Let’s face it, there’s a lot of bodybuilding myths and misconceptions out there. Some might seem to make sense, but there’s quite a few that just make no sense at all. For example, the idea that fat can somehow turn into muscle, or that when you hit 40, all your muscles turn into fat. One idea that might be a misconception is this: do squats increase testosterone? In this article we’ll take a closer look and find out whether or not this is a myth!
Myths Debunked – Muscle To Fat
A myth has to be approached with a little common sense. I’ll never forget my first introduction to one of these myths – it was the old standard “when you turn 40, your muscles will turn to fat”. I had not been training long and a co-worker kept insisting that the second I turned 40, I’d suddenly, as if by magic, turn fat with absolutely no muscles left! He literally said I could go to bed that night and have a lot of muscle, but the second the clock hit midnight – the second! – all that muscle would turn to fat. He was dead serious too!
And Fat To Muscle!
Similar to my experience is the “I want to turn the fat into muscle” line you might often hear. Turn fat to muscle? Maybe after that we can turn my old car into a Rolls Royce – why not, the odds are about the same! It took a lot of explaining to get people to understand that you can lose fat and build muscle but one does not mystically change into the other.
Then you have numerous misconceptions about bodybuilding – you can call these a myth if you want. One of my favorites comes from my years in the retail supplement business. I’d hear it all the time – “Do you guys sell steroids?” Or, “This doesn’t have steroids in it does it?” Really?
You honestly think we could sell illegal steroids in a mall? While it’s true some supplements may have had a mystery surrounding what may have been in them (the original Hot Stuff comes to mind), we didn’t have our shelves lined with all the latest black market steroids!
Myths And Leg Training
One myth – or misconception – has to do with leg training. Of course I’m really talking about Squats. One possible myth tied to squats is the idea that this exercise – and leg training in general – can promote testosterone release. The other big myth with Squats is, ‘I don’t have to do squats to get good legs. Besides, they’ll ruin my knees”. Are these really myths or are they true?
The Squat
Analyze a free-weight squat. Not a squat using a smith machine or some other type of machine, OK? I’m talking about a heavy barbell across your shoulders. You will quickly see that this exercise stresses virtually the entire muscular system. (2) In fact no other exercise impacts your entire body the way squats does (although in my opinion full deadlifts and power cleans come close).
Let’s Take A Detour And Talk About Form
Of course, as with any exercise, the key to safe performance of the exercise is perfect form – is your form 100%? I’ve seen guys do a bench press and arch a mile and a half off the bench and twist like a pretzel yet insist they have perfect form. You have to take a cold, hard look at how you perform the exercise and be absolutely sure. Good form ties into the mind-muscle connection – I’ve seen many guys that can’t feel the right muscle when they do a certain exercise which is all in how you do the movement.
Get The Most Out Of Your Squats
With squats it’s not only form, it’s also about avoiding momentum, rep performance and depth. It’s easy to let momentum take over for you. After all, it sure is an easy exercise if I’m not really doing anything! With depth, I’ve seen guys load up the bar with impossible weight, get all psyched up and then grunt out what? A nice, full, deep set of squats? No. We’re talking maybe an inch of movement for 1 rep. Why even bother?
Back in the day, when it came to getting your form down there were no personal trainers. We didn’t have the internet with its access to YouTube videos like we do today. Instead we had to rely on what books were available to learn proper exercise execution. In contrast, today we have a ton of valuable sources of information and there’s absolutely no reason not to fully understand how to do an exercise.
Properly Performed Squats – A Foundational Exercise
What all this means is that there’s no excuse, correctly performed squats should be a cornerstone leg movement. When performed correctly, they do not harm your knees. Yes, by all means add in leg presses, extensions and so on but realize no other exercise has the overall impact that squats will have.
Squats & Testosterone
Ok, so does training legs impact test levels? Is that just a myth, or is it really true? The answer is yes, it is true– training legs with the right movements will impact test levels! A key study by WJ Kraemer and NA Ratamess, “Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training” clearly shows that “protocols high in volume, moderate to high in intensity, using short rest intervals and stressing a large muscle mass, tend to produce the greatest acute hormonal elevations (e.g. testosterone) (2).
But Wait, What’s The Real Question Here?
The legs are among the biggest areas on the body and squats stimulate not just the legs but virtually the entire body. But wait, let’s stop and think. For me the real question is “does increased hormone levels lead to faster muscle growth”? Surprisingly, there seems to be mixed research on this topic (3, 4).
However, examine some of the research that supposedly “puts the final nail on the coffin” as far as greater hormone release not being involved in muscle growth. You will see problems with the study design. Look closely at this study. It was based on biceps curls. Leg presses were performed afterwards in an effort to promote hormone release. That’s OK but why would you use a leg press? Where’s squats? You want hormone release, right? Then use the exercise that, as we’ve seen, involves pretty much the entire body!
This study seems poorly designed to me and the article that refers to it seems poorly written at best (4). Not to mention there’s a ton of well-designed studies that do support the theory of greater hormone release from movements like squats.
Make Your Workouts More Anabolic With Squats!
You can set up an anabolic environment ideal for muscle growth to occur by working squats hard. This will release the body’s natural anabolic hormones, such as testosterone. Also, don’t forget your pre and post workout nutrition. This begins with 1-2 meals several hours before you train (based on when you workout). Then, use the pre-workout of your choice. I suggest adding creatine. From there, drink a EAA/BCAA during your session, and follow with a post-workout shake.
Conclusion
There’s a lot of myths in bodybuilding. But maybe this is one less myth we have to worry about as long as you follow the suggestions in this article. Don’t forget to shop for all your supplement needs at illpumpyouup.com!
References:
- Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic Delavier, p.126-127
- Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training, Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15831061
- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120614130946.htm
- http://www.exercisebiology.com/index.php/site/articles/the_fall_of_the_greatest_theory_of_muscle_growth/