Don’t let a few things you may have heard about weight training keep you away from the gym. Look at these common weight training myths and the facts that debunk them so you can arm yourself with the knowledge and confidence to hit the weights head on:
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| You’ll get huge unless you lift light weights. | The only way your muscles will burst the seams of your dress shirts is if you regularly lift extremely heavy weight repetitions, and if you have a body type that will even allow for the development of mega muscles. |
| You’re the only one in the gym baffled by the equipment. | No one is born knowing how to operate the assisted dip machine or perform a decline chest fly! Weight training equipment can baffle even the sharpest of minds. |
| Weight lifting is dangerous. | If Dr. Ruth tried to hoist a 300-pound barbell overhead, that would be dangerous. But if you use good technique and common sense, you’re likely to stay injury free. |
| Thigh exercises will slim your thighs, and ab exercises will whittle your middle. | You can’t melt the fat off any particular body part by performing exercises that target that area. There simply is no such thing as spot reducing. |
| Lifting weights won’t help you lose weight. | Lifting weights is an essential part of a fat-loss program. Developing muscle is the only way to boost your metabolism, which can help you lose fat and keep it off. |
| Free weights are for muscleheads and machines are for beginners. | The free-weight room of a gym isn’t a special club for bodybuilders; novices are welcome there and should make a point of learning to use dumbbells and barbells. |
