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eLearning Series:
Your Most Popular Exercise & Fitness Questions
Learn the right way to get into
shape...
( 50 articles
in this series )
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5 Fitness Myths You Must Know
You’ve heard the stories: weight training
makes women look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, exercising on
an empty stomach burns more calories, and more. While some
fitness myths make sense on the surface, deeper examination
proves these stories are simply made up and have little or
no basis in reality. Let’s tackle five of the most common myths
and check out the real story behind them.
1.
No pain, no gain – Perhaps the most common myth out there
is this one that says if you don’t feel pain when you exercise,
you’re not doing it right. The truth is absolutely opposite:
exercise done right should never be painful and professional
trainers recommend that you stop your workout at the first
sign of pain. The logic behind “no pain, no gain” says that
you can’t expect good results without sacrificing something
– twisted at best, downright sadistic at worst. Exercise should
be something you enjoy or else you very quickly become disillusioned
and drop it entirely. While an intense workout may create slight
discomfort, it should never get to the point where you are
in actual pain.
2.
Training with weights bulks women up – Few women want to
look like professional bodybuilders, so this myth scares thousands
of female exercisers away from weights every day despite scientific
evidence to the contrary. The physiological differences between
male and female bodies decree that men have a higher percentage
of muscle throughout the body; thus men tend to increase bulk
with weight lifting. On the other hand, female bodies have
a higher percentage of fat to assist with childbearing and
have less muscle to build and bulk up. Weight training for
women is aimed at producing stronger muscles that can take
more stress and bounce back better than ever.
3.
Exercising on an empty stomach burns more calories – This
one seems like it should make sense since exercise burns calories
and an empty stomach has no calories to burn. It seems like
you would be ahead of the game! Unfortunately, it doesn’t work
that way. Your body needs energy to run, so when you exercise
on an empty stomach the body has to find fuel somewhere else.
The body tries to provide energy while looking for it at the
same time and can get overwhelmed, resulting in the risk of
dizziness or even fainting in extreme situations. The smartest
choice is to have a small snack about ten to fifteen minutes
before working out. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy,
so have a small slice of toast or a banana.
4.
Crunches are the best way of firming up the stomach – Too
many videos and articles send the message that hundreds of
crunches are the best way to correct a jelly belly but fail
to take into account that most saggy abs are because of excess
fat, not weak muscles. Simply doing crunches alone strengthens
the abdominal muscles but doesn’t address the layer of fat
over the muscles. You may see your stomach appear to grow larger
since the muscles are gaining strength underneath the fat layer.
The best strategy for getting firm abs is simple: burn fat
and strengthen abdominal muscles at the same time. By using
a two-pronged approach, fat that covers muscles is burned and
the muscles are firmed at the same time, accomplishing your
goal and giving you strong, sleek abdominal muscles.
5.
Protein will help build muscles – Protein can do great
things for your health but it won’t help you increase your
muscle strength. Too much protein in your diet can lead to
unintended health risks such as kidney strain or dehydration.
Extra protein also packs extra calories into your diet that
can result in extra pounds – definitely not what you want.
The best source of fuel for weight lifting is carbohydrates
– easily digestible by the body, carbs provide fast, consistent
energy for the body and allow you to continue lifting weights
longer. That alone is what builds strength, not the specific
kind of food you eat. Provide your body with the right kind
of energy to use and you’ll be able to build muscle better.
There are many more myths about health and fitness, but the
best defense against false information is education. When you
are confident that you know the right plan for your body, spotting
myths become easy.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2005
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