Dispelling Exercise Myths: Part 1

Many people have been misinformed about the health and fitness industry over the years. With so many weight loss and muscle building gimmicks on the market it’s very difficult to know what works and what doesn’t. Well it’s time to put the myths to rest for good.

1. Myth: Cardio is all you need to do to get in shape.

Truth: Cardiovascular exercises are important to include in your weekly workout routine, but it should not be the only type exercising you perform. The next time your in the gym check out the cardio section. It will be dominated by the Cardio and Kings and Queens. While it is great for the heart and burning subcutaneous, visceral and retroperitoneal fat, too much cardio can cause skeletal and organ muscle loss, which will create a weight loss plateau. A loss of muscle tissue means your metabolism will slow down. Did you know that muscle tissue burns more calories than fat? So, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn, even when you’re not exercising. Weight lifting burns calories and fat too. It all depends on the intensity and design of the workout program. Cardio training is great, but weight training is needed as well. Mix the weight or resistance and cardio training together to make the workout more interesting. Do cardio intervals in between weight training sets.

2. Myth: Weight lifting will make you bulky and masculine.

Truth: Wrong! This is directed towards the women. It takes much more than lifting weights to make a female get bulky and/or masculine. For most women it’s extremely difficult. High levels of Testosterone hormones, genetics, high caloric intake and weight load percentage are all factors for getting bigger or bulky. So ladies, unless you meet this criteria, you don’t have anything to worry about. In fact, weight lifting is needed because other than increasing lean muscle mass and giving definition and curves to the body, it also increases bone mass density. This is very important, especially in the female population because osteoporosis (bone density loss) is common amongst women. On average, after the age of 30 a woman’s bone density starts to decrease. So don’t be afraid to pick up a barbell, dumbbell or a kettlebell the next time you‘re in the gym! “Lift hard and heavy to really stand out amongst the Cardio Queens.”

3. Myth: You can burn fat in specific areas of the body.

Truth: Spot reduction of fat is not possible. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it isn’t true. The only way you can loss fat from one targeted area is if you get it sucked out, and that’s not the best option to consider. The body will produce energy from the fat all through the body. When someone is running on the treadmill, the only major muscle group that person is using are the muscles in the legs, but fat is still being burned in the abdominal area, chest, back, and arms.

4. Myth: Carbs are bad. Bread and pasta will make you fat.

Truth: Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. Before fat is used as an energy, carbs are used first. Complex carbohydrates are the type that should be apart of your daily diet. These consist of whole wheat bread and pastas, brown and/or wild rice, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, fruit and etc. The simple carbohydrates such as cake, pie, white bread, candy, sodas and sugar filled juices are bad. Stay away from that stuff! So remember, complex carbs are not your enemy, they are your source of energy. Now as far as bread and pasta making you fat, well anything can make you fat. Eating a lot of vegetables and not working out will make you fat. It’s matter of watching how much you are eating.



5. Myth: If you eat less meals you will lose more weight.

Truth: This myth needs to be put to rest for good and thrown in the river! So many people think if they eat 1-2 meals a day they will lose weight. You might lose some weight initially, but the body will quickly plateau and the weight loss will stop. You are starving the body and that is never a good thing! Actually most people gain weight when they only eat a couple of times per day. It’s called Binge Eating. Our body goes into starvation mode and when you eat a lot of calories at one time, your body will hold on to all of the macronutrients and store it as fat because it doesn’t know when it will receive more food. The recommended meals per day is 5-6. That’s breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack(optional). Depending on the current weight and goals of an individual, the caloric intake for each meal will vary.

This is obviously only a few of many myths that are out there misleading people. I could probably write about hundreds of myths. But this is definitely a start to dispel them. When someone gives you advice about health and fitness, make sure you do your own research to see if it makes sense.