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 Debunking exercise myths and misconceptions.
It has been almost forty years since the huge popularity and explosion of health clubs and gyms began in the 1970s. Yet no matter how much we work out our bodies, it seems like we can’t let go of some old-school myths about exercise. Below is a list of some of the most popular exercise myths still believed today that simply aren’t true. Don’t be surprised if you’re practicing a few of them yourself.
No Pain, No GainWhile it’s true that you have to apply a certain degree of stress to your body in order to increase your level of fitness, this doesn’t mean you have to be a frequent flyer of the emergency room. Studies show that 50-90% of injuries happen within the first six weeks of starting an exercise program; so knowing how much stress to apply and how often is crucial. Gradually increase your intensity as your program matures and give muscles proper rest when needed to prevent injury. Leave the machismo for the Village People.
You Can Turn Fat into MuscleIf this was true the U.S. has the potential to be the world’s most burly country. Unfortunately, fat and muscle tissues contain two completely separate types of cells, and one cannot be converted into the other. Losing subcutaneous fat gives the appearance of turning into muscle because that fat just happened to be hiding underlying muscle that was already there. So the less fat, the more muscle is exposed.
 Ripped Abs Require Hundreds of Crunches
As mentioned above, the main key to looking more muscular and toned is to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat underneath your skin. This is especially true when it comes to getting that six-pack (actually an eight-pack) that you’ve always wanted. If you over-develop the abdominals while still having a significant amount of overlying fat, you’ll end up looking more like the Michelin Man as the abdominals push the fat out further in front of you. Treat the abs like any other muscle group, and if necessary add resistance in order to fatigue within 20 reps.
Staying in the Fat-Burning Zone Burns the Most Body FatPerhaps the most misconceived myth of all is the concept that to burn the most fat during cardio-respiratory training you have to stay in the Aerobic Zone, approximately 70% - 80% of your maximum heart rate (subtract your age from 220). The initial idea behind this was to keep your intensity low so that your body would be able to use stored fat as a direct fuel source or metabolic pathway. As intensity increases, your body cannot obtain enough necessary oxygen to utilize the fat, therefore the workout becomes anaerobic, meaning “without oxygen.” Since your body requires oxygen to metabolize fat, it has to use mostly glycogen or sugar for energy. Even though you’re not burning fat primarily, you’re burning off a significantly larger amount of calories that will be taken from your stored fat throughout the rest of the day. Think of your body fat as a fuel tank in your car. The more you depress the accelerator, the more fuel you’ll burn. Important note: Get a doctor’s OK before beginning a high intensity workout program.
Weight Training Will Make Women Bulky Unless you’re a woman who wakes up with a five o’clock shadow every morning, you probably don’t have the necessary testosterone levels to star on “American Gladiators.” So women need not fear maintaining a vigorous resistance-training program. It will not only increase muscle strength and endurance, but will also increase your metabolism thus assisting in reducing body fat, as well as help prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Most of the bulky women you see in body building magazines, sporting Arnold-esque physiques, ingest vast amounts of testosterone-enhanced supplements.
You Have to Use Free-Weights to Build Muscle Still one of the most argued myths in the gym today is that you have to use free-weights to build muscle. Basic exercise physiology states that if a muscle is completely fatigued in eight to 15 repetitions or approximately 30-45 seconds, the applied force is great enough to stimulate the growth process, called hypertrophy, no matter what the method. The advantage free-weight exercises do have, though, is that they are more functional and tend to activate more of your secondary movers and stabilizers than you do with most leverage-based weight machines. This increased amount of muscle stimulation results in more hypertrophy with a fewer number of exercises. On the other hand, using a weight machine, such as a pec-dec machine, might help you better isolate and allow you to work that particular muscle group harder, safely, and effectively. You just have to add in separate exercises for your secondary and stabilizing muscles. It’s not a bad idea to combine the two, if possible.
You Can’t Gain Muscle When Doing a Lot of Cardio Many advanced workout programs alternate between periods of leaning-up phases that require rigid dieting and cardio-respiratory training, and bulking-up phases that require a high calorie intake and heavy resistance training. The philosophy here was that you couldn’t build muscle when doing an extensive amount of cardio-respiratory training because it takes away the energy and nutrients necessary to build muscle. The simple fact of the matter is that you just need to consume more calories and nutrients! This is great news to those of us who like to eat. But if you’re an ectomorph, or someone who is naturally lean as a bean pole, it can be challenging trying to consume the mass quantities of calories required to put on mass. For best results, consult with a sports nutritionist.
If Someone Looks Fit, They Must Know What They’re Talking AboutA common blunder many beginners make when starting a new exercise program is taking advice from someone based on the sole fact they look fit. This can be a dangerous mistake that can result in an injury that could keep you sidelined for months or even years. There are many self-proclaimed “experts” who appear fit only because of gifted genetics or because of the aid of hormonal supplements. Some might not even be able to run a mile without the assistance of a strong tailwind. Moral of story: always check credentials!
Rob Ramey Jr. is a NASM-certified personal trainer with over 20 years experience as a personal trainer, fitness director, and fitness retail business owner. He’s currently the owner of SYNRG Fitness Training and may be contacted by visiting synrgfitness.com.
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