Fitness and Exercise Myths

Many people complain about how their workout sessions are not bringing the result that they expect. This is because a lot of people believe things about fitness and exercise that are not true and work on that basis. Here are some myths about fitness and exercise you should.

Myth #1: The More Time In the Gym, the Better the Result

Fact: If you are spending hours at the gym, but not getting your desired result you are most likely over training. When you work out, your muscles get exhausted. When you stop to give them a rest they recover and as a result they grow bigger and stronger. However, during over training, muscles are never getting time to repair, instead they start wasting. So train smarter at the gym, not harder.

Myth #2: The Bigger the Muscles, the Stronger the Guy

Fact: Strength does not come with huge size. It is something that comes with endurance and flexibility. Martial arts and yoga are two such examples which give you strength without requirement of huge size. So you do not necessarily need to be huge to be strong.

Myth #3: For Best Results, You Need the Latest Equipment

Fact:  When you enter the gym, you see a plethora of equipments staring at you, and you are not sure which one is for what. However, you do not need to worry because your desired results can be brought by using dumbbells. Dumbbells give you the most variety of exercises, targeting your core muscles. Also, dumbbells are cheap and do not take much space, so you can do your workouts in the privacy of your room as well.

Myth #4: Ab Exercises Make You Lose Love Handles and Belly Fat

Fact: Although they are giving you strong muscles, abdominal exercises such as sit ups do not help lose the layer of fat covering them. You need to follow a cardio and nutrition plan which suits your body to lower your body fat percentage and make those strong abs visible.

Myth #5: Muscle Becomes Fat

Fact: Muscles and fats are two different entities and can never transform into one another. Increasing your muscle mass and losing your body fat are two different things, and usually cannot be done together. For losing body fat, you need to lower the amount of calories you intake and increase the amount you burn. On the other hand for muscle building you need to consume more calories in order to build muscle mass. However, those calories need to come from protein sources, as protein is responsible for muscle building and repairing.

Myth #6: You Should Follow the Exact Workout of Someone Else

Fact:  We all have different bodies and we all have different requirements. These are governed by your physique, your food in-take, your BMI as well as your genes. If you genetically have a good physique you will look nice, whatever plan you follow. However, if your parents are obese, there are high chances you will have a hard time attaining your goals. So always plan your workouts and nutritional plans according to your body, not of who you admire.

Myth #7: Exercise Only to Lose Weight

Fact: Many people nowadays come under a category clinicians refer to as ‘skinny fat.’ Men who have more than 20% fat and women who have more than 30% fat on their body come under this category. This increased body fat percentage leads to the same disease as an obese person; diabetes, weak bones etc. If your BMI comes under this range, then you are normal. So why would you need to work out? You need to work out to reduce the percentage of body fat and replace it with muscle percentage for a stronger and leaner body. Additionally you cannot diet your way out of the skinny fat zone as dieting makes you lose muscle mass, which in turn increases percentage body fat. So make out a workout plan for 3-4 days a week even if it is just for 15 minutes. In addition, exercise is an overall excellent way of staying healthy. It can increase your mood, lower depression, and keep your inner organs healthy.

Myth #8: Working Out on a Hungry Stomach Burns More Fat

Fact: To lose weight, you need to work out. To work out you need energy, and for energy you need food. It’s as simple as that. Even though working out on an empty stomach can torture out a few extra calories from your fats, over all, it can leave you famished after a few minutes of work out and decrease your work out efficiency. To make your work outs successful, cut out fats from your meal, and do not skip an entire meal.