Have you ever been in the gym and seen someone doing the exact opposite of what you’ve been taught to be right? Chances are, one of you is doing things wrong.
But how do you know who’s right and who’s wrong? The fitness industry is full of myths and BS, but luckily some of these myths are slowly going away thanks to new developments and more and more information being available.
However, even today lots of magazines, talk shows and even popular fitness channels provide you with the wrong information. And it’s not necessarily that people are lying to you on purpose, it’s just that a lot of times they picked up their wisdom along the way without ever checking the facts. And since we’ve been conditioned not to question, no one ever told us the truth and the misinformation has just become part of the fitness collective.
We’ve done our research and are happy to offer you the truth about several fitness myths to make sure your workouts are as effective and safe as possible. Here are our TOP 10 fitness myths debunked.
Fitness Myth #1 – You Can Crunch Your Way to Great Abs
Even though they may be the most iconic abdominal exercise, crunches are actually ineffective if you are looking to create that highly coveted six-pack. Experts agree that great, chiseled abs come from a combination of eating right, interval training, keeping your stress levels in check, getting enough sleep and of course selecting the right moves. You’ll be surprised to hear that chin-ups, deadlifts and squats are way more effective to build your six-pack than crunches.
Fitness Myth #2 – If You’re Not Sweating Your Not Working Hard
A lot of people think that sweating is a great indicator of working hard and shows your level of exertion. The truth is, all sweating really is, is your body’s internal cooling system. It’s a biological response that cools your skin and regulates your internal body temperature. So sweat may be the result of the weather, an overheated studio or your personal physiology. Reality is that the focus on your workout is an indicator of working hard. It is possible to burn a significant amount of calories and have a killer workout without breaking a sweat. So instead of obsessing about your sweating, zero in on your workout.
Fitness Myth #3 – Spot Reduction Works
A lot of people still think that you will lose your belly fat by doing sit ups all day long. Fact is that it is impossible to determine where you will lose body fat in your body and a million ab exercises a day won’t flatten your stomach, if it is covered in layers of fat. What will give you the body of your dreams is an improved diet combined with a mix of cardio and strength training to create a calorie deficit, which reduces body fat in all areas of your body.
Fitness Myth #4 – You have Lower, Middle and Upper Abs
This is a very common misconception and even a lot of fitness professionals keep talking about lower abs and upper abs. Reality is, it’s all one muscle. While there are different exercises to target the rectus abdominus from different directions, it’s still only one long muscle.
Fitness Myth #5 – Cardio Comes First
Look around in the gym and watch people walk in. You’ll most likely notice that they head to the cardio machines first and run on the treadmill, elliptical or stair master. However, the most effective way to organize your workout is to do strength training first and cardio second. Doing cardio first will reduce your glycogen levels, which can prevent you from working out as hard as you want or need to. If on the other hand you weight train first, you increase your levels of cortisol and testosterone, which is beneficial for having the best possible workout.
Fitness Myth #6 – You Can Run Off the Pounds
When it comes to shedding pounds, people are still hung up on the idea of cardio. But experts keep reminding us that when it comes to shedding pounds and inches, focused weight training is a lot more effective than banking hours on the elliptical. Interval training is one of the best ways to reduce body fat because you keep burning calories long after your workout session. However, it’s important to keep in mind that no amount of time in the gym can compensate for bad eating habits.
Fitness Myth #7 – Weight Lifting Makes Women Bulky
This may be true if the woman is on steroids, but the real truth is that on average, a man produces ten times the amount of testosterone as a woman and in order to truly get bulky, you need tons of testosterone. Without testosterone it’s impossible to bulk up for a woman. So unless you plan on resorting to drastic measures, women don’t have to worry about getting too big.
Fitness Myth #8 – Machines Are Better Than Free Weights
Machines definitely serve their purpose, especially if you lack experience or are limited due to injuries. But fact is that free weights give you a much greater range of motion and makes your workout session a lot more functional to perform better in your daily life. Machines on the other hand work on an isolated plane of movement.
Fitness Myth #9 – More Gym Time is Better
Fact is, scheduling a rest day is crucial to get the results you want. Your body needs time to recover, especially after a tough workout. If you work out every single day, you put yourself at risk for injury and overtrain, which prevents your body from improving. Make sure you incorporate regular breaks – if you are a beginner, work out every other day, if you are more advanced, take off once a week. And remember to mix things up and do a variety of different workouts for the best possible result.
Fitness Myth #10 – Muscles Weigh More than Fat
This is a very common misconception, but the fact is, a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh exactly the same… one pound. However, muscles are a lot denser than fat and occupy less space. If you are increasing your muscle tone, you will create a better physique and can achieve that toned look you dream about.
We aren’t suggesting that you forget everything you thought you know about fitness and working out, but we certainly hope we helped you to get some of your fitness facts straight. It’s very easy to fall into the traps of fitness myths. A workout buddy passes along a tip that you then pass on to several other people and so on and before you know it, someone else gets back to you with that same information and we just take it as the truth. But as experts in the world of fitness we just had to open your eyes to some of the myths that keep you from getting the best results.
GO OUT AND ENJOY A SAFER WORKOUT WITH AWESOME RESULTS
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
