The fitness industry is a mulit-billion dollar industry today....with that said, there is a lot of information out there with very little regulation. Unfortunately it is not black and white, it is a giant ball of grey...it is up to you to do the research, talk to your doctor, and make the decisions that work best for YOU!
You will need to take the time to question new gimmicks, new diets, and what magazine articles write in order to sell a product. Remember, there is no "magic pill" for weight loss... it takes determination, hard work, and commitment! Listed below are 5 basic fitness myths that are among the most common:
1. The "best" and "fastest" way to get a 6-pack set of abs is to do crunches, crunches, crunches!
ANSWER: FALSE
Every late night info-mercial advertises the "best" new machine to "target those abs!"...they know that consumers will spend the money to only work out for 5 minutes a day!!!! Don't be fooled...what you will end up with is a very strong core...but no 6 pack...WHY? There is no real secret here...Spot reduction is NOT possible!!!! You cannot instruct your body to reduce fat in specific areas! You will lose fat as you burn more calories than you consume...The fastest way to reduce body fat is by doing CARDIO!
2. "If you don't use it....you'll lose it!" is true...But, does MUSCLE really "turn into fat"????
ANSWER: FALSE
Muscle fibres resemble straw and fat cells resemble a honeycomb. If you do not maintain your muscle fibre, the fibre shrinks in size and the fat cells enlarge in size. It is physically impossible for muscle fibres to morph into fat cells! (Muscle on left, Fat on right)
3. As a female, if I lift weights, "I'll get big"...
ANSWER: FALSE
Generally, women do not possess high levels of the hormone Testosterone..which is one requirement to build big muscles..there are several other factors such as genetics, muscle fibre "type" and body shape that also influence muscle building. Another major factor is HOW you workout..are you looking to "atrophy" your muscles (enlarge them)? Tone? Etc... there are different rep/weight/set techniques that develop muscle fibres differently!
4. If I have a hard, long workout and burn a ton of calories...I can eat whatever I want!
ANSWER: FALSE
Your body needs "usable" calories as FUEL to function. By eating empty calories, they are stored by the body as FAT. In order to lose weight, CALORIES CONSUMED must be LESS than CALORIES BURNED. In order to lose 1 pound of "weight", you must burn 1200 Calories.
5. By skipping meals or "starving" all day, I can lose weight quickly because the fat "just disappears"!!
ANSWER: FALSE
Sorry everyone..but bad news here!!! Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!!! Without eating during the day, you send your body's metabolism to rock bottom...leaving you feeling tired and sluggish during the day...then what happens...you start snacking or adding extras sugar to your coffee to "get going"...then, you are starving by dinner, and you will tend to overeat. Your body goes after energy from carbs 1st, then protein, then fat...so get into the routine to start eating breakfast!!!!
