To most outsiders, the world of bodybuilding must seem freakish. Images of huge, deeply muscled physiques strutting and posing in the tiniest of speedo type posing trunks leaves most people looking on with their mouths hanging open.

The problem is that the professional bodybuilders that everyone associates with the sport are not the majority. They are the elite of the elite. Here are the Top 10 Bodybuilding Myths Exposed:

1. If I Start Lifting Weights I'll Look Like A Bodybuilder

Let's put this one to rest right off the top. In all my years of training people, the first thing I hear from clients, especially women, is that they do not want to get "huge" and musclebound. My answer is always the same, "Trust me, you will never, ever look like that. Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't". Here's a reality check: The professional bodybuilders that we see are the elite of the elite. They live and breath bodybuilding. They spend hour upon hour in the gym lifting poundages that would astound most people. They eat huge amounts of food that would gag most people. They have incredible genetics that allow for perfect musculature. And most importantly, they all use huge amounts of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin and other drugs to get where they are at. The bottom line is that 99% of anyone who starts lifting would come nowhere near that type of body.


2. If I Start Bodybuilding And Then Stop, All My Muscle Will Turn To Fat

Another falsehood and this one borders ludicrous. Any high school biology student can tell you this. Our bodies are comprised of bone, muscle, fat and water. We all have X% lean tissue (muscle) and X% adipose tissue (fat). Muscle cannot "turn into" fat anymore than your bones can turn into fat. Conversely, if you are overweight and then start training, your fat is not going to "turn into" muscle. You are simply building muscle while losing fat. It's very simple. This myth probably stems from the fact that many people see former athletes who used to be lean and are now heavier. Their muscle did not turn into fat. What happens is that during years of training, they burn huge amounts of calories. When they stop training, the muscles atrophy (shrink) due to decreased stimulus and the metabolism slows down which usually leads to weight increase in the form of larger fat stores.


3. If I Take Steroids I Will Get As Big As the Pro Bodybuilders

The only way this would happen is if you train as hard as they do, eat as much as they do and have the genetics they do. Steroids alone will not make anyone as big and muscular as professionals. You'll get bigger sure but the pros have the total package. The amount of discipline needed to get to that level is beyond the scope of most people.


4. If I Do Enough Sit-Ups Or Crunches, I'll Burn This Fat Off My Waistline and Stomach

This has been repeated enough to where you think the world would know it by now:
There is no such thing as spot reducing! You cannot "burn" the fat off your stomach by doing situps. Bodyfat is reduced over your entire body. This is done by burning more calories than you ingest on a daily basis. If you want to get a 6-pack, you are going to have to adjust your caloric intake and increase you metabolism so that you burn fat over your entire body. Unfortunately, the waistline is one of the last places the fat will leave. Doing stomach crunches or sit-ups will make your stomach firmer and harder but if your bodyfat level is not low enough, your "6-pack" will be hidden under a layer of bodyfat.


5. With Correct Exercises, I Can Reshape My Muscles

Muscle shape is primarily a factor of genetics. A perfect example would be the calf muscles. If you have long muscle belly's in your calfs it is going to be impossible to turn them into shorter, "bull" calfs. Muscles are going to look different from one person to the next. Someone who is 6'4" and weighs in at a lean, muscular 225 lb is probably going to have a totally different look in specific muscle groups than a guy who is lean and muscular but is 5'8" tall. You can build muscles to your greatest potential but you cannot literally "reshape" a muscle.


6. The More You Workout The Faster And Bigger You'll Grow

Anybody who has any experience and knowledege under their belt will tell you that the number one reason people do not get stronger or bigger is because of overtraining. When you are working out you are breaking down muscle tissue. It is when you are resting that muscle on your off days that it is repairing itself. If you do not give it enough time between sessions, or if you train too hard on one day and then come back too soon, the muscle will not grow because it cannot repair itself.

Mike Berg has been involved in bodybuilding and fitness as an enthusiast and trainer for over 20 years.
Visit his website for bodybuilding and fitness articles and Bodybuilding Supplements at http://www.milleniumfitness.com