Let's be real: the gym is an intimidating place. Everyone you see there looks consistent and, to say the least, super fit. The machines are nearly impossible to figure out, the people seemingly watch your every move, and you trip over yourself every time you see that really cute guy. There's a lot of talk about the best and fastest ways to get fit, but it's important to know your facts and distinguish fantasy from reality because honestly, most of what you hear are just common misconceptions that are generally accepted. So for those of you who want to be your best self but are being held back by what you believe this one's for you. Here are some of the most common myths about fitness, and the truth behind them. Get out of your head and into the gym!
Myth 1: Lifting Makes You "Big"
Reality... It won't! Ladies, I'm sure you've all heard this one. Lifting weights is generally accepted as a guy's method of fitness, but really, it's the key to achieving that toned look that everyone wants to have. I know when I first started I was intimidated by lifting and thought it would make me bulky, but it's done nothing but good for me; my confidence has increased, I'm stronger than I've ever been, and I'm happy with the way I look.
When you incorporate lifting into your workouts, you're going to gain muscle mass and burn fat in the process. Muscles at rest burn approximately 50 calories per day per pound of muscle; the more you have, the better your metabolism will be. Your resting metabolic rate increases as your lean muscle mass increases, which helps you to burn more fat during and long after you finish your workout. This is why it's relatively easy to stay lean without doing tons of cardio, because your body works harder if you do too. Although this myth is generally accepted, the opposite is really true; if you're looking to achieve a toned, lean look, I cannot stress how important lifting weights is. A general tip is that lifting heavy with minimal reps will promote muscle growth, while lifting light with high repetitions will allow you to maintain and tone.
Myth 2: Long Cardio Sessions are the Only Way to Lose Weight
Honestly, who really enjoys doing cardio? I know I don't; I'll get on the Stairmaster for two minutes and already feel like I'm dying. It's generally believed that long, slow-burn cardio sessions are the key to fat loss, but again, the opposite is true. Sure, steady state cardio is good to increase your endurance and provide heart health benefits, but it really isn't the most efficient way to achieve your weight loss goals. But your body gets used to doing the same prolonged movements, and once this stress becomes routine, it actually has reverse effects such as hindering fat loss and the breaking down of muscle tissue.
A much more fun, effective form of cardio is HIIT (high intensity interval training). It's super quick and not always easy, but it burns more calories during your workout and for hours after you leave the gym. It promotes excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, which in simpler terms means that you will continue to burn calories as your day goes on. Again, your resting metabolic rate will increase and your body resorts to burning fat as fuel rather than other reserves of energy in your body. So next time you're thinking about getting on the treadmill, try this instead: warm up with a walk for 50 seconds, then turn the speed up to a sprint. Sprint for thirty seconds, then walk for thirty seconds. Repeat this 8-10 times and I promise you'll feel better than if you jogged for thirty minutes straight.
Myth 3: The Only Way to Get Abs is Through Endless Crunches
No.. Just no. For the longest time, I believed this one and would tire myself out by doing ab exercises without doing anything else to help myself. The truth of the matter is that everyone has those ab muscles, but you need to do certain things to make them come out to play. In reality, if you're performing compound lifts and doing cardio, then training abs isn't even necessary. But if having abs is one of your main goals, here are my two recommendations: eat clean and do your cardio!
I'm sure you've all heard the phrase "abs are made in the kitchen." I can't stress enough how important this is. For women, your abs will be visible when your body fat percentage is about 14-24% for women, and 6-17% for men. Therefore, it's not about how many crunches you do; it's about how fit you are overall, and how much fat your body has stored. Lifting weights and performing HIIT are keys to achieving abs, but eating right is the most important. Choose plenty of protein and complex carbs such as brown rice and sweet potatoes. Focus your fat consumption on healthy fats such as peanut butter, avocado, and egg yolks, and you'll be well on your way to that six pack for summer.
Myth 4: Low-Carb Diets Promote Weight Loss
Again.. Just no. People seem to view carbs as the devil of foods, but I think that's really only because of the society we live in. Processed foods are nothing but simple carbs that provide little to no energy and leave you feeling bloated and tired, to say the least. In reality, your body needs plenty of carbs to provide sustainable energy and to fill out your frame. Bodybuilders tend to look the "fullest" and leanest after a carb refeed, which goes to show how important they are. If you deprive yourself of carbs, you'll end up feeling stressed out, sad, and depleted. Carbs provide mood-boosting, stress-reducing chemicals to your brain, which are obviously important to keep your body and mind in good health.
The key is to not deprive yourself of carbs, but to find the right ones. There are two different types of carbs, simple and complex, or just bad and good, respectively. Simple carbs provide you quick energy but don't sustain you; they're found in sugary foods and a lot of processed foods. On the other hand, complex carbs provide you with an energy reserve for your body to tap into when it needs to. Some examples of good carbs include oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, beans, and fruit. Carbs should make up approximately 30-50% of your daily macronutrient intake if your goal is to maintain your figure. So rather than force feeding yourself another salad, treat yourself to some complex carbs; it will make all the difference.
Myth 5: Trouble Spots are a Thing
"Yeah, I just want to lose all my stomach fat." Sorry, but that's just not possible. Your body doesn't choose which areas to store or lose fat, it happens as a whole. In other words, when you lose fat, it doesn't happen in just one place, it happens all over your body. So rather than hoping to lose that pesky fat in your stomach or around your inner thighs, focus on leaning out as a whole. As I've said before, this is easier to achieve with weight lifting and HIIT, as your metabolism will increase and you'll steadily reduce your fat percentage overall.
To go along with this, there's another belief that training just one area of the body will greatly benefit you. I see girls in the gym training legs almost every day, and let's be real, that's just not good for you. Your body needs time to rest and recover and repair the muscle tears that occur when you train a certain body part. The best way to achieve a toned look overall is to train every part of your body; shoulders, back, legs, chest, and arms. I use a 5-day split, and train each body part on a different day. This not only keeps me muscularly balanced, it allows for my muscles to repair themselves and get ready to be worked again.
Myth 6: Stretching Before Exercising is Important
Not true! Stretching is important, but stretching before your workout is not an effective way to warm up. Your muscles are cold and if you stretch them out, it's easy for micro-tears to occur, which can lead to injury with continuance. It's known to be true that stretching before working out weakens the muscle by 30%, which nobody wants.
A better idea is to warm up with some light cardio, such as walking or biking. It's good to warm up the particular area that you'll be training; if you're hitting legs, try the bike or if you're working shoulders, jump some rope before picking up any weight. Stretching after a workout is fine and much more effective, as it will increase your flexibility and allow your muscles to be elongated. If your muscles are warm, stretching is safe, but otherwise, you may be hurting yourself.
So there you have it, your common fitness misconceptions debunked! If you're being held back by any worries about working out or fitness in general, don't let it get to you. Everyone must start somewhere, and it's okay to start out small. Nobody in the gym pays attention to anybody else, so there's no need to worry about embarrassing yourself. Hopefully, these myths will be long gone in the future and the ignorance regarding health will be replaced with cold hard facts that everyone knows to be true; until then, get out there and focus on that dream bod!
