5 Common Training Myths Beginners Should Stop Believing

When you’re new to lifting, it’s easy to fall into the trap of misinformation. Social media, gym talk, and outdated advice often lead beginners down a path that doesn’t maximize their potential. The early stages of training—often called the “newbie gains” phase—are when your body is most responsive to resistance training. Making the right choices during this period can dramatically impact your long-term results.

Let’s cut through the confusion by breaking down five of the most misleading training myths that many beginners fall for—and explain what you should be doing instead.

Myth #1: High Reps for Toning, Low Reps for Bulking

One of the most persistent fitness myths is that high-rep training will make you “lean and toned,” while low-rep, heavy lifting is the secret to packing on size. In reality, this concept oversimplifies how muscle and fat interact in the body.

Here’s the truth: “Toning” isn’t a scientifically recognized term. What people usually mean by “toning” is having visible muscle with low body fat. And the visibility of your muscles depends largely on your body fat percentage—not how many reps you do in the gym.

Fat loss is driven by a calorie deficit, supported by a high-protein diet. Muscle growth, meanwhile, requires progressive resistance training that stimulates the muscles to adapt. Whether you’re doing 8 reps or 20 reps, what matters most is that your sets are challenging and close to failure.

While high-rep training may burn slightly more calories per set, research shows it won’t lead to significant fat loss without proper nutrition. Even an intense hour of lifting burns fewer calories than a 15-minute jog. So, don’t rely on weights to slim down—use diet and cardio for fat loss, and strength training to preserve and build muscle.

Myth #2: Low Reps Are Best for Muscle Growth

On the flip side, many assume that low-rep, heavy lifting is the best—or only—way to build muscle mass. But recent research has clearly shown that a wide range of rep schemes can be effective, as long as sets are taken close to muscular failure.

For example, studies have compared high-rep (25–35 reps) training to moderate-rep (8–12 reps) approaches, and both groups gained similar amounts of muscle when the effort level was equal. What this tells us is that there’s no “magic” rep range for hypertrophy.

That said, most experts still recommend sticking to the 6–15 rep range for practical reasons. Extremely high reps can be exhausting and hard to recover from, while very low reps require heavier loads that increase injury risk and reduce time under tension. Staying within this moderate range provides the best balance of stimulus, safety, and recovery.

Myth #3: You Should Train One Muscle Group Per Workout

Many beginners start out on a traditional “bro split”—a routine that assigns one major muscle group per day, like chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, and so on. The idea is to obliterate a single muscle and then give it a full week to recover.

But muscle protein synthesis (the process that triggers growth) only remains elevated for about 48 hours after training. After that, your muscles essentially return to baseline, and you’re missing out on additional growth opportunities by waiting a full week to train them again.

Instead, consider training each muscle group at least twice per week. For example, if you usually do 12 sets for chest in one workout, splitting it into two sessions of 6 sets will help you recover faster and perform better in each session. This approach increases weekly training volume and gives you more chances to stimulate growth.

While bro splits can work—especially if you’re consistent and eating well—they aren’t the most efficient way to train. Full-body, upper/lower, and push-pull-legs routines tend to be more effective for beginners and intermediates who want to maximize growth and recovery.

Myth #4: Soreness Equals a Good Workout

It’s a common belief that muscle soreness is a sign of an effective workout. But just because you’re sore doesn’t mean you’ve triggered muscle growth.

Soreness is often caused by new or unfamiliar movements, not necessarily effective training. You can be sore from doing something completely unrelated to building muscle—like going for a long hike, or running a marathon after months of inactivity. That doesn’t mean you’re building muscle from it.

In fact, excessive soreness can actually hinder progress. If you’re too sore to train effectively in your next session, your overall training volume and intensity will suffer. Over time, that can limit results.

Instead of using soreness as your metric for success, track your performance. Are you lifting more weight? Doing more reps? Improving your technique? These are the signs of effective training—not how uncomfortable you feel the next day.

Myth #5: You Must Constantly “Shock” Your Muscles

The idea of “muscle confusion” suggests that you need to constantly change exercises, rep ranges, or workout styles to prevent plateaus and force your body to adapt. While variety can help prevent boredom, constantly switching things up can actually prevent progress.

Why? Because consistent progression is the primary driver of muscle growth. If you’re always doing new exercises, it’s difficult to master form and increase strength on any one movement. You lose the opportunity to progressively overload—adding weight, reps, or improving form over time.

Beginners especially benefit from sticking with a consistent set of core exercises for at least 6–8 weeks. This allows you to build neuromuscular coordination, increase loading capacity, and track your improvements accurately.

That doesn’t mean your routine has to be boring. You can add variation with different isolation exercises, advanced techniques (like drop sets or tempo work), and adjustments to your rep ranges. But the backbone of your program should stay consistent to ensure steady progress.

Final Thoughts: Progress Comes from Consistency, Not Gimmicks

Getting in shape isn’t about chasing fads or falling for flashy advice—it’s about applying proven principles consistently. Lift with effort. Eat to support your goals. Track your performance. And don’t get caught up in myths that distract from what actually works.

Whether your goal is to gain muscle, lose fat, or both, the basics don’t change. Train hard, recover properly, and be patient. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll make the most of your early years in the gym and build a foundation for long-term success.