7 fitness myths
7 Fitness Myths You Should Stop Believing
Myth #1: Crunches and Ab Exercises Help Bust Belly Fat
Truth: While exercises that target the abdomen can help tone and strengthen the muscles near your belly, they won’t make that paunch go away on their own. The human body doesn’t get rid of fat just in certain areas; when you exercise, fat loss is a full-body phenomenon. To minimize belly fat, focus on intense cardio workouts, supplemented by a weight lifting regimen (which should, of course, include core exercises like crunches). And most importantly, fix your nutrition!
Myth #2: Women Should Stick to Light Weights to Avoid Bulking Up
Truth: The vast majority of women simply don’t have enough testosterone in their bodies to build the Arnold-like muscle mass that some want to avoid. In fact, lifting heavy weights will instead help women lose weight, gain increased definition, and build confidence.
Myth #3: Sweat is a Good Indicator of How Hard You’re Working
Truth: While a sweat-soaked t-shirt might make you feel super satisfied after a tough workout, there’s really no relationship between how much you sweat and how hard you’re working. So next time you’re at the gym? Consider leaving that 90s style sweat suit at home.
Myth #4 : No pain, No Gain
Truth: There’s a big difference between pain and discomfort.
While you may have some minor muscle soreness after a particularly hard workout, anything that actively hurts while you’re doing it could be causing you damage. Extreme muscle pain for more than a day or two after a workout likely indicates injury or overtraining.
Myth #5: Stretching Before a Workout Helps Prevent Injuries
Truth: Multiple studies have found that stretching before a workout actually does nothing to prevent injuries. In fact, those who stretch before a run actually tend to wind up with more injuries than those who don’t.
Stretching after exercising seems to be the best option for those who want to avoid delayed onset muscle soreness.
Myth #1: Crunches and Ab Exercises Help Bust Belly Fat
Truth: While exercises that target the abdomen can help tone and strengthen the muscles near your belly, they won’t make that paunch go away on their own. The human body doesn’t get rid of fat just in certain areas; when you exercise, fat loss is a full-body phenomenon. To minimize belly fat, focus on intense cardio workouts, supplemented by a weight lifting regimen (which should, of course, include core exercises like crunches). And most importantly, fix your nutrition!
Myth #2: Women Should Stick to Light Weights to Avoid Bulking Up
Truth: The vast majority of women simply don’t have enough testosterone in their bodies to build the Arnold-like muscle mass that some want to avoid. In fact, lifting heavy weights will instead help women lose weight, gain increased definition, and build confidence.
Myth #3: Sweat is a Good Indicator of How Hard You’re Working
Truth: While a sweat-soaked t-shirt might make you feel super satisfied after a tough workout, there’s really no relationship between how much you sweat and how hard you’re working. So next time you’re at the gym? Consider leaving that 90s style sweat suit at home.
Myth #4 : No pain, No Gain
Truth: There’s a big difference between pain and discomfort.
While you may have some minor muscle soreness after a particularly hard workout, anything that actively hurts while you’re doing it could be causing you damage. Extreme muscle pain for more than a day or two after a workout likely indicates injury or overtraining.
Myth #5: Stretching Before a Workout Helps Prevent Injuries
Truth: Multiple studies have found that stretching before a workout actually does nothing to prevent injuries. In fact, those who stretch before a run actually tend to wind up with more injuries than those who don’t.
Stretching after exercising seems to be the best option for those who want to avoid delayed onset muscle soreness.