After 25 years in the fitness and bodybuilding community, I have had the opportunity to talk to thousands of people about their health and fitness concerns. So many are wrapped up in what I call, “myth-information;” false information that they believe to be fact.
This is the problem. We have so much information available to us, that the average person doesn’t know how to decipher it all. Infomercials are on every night promising, more often than not, some quick weight loss fix. Movie stars are writing diet books. Fitness magazines are full of articles by athletes telling the world what diet or exercise program works for them, but usually their methods are not meant for us. Even some self-taught personal trainers are teaching what they do, to their clients, instead of the science of exercise and nutrition!
Below, you’ll find what I think are some of the most common myths. Let’s put them to rest once and for all!
1)MYTH: “ If I do a lot of abdominal work, I’ll melt away the fat on my mid-section.”
TRUTH: There is no such thing as “spot reduction.” Body fat is stored in and comes off in a genetically pre-determined manner. By creating a calorie deficit through exercise and/or diet, the fat will come off. You have a higher likelihood of burning the fat off your abs by burning 300 calories on a treadmill, than by doing a few crunches.
2)MYTH: “If I run or bike, I don’t need to train my legs in the gym!”
TRUTH: If your goals are aesthetic, building your upper body through weight training but neglecting your legs, can result in a body that looks “out of proportion”. Although running and biking are great activities for developing muscular and cardio-vascular endurance, these exercises do very little in terms of increasing girth measurements or re-shaping the lower body. The joints in the lower body need to go through a full range of motion, with enough load (8-12 reps per set) to stimulate muscular growth and strength. Some great exercises for increasing mass and improving shape in the legs are: the squat, leg presses, hack squats, leg curls, and dead lifts.
3)MYTH: “Protein builds muscle”
TRUTH: Not all by itself, it doesn’t. Although protein builds and repairs muscle tissue, weight strength training has to come first and you have to train with intensity and regularity to stimulate that growth. Intense training creates little microscopic tears in the muscle tissue, which is considered normal, positive stress. The body needs rest to promote growth and repair. Proper recovery through food, sleep, and a good solid scientific approach to weight training is the ideal combination to build muscle.
4)MYTH: “High protein diets are healthy.”
TRUTH: High protein diets are not usually considered healthy. Usually high protein diets are low in carbs, too. This causes dehydration, which causes poor nutrient absorption, slow thinking, and possible electrolyte imbalance, to name but a few side effects. High protein diets put unnecessary stress on the liver and kidneys, especially if you are not drinking, at least, 8-10 glasses of water a day. These diets can even pull calcium from the bones, setting us up for osteoporosis. However, the proper amount of protein (varies based on activity level, type of activity, goal, and body composition) strengthens the immune system, drives your body’s catabolism/anabolism (tear down/build up) cycle, and boosts the metabolism, too.
5)MYTH: “Aerobics is better for shaping up than weight training.”
TRUTH: Weight training can significantly increase your metabolism, which is the rate in which your body can burn fat. When you gain muscle, your body requires more energy to maintain that new muscle. Weight training also re-shapes your body. Even though aerobic exercise burns calories and helps you lose weight, your overall shape will remain the same. You become a smaller version of your former self with aerobic exercise. Combine San Diego Sporting Club Cardio Strength Training for optimal results!
The Sporting Club