basis

-Supplement freaks who can describe every benefit of every new gimmick out there but eat less than my cats when it comes to real food.

-On BB.com in particular, some young guys will read up and learn some good stuff but then proceed to act as though they are vets in the gym when in fact they are newbs with a penchant for hearing themselves 'talk'.

-People who request a critique on a program, only to refute all advice and do what they wrote initially wthout regard for the suggestions provided. Why ask at all if you were going to do what you wrote regardless of what others thought of it?

 

[xblitz44x]

The one that always gets me is, when people ask, "What exercises should I do to make my abs more visible?" I say cardio and diet, and they get pissy because they want an easier answer.

God that is frustrating. They want the answer to be something like: crunches and Stacker 2.

 

[Protobuilder]

-the "show me a study or I won't believe it" people: you can find studies that contradict eahc other for pretty much anything. Studies are BEYOND overrated/overvalued by many, IMO.

How did I forget that one? LoL God I've fought this battle . . . and it's ridiculous. E.g., the guy who knows more science than most dorks online and thinks, therefore, he must know everything.

 

[jpt]

The one that always gets me is, when people ask, "What exercises should I do to make my abs more visible?" I say cardio and diet, and they get pissy because they want an easier answer.

haaaaaaaaaaa!! my friend asked me the other day what he can do to make his abs more visible...i said to him abs are made in the kitchen....he looked at me...called me a dick...and said whatever i'll look it up.

 

[mm107]

I hate people that do the ab machine daily because thier trainers told them that thier ab muscles grow the quickest.

ive heard it all. I have also heard a trainer tell my GF that the Smith Machine is one of the best machines at the gym.

 

[Protobuilder]

Ahhh . . . almost forgot -- shocking/confusing muscles for maximum growth dude!!! My brain gets confused looking at calculus but that's yet to make me any smarter. LoL

 

[Cynical Simian]

Wow, this thread really took off...almost everything I was going to say has been taken. Not really misconceptions/advice, but...

This is an extension of the "critique" thing Guinness mentioned: people who expect us to critique the design of their when they can't even explain the rationale behind it.

Also, "don't knock it until you've tried it", the universal defense of the aforementioned senseless routines.

 

[Tweakle]

It's not the advice itself that makes me cringe, it's the person giving it - anything I hear coming out the mouth of a freshly minted expert makes me grind my molars. For example the fat chick who has a PT to tell her 'how it is' and now considers herself a world-reknown expert on what it takes to build muscle and burn fat. The skinny-fat atkins fruitcake who has no idea what lipolysis or refeeds or anything else that's vital to a weight trainer who's cutting... yet STILL believes they know everything about diet.

Or the little guy who knows it all after years of reading mags and the net but still can't bench his own bodyweight.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Oh, here's one: the idea that compound lifts are isolation exercises for larger muscles.

 

[xblitz44x]

There is a chunky, troll-like woman at my work who has been seeing the same personal trainer for the last THREE YEARS and has lost maybe 20 lbs total. Every once in awhile she'll spark up a conversation about my diet, particularly about my high carb intake. Then she educated me:

"See if I'm craving carbs I'll eat water ice or ice cream because it's a liquid carb and my trainer explained that liquid carbs are better because your body doesn't absorb them."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

 

[ChinkNasty]

the guy doing quarter squats with 225 telling his friends that deep squats and squats to parallel/past parallel are detrimental to your knees

 

[mm107]

the guy doing quarter squats with 225 telling his friends that deep squats and squats to parallel/past parallel are detrimental to your knees

ahhh i forgot thattt lmao

 

[overcome73]

This is not advice as much as it is just something annoying at the gym:

The fact that as soon as the waether breaks, the influx of morons go on a one month training binge, never to be seen again until the next year. You know, they train that month or 6 weeks where the weather is perfect. Then it either gets too hot or too cold for them to continue training. Around those times you will notice that Monday is generally national Bench Press day and Thursday is pulldowns with some preacher curls to get that "peak". Of course they have an ab convention around the dip rack and throw in some cardio. NEVER, I repeat, NEVER will you see them squat or deadlift!

 

[anotherbutters]

"See if I'm craving carbs I'll eat water ice or ice cream because it's a liquid carb and my trainer explained that liquid carbs are better because your body doesn't absorb them."

Mmmm, liquid carbs

 

[Jim Ouini]

Not that I watch them, but you can see most of these mytheses on the late night infomercials. I particularly like the ab toning machines that feed upon the notion of spot reduction. The one by Jake is particularly deplorable. $299 for a piece of equipment that's almost as big as a power rack and 'all you do is hang on and go for a ride for that sleek sexy stomach'.

Bowflex commercials are good too, I like the when they have those gym rats having a seance around the thing while a 170 PT does quarter squats with 50lb power rods exclaming 'It's blowing it up guys!'

Now Bowflex has something called The Revolution. Garish, even if it works.

Man it's a good thing I don't watch them. Although of some of their models

 

[roy2]

Bowflex commercials are good too.

Man it's a good thing I don't watch them. Although of some of their models

The '50 year old grandma' who stays fit with her Bowflex looked better then almost every colllege girl I have seen in my entire life.

 

[Jim Ouini]

The '50 year old grandma' who stays fit with her Bowflex looked better then almost every colllege girl I have seen in my entire life.

http://www.fitgrandmother.com/

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

This is not advice as much as it is just something annoying at the gym:

The fact that as soon as the waether breaks, the influx of morons go on a one month training binge, never to be seen again until the next year. You know, they train that month or 6 weeks where the weather is perfect. Then it either gets too hot or too cold for them to continue training. Around those times you will notice that Monday is generally national Bench Press day and Thursday is pulldowns with some preacher curls to get that "peak". Of course they have an ab convention around the dip rack and throw in some cardio. NEVER, I repeat, NEVER will you see them squat or deadlift!

You are completely accurate. The warm weather *reminds them they need to get in shape "in case I get invited to a pool party". I never understood that though, i would much rather be inside the nice warm gym, when its miserable and raining outside, than when its nice. Go figure, none of em can plan for more than 2 weeks at a time.


Worst line I've heard so far? PT mumbling to his client I shouldn't go so deep on squats, then demonstrating the worst PC I've seen to date.

 

[BiggT]

http://www.fitgrandmother.com/

Sweet Jesus

 

[Illuminati]

my favorite:

box squatting is bad for you lower back.

to increase the development of you upper pecs, you need to do incline press

you need to do exercise ____ to hit the ____ head of your triceps. (fill in the blank)

the idea that you can gain muscle mass and drop body fat at the same time

 

[al420]

HAHA. This is great too. "Barbell curls put on mass but preacher curls shape the muscle."

Just fell out of my chair....LMFAO I was told this exact thing by a PT at my gym...pathetic loser

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

You know what I hate? When you don't look the part, but people doubt your ability anyhow. You know, when you're not hyoooooge and people chuckle at you when you make an attempt to help them, simply 'cause they're bigger.

BACK INJURIES CAUSE SETBACKS ASSHOLES!

I'm done.

 

[al420]

http://www.fitgrandmother.com/

....if I was runnimg any test right now I would have rubbed one out to her website, but that is neither here nor there....

 

[Protobuilder]

You know what I hate? When you don't look the part, but people doubt your ability anyhow. You know, when you're not hyoooooge and people chuckle at you when you make an attempt to help them, simply 'cause they're bigger.

Werd. I must not know shit b/c, you know, I suck and am weak. LoL

 

[musclemom]

I got one you guys missed a classic:

Women should stick with low weight/high reps because it tones

 

[rick_hfh]

I am a student at college and there are plenty of exercise science majors that love to share their wealth of knowledge. Most of them think that keeping your feet on the bench while benching is THE ONLY way to do it.
After one of the gurus decides to let a group of freshman in on his secret all of them are doing it.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Werd. I must not know shit b/c, you know, I suck and am weak. LoL

Yeah, but it applies to you man.

 

[ErikZ]

I hate the following:

- Compound lifts will injure you and give you spinal disc problems by the age of 25 (i am 18)

- I hate ppl who do 20 reps for each exercise with low weight and claim: "I do not want to get big, I want to get ripped. If I wanted to get big, I would do heavy weights for shorter reps". The individual fails to grasp that shredding bf (becoming ripped) is more of a caloric expenditure > than intake and a diet concern, not of how many reps you do.

- I hate ppl who tell me not to do compound lifts because they make one look blocky. I have a wonderful V-Taper and guess what, I do lift compound lifts.

- I hate ppl who tell you that weight-lifting will make you less flexible: try and actually stretching for a change, dumbass.

- I hate ppl who spend their whole time doing abdominal work because this way they will get a 10 pack

- I hate ppl who do biceps 7x a week

- I hate ppl who tell the squat will destroy my knees and that I should try the seated leg press instead.

Wow, there are so many.

Oh yeah, I also hate when ppl in my gymn come around saying that they gained 20lbs simply by adding soy protein to their diet, when actually, they added D-Bol or Despoterone.

Lol

 

[ErikZ]

Oh yeah, I forgot. How about the personal trainers saying that:

"There are 2 ppl who get PTs: the newbs and the ones who are on a superior level of performance"
I actually heard this :O

 

[silver_shadow]

On the internet:

-the "show me a study or I won't believe it" people: you can find studies that contradict each other for pretty much anything. Studies are BEYOND overrated/overvalued by many, IMO.

-The "I don't wnat to get strong - just big" people who are convinced that there is magic and voodoo behind hypertrophy, and that concentrating on every little nuance of training is more important than just getting under the damn bar and making imporovements on a regular basis

-Supplement freaks who can describe every benefit of every new gimmick out there but eat less than my cats when it comes to real food.

-On BB.com in particular, some young guys will read up and learn some good stuff but then proceed to act as though they are vets in the gym when in fact they are newbs with a penchant for hearing themselves 'talk'.

-People who request a critique on a program, only to refute all advice and do what they wrote initially wthout regard for the suggestions provided. Why ask at all if you were going to do what you wrote regardless of what others thought of it?

my cat actually eats plenty...
this thread has had me in splits.
here's one that happened the other day in the gym.
we've got one decline bench which i wanted to use for NS crunches. so this little douche (around 140 i'm guessing) has got a bar with 10lb plates on. he's just finished a set of 20. so i ask him how many more sets he's got left, and he replies "10! i'm shaping my muscles!"
i wanted to ask him "what muscles?"

 

[Tweakle]

I hate the lies fed to women, the years of trickle-down jane fonda bullshit

Everytime I hear the words 'Long and lean' or 'pilates' I get this tick in my right eyelid and the big vein on my forehead starts to throb.. its usually a thick in the middle female PT spouting this crap too.. if you know how to 'sculpt sexy dancer muscle' then why pray tell hasn't it worked for you? Did you lift too heavy one day in the gym and accidentally 'bulk up
that fat ass of yours?

 

[silver_shadow]

I hate the lies fed to women, the years of trickle-down jane fonda bullshit

Everytime I hear the words 'Long and lean' or 'pilates' I get this tick in my right eyelid and the big vein on my forehead starts to throb.. its usually a thick in the middle female PT spouting this crap too.. if you know how to 'sculpt sexy dancer muscle' then why pray tell hasn't it worked for you? Did you lift too heavy one day in the gym and accidentally 'bulk up
that fat ass of yours?

oh yea, here's another: the sauna belt...

 

[BiggT]

One of my other favorites....

I don't train legs because my legs are big already from playing (insert sport of choice) back when I was in middle or high school (which is usually a minimum of 10 years earlier).

 

[xblitz44x]

Not exactly my least favorite piece of advice but humerous, none the less...

My darling wife to be, commenting on drinking a gallon of milk per day: "You're going to have kidney stones and bottle rotted teeth." Good thing she has a nice set of fake boobs and a good grilling hand.

 

[gstacker]

sit in the sauna cuz it burnz fat (always full of fat people dripping all over the place thinking the fat is melting off of them)

 

[BiggT]

sit in the sauna cuz it burnz fat (always full of fat people dripping all over the place thinking the fat is melting off of them)

That and gay guys giving you the inviting eye, lol.

 

[overcome73]

I like the guy standing behind me about 20 seconds before I was going to do a set of squats telling his friend that after 35, there is no way people should be squating and deadlifting. He looked about 35 or so. His friend was in complete agreement. I had to laugh to myself since I am 34 and have no plans on stopping. So for all you 35 and over guys, in case you did not know, you are not supposed to be squating and deadlifting. Apparently it is against some 30 something unwritten rule.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

That and gay guys giving you the inviting eye, lol.

 

[Protobuilder]

That's why AI trains in the first place.

 

[blut wump]

If you want to get really strong then you have to use machines. I always imagined that this came from being able to pile more weight on a machine.

Olympic lifters aren't strong because they cheat all of their exercises. I someone tell me this and that he had no respect for Oly lifters who can't even stay on the ground during their reps.

 

[VSUdude]

- I've heard this sooo many times: "That guy sure is big; he must be on 'roids." A lot of folks seem to believe that no one can bench over 225 or be bigger than they are themselves without gear.

- From some fat retard or skinny turd: "I read Ronnie Coleman's (or any Mr. Olympia contestant) routine online and now I'm gonna try it out for myself!" I can't even comment on this one. It hurts my brain.