Health and fitness is one of those topics that everyone has an opinion on. Unfortunately, that means there are a lot of fitness myths out there that need to be busted!
It’s really important that we know which fitness tips, tricks and so-called “facts” we should quickly ignore, particularly when some of them are really harmful and could hinder your weight loss and fitness goals.
Here are the top 5 fitness myths I’d like to see busted so that everyone can get the most out of their workouts, without getting caught up in the nonsense!
#1 No Pain No Gain
No pain, no gain is a common expression thrown around that can lead to hugely detrimental outcomes. Sure, exercise can be uncomfortable, and it’s not uncommon to have delayed onset muscle soreness when you’ve fatigued muscles that you don’t usually use much, or if you’ve increased your weights. But pain is another thing altogether, and if you feel pain, it’s your body telling you to stop! Don’t fall into the mentality that if you aren’t experiencing pain, then you must not be working hard enough. It’s just not true.
#2 If You’re Not Sore it Didn’t Work
Soreness is a poor indicator of muscle adaptation and growth, and a super-poor indicator of cardiovascular fitness. There are many factors that influence how Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) presents itself, but DOMS isn’t the best gauge of how effective your workout was. You can have an excellent, and very worthwhile workout and not be sore! Particularly if you’re feeding yourself well after a workout, with adequate protein and carbs.
#3 Women need different exercises to men
No exercise is off limits to women, and rather than focus on whether an exercise is better for men or women, it’s much better to focus more on working your entire body as effectively as you can. While once upon a time many women insisted upon doing solely cardio workouts, we now know that strength training is definitely a must for women, especially as we age.
#4 You can reduce fat in one area
Most people have body parts that they wish would get smaller, while they’d be happy for other parts to stay the same. Women may struggle with the stubborn fat on their thighs, upper arms or belly, but no matter how many squats, arm-exercises or sit ups we do, fat loss can’t be directed to a specific area. Fat loss from exercise happens all over the body, and sometimes the areas you’d most like to reduce are the last to go! Exercising one particular area is great for building strength and muscle tone, but does not help with fat loss.
#5 Lifting Heavy Weights Makes Women Bulky
Women and men all consist of different body types and genetic makeup, but no matter how heavy we lift or how many squats we do, it is very difficult for women to get “bulky”. We only possess a tiny portion of the testosterone men possess, which limits the muscle bulk we can gain. Most women want to be “toned”, but what many don’t realise is that tone is actually muscle that is only covered with a small amount of fat. That means that the key to getting “toned” is to not be afraid to lift heavy, while being sensible with your diet.
So that’s it, the 5 biggest fitness myths now busted! Want to workout with me? Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel and tick the notification bell, so you never miss a new workout. You can also sign up for workout calendars that I send out for free every month, and feel free to follow me on Instagram and Facebook where I share loads of new workouts and ideas.
