Don't let the mainstream media and "fitness pundits" fool you into buying their garbage. Learn the truth about fitness and nutrition in some of the most common misconceptions in the fitness world!
1. The best way to lose weight is going on a low-carb diet! - No! Ever since the Atkins Diet has become a pervasive fat loss platform in the U.S., I can only stop and shake my head when I hear it. In essence, the theory behind the Atkins Diet is that unused sugar consumed by the body is stored as fat for easily accessible future energy. So by inhibiting carbohydrate intake all together, you would not gain any fat right!? Wrong! This fails miserably in a few different areas. Carbohydrates are the most essential macronutrient available to the body for exercising muscles. If you deny the body of this, it will need to resynthesize ATP (energy
molecule) some how and will most likely burn muscle, not fat. In addition to this, depriving the body of carbohydrates also means restricting foods that contain essential amino acids, which are allow necessary bodily functions to occur, and will also prevent glycogen stores from being replaced. Just remember, take everything in moderation and that there is no short cut to weight loss! (Bryant, Franklin and Conviser 2002)
2. The longer I do cardio, the more fat I will lose - With this being one of the more arcane facts in fitness, high intensity (85% max heart rate) cardio for 15 minutes has been shown to elicit more fat loss, elevate your metabolism and increase anaerobic thresholds higher than low or moderate intensity cardio for 45 minutes! (Laval University)
3. A snack high in sugar right bef
ore working out gives me more energy- While this is true to a certain extent, time is the imperative factor here. Consuming a high glucose (sugar) snack an hour or less before exercising induces an insulin spike. For the body to compensate for more insulin being secreted, the sugar is removed from the bloodstream and the individual enters a lethargic state. However, after 2-3 hours, the body is not in a low blood sugar state and can readily access the newly stored energy. This is the ideal time to exercise. (American Council on Exercise)
4. Doing ab exercises will give me a six pack - This is completely wrong and probably the most likely performed myth. In the gym, I see a countless number of people either saying and/or doing this. This is refuted by the simple question, how many overweight people do you see with a defined six pack? None. This is because between your muscle tissue and three layers of skin, there is adipose tissue (fat). The amount of fat you have completely dictates how defined your muscles are. The other reason why this myth is false is because the contention is that working out a specific area of the body, will reduce the fat in that corresponding area. However enticing this idea sounds, it also is unfortunately false because the body uses stored energy from any part of the body that it deems fit. This and allocation of fat throughout the body is completely governed by genetics. However, do not get this confused with exercising at a certain intensity and duration to maximize fat loss instead of burning carbohydrates. (ACE)
5. Low reps is best for building muscle, while high reps is for getting cut- While the former is true to a certain extent, the latter is completely false. Low reps(3-5), which through studies have been shown to be ideal for increasing strength, is not optimal for building muscle. Instead, the 8-12 rep range has been shown to be optimal for building muscle, and also a happy medium for increasing strength and endurance. High reps, however, are great for building your fast-twitch muscle fibers and muscular endurance, but as stated in point #2, does not provide enough exertion to compensate for lack of high intensity cardio.
6. All fats are bad - It is really a shame that most people do actually think this because mono and polyunsaturated fats are actually quite healthy for you. Luckily, most schools at the elementary level are educating children about nutrition, thus helping them develop good eating habits. With that said, the fat you want to avoid are saturated fats. Saturation refers to the fat cells carrying the maximum number of hydrogen atoms. The more double bonds that are free inside the cell, equals less hydrogen, which translates to being much healthier. A buzz word that has become pretty popular with mainstream media has been "Trans fats". These unsaturated fats, with double bonds broken through a process called Hydrogenation, are turned into saturated fats and are actually unhealthier than saturated fats. (American Council on Exercise)
7. Reading a bodybuilder's workout regime in a fitness magazine will get me huge! - Sorry, bodybuilders do not actually write their programs in magazines, and are often just generated by magazine employees that sit in a cubicle all day and may not even have the credentials, much less the knowledge to design a workout program. There are plenty of credible studies pertaining to ideal rep and set ranges on the Internet. If the human body was simplistic, we would not be here right now. Educate yourself on anatomy and physiology and the rest will fall into place!
Hopefully you enjoyed the first article. I will be expanding on all of these concepts, plus much more in my subsequent fitness articles so keep checking back!
Matt is an ACE and Cooper (both NCCA accredited) certified personal trainer. If you are looking for an individualized workout program, or have any fitness questions, comments or concerns, please email him by filling out the contact form by clicking here.
- What Did You Expect? Part 1
The fact is, even the best fitness and nutritional regimen is limited by your genetics.
- What Did You Expect? Part 2
Resuming from part 1, Jay finishes his common sense, yet effective approach to getting the results you want!
- Most Common Fitness Myths Debunked
Don't let the mainstream media and "fitness pundits" fool you into buying their garbage. Learn the truth about fitness and nutrition in some of the most common misconceptions in the fitness world!
