Shocking Exercise Myths That Keep You At Square One
Everywhere you look you will find exercise information AND exercise myths. It can come in fitness magazines, the beauty salon, your co-workers, Facebook, and infomercials. You will see snappy headlines such as, “Lose 10 Pounds in a Week with No Exercise at All!” and “Melt Pounds without Dieting!”. These marketing ploys don’t end. They will use any tactic to get you to buy their product.
Along with the vast amount of exercise information coming to us at every conceivable angle, there are many exercise myths leaving the consumer thoroughly confused. In this article I will be discussing several exercise myths, giving you the facts and dispelling the fiction.
Myth #1: Weight Training Will BULK You Up
Fact: – Excess calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat will bulk you up, not weight training. Fat is bulky and inactive while muscle an active, lean and dense tissue. The more muscle you build, the more fat you will burn.
Myth #2: Muscle Weighs More Than Fat
Fact: – A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, a pound. Muscle is more dense than fat and it takes up less space. Adding muscle to your physique will create curves and make you appear smaller.
Myth #3: If I Stop Weight Training My Muscle Will Turn Into Fat
Fact: – Muscle cannot turn into fat any more than fat can turn into muscle. The two are not interchangeable. They are two completely different tissues. You can increase or decrease fat and muscle, but the two cannot change into the other, ever!
Myth #4: Crunches Will Make My Abs More Visible
Fact: – Crunches will build the abdominal muscle, but your abs won’t shine through until you remove the layer of fat covering them. Alex Carneiro, writer at bodybuilding.com states, “The most effective action toward achieving those ripped abs is to clean up your diet. When it comes to your abs, training can only get you so far. You need a smart meal plan to lower your body fat percentage and uncover your abs.” When it comes to ripped abs, they are built with balanced nutrition and proper exercise.
Myth #5: Weighted Crunches Will Make My Waist Thick
Fact: – The abdominal muscle is a thin layer of muscle tissue, and not able to grow much in size like other body parts. Therefore, adding resistance to your abdominal training will just increase your midsection strength. It is the side bends and twists that can contribute to a thick waist.
Myth #6: Exercise Burns Fat
Fact: – Exercise burns calories, and eating correctly with added exercise can aid in fat burning. Weight loss is not a one-shot approach. There are many angles and you have to tackle each of them in small to moderate amounts. Knowing the right food combinations can give you the advantage on fat burning.
Myth #7: Exercising Weight Light Weights And A Lot Of Reps Will Get Me Defined
Fact: Training with light weights will build muscle endurance. If your goal is to get defined, you should incorporate a healthy diet balanced in macronutrients and add some cardiovascular exercise.
Myth #8: I Don’t Want To Build Muscle, Just Get Toned
Fact: When you weight train you build muscle. There is no toning about it. As a woman, you have the ability to control the amount of muscle you add to your frame to a certain extent. Hormonally, women will not build a large degree of muscle mass. However, you can add more muscle size by increasing your protein intake and overall calories.
