Jerry Brainum shares the straight facts on the most common bodybuilding training mistakes and misconceptions.
STRAIGHT FACTS WITH JERRY BRAINUM – is an in depth exploration of the more complicated elements behind bodybuilding training, nutrition, and supplements. Hosted by legendary and longtime industry expert, Jerry Brainum, Straight Facts answers user questions so no one is left in the dark.
Nobody is perfect. But in today’s day and age of fast flying digital technology – bodybuilding misconceptions are more prevalent than ever before. It might stand to reason that having a search engine in our pockets at all time provide us with more access to correct information. But the sad reality is that the internet gives away to more misinformation that spreads and is believed at a faster rate.
That’s why Jerry Brainum is going to clear the air with his breakdown and list of the most common bodybuilding misconceptions and training mistakes. Most of these misconceptions you may have heard before – or even quite possibly believed as a genuine tip to help your training. That’s how strongly spread these mistakes are after all of these years. That’s why Brainum wants to set the record straight. Let’s jump into it.
Six-pack abs and fat spot reduction
Jerry Brainum starts off with one of the most commonly believed training mistakes in mainstream media. You CANNOT spot reduce fat with a specific exercise. Many bodybuilders already know this – but this misconception is extremely popular in mainstream fitness. It’s promised in the hundreds of training apps, diet plans, and fads sold online. But the truth is a hard pill to swallow – you cannot get six-pack abs by doing crunches every single day.
While exercising your abs will certainly help them grow stronger and more muscular – the key component is your diet in order to bring down the fat and show off some shredded conditioning. That fat will not burn away only in your stomach if you do crunches (and only crunches) every single day.
Aerobic exercise and burning muscle
Another strongly held belief in fitness and especially in bodybuilding is that aerobic or cardio exercising will burn your muscle along side the fat. While this is true to some degree – it’s not as disastrous as some bodybuilders may believe. In fact, it would be foolish for bodybuilders to avoid cardio completely.
Jerry Brainum pulls up some statistics that show muscle will not start burning from cardio until at least 60 minutes of aerobic exercise. That’s a long time. So you can rest easy and throw in some cardio for at least 30-45 minutes without much issue of losing your muscular physique.
Olympia legends and bodybuilding advice
This one can be taken to some degree with a grain of salt. Jerry Brainum wants you to realize that bodybuilding advice can actually be bad even when given by a bodybuilding legend or champion. Brainum points out that genetics play a huge role in bodybuilding. That does not take away from the incredible hard work required to become an Olympia champion. But it does mean that some advice a champion shares could be bad advice for you. Each body is different. Copying verbatim from Phil Heath’s Mr. Olympia training routine will not make you Mr. Olympia.
Do squats damage your knees?
Many novice lifters and even some intermediate lifters may avoid squats. It can be an intimidating exercise. It’s also been seen as an exercise that can badly damage your knees. Jerry Brainum wants to dispel that myth. In fact, squatting (when done correctly) can actually strengthen your knees and help prevent damage as you get older.
The key here is doing the exercise movement right. Like any exercise, doing it with poor form can lead to injury. Avoid bending too far forward and also avoid bouncing hard with each squat rep. This can damage your knees and back in the long run. But put the effort in to doing it correctly – and you might actually find yourself with more capable knees in your older years.
Wrap Up
Jerry Brainum breaks down even more misconceptions and training mistakes than we’ve listed off here. That’s why you should make sure to check out the latest episode of Straight Facts for the full breakdown. Make sure to swing by each Wednesday for new episodes!