11 Workout myths to stop believing today

11 Workout Myths You Should Stop Believing Today 

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In this article, we will look at the 11 workout myths you should stop believing today if you want to stay healthy and fit.

It’s so simple to be sucked into hearing what other people at the gym may or may not find effective. But after speaking with an expert, we have some information that you can listen to and learn from as well as the worst fitness misconceptions that you need to stop believing in immediately.

“Depending on your objectives, there are numerous ways to exercise. Common objectives include gaining muscle, decreasing weight, keeping functionality at a baseline, improving a particular athletic performance, and more. If your goals are different from those of another person, the workout that works best for you might not work best for them.”

We’re going to share some intriguing facts and dispel some myths, whether you’re here to learn about losing weight or getting a six-pack. Before we get started, let’s emphasize that the most crucial part of exercising is figuring out what works best for you. You should never be afraid to talk to a personal trainer about any worries or misunderstandings. Continue reading to discover some fascinating truths and harmful workout misconceptions.

Workout Myth 1

You’ll get a six-pack by doing sit-ups or crunches.

Okay, so crunches and sit-ups can assist shape and toning your abdominal muscles, but a six-pack? Dr. Bohl asserts that this is more related to your body fat percentage. “While a decent ab workout doesn’t hurt, the greatest strategies to acquire visible abs are dieting and decreasing the layer of fat that rests over the abdominal muscles,” he explains.

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Workout Myth 2

Doing lots of cardio is the best way to lose weight.

If your goal is weight loss, logging endless miles on the treadmill isn’t always the best approach. Yes, traditional cardio workouts will help create a day-to-day calorie deficit (in addition to a healthy diet), which is essential for losing weight. But in the long-term, since having more lean muscle mass helps your body burn more calories at rest, you’ll be adding to this deficit without doing a thing. A combination of both high-intensity cardio and strength training is a good idea. And don’t forget, when it comes to weight loss, having a smart nutrition plan is key.

Workout Myth 3

BMI is the top indicator of body composition

It’s crucial to be aware that there are numerous approaches to calculating your body composition. For instance, according to Dr. Bohl, you can experiment with body fat scales that “run an electric current through your body,” skinfold calipers that pinch the skin in various places on your body, hydrostatic weighing—which involves being weighed underwater—and measuring the circumference of various body parts.

Workout Myth 4

You can spot train and lose weight in specific areas of the body.

One of the most pervasive workout fallacies is that spot training, which allows you to concentrate weight loss on one or more specific areas of your body, is effective. Dr. Bohl offers an illustration, stating, “Some individuals believe that performing arm exercises will reduce arm fat while performing crunches will reduce belly fat. However, this is not how the body burns fat in order to convert it to energy.” “You lose fat from everywhere when you exercise and burn calories—not just from the fat that’s closest to the muscles you worked,” he continues.

Workout Myth 5

Heavy weights will bulk me up.

You may have heard this in the weight room from time to time. Some people, particularly women, are concerned that adding strength training will build muscle bulk to the point they will look like a bodybuilder. This is not true.

For a female to bulk up, she would have to do a lot of strength training — and I mean a lot. Women do not have enough testosterone to bulk up the way men do. Competitive female bodybuilders follow strenuous diets and workout programs that likely feature the use of various muscle-building supplements.

Workout Myth 6

If the number on the scale isn’t going down, I’m not losing weight.

Many people focus on the number on the scale, but it is not the best representation of body changes. The number on the scale is a factor of many things such as how much water you’ve drank, what you ate, and what time you’re weighing in.

Often when a person loses a significant amount of weight, the number on the scale goes up because of building muscle from exercise.

If you want to accurately track your weight loss and muscle development, I recommend recording measurements of your arms, waist, and thighs. And if you’re going to use the scale, weigh in at the same time every day.

Workout Myth 7

I worked out today, so I can eat unhealthily.

Sure you can if you want to undo everything you just spent an hour in the gym working on. Remind yourself that you can’t work off a bad diet. Food is fuel, and proper nutrition guarantees results. It’s pretty simple: If you want to lose weight, your calorie output needs to be higher than your calorie input.

Workout Myth 8

You start losing muscle mass after just a week of inactivity.

It may be true that, if you’ve just taken up a routine, taking time off can quickly eradicate your gains. But if you exercise regularly—several times per week for several months—it’ll take longer than seven days for your strength to evaporate. According to a 2007 study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, for athletes, “strength performance, in general, is maintained for up to four weeks of inactivity.”

Workout Myth 9

The number of calories your cardio machine says you burned is accurate.

 There’s nothing like finishing a long workout on the elliptical and seeing how many calories you’ve burned. It gives you a tangible indication of accomplishment, right? But it turns out, it’s best you take the number you see on the machine’s digital display with a grain of salt. According to a 2018 study published in the journal Exercise Medicine, you should expect the elliptical to overestimate your results by about 100 calories per 30 minutes of exercise. A similar padding of the numbers likely occurs with treadmills, as well.

Workout Myth 10

Bigger muscles translate to greater strength.

Even if someone looks like The Hulk, they’re not necessarily stronger than someone with a more wiry frame. Per 2015 research published in the journal Experimental Physiology, weight lifters and sprinters actually have stronger muscle fibers—at least on a cellular level—than bodybuilders. However, the action hero-sized individuals turned out to have more muscle fibers. It’s a classic quality versus quantity scenario.

Workout Myth 11

Sports drinks are good for you.

 When you do rehydrate after sweating it out, make sure it’s not with a sports drink, which is loaded with sugar. For instance, your standard 20-ounce Gatorade contains 34 grams of the stuff. So by drinking one, you’re just inhibiting your progress. According to a 2019 article on Livestrong.com, the popular sports drink is effective when it comes to delivering certain electrolytes, but if your body doesn’t need them, stay away from them because you are adding unnecessary sugar, calories, and sodium to your diet.

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