With restrictions in so many parts of the country over the last year, there are a lot of us who are looking at new fitness regimes while we await the return to normality. But with limited access to fitness professionals, we take a look at some of the common myths that may be sabotaging your fitness journey.
We debunk five workout myths that can hinder your efforts in reaching those fitness goals.
Myth: Stretching is best before working out
Fact: Despite what we’ve been lead to believe, stretching before a workout can actually cause more harm than good. Because stretching loosens your tendons, this can make muscles feel weaker. A much more effective method to precondition your body before exercise is to warm up with some light cardio before undertaking anything vigorous. This will get your blood flowing and warm up your muscles to help prevent injuries.
Myth: Cardio burns the most calories
Fact: It’s true that you will burn calories while doing cardio, however you risk losing muscle as well. Strength training is an important element of any exercise routine, as even after you finish lifting weights your body continues to burn calories for hours afterwards. The most important thing to remember is controlling your calorie intake, as weight loss only occurs when you are burning more calories than you are consuming.
Myth: Lifting weights will make women look bulky
Fact: This myth couldn’t be any further from the truth. Naturally, women don’t produce enough testosterone to gain huge amounts of muscle. In fact, strength training can assist in helping to reduce your overall body fat percentage. Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine will help maintain muscle mass, which is something that can be lost when you only participate in cardio or when you’ve been sedentary for a significant time.
Myth: Doing crunches and ab workouts will get rid of belly fat
Fact: The unfortunate truth is that spot training doesn’t work. Meaning that you can’t control the places of fat reduction when you work out. If you already have a high percentage of body fat covering your abs, you will need to reduce your overall body fat percentage before your abs are revealed. Ab exercises don’t help you lose belly fat, they simply help define the musculature. And if diet doesn’t help, there are always non-surgical body contouring treatments that may deliver the desired results.
Myth: More exercise is always better
Fact: The number of calories you burn depends on the intensity of your training. When it comes to working out, it’s all about quality over quantity. In fact, high intensity interval training can burn more calories in a short amount of time. A few days of quality exercise each week will achieve better results than consistent, every day light training. CBM
