By Fitness Experts
Wednesday, August 14, 2013.
Everyone
loves quick tips and easy steps when it comes to fitness.
Unfortunately, many fitness equipment manufacturers, diet books and
supplement companies have only one thing in mind: profits. Profit is a
great thing. However, it’s not a great thing when it’s at the expense of
human beings who are searching for a way to get fit, lean, muscular and
healthy.
So, here we go with some more of my all-time favourite fitness myths:
THE 5 DEADLY LIES
1. The healthiest method to gauge your progress is weighing yourself: MYTH
You
think I’m about to say that the answer is to get frequent body fat
tests, don’t you? But the healthiest way to gauge your progress is to
make sure your strength levels increase when performing resistance
exercise, make sure your endurance improves through cardiovascular
exercise and make sure that your clothes fit exactly the way you want
them to.
When
did we stop trusting ourselves to the extent that everything has to be
successful by a measurement? Don’t we have enough pressure in our lives?
2. It’s important to work out for two to three hours a day for great results: MYTH
It’s
amazing how many people ask me how long my workout sessions are. The
question should be, "How short are your workout sessions?" Long workouts
are counterproductive. Numerous studies prove that more than one hour
of an intense workout increases cortisol levels. Cortisol is a catabolic
hormone that, among other things, will assist in destroying muscle.
The
body appears to be designed for quick, intense workouts. There is no
need for more than 40 to 45 minutes of weight training and 35 to 40
minutes of cardiovascular exercise. I’m not suggesting that you’ll lose
all your muscle or go to an early grave if you exceed these
recommendations. I’m simply stating that best results are achieved with
intensity, not necessarily long duration.
3. Women will get big if they weight train: MYTH
A
woman has one-third the testosterone of a man, so putting on a ton of
muscle is not going to happen. You’ll look bulky if you’re carrying
excessive body fat and building muscle. However, if you’re reducing body
fat, you’ll eventually be able to see those lean, defined muscles.
4. You must work out five to six days per week to make progress: MYTH
The
number of days that you work out does not constitute level of fitness. I
see a lot of people in the gym five to six days a week and they’d be
better off playing ping pong. Consistency and level of effort is the
key. I'd rather see someone work out three days per week with enthusiasm
and intensity, than five inconsistent days of lackadaisical effort. In
fact, for anyone who has trouble with motivation, I recommend only two
days of workouts per week, but you must do it every week.
5. To get a flat midsection, perform a lot of abdominal exercises often and with intensity: MYTH
This
is my all-time favourite. In order to get a six-pack (physiologically
it’s actually an eight-pack), or simply a flat stomach, body fat levels
must be reduced significantly. This is achieved through a calorie
deficit combined with exercise. In fact, unless you’re competing in an
event or genetically predisposed, maintaining visible abdominals is a
most difficult endeavour. A few extra pounds and they disappear. Hold
onto a little excess water and they vanish.
The
bottom line is, abdominal exercises don’t give you a flat stomach.
Abdominal exercises build the muscles, while reduced body fat through
nutrition, weight training and cardiovascular exercise help to reduce
overall body fat which leads to a flat mid-section.
I
hope you find these points helpful. Remember to bite your tongue when
someone spouts out one of the above fallacies. With tact and patience,
share your knowledge and help spread the word.