Fitness misconceptions

by Chris Sparling (Subscribe to Chris Sparling's posts)
Oct 26th 2007 1:43PM

Misconceptions about how to get fit - there are plenty. By now, most people realize that the old school food pyramid (carb heavy with minimal fat and protein) is a joke, as is the concept of eating 3 squares a day. But, there still are some questions that remain unanswered, mainly because people have been misinformed for so many years. Here are just a few that spring to mind:

1) Lifting weights will make you bulky. This is both true and false - and here's why. If your goal is bulk up - that is, to increase muscularity - lifting weights is absolutely what you need to do. But, if your goal is to slim down and lose weight - guess what? Lifting weights can help you do that, too. The amount of weight you lift, the number of repetitions and sets you perform, the number of calories/carbs/protein you consume, the amount of break time you take in between sets -- all these factors play into how lifting weights will affect your body. The important thing to remember is that you are always in control of your desired results.

2) Long cardio sessions are the only way to lose weight. This clearly ties in with #1, as it again touches upon the significant role that resistance training plays in weight loss. Your body is extremely adaptive; it will quickly become accustomed to whichever way it is challenged. To that end, performing the same - or even close to the same - aerobics workout will only get you so far in terms of your weight loss. If you don't believe me, watch The Biggest Loser the next time it's on. Are the contestants only doing cardio to lose weight, or are they also incorporating resistance training into their routines? The key: the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Your body burns calories by sustaining the life of these muscles.

3) If you workout every day, you can eat whatever you want. I wish this one were true, but I'm afraid it's not. Whoever laid this one on you was either a) genetically gifted, b) 22 years old, or 3) an idiot. Or, perhaps even a combination of all three. Maybe this logic seemed to fly while you were younger - and your body burned calories like a furnace - but as you get older, this natural calorie burning process isn't quite as ravenous. Can you workout every day and eat whatever you want? Of course you can. You just open your mouth, insert food, chew and then swallow. There, you just did it. The better question is: can you workout every day, eat what you want, but still not gain weight? The answer to that better question is a resounding No. Half of the battle is what you're eating, so unfortunately sweating it out at the gym just isn't enough by itself.

I could go on and on with these. Maybe I'll list more in another post. In the meantime, feel free to tell us your favorite fitness misconceptions.

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Comments (24)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Yayaja 10-26-2007 @ 2:32PM

Its funny what you mentioned, because when i was 22-23 I used to tell people all the time that as long as you spend some time in the gym, you can eat whatever you want. It only took me reaching 24 though to realize that wasn't true.

I think one unfortunate misconception is that jogging is the best overall exercise. Jogging can have long term negative effects on your knees. My best guess for all around best exercise would be freestyle swimming.

Roy 10-26-2007 @ 3:56PM

Jogging is indeed very hard on the body. I know of several people who developed

shin splints on account of jogging. Also many of the powerful machines used in

gyms can cause more harm than good if used improperly.

Swimming and walking are the best exercises since these have minimum impact on the

body.

Cutting down on portions and substituting vegetable / soy proteins for meat

proteins are a sure fire way to lose weight. Try staying off meat for just a few

days and you'll immediately feel the difference.

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Monty 10-28-2007 @ 11:43PM

there are so many misconceptions out there about health and fitness! Proper and healthy eating is necessary with the workouts to stay lean and healthy...and getting the most out of the workout is paramount. So many times I see the guys int he gym using free weights with no form or structure!

As for diet, cutting out the "bad" carbs such as the refined sugars is a good way to start. Also get the most out of a weight lifting routine is also the best way to build lean strong muscles. Ask a trainer if you are unsure of the form you are using. the form is as important as the pounds in the wieghts you are using. Muscle will burn many more calories than cardio alone if worked properly.

I workout at least 4 days a week for an hour . I mix up the routine so not to be bored and to continue to be motivated. I will ask trainers at my gym to give me tips rather than pay for a full hour of their time. I make sure that I avoid carbs that are bad ( white breads white rice and pasta) I instead eat whole grains. I feel much better

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Rochelle 10-29-2007 @ 3:19PM

I've never read anything so completely ridiculous! Obviously, the writer of this article is not fully knowledgeable in what he is writing about. The first two are obviously not mis-conceptions and he even states that within the paragraph himself....so then why did he list them??....as for the third one, YES, you can work out every day and eat what you want. However, not if you're trying to lose weight! If you are only wanting to maintain, then you can most definitely eat what you want as long as you put it enough time at the gym and that your work out routine isnt one that your body is already used to. I have been a personal trainer for a couple of years now, and am laughing over what i have just read.

For you fellow readers, remember....if you're smart, you'll believe half of what you read but if you're brilliant, you'll know WHICH half to believe.

Melinda 10-29-2007 @ 4:13PM

The following aren't really myths, although it's hard to get people motivated enough to believe them. As co-founder of the LoneStart Wellness Initiative (http://www.lonestartnow.com) we offer tips such as these to both our individual and employer / organization clients. Tips such as: If you replace a daily 20 oz regular soft drink with water, you can save enough calories to lose 26 pounds in a year. If you replace a daily chocolate bar (1.5 oz) with a 1/2 cup of low-fat frozen yogurt, you'd save enough calories to lose about 11 pounds a year. To burn the calories in just 3 "miniature" chocolate bars, you have to walk (2 mph pace) for 45 minutes. And, to burn the calories in just one of those "fun size" Halloween chocolate treats sitting in the bowl in the reception area, you'd have to walk up stairs for 10 minutes. And, eating just 100 excess calories a day equals a 10 pound weight gain in a year. For more tips and hints on how to get healthy now, and make it through the holidays, you're welcome to check-out our free "Get Me Through The Holidays" guide (http://www.lonestartnow.com/files/holidays.pdf) or our 11 x 17 Healthy Holiday Poster (http://www.lonestartnow.com/files/HolidayPoster.pdf). I hope you find these informative.
Regards.

jay 10-29-2007 @ 4:39PM

First talking point, second sentence from the end, you should use "affect" and not "effect."

Raina 10-29-2007 @ 4:58PM

Yayaja and Roy,

You're right that jogging can be very hard on the joints, and that swimming is good exercise. It's important to note, however, that swimming is a non-impact exercise (which is why it's not hard on the joints). But the downside of this is that if you don't do exercise which includes at least a moderate amount of impact when you're younger, you leave yourself at a greater risk for osteoporosis as you get older.

Changing up your workout is really the key - swim a couple times a week, then walk or bike or jog a couple times a week, and lift weights as well.

Ron 10-29-2007 @ 5:00PM

Simple: Walk 45 minutes per day at a brisk walk, give up red meat and booze. I did this and went from 245-205lbs in 5 months. Got the new travel job, expense account and in 12 months put er right back on plus 10. Guess what, I need to start walking again and stick to it. By the way muscle mass in excess is a fit obesity. Look how many muscle guys die young from heart attacks

Bev1725 10-29-2007 @ 5:11PM

I usually don't post but ... #4. Did you read the article?

Item 1 - Some women will avoid weight training exercises BECAUSE they are afraid of bulking up with muscle!

Item 2 - Some women will work themselves like mad doing the same thing four times a week for a year and complain that they aren't losing weight.

Those are both VERY common misconceptions!

Item 3 - Poster #4 repeated exactly what the article said. It's true you can eat whatever you want but NOT if you want to lose weight!

I think I know which half of what I read to believe - I'll stick to the article and prove my brilliance. lol

PS - I have added small free weights to my workout and never do the same activities two days in a row and make sure I have at least two days off during the week. It's slow but sure progress - which is the best you can do for a strong healthy start. I'm already down almost two pant sizes - Yay!!

Bryan 10-29-2007 @ 5:15PM

ColinCody 10-29-2007 @ 6:33PM

I am a 72 yr. old (young) man, so my health routine may differ in some respects from those of younger people.

I believe great diet is at the heart of excellent health, and I try to eat super foods almost exclusively and raw veggies more and more. There are many extremely helpful books being published these days on the subject of gaining superb health by using cutting edge methods, and I recommed reading as many of them as you can. Read instead of watching TV. Read for your life, literally.

My approach to exercise is anything but traditional. I start by taking a legal substance that doubles the rate at which my body turns amino acids from food into protein (muscle). Without this, I would be loosing muscle and strength rather than gaining it regardless of my exercise protocol. Then, at the gym, I begin by sprinting full speed for about sixty yards or so after warming up by slow jogging several laps. During warmups, I also practice my fast sprinting techniques in "slow" motion (Yes, there's a science to sprinting at blazing speed. It doesn't all just come naturally.).

After resting well, I then use one of the weight machines to do one rep at the heaviest weight I can manage for at least one second. Each day, I do only one rep on a different machine until I come back around to the beginning machine. That one rep is all I really need since I am doing it at extremely high intensity and I hold it at maximum contraction until I reach muscle failure. Then, in about a week and a half, I get back to it again as I complete the circle of exercises. This gives each of my muscles time to rebuild and get ever so slightly stronger and larger.

This routine works for my particular still relatively young body, and there is no reason to believe it would not work for others also. Sprinting is safe for those with clear arterial systems (I take serrapeptase to keep mine baby clean), hearts that work correctly and who are in overall reasonably good health. Rebounders instead of sprinting can be wonderfully useful for those with health challenges. Using Max Contraction Training methods will not overtax or overtrain anyone's muscular system. It is, however, 400% more effective in developing strength than are other more conventional systems. Even many teens need all the help they can get to be strong and maximally healthy, so there is much wisdom in adults of all ages taking the same approach.

Bryan 10-29-2007 @ 5:23PM

wakeup and smell the coffee

Gary 10-29-2007 @ 5:21PM

Post # 6, the sentence is correct. Jogging can negative "effects" on the knees. That is, jogging can negatively "affect" the knees.

Bryan 10-29-2007 @ 5:29PM

Salba is the best nutrition

Lauren 10-29-2007 @ 5:58PM

Good article, but the author also should have mentioned another reason weight lifting won't necessarily "bulk" you up - hormones. A woman and man doing the exact same fitness routine will have different results, mainly because you need a good amount of testosterone to build bulky huge muscles (hence why people take steroids). An everyday woman working out and lifting weights will never look like Arnold (thank goodness!)

I think they should have added the "spot training myth" - ie the (false) idea that doing a billion situps (and no cardio) will make your stomach flat. If ONLY that were true.

Jim"Vragel 10-29-2007 @ 7:42PM

My favorite myth? The phrase "No pain, no gain." Pain is your body telling you there's something wrong. If you feel pain, other than muscle soreness, it's time to back off on what you're doing. If the pain persists, see a doctor and find out what's going on. Don't self diagnose and "work thru the pain until it goes away." That's just asking for trouble.

carol moragas 10-29-2007 @ 7:15PM

I found this article to be quite informative.

Another misconception is that muscle weighs more than fat. One pound of muscle = l lb. and one pound of fat = l lb.

Harmony711

carlton wilson 10-29-2007 @ 7:22PM

Women have a strong mis-conception about weight training making them bulky, when in most cases, it is exactly what they need. More muscle means having a greater capacity for burning fat. Conversely, when a Man says "I don't want to get all bulky", it simply means that they are pre-positioning their excuse for being wimpy. Those who do get too developed, do so intentionally, and only then with great effort. So pump that iron folks, but don't skimp on the cardio(too much cardio burns up hard earned muscle, so keep it balanced). 4-5 workouts a week, half cardio, half resistance training will pay you back again, and again.

Gail 10-29-2007 @ 7:42PM

I usually don't read these types of articles because i usually just get depressed that I don't do enough of any excercise. However this article cleared up two "myths" that i have taken as fact for years.

sprtschik1 10-29-2007 @ 8:20PM

I think one major misconception is that you need to do high impact cardio like running... I just do the stair machine(with the actual stairs), the elliptical trainer, and walk the treadmill at an incline. I mix it up so I don't get bored and I have lost more weight than when I was running. And my knees don't hurt!!!

Also, people need to cardio you cannot just spot train. If you don't cardio you will have muscle but it will just push out the fat making you looking even bigger than before! You need to burn off the layers of fat to get to the muscle.

Most of all healthy eating!!! You will feel better working out and better overall!!!