Bulking up? Don’t believe all the hype.
There are plenty of popular theories about how to get the best boost from lifting weights — but just because you heard it from a gym bro doesn’t mean it’s true.
A narrative published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science has taken on three common beliefs about getting swole — and they won’t make you as muscular as you think.
Fitness folklore has long held the belief that muscle growth, or hypertrophy, is linked to several factors — including hormones, metabolic stress, and “the pump,” or the sensation or temporary look of bigger muscles.
However, the review broke down what actually happens, including what’s going on with “the pump” sensation that Arnold Schwarzenegger once proclaimed as the best feeling in the 1977 documentary “Pumping Iron.”
It turns out that the theories around hormonal changes, lactate buildup or a pumped-up look aren’t supported by science.
Myth #1: Hormone spikes boost muscles
The first debunked myth is that post-workout spikes in both the short- and long-term of testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) are what cause muscles to swell up.
But these hormonal surges don’t play a role in muscle growth, as both men and women — who have vastly different testosterone levels — have experienced similar increases in muscle mass after completing the same exercises.
And the increases are often short-lived and don’t have an influence on the process by which muscles repair themselves to facilitate growth.
Myth #2: Feeling the burn
Ever felt the burn while lifting and thought it would result in bigger gains? Think again, as researchers disproved that the burning sensation known as metabolic stress (or the burn) is helping repair the tiny tears in muscles that occur when they’re put under tension.
In actuality, that burning sensation is an accumulation of metabolites, such as lactate, or small molecules that help with muscle repair.
This fact is pure fiction as there’s no evidence that lactate buildup leads to muscle growth.
The burn can also be felt during anaerobic workouts, like running or swimming, that build endurance, not muscle.
Myth #3: The pump
Finally there’s “the pump,” or the sensation that your muscles have increased in size.
Also known as cell swelling, it has a weak association with hypertrophy, as what bodybuilders are simply experiencing is increased blood flow.
While it looks like you’ve made some real gains, the truth is that it’s purely aesthetic.
The best way to grow muscles? Mechanical tension, or putting the muscles under sufficient tension, such as progressive overload, which gradually increases the amount of weight lifted.
Enough resistance with dumbbells, kettlebells, machines or barbells paired with proper form to ensure the muscle is working efficiently will lead to muscle growth over time.
