Most every health professionals say that all you have to do is eat right and exercise. To most people that sounds easy but with so many false statements and myths about diet and exercise it becomes complicated and frustrating trying to figure out what is correct and what is not. We want to clear from your mind all that you have heard from exercise videos, dozens of fitness magazines, and hundreds of books. We want you to realize that all you really get from them are junk heaps of false conclusions, half-baked exercises, contradictions and nutrition theories that generate so much confusion and uncertainty.
Myth: Cardiovascular training is better for losing weight than weight training.
Truth: To make over your body, you MUST train with weights.
Getting a cardio work out is better than doing nothing but to really change your physique you need to weight train. When you weight train you increase your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns fat). Also, when you gain muscle it takes more energy to maintain your muscle than it does fat; fat just sits there. Because of that, weight training is even better than aerobic exercise for people that want to lose fat. When you weight train you raise the rate at which your body uses energy.
If you start up a cardiovascular training regimen your results will not be the most beneficial if you do not add weight training into it. You may lose weight but your shape will not change. When you weight train you actually change your shape, not just becoming a skinnier version of your self in the past. If you want a body transformation, weight training adding in cardio training is the best way to go.
Myth: When you exercise it doesn't matter what you eat.
Truth: When you exercise, it matters even more what you eat!
As stated above, when you exercise, it matters even more what you eat. If you start working out and aren't feeding your body the correct nutrients then you are exercising a nutrient-deficient body; which makes you worse off than a sedentary person eating the same things as you. You are also making your body more nutrient deficient the longer you continue to not give your body the proper nutrition and working out. It is simple; physically active people need more nutrients than sedentary people. I didn't realize how important this was until I realized that even though I was working out to get the body I wanted I wasn't feeding it properly, therefore I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. So many people are victims of this myth, I was one of them for a long time and now I know better. This part is simple as well, without optimum levels of the nutrients your body needs, you are not going to get the results you are looking for. You have to accept the fact that optimal nutrition is just as important as exercise and then guess what... you will be one step closer to accomplishing your goal in a healthy manner.
Myth: If women train with weights, they will get bigger muscles like men.
Truth: Weight/resistance training helps women build long lean muscle not bulky muscle.
When women train with weights they completely change the way their bodies look. They don't get bulky but leaner. If only women can understand that if they took the fat on their hips and thighs and replaced it with the same weight in muscle, then their thighs would be much smaller. This is because fat takes up 5 times as much space as muscle. Most of the time women don't know that their body composition determines how they look; by building lean muscle you replace the fat on your body incredibly transforming your body into a leaner, more beautiful, healthy body. Women need to be more concerned about not having enough muscle on their bodies to maintain health. Remember strong muscles lead to strong bones; strong bones lead to NO OSTEOPOROSIS!
Myth: Weight training is only for people in sports.
Fact: All people should be weight training.
Starting at age 25, body fat levels increase and muscle mass decreases and continues to do so as you age. If you look at statistics the normal American man's body fat increases twice over, from about 18% to 36%. In the same time frame, a woman's body fat can go from 33% to around 45%!! If you look at it, it's almost like a domino effect. As we get older, we get fatter; when we get fatter, we lose muscle mass; when we lose muscle mass, we lose strength. As we lose strength of course we then are weak and become susceptible to disease and disabilities. So here is my point; weight training is made for all people, with proper use you will increase your body's strength and flexibility. It doesn't matter what level of training you are at, from beginners to advanced, or if you're healthy, you are ready to start pumping some iron right now! The goal is to start and make your self healthier as you learn. I am a professional and I am still learning!
Myth: When you are lifting weights your muscles grow.
Fact: When you rest your muscles grow.
Working out is just the spark to light the fire for building muscle. The real "magic" happens when you are resting. When you work out you want to slightly damage the muscle fibers by overloading them. When you lift weights properly, you cause micro-trauma to the muscle tissue. When that happens your body responds to that by sending its "muscle-rebuilding workforce" out to repair its self. The repair of your muscles involves energy which in the right situation, will be coming from your stored body fat. This also goes back to nutrition; you won't get all of the nutrients to rebuild your muscles from body fat, you need the right amounts of amino acids, creatine, minerals, vitamins, etc. to build the muscle you want.
Giving your muscle the right amount of rest is vital to your health as well as the growth of you muscles. If you don't rest the muscles long enough then when you go work those same muscles out again you re-damage the already damaged muscle tissue and it will take longer to rebuild it this time around. It's like you are short circuiting the recovery process and that is not a good thing.
Bottom line is that in between your workouts, while you are resting, is when your muscles actually grown. With the proper rest, and nutrients being fed to your body your muscles will grow stronger and firmer each time around.
Myth: Eating right means 3 meals a day.
Fact: Eating right means six nutritious meals a day.
As I have harped on before you must eat to get your body the right nutrients to be healthy. If you look back in history our ancestors were frequent feeders or grazers, not bingers. Normally when you eat "3 square meals" it is on the run and you are starving! To convert your body from fat storage facility to a leaner, feel better, healthier, better looking machine you need to develop the pattern of eating frequently. You should eat every 2-3 hours to convince your body and mind that there is not a starvation period closing in. Also, eating often keeps your metabolism accelerated, so you burn more calories and fat during the day. When you get used to eating every couple of hours then your body stops those cravings that you used to have because you won't be hungry and on top of that you will have more energy! In the end you will be setting yourself up for a good "metabolic environment" that can keep up the healthy fat loss and muscle gains that you want.
Myth: If you "eat right," you don't need to take supplements.
Fact: Studies show that many of us need to take supplements.
Because it is impossible to calculate the nutrient value of many foods, you can't be certain that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Even if you had a full time chef making the best food in the world you still wouldn't be able to get everything your body needs in a day, in the correct amount. That is where supplementation comes into play. You supplement with vitamins and minerals along with nutrition shakes and then you can be more certain you are getting the right nutrients into your body for recovery, muscle gains, or for general health.
Myth: You only need to drink water when you are thirsty.
Fact: Your body needs more water than it lets you know.
Can you believe that muscle is made up of more than 70% water and your brain is made up of 85% water? Your body is made up of a lot of water and water is a vital transport instrument for an infinite amount of nutrients including carbohydrates. And we can't forget that it has a huge role in all cellular activity. Just think, if the water in your body is low it will affect all of these process,' and cause a buildup of ammonia and other bad things in your body; so if you don't want to be sluggish and dehydrated throughout the day drink water all day long.
Now if you happen to be a person who has water retention the best way to get rid of that is to NOT take a diuretic but to drink more water!
To go on about how water is so wonderful it can help control your appetite. If you drink a cup of water with your meal then it will help fill you up. Your body needs water constantly to properly function, so remember to drink a lot and throughout the day. Don't wait till you are thirsty because then you are already dehydrated.
Myth: The longer you exercise the better.
Fact: Too much exercise prevents results.
Simply said if you work out to much you over work your muscles and it takes you further away from your goals instead of closer. Short, concise, intense workouts are the best way to reach your goals and it generates amazing results. Once you stimulate the muscles you need a resting period, this goes back to when you rest your muscles grow (read above). That is why it is good to lift weights every other day instead of everyday. If you look at people that work out all the time they usually have little to show for it, because there comes a point that if you keep pushing yourself day in and day out, it will begin to work against you. In the sense of exercise, more is not better.
I really liked this post. Everything you said is absolutely true. Though I have one gripe. The last myth about working out too much needs some clarification.
Endurance athletes (marathon runners, triathletes, cross country skiers, etc) as well as professional athletes often train 2-3 times a day sometimes for 2+ hours each time, 5-6 days a week; especially when they're training for a race or other event. They have A LOT to show for it. They are in better shape than the general public. The difference is that they fuel their bodies accordingly. They take great care to rest appropriately as well. And training is almost all they do.
But perhaps for the regular every day person, it's possible to train too much if you don't slowly build yourself up to be able to handle that kind of stress.
ReplyI, as a fitness trainer/consultant with twenty years of professional experience, must take issue with what YOU wrote. It is true that endurance athletes, for the most part, take care of themselves as best they can and still participate in those activities. Do not fool yourself though, you are still human. You will grow old and die. Your body wears with the "abuse" that you place on it. You may diminish some of the negative results that you would incur if you didn't take precautions but you are putting your body under much stress. The result will probably be problems as you age. How old are you now? What about when you are fifty, or sixty? You are living life heartily and I say live your life the way you choose but understand that you are choosing to engage in activities that will put MORE wear and tear on your body. Just as a pro football player is stronger and bigger and more athletic than the casual person but they still suffer from thier chosen path, some of which are just now being discovered. I am sorry but you are not bullet proof.
Reply"Fact: Eating right means six nutritious meals a day" - total BS
2 meals on most days, 1 meal on some, and going fasted once in a while to emulate how human ancestors have been living since the beginning of their existence
ReplyThanks for this post! Most of them I agree on, but I also don't think 6 meals a day is a good idea...
ReplyIt is a proven fact that your body and mine works better on six meals a day. Maybe what you do not understand is that "meals" means much less than you might imagine. Think breakfast, mid morning "snack", lunch, mid afternoon snack, dinner, possibly a snack between dinner and bedtime if bedtime isn't two hours after your dinner. Does that make more sense?
ReplyThink of you metabolism as a fire. It burns hot when you feed it the right amount and do not "smother" it with too much. As the day wears on the fire burns down and becomes less intense. If you throw a bit more fuel on the fire rages again, just like your metabolism. You will feel more energized as your metabolism, insulin levels and too much else to mention in this short piece, stay level and burning hot. If you wait too long to add fuel, the embers die out and when you apply extra fuel (food), it just sits there instead of being burned up in a raging fire. Carbs are fuel our bodies need. You need the right amount at the right time. Fats as well. Do not forget protien also. For active people, the 30/30/40 split on calories works well. 30% protien, 30% fats (with two thirds of those calories as mono and poly unsaturtated fat), and 40% of you daily calories as carbohydrates. Find a calculation for your daily caloric need on the internet and split the calories up like that and see what happens.
when you say that "it is good to lift weights every other day instead of everyday" -- do you mean by muscle group? i understand that working out the same muscle group two days in a row prevents the muscle from rebuilding, but isn't it ok to lift different muscle groups on consecutive days?
ReplySorry for the lack of clarification, Rads! When I say over training I mean weight training for the general fitness person, not an athlete who has a coach, athletic trainer, strength coach, nutritionist, and physician who looks after them and tells them what needs to be done. This is for those that train themselves and train the same body parts everyday and never let them recover; even for those that have trainers at a studio or gym.
Yes, the body will get used to it and adapt but it will take them longer and they would be so much better off and meet their goals (especially if it is to gain muscle) sooner if they give their bodies time to rest. Sometimes people will develop chronic fatigue due to over training, which can take 6 months to even years to recover from in the most severe cases. This is just for awareness for those that are not familiar with over training principles and have never heard about it.
Also, HK - You're absolutely right. Weight lifting everyday is fine if the consecutive days are on different body parts.
ReplyThanks!
ReplyAlso - GN and Michellez - When I say eating right, I mean eating right for fat loss. And it also depends on what ancestors you look at. Most people back then ate meat once or twice a day, if that, and then ate berries and nuts etc. throughout the day as they found them, unless they stored them.
Fasting isn’t a bad idea once in a while BUT if you want consistent fat loss eating 4-6 small, calorie portioned meals a day depending on your goals and how long your day is, is the best way to go because if you are working out you need to nourish your body accordingly and at the correct times.
ReplyCut the carbs, and 6 meals a day just feels ridiculous. When the carbs are reduced, your hunger is under control, and you just don't need to eat that often.
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