If you are serious about making a solid pledge to a muscle-building program, you need to be very cautious of who you receive advice from. Bodybuilding and fitness is literally a multi-billion dollar industry with new websites popping up each day. Lots of the so-called "experts" out there really don't have a clue of what they're talking about and are only motivated by pushing costly pills, powders and "miracle programs" on you that you do not really need. In case you do not watch your step you could end up falling for some deadly muscle-building pitfalls that may literally annihilate your gains and prevent you from ever achieving the outstanding, muscular build you desire. In this article I am going to expose 4 very widespread muscle-building myths with a purpose to keep you on the proper path to the mind-blowing muscle and strength gains you deserve.

Myth 1: To be able to build muscle, you must achieve a "pump" during your work out routine. The greater the pump you attain, the more muscle you'll build.

For those of you who are just starting out, a "pump" is the sensation that you get as blood results in being trapped inside the muscle tissue when you train with weights. The muscle tissue will swell up and leave your body feeling bigger, tighter, stronger and more powerful. While a pump does feel fantastic, it has little, if anything to do with properly stimulating your muscles to grow. A pump is simply the result of increased bloodflow to the muscle tissue and is in no way indicative of a successful workout. A successful workout should only be gauged by the concept of succession. If you were able to lift more weight or execute more reps than you did in the preceding week, then you did your job.

Myth 2: Building muscle will cause you to become slower and less flexible.

This one goes back to the old days when people described bodybuilders as being "muscle bound" and "bulky". Contrary to what you might assume, building a significant amount of lean muscle mass will actually speed you up instead than slow you down. Muscles are responsible for every movement that your body makes, from running to jumping to throwing. The bottom line is that the more powerful a muscle is, the more force it could apply. Having stronger, more muscular legs means increased foot speed, just like having stronger and more muscular shoulders means the ability to throw farther. Strong muscles are able muscles, not the other way around. So go ahead and grow the washboard abs you want. You'll not simply look better, but feel better about yourself.

Myth 3: You must always use perfect, textbook form on all workouts.

While using good form in the gymnasium is all the time important, obsessing over ideal form is an entirely different matter. If you are always trying to perform every work out using faultless, textbook form, you will actually increase your likelihood of injury and concurrently reduce the full amount of muscle stimulation you can accomplish. Keep in mind, we aren't robots! It is very significant that you at all times move naturally whenever you exercise. This could mean adding a very small bend in your back whenever you do bicep curls, or using a tiny bit of body momentum when executing barbell rows. Loosen yourself up a bit and move the way your body was meant to be moved. Obsessing over ideal form will actually work against you rather than for you. So when you're looking for ways on how to get washboard abs, don't worry if you don't follow the directions step by step.

Myth 4: If you want your muscles to grow you have to "feel the burn!"

This is another huge misconception in the gym. The "burning" sensation that results from intense weight training is simply the result of lactic acid (a metabolic waste product) that’s secreted within the muscle tissue as you exercise. Elevated levels of lactic acid have nothing to do with muscle growth and may actually slow down your gains rather than speed them up. You're able to limit lactic acid production by training in a lower rep range of 5-7, instead of the typical range of 10 and above. So if you're exercising to get the washboard abs you would like, do not agonize if you don't find yourself rolling on the floor from abdominal pain. It's ok, you will get those remarkable abs, just be steady and you'll achieve your goals soon!