We’ve all heard
a few silly bodybuilding myths before. Maybe they don’t apply to your or maybe
you’re just curious. Here, we quash certain bodybuilding myths and separate the
truth from the just downright silly.
Bodybuilding can
shrink a guy’s…
The answer is
not quite. It does shrink and atrophy the testes in the male. The reason for
this is that since they are taking in more testosterone (or at least simulated
testosterone), their boys don’t need to make testosterone any more. So, pretty
much, they just sit around and don’t do much and shrink. However, a male’s penis
is not affected in this. Now, if you are still growing and take steroids, it
won’t shrink it, but it could hinder its growth either way. On a related note,
the hormones can also convert to estrogen and make a male grow boobs. That’s
pretty weird.
You can pump
iron in your basement all alone while listening to heavy metal music, and you’ll
be just fine.
First of all,
evaluate this situation. Alone? That isn’t safe. What if you get a little
overexcited with the bodybuilding and lift something too heavy? If you drop it
on your chest, you could break a rib and potentially puncture your lungs. Or you
could become of victim of compression asphyxia. In short, this could cause you
to suffocate because of the pressure on your chest. Even if you’re lucky enough
not to drop it on your chest, you could break a leg, pop your arm out of
socket—loads of things. The heavy metal music isn’t a good idea either. You
never know if you need to call for help, or if your spotter will need to call
for help. If they can’t hear you, how are you supposed to get help??? Always
have a spotter, keep the music down (headphones anyone? Make sure you have one
ear open.), and stay safe. Make sure that your housemates or friends know where
you and your spotter are when bodybuilding. This makes it easier for them to
find you in an emergency.
You have to
practically eat a whole cow daily for the protein in order to work out and build
muscle.
Actually, it is
argued by some bodybuilding trainers that you don’t need any more protein than
you get on a regular, daily basis. There are calculators online that allow you
to calculate how many calories you generally eat and find out how much protein
you need. If you’re lacking, opt for tofu instead of meat. It has way more per
ounce anyways. Tofu might sound nasty, but you could try it baked for a quick,
fish-stick like snack that will also be healthier for you. No fat to deal with.
Bodybuilding can make you sterile.
No, but steroids can. They can also have deadly effects. Did you know they raise
your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol? This could mean heart
attacks and strokes. They also heighten your blood pressure. More heart and
stroke risks. In females, they can stop the menses (or period. Also known as
Aunt Flow). Some females wouldn’t complain, but the question is—how long would
it be stopped for and how would this effect childbearing? Simply, bodybuilding
doesn’t require steroids.