Weight Lifting Stigmas

There are many stigmas that people carry with them. Now I am not talking about obsessive compulsive disorder stigmas but things that we were told at one point and hold true, even though we may have never tested the other outcome. 

Lifters all have their own stigmas. Some have to eat before they workout, others will argue that, that would hurt the effect of blood in the muscle. This article will shine some light on some stigmas that might be hurting your workout and muscle growth.

1) Eating during workouts: Many muscular women are told that eating during a workout can lead to a lack of blood in the muscle. This would cause a lesser muscle pump and reduce the effectiveness of the workout. This might be true if you are eating a steak in between sets, but not so true with supplementing. Supplementing with a small amount of whey protein and sugars you can increase muscle growth and recovery. You can create your own intra workout shake by adding about 5g of whey protein, Tang and a scoop of leucine into a shaker and sipping on that. This won’t take away blood from the muscle and will allow faster muscle recovery. Some people will also eat an apple or banana during workouts to help refuel glycogen. Eating high sugar fruit helps refuel the body without taking away from the muscle growth. 

2) Cardio before workout: Many people will not do cardio before workouts because it leads to the depletion of glycogen (muscle energy) before they even start their workout. This may be true, but if your diet is done correctly you will be able to supply your body with plenty of energy before and during a workout. This is another reason to have an Intra WorkoutSupplement. Also many people who take pre workouts enjoy doing cardio before because it propels the pre workout ingredients into the system faster.

3) Calories are what cause water retention: Too many calories can cause water retention, but so can too much whey protein. Often time’s people stop eating calories and load up with protein, but the problem with this is that calories allow the transportation of protein. When you stop eating calories it is more difficult for protein to load into the muscles. When you eat too much protein especially whey protein, it turns into fat because it is not being used right away. Whey protein is a fast absorbing protein, so when used to often and with little exercise, it will quickly transfer into fat.

Stigma’s can ruin your workouts; don’t allow the past hurt your future. Know that each body is different and understanding what works best for it is important. Just because someone says that something worked for them doesn’t mean that it works for you. These points made in this article are fueled by a conversation of exactly that; recognition of how each person is different and yet can still obtain their goals.