Myth one: lifting makes you bulky. Building visible muscle takes years of deliberate work and a lot of food. What lifting does in the first months is make everyday life easier — stairs, shopping bags, sleep.
Myth two: you need to be fit before you start. The gym is where you get fit, not the entry requirement. Every program I write starts from where you are today.
Myth three: soreness means it's working. Soreness mostly means the movement was new. Progress shows up in the numbers on the bar and how you feel between sessions, not in how much you ache.
Myth four: machines are for beginners, barbells are for experts. Tools are tools. We pick whatever lets you do the movement well and progress safely.
Myth five: you're too old for this. Strength training is one of the best-evidenced things adults of any age can do for long-term health. We simply scale the starting point.
If any of these have been holding you back, my quiz takes two minutes and gives you a sensible starting point.