Quick Take: Beware of Bro Science

If you spend much time in the men’s locker room of a gym, you’re eventually going to hear someone spouting nonsense. (Ladies, you’ll have to take my word for this, but somehow I don’t think you’ll be shocked.)  A lot of the nonsense you hear is based on “bro science”: reasoning that seems to make sense but is not backed up by actual facts. 

One example of this is guys claiming the surest way to gain more muscle is to change your workout program every single week.  The logic here is that your muscles adapt to the same stimulus over time, and thus that stimulus (exercise) becomes less effective over time.  This is true.  Therefore, you must change up your exercise routine every time you work out.  This is the bogus part.  In reality, your body develops best with a certain amount of consistency as well as variety.  Most expert advice I’ve read recommends that you keep the same routines for at least 6 weeks--often more like 12 weeks--before evaluating whether a change is needed.  And if you’re making satisfactory progress, most experts recommend you keep doing what’s working, or only make minor changes.

Other examples of bogus fitness ideas:

• You can target specific areas of the body—i.e., the belly—for fat loss.  Sorry, you can't.  Current science says it’s kinda sorta barely possible in certain rare and extremely difficult circumstances, but really just forget it.
• Starving yourself is a good idea.  NO.  Severely restricting your calorie intake can actually backfire when your body throws itself into starvation mode and turns your metabolism way, way down.  There are options that can work, like keto diets or intermittent fasting, but do your research.
• ANYTHING that promises dramatic results in a few weeks.  No, no, no.  Sorry.  No.
• No pain, no gain.  OMG, just because it rhymes doesn’t make it true.  Look, if I put you on a torture rack for 45 minutes, you’d come out sore.  But you wouldn’t gain muscle or lose fat.  A good workout might make you sore, but lack of soreness doesn’t necessarily indicate a failed workout.
• Go big or go home.  I hear this motto spouted more frequently by guys who desperately want to sound badass than by lifters who actually are.  There is good evidence to support heavy lifting to help you build strength and muscle size, but that doesn’t mean you need to make veins explode at every workout.
• It’s impossible to lose fat while gaining muscle.  Actually, I’ve done it.  But mostly this works for beginners.  If you’re a seasoned bodybuilder trying to go from 8% bodyfat to 5%, then probably not.
• You’re going to have to suffer if you want to lose fat.   Actually, I’m rarely hungry when I’m losing fat, but I have to plan my meals intelligently.
• The sauna, or some other heat source, or—heaven preserve us—Sauna Suits will melt your fat away.  You will lose weight: all the water you sweat out.  But no, they won’t make you lose fat, even if you risk a trip to the ER by exercising while severely dehydrated.  Sorry.
• Cardio will destroy your muscle gains.  Really?  I wonder how college and pro football players get so fast and stay so buff.  There are better and worse ways to mix cardio with weight training, but they can be compatible.
• I could go on.  Unfortunately, this is a hole with no bottom.

So if you hear someone recommend something that conflicts with other advice, consider the two sources.  If one has more training and experience than the other, you should go with them.  If both seem equally trustworthy (or suspicious), do some research from more expert sources before you listen to one over the other.

Stay safe and sane out there!
The Friendly Lifter