Article of the Week – Puncturing Popular Broscience Myths

T-Nation is the greatest website for training out there (along with bb.com). They give out some of the greatest lifting advice out there, mostly for more advanced trainees that actually understand a lot about lifting already. And on top of that they’re the coolest fitness guys out there. So for those of you who don’t get my point . . . go visit T-Nation ; after this of course.

This week I want to cover an article that T-Nation came out with called Puncturing Popular Broscience Myths by Jimmy Smith.

Before I give you guys a review of the article I want to touch on what a broscience myth is. Broscience is defined as (by urbandictionary.com) “the predominant brand of reasoning in bodybuilding circles where the anecdotal reports of jacked dudes are considered more credible than scientific research”. So therefore a broscience myth is a long held belief by big guys that certain things work even though science doesn’t support them fully. Example: You have to eat different foods for different goals (yeah I copied the article).

So this article is written to disprove the beliefs a lot of guys have about bodybuilding and lifting. The general theme of the myths are nutritionally based because those are the most misconceived aspects of lifting.

The examples include

• Never Eat Carbohydrates and Fat in the Same Meal
• You Have to Eat Different Foods for Different Goals
• Depleting Water Will Make Your Midsection Tighter and Leaner
• Sodium Makes Your Body Hold Water

All of which I have heard and believed until now.

What the author is saying is that there is no evidence to support something like a clean vs a dirty bulk or that sodium makes you hold a significant amount of water. As I do like the concept of the article, I do still believe in one thing that he says isn’t important: clean vs dirty foods. I tend to gain a lot less fat with clean foods (chicken, rice, pork, tuna) than with dirty foods (McDonalds,, BK, Wendys, etc.).

Whether you believe the broscience myths or not this is a good read for the science behind (or not behind) it. Why not try em out for yourself!

Good Luck and Good Lifting

Sparky

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Comment and tell me what your favorite broscience myths are

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