Just because he’s big, doesn’t mean he’s clever.
Well, that’s kinda debatable. After all, you can’t build supersized muscle without knowing at least a little bit about… building supersized muscle. But that’s not to say all bro-isms should be accepted without scrutiny.
Let’s put 10 common muscle mantras under the microscope.
Bro wisdom #1: No pain, no gain
‘I don’t start counting until it starts hurting’
What the science says:
There’s a difference between ‘bad pain’ – the kind that signals injury – and the satisfying ache of a good workout. But the bros were right about one thing: if you want to see results, you do need to be able to tolerate physical discomfort.
“We know that training to momentary failure – the point where your muscles are no longer able to move the weight with the correct form – is the fastest route to muscle gains,” says Nick Mitchell, coach and founder of transformation specialists Ultimate Performance, “while if strength gains are your goal, you want to push very hard but avoid actual failure.”
Think of it this way: once you’re able to hit all the reps in your prescribed rep range (for example, three sets of 12) with great form, add 1% or 2% more weight and start again.
When it comes to ‘normal’ soreness, everyone is different, he says. “Be mindful of your body’s feedback so you’ll know when your body is telling you “enough is enough” – without listening to the devil on your shoulder telling you to be lazy.”
If you’re new to training and unfamiliar with the harmless yet nauseating burn of a challenging set, Mitchell suggests this exercise: stand on the edge of the first step on a set of stairs and perform slow and rhythmic calf raises, going as high on your toes as possible and getting a deep stretch on the lowering portion of the exercise. “Within five to 15 reps, those suckers are going to burn like mad. By about 25, most people will have to give up… and then 30 seconds later all of the pain will have dissipated,” he says. “This is ‘good pain’.”
Our Verdict: 4/5
Bro wisdom #2: cardio eats up your muscles
“Bro, I don’t even know where they keep the treadmills.
What the science says:
Gone are the days when the mere mention of a 5K had weightlifters running for the hills. Mixed-discipline training is more popular than ever. A formal definition of the hybrid approach might be “the concurrent training of athletic disciplines that do not inherently support one another”, but generally what we’re talking about is athletes who lift heavy and run far.
“Just look at some of the top hybrid athletes to know it’s possible to maintain and even increase muscle mass when training for endurance,” says Kate Neudecker, personal trainer, nutritionist and Men’s Health fitness writer. “Multiple studies support this, with a large-scale review in Sports Medicine concluding that concurrent aerobic and strength training doesn’t compromise growth.”
But there are caveats. If your time and mental energy are limited, then “it can be beneficial to focus on one goal at a time,” she says. The time you spend on the treadmill is lost from the squat rack, after all. And if you’re expending a lot of calories and not replacing them, your body won’t have the energy to repair and build new muscle. If you’re struggling to see results, try scaling back.
Our Verdict: 2/5
Bro wisdom #3: there’s no such thing as too much protein
“You want the recipe for my 12-egg-white omelette?”
What the science says:
Public opinion has turned on this one. Once niche sports products spotted only in athletes’ kit bags, protein bars and shakes now line supermarket shelves next to the confectionery and Coca-Cola. Whether you get your grams from fortified foods and powders or from natural sources, most of us are at the very least conscious of our intake.
Bodybuilding lore has long dictated that around 2g per kg of body weight is needed to build muscle, while the NHS advises a more conservative 0.75g. So, who’s right?
‘Clinical studies concluded that consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance of 50g to 60g per day can improve body composition, even if not tracking calories,” says Men’s Health fitness director Andrew Tracey, a coach and nutritionist, who suggests a minimum of 1.6g per kg. “Protein is also muscle-sparing, meaning it will help you to avoid losing any of your hard-earned gains while chasing fat loss.”
Plus, it benefits blood sugar balance and satiety and is relatively hard to overeat when compared with foods based on fats and carbs.
And how much is too much? Regularly eating more than 2g per kg of your body weight per day has been linked to digestive discomfort, dehydration and headaches. “There’s also no real muscle-building benefit to it,” adds Tracey.
Our Verdict: 4/5
Bro wisdom #4: Monday is chest day
“And on the third day, he worked arms and back, and saw that it was good”.
What the science says:
There is a reason why many gym-goers still prefer to split up their weekly workouts in order to control the frequency with which they hit specific muscle groups – chest day, legs day and so on. Adding structure to your routine can help you reach your goals faster than winging it.
Training specific muscle groups on specific days naturally means you’ll work those muscles harder, too – although it also means you’ll need more time to recover before training those same muscles again.
But so long as you’re applying the principles of progressive overload – periodically increasing your weights, reps or sets, to ensure you’re not kicking back in your comfort zone – it doesn’t matter which body parts you work and when.
“Full-body workouts are never going to create a Mr Universe physique,” explains Mitchell, “but for most of the general public, I’d actively recommend them, if they’re limited to less than two hours of weight-training time per week.” It’s just more efficient.
Ultimately, however, adherence is what matters. It’s a platitude but nonetheless true: the best training plan is the one you’ll stick to.
Our Verdict: 1.5/5
Bro wisdom #5: don’t neglect the mind-muscle connection
“Your biceps can tell when you’re thinking about someone else…”
What the science says:
One of Arnie’s all-time favourite talking points, the original bro (Bro-G?) advocated for staying fully present throughout every rep, concentrating hard on the contracting muscles. He put it this way in a recent newsletter: “Have you ever tried to work out when you are distracted, and you pace around for too long between sets, and then when you lift the weight it feels heavier than usual? This is because your mind is not connected to your muscles.” Lifting, he goes on, should be “a form of meditation”.
Which all sounds very romantic – but so long as the bar is moving, does it really matter where your mind is?
“The mind-muscle connection is actually backed by multiple pieces of research,” explains Neudecker. In a study published in the European Journal Of Sport Science, participants who focused hard on their target muscle saw almost double the muscle growth during biceps curls as those who placed their attention elsewhere. Doing this, says Neudecker, can help “increase muscle activation and help us use our full range of motion”. It’s meathead mindfulness for the win.
Our Verdict: 4/5
Bro wisdom #6: bulk first, cut later
“It’s okay bro, I’m *chews noisily* bulking”
What the science says:
A favoured protocol of old-school lifters. The ‘bulking’ phase sees athletes eat surplus calories while training for muscle growth; in the ‘cutting’ phase, they switch to a calorie deficit, while grappling to keep those gains.
“For professional bodybuilders or athletes in weight classes, maybe there’s a justification for deliberately gaining and then losing large amounts of weight,” says Tracey. “But this doesn’t make sense for the average person. For a lot of people, it will mean you just end up gaining and losing the same 10lb (4.5kg) of fat each year, with minimal muscle growth to show for your efforts.”
Research suggests that overeating tends to result in weight gain around the abdomen, but weight isn’t as quickly lost from that area during dieting. Persistent yo-yoing could therefore make it more difficult to lose belly fat in the long run. So, should you stick to daily calorie targets with meticulous consistency? Also no.”It’s natural for your calorie intake to be higher at certain times of year,” says Tracey. “You may as well use these periods to power a concerted effort to gain muscle.” Don’t be afraid of weight gain to the point that you under-fuel muscle-building efforts, though. “What’s more intelligent than massive bulks and strict cuts is having a healthy, sustainable weight range to grow within.”
Our Verdict: 1/5
Bro wisdom #7: you need to shock your muscles
“That’s why I never follow a program – I’d lose the element of surprise”
What the science says:
It’s the subject of countless comedy Instagram Reels, but ask five gym-goers what ‘shocking the muscles’ means and you may well get five different answers. There’s no unified definition, but there are a couple of ways to interpret this idea.
Some people might see it as a directive to hop between workout programs – trialling one set of exercises one week, something entirely different the next. That’s unlikely to result in meaningful progress.
“In bodybuilding spaces, however, ‘shocking the muscle’ oftentimes means subjecting the muscle to a new stimulus to cause the muscle to grow bigger and stronger,” explains Neudecker. This doesn’t have to mean spinning the wheel every time you’re choosing an upper-body routine. It can simply mean the same boring-but-non-shocking stuff you’ve always done: incrementally exposing your muscles to bigger weights and more reps.
“The truth is you need to commit to a training routine for at least three weeks before making major adjustments,” says Neudecker. “This allows you to properly get the most out of a new program, and make measurable progress.”
Our Verdict: 3/5
Bro wisdom #8: you gotta chase the pump
“Arnie had it right – nothing feels better”
What the science says:
In recent years, ‘the pump’ – the feeling of engorged, swollen muscles one encounters when training with high reps and plenty of sets – has had mixed press. Many trainers have labelled it a vainglorious waste of time that does little more than temporarily swell the muscles up with blood.
Even if Arnie was pumping up for the pleasure alone, research shows that dropping the weight and upping the reps, especially after heavy lifting, can have serious muscle-building effects.
Research suggests that although a pump itself may not last, its effects can. One theory posits that the increased pressure on the cell membrane caused by the accumulation of blood in the muscle is perceived as a threat to cellular integrity. This triggers your body to reinforce the structure of the muscle, resulting in growth.
Or, to look at it another way: “It may be temporary, but a pump is one of the most fulfilling parts of training, and an insight into what your body could look like, permanently, if you keep up your efforts,” says Tracey. “This alone can lead to sustained levels of enthusiasm that keep you consistent in the long run, which is what really matters.”
Our Verdict: 4/5
Bro wisdom #9: you should hop on the creatine, bro
“I’m starting a petition to add it to the food pyramid”.
What the science says:
There was a time, not all that long ago, when training supps such as creatine were viewed as something almost akin to anabolic steroids.
Today, however, creatine is one of the most research-backed, benefit-stacked and widely used gym supps – not to mention one of the cheapest.
“This naturally occurring substance, found in meat and fish, stands up as an effective muscle-builder and strength-booster,” says Tracey. It speeds up production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which powers your muscles, allowing you to push beyond your usual limits. A review by the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests it could help with injury prevention and post-exercise repair.
“Despite efforts by supps companies to market ‘new’ creatine products, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel,” Tracey says. “A 5g daily dose of widely available creatine monohydrate is just as effective as pricier equivalents.”
Our Verdict: 5/5
Bro wisdom #10: go heavy or go home
“Your mum called, she wants her dumbbells back”.
What the science says:
Well, that depends on your goal. A study in The Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research found that while muscle gain can be achieved across all rep ranges (that’s more about total volume – see Bro Wisdom #1), lifting heavier weights is better for boosting max strength.
The lower rep ranges – such as lifting a weight you can only shift for, say, five reps with good form – help to build what is called ‘relative strength’, which means getting strong without adding extra muscle, says Mitchell. “This is obviously something that athletes need to consider, as many will want to maintain or improve their power-to-weight ratio and will gain zero benefit from extra body mass.”
But there are diminishing returns. “Most would do well to not go lower than three or four reps in a set unless specifically training for a maximal lifting contest,” he says. “Going too heavy (two-rep max lifts or heavier) can often be overkill and lead to overtraining.” That’s just showing off, anyway.
Our Verdict: 3/5
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
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