Myths is the fitness industry can act as priceless moments of humour to the Personal Trainer but they can also produce consistent banes of frustration as well regularly witness exercisers practicing ineffective or useless protocols on the basis of mythical rumour. Many fitness myths come and go, however some seem as if they’re here to stay. Only through dependable promotion from trainers and the fitness industry will we hopefully see these ridiculous myths finally put to bed.
1 Muscle weighs more than fat
It is almost ludicrous to suggest that one thing weighs more than another. One pound of fat weighs the same as one pound of muscle. How on earth can fat weigh more than muscle, or vice versa, without giving a tangible example? Muscle tissue is denser that fat tissue and this is where the myth emanates. Five pounds of fat will be larger in size than five pounds of muscle, but they still weigh the same. A person who weighs 10 stone and has 15% body fat will look smaller than a person of the same weight but has a body fat percentage of 30%.
2 When you stop exercising muscle turns to fat
Muscle and fat tissue are two separate components. You either gain or lose muscle and fat tissue depending on diet and exercise.
3 High reps and low weight for toning
Women are highly concerned about gaining bulky muscles which is why in many gyms and health clubs are occupied with female exercisers who either avoid weight training completely, opting for cardio instead, or they use light weights with many reps to “tone” their muscles.
Light weight with more reps leads to poor results due to the lack of stress placed upon the muscle tissue. Muscle and fat cells either gain or decrease in size. To “tone” muscle one must stress the muscle tissue enough so hypertrophy occurs. The level that one wishes to increase their muscle cells, and decrease their fat cells, will determine their training programme, protocol and diet.
4 The more sweat, the harder you’re working
Ever wondered why some people sweat profusely and others don’t despite exercising at a similar intensity? Sweating is produced through and number of factors and conditions. Fitness level, age, weight, gender, genetics and environment all influence how we sweat, but when you consider that the human body has between 2-4 million sweat glands it’s easier to understand why some people sweat more than others. Generally fitter individuals will sweat more proficiently but even just because an individual is sweating profusely doesn’t mean they are training at a high intensity.
5 Cardio training is the best method to burn body fat
Firstly cardio training needs to be defined properly. If one is performing 50-60 mins of cardiovascular training using the cross trainer, running, cycling etc. at the same moderate pace then this is not an effective fat-burning protocol even if one is burning 600 calories. This type of training does not stimulate the powerful fat-burning hormones, such as growth hormone and testosterone, and can actually breakdown muscle tissue resulting in a fall in metabolic rate. Additionally if the same cardio workout is being performed consistently then the body will adapt to it in time leading to less stress on the body.
Weight training, performed correctly, and cardio interval training, are better methods of training for burning body fat.
6 Eating before bed will lead to greater fat storage
Eating late at night will not affect fat storage unless you have consumed an excessive amount of calories that day. The amount of total calories you eat each day is more significant and has a greater effect on weight loss than eating late at night.
7 Crunches and sit-ups will help you gain a six-pack
A well-defined six-pack is the result of quality dieting and exercising to decrease body fat levels to the point where the abdominal muscle is completely visible. No amount of crunches will be effective if the diet is average, your abs will forever be hidden behind the body fat.
8 Stretching prior to exercise reduces your risk of injury
There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that stretching prior to exercise reduces an individual’s risk of injury. Stretching prior to strength training can actually weakened the muscle and reduce the lift. This is not to suggest that stretching is not necessary, it is, but stretching should be performed at the end of a workout in order to promote pliability within the muscle tissues.
Fitness myths are here to stay unfortunately. However if enough promotion is conducted in gyms and health clubs then this can lead to fewer people performing ineffective training protocols and gaining training effects more rapidly.
