|
It never ceases to amaze me that in the age of information, the age where almost anything is available at the push of a button people still struggle with ‘infamous’ fitness myths.
It's time to identify some well-known fitness myths and shed some light and detail on the truth.
Now these beliefs / myths exist because there is often some logical correlation to the idea, however it is not always as simple as it seems.
1. SPOT REDUCTION (GUT REDUCTION)
“If I do 100 crunches a day will I get a six pack?”
Many exercises and exercise machines are sold with the underlying message ‘Buy me, I am the ultimate fitness machine, I can reduce the size of your butt, gut or both. The promise of SPOT REDUCTION!
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION!!
When we perform any activity, we need energy for that movement. We get this energy from the foods that we consume. When we need energy for exercise, we do not choose which fuel will be used; this is determined by exercise intensity. The energy used by the working muscles comes from the entire body via the liver, not just the skeletal muscle that is moving. So the energy to perform those crunches may not necessarily be coming from your abdominal region! The reality is that if you have a layer of fat covering your abdominals, definition will never come through crunches.
Your time would be much better spent doing some quality cardio sessions coupled with good clean nutrition, which would help you lose body fat and unveil those secret abdominals.
2. TONING THE LOWER ABDOMINALS
“How do I work those hard to get lower abdominals?”
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION!!
A quick anatomy lesson! The abdominals or what most people refer to as the six-pack is a sheath of muscle that attaches from the ribs to the pelvis and is used to bend the trunk forward (Forward flexion). In short, its role is to bring the ribs and the pelvis closer together.
Again, what most guy’s will mean is, “how do I burn the fat of the lower part of my gut” and the answer is simply - more cardio and eating well!
3. TURNING FAT INTO MUSCLE!
How do I turn fat into muscle?
I have always found these statements interesting, ‘If you stop doing weights your muscles turn to fat!’ or ‘If you do weights you can turn your fat into muscle!’
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION!!
Muscle and fat are two distinct tissues. They have different properties and characteristics. One is predominantly protein (and water) and the other is predominantly fat (and water). It is not physiologically possible for one to be transformed into the other. Therefore, as you exercise the body burns off excess fat energy and builds lean muscle (from food). And what generally happens to people who stop exercising is they get a layer of fat over their well-developed muscles.
4. HIGH REPS BURN MORE FAT!
”Does performing higher rep exercise burn more fat?”
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION!!
Performing higher rep exercise does not burn more body fat. Resistance exercise in general accesses our most readily available energy sources ATP-PC and glycogen. Tapping into stored fat reserves requires a more complex chemical process and less rapid delivery system.
In short, higher rep exercise burns stored carbohydrate as energy.
5. NO PAIN, NO GAIN
“Is the famous ‘no pain, no gain’ statement true?”
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION
This statement is a very common misconception. Many people incorrectly assume that exercise must hurt to be beneficial, when in fact exercising to the point of pain can do more harm than good. A sensible exercise program might be uncomfortable, but should not be painful. It should put a reasonable demand on the cardio-respiratory and musculoskeletal systems to improve their function, without significantly increasing the risk of injury.
6. EXERCISING ALLOWS ME TO EAT WHAT EVER I WANT
“Because I exercise I can eat what ever I want”
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION
Weight loss or maintaining weight is a simple formula; your energy expenditure must match or exceed what you take in, respectively. If you start to overeat it will start to show in all the wrong places. So don’t be fooled by this. Quality exercise and good nutrition principles should be implemented as life long practices.
7. THE QUICK FIX / MAGIC PILL SYNDROME
“There has got to be a quick fix or magic pill out there somewhere?”
FACT or FICTION?
FICTION
There is no quick fix. Many exercise products, programmes, books and nutritional supplements are marketed using deceptive, misleading, or fraudulent information. The key to any real long tem health and fitness results is found in the most simple of principles ‘Balanced nutrition coupled with regular rest and exercise’
If you learn one thing from this article I hope that it is this: When seeking advice or information about your health and wellbeing, please seek a qualified health/fitness professional. Because you wouldn’t attempt to fix your Porsche from an article in a car magazine.
|
