9 Ridiculous Things Beginners Think Will Build Muscle (But Don’t)

Starting to lift weights is similar for everyone. How quickly you improve depends on how well you learn to train and eat properly. For those willing to learn how to lift and, especially how to diet, progress comes faster than in beginners who just experiment and are not willing to do their research.

The bottom line is that, like everything else, building muscle takes time, knowledge, patience and experience.

And when we are at knowledge, almost every lifter believed at least one of the things in the list below were true.

Here are 9 things that newbies believe when they start lifting

More Work Equals More Muscle

Spending hours in the gym doesn’t automatically make you bigger. A focused, short, but intense workout can be more effective than a long one done with low intensity. If you choose the right exercises and push yourself, you don’t need to spend hours and hours of training. It’s important to train with intensity, even if you aren’t working out for hours

Nutrition is not that important

Many beginners think that hard training alone is enough to gain muscle quickly. Even if you see some results at first, you still need to eat properly to continue making progress. If you don’t eat enough or if you don’t eat the right foods, you won’t get bigger. Training while following a bad diet doesn’t build a good physique, as simple as that.

Related: Why Can’t I Gain Weight and Build Muscle ?

Creatine is a Ster0id

Beginner lifters often think creatine is like ster*ids. The truth is, that it’s a very useful supplement that can help with strength, energy and health, but it’s not a quick fix. Some people believe it gives them a huge boost, similar to ster*ids, which is absolutely not true.

Related: Creatine: 6 Things You Need to Know

How much do You Bench bro?

Many beginners focus only on the bench press when they measure their strength. While doing bench press is a fun way to compare to your gym bros and a solid test for upper body strength, other exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead press are more important for overall muscle and strength development.

Focusing Too Much on Arms

New lifters often spend a lot of time working their arms and bench pressing. They neglect exercises for their legs and back, which are important for building a balanced physique.

Many beginners realize this quickly and start adding more compound movements to their routine. Others stick to just upper body work for a long time and make slow or no progress.

Related: Top 8 Compound Lifts for Maximum Size and Strength

Supplements Will Get You Jacked:

Supplements can help, but they shouldn’t be the main focus. Some people buy “mass gainers” instead of eating real meals. These are often filled with sugar and cheap ingredients. Similarly, protein powder is a good addition, but it doesn’t replace a proper diet.

Pre-workout supplements, on the other hand, don’t magically boost your strength – even though some beginners think they do!

Related: Do You Need to Use Supplements to Build Muscle ?

Ab Exercises will give you a six pack

The biggest myth of all is probably that crunches will give you the six-pack you’ve always wanted. In actuality, doing ab exercises builds abdominal muscles, but it doesn’t create a visible six-pack. To see your abs, You need a low body fat percentage and that’s where the diet comes into play.

Related: The 7 Biggest Myths About Getting a Six Pack

Training in Groups

Working out with three or more people usually isn’t that effective. When more people train together, everyone has to wait for each other to finish their sets. This makes workouts take much longer and doesn’t let you get much done. Not to mention the small-talk that will de-focus you from your workout. 

For a more effective workout, it’s always better to work alone or with just one gym buddy.

Lift Heavy

“Work hard or go home” – I can hear this one very often. Yes, work hard, but work smart. Some beginners try to lift the heaviest weights possible, even if they don’t know how. They swing the weights instead of using proper form. This isn’t good because other than risking to get injured, you are not doing anything useful. So lift heaviest you can lift – without sacrificing your form to build strength and muscle.