Top 10 Fitness Myths

This article is dedicated to those who are mentally preparing themselves to get in shape. You want to begin eating right and exercising, you no longer accept to be tired and listless…but where do you start? Especially if there are so many facts thrown at you nowadays. Some people tell you to go lightweight on the ab-machine, others mention that they lost 50 lbs by eating grapefruit. Girls say that lifting weights makes them bulky, guys claim if the ‘bar ain’t bendin, you’re just pretendin’.

All in all, it seems like every single person has their own view on ‘how to do it’. So starting off an exercise program can be scary at first, you run the risk of confusion with so many fitness myths out there. Besides that, in health (and life in general) you only develop yourself if you leave your comfort zones. And starting up an exercising routine may be uncomfortable at first.

All of this is really no problem, I personally used to be out of shape myself and now as a personal trainer I view every ‘beginner’ as courageous and intelligent as they are taking responsibility for their own health. So just to help you out a little, let me debunk the 10 most common fitness myths that I hear on a daily basis:

#1 MYTH: Women will get big if they weight train.

This won’t happen…

…This will

Fact:
A woman has approximately one-third the testosterone compared to a man, so putting on a ton of muscle is not going to happen. The women you see in the magazines who look big and manly are on steroids, growth hormones, etc. You may look bulky if you’re carrying excessive body fat and building muscle. However, if you’re reducing body fat, you’ll eventually be able to see those lean, defined muscles.

#2 MYTH: You must work out five to six days per week to make progress.

I have lived in Europe for 13 years, over there people work to live. Here in USA I see most people live to work. So I really do not expect you to trade in all free time for the gym. Additionally, many of those people that I do see in the gym five to six days a week are better off playing ping pong. Consistency and level of effort are key. I would rather see someone workout three days per week with enthusiasm and intensity, than five inconsistent days of lackadaisical effort. In fact, for those clients that have trouble with motivation, I recommend only two days of workouts per week, but they must do it every week.

#3 MYTH: Spot reducing is possible.

The human body loses fat over the entire body at various rates of speed. It’s impossible to spot reduce. If you’re focusing on only losing fat that sits on your hips, it won’t work. Generally, the first place you gain fat is the last place you lose it.

#4 MYTH: Stretching prevents injuries.

Stretching increases flexibility, but most injuries occur within the normal range of motion. Stretching and warming up have just gone together for decades. Make no mistake though: A stretching program is not without benefits, it does help to strengthen muscles. However, it does not appear to actually prevent injuries. Warming up prior to exercise and increasing blood flow to the muscles is actually more conducive to injury prevention. I’m not suggesting that you eliminate stretching. It is valuable and flexibility is certainly important as we age. However, we may be off base assuming it’s an injury-prevention technique.

#5 MYTH: One should lose weight before beginning an exercise program.

There is no physiological reason to lose weight prior to beginning an exercise program. Exercise is the best thing for your health, and there is no time like the present to start. Any amount — starting with five minutes a day — is beneficial. When you carry less weight, you can move a little more easily, and it may be less strenuous on your heart. You can be more fit at 30 percent body fat if you are exercising than if you try to achieve 20 percent body fat without exercising. The goal is to gain or preserve muscle and lose fat — not just lose weight (which implies both muscle and fat).

#6 MYTH: Lifting weights very slowly is the best way to weight train.

I myself usually train clients this way. For the ones that already know me, you know I like to keep it slow. The main reason I do this is to avoid any wrong postures while exercising. That is the main benefit of lifting slowly; to ensure proper form. However, to increase your strength I would recommend a faster pace. Somewhere in the range of 1 second up, 2 seconds down. I will allow this….if your form is flawless (!)

#7 MYTH: Eating a lot less (or going on a crash diet) will get the results you seek.

This was a dietary strategy popularized prior to the 1980′s. People would go on crash diets like the grapefruit diet and lose weight (where weight equals fat AND muscle). They assumed just eating less would take care of everything. Today, we know total calories are important, but so are the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats in the diet. A slight caloric deficit (less than maintenance) must be adhered to, as well as eating small meals and snacks every two to three hours. This helps to control blood sugar; and it is a fact that blood-sugar control will help you to lose fat.

#8 MYTH: Performing countless abdominal crunches will get rid of the “pooch” area on the lower tummy/abdominal area.

I would say I get 5 questions per day from members related to this issue. As mentioned earlier; it is not possible to spot reduce any area of the body. The real solution is to reduce overall body fat through a slight caloric deficit, add resistance exercise (weight training) to stimulate the metabolism, and cardiovascular exercise to burn additional calories. That’s the way to fat loss. Performing crunches will never reduce the abdominal area because it only serves to strengthen muscle, not flatten a specific area. Just as 200 bicep curls will not make the arm smaller, nor will 200 abdominal crunches make the waist smaller. You cannot spot reduce any part of the body. It’s just not physiologically possible.

#9 MYTH: Performing a lot of cardio is the best way to lose fat.

The problem with ‘just cardio’ is that it is completely ineffective. It is a poor method to lose body fat and a real time waster. You can work out for long sessions with moderate intensity or use shorter sessions with higher intensity (based on your fitness level). You can not do both!

The shorter, more-intense session will burn more overall calories and preserve muscle, which will make you look tight and lean when you get to your weight goal. In addition, the shorter, intense sessions will have a more profound effect on the calories you continue to burn 24 hours after completing the session. So pick up your pace a bit and try to get a more intense and efficient 30 to 45 minutes. You don’t need to be huffing and puffing for your life, just increase the intensity a bit and keep it sustained at a higher level within your target heart-rate range.

#10 MYTH: Calories are the only thing that counts when trying to lose fat or gain muscle.

This is partly true (which means it’s false). See, the ratios of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are also important. The key to losing fat and gaining muscle is controlling and manipulating insulin levels. In simple terms, when we consume excessive calories at one meal, the body’s blood sugar rises. When this happens, the pancreas secretes insulin to lower blood sugar levels. One of the many drawbacks of this happening excessively is, along with putting you at risk for diabetes, the body also holds onto stored fat! A balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats works most efficiently in losing fat and gaining muscle.

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