EXPOSED! The 5 Biggest Fitness Myths That Are Killing Your Weight-Loss Progress

Posted by James in Blog

I guess it’s about that time again – there is a constant barrage of advice and information when it comes to health, fitness and nutrition … and, unfortunately, much of this is untrue. Therefore, allow me to dispel some of these fitness myths within this article:

1) Women will get big and bulky if they weight train

Firstly, it’s important to know that women have approximately one-third the testosterone of men. So, in other words, it’s going to be extremely difficult to pack on a huge amount of muscle. Granted, you may have seen big, bulky and muscular women in magazines, but nine times out of ten this is induced by steroids and growth hormones. You may actually appear bulky due to excess body fat, although once you reduce this body fat your lean and defined muscles will be on show.

2) It is possible to spot reduce certain areas of your body

The human body is a complex creature, and it actually manages to lose fat over the entire body at varying rates of speed. Therefore, it is impossible to spot reduce. So, if you are training to simply lose fat on your hips, thighs or stomach, you’re going to have a very hard time. In general, the first place you gain fat will be the last place you lose it. So, it’s probably time to stop those 500 crunches a day, and actually focus on exercises that will burn body fat.

3) Dramatically reducing your food intake or going on a crash diet will help you achieve the results you seek

This takes us back to the 1980′s when crash-dieting became a “popular method to lose weight”. Remember the cabbage-soup and grapefruit diets? People, unfortunately assumed that eating less would produce the body of their dreams. However, we are now aware that it’s not only calories that are important, but also our intake of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. You will, of course, need to eat at a caloric deficit, but this is typically achieved by eating smaller meals and snacks every two to three hours. This will also help you to control your blood sugar levels, which is eventually what will help you lose fat.

4) The best way to lose plenty of fat is to perform lots and lots of cardio

I cannot tell you the amount of times I have been astonished at seeing people perform 60-90 minutes of cardio at a time. They tend to jump on the exercise bike, epileptic trainer or rowing machine for hours on end, without realizing that their method of fat-burning is ineffective. In fact, this is a complete waste of time for those of you looking to lose body fat. You should either be completing long sessions at moderate intensity or short sessions at high intensity, and definitely not both.

The shorter, higher-intense sessions are what burn the most calories, while still preserving muscle. This is what will give you that tight, lean and muscular appearance. Furthermore, these shorter, high-intense sessions do wonders for your metabolism, and you’ll typically find that your body is still burning fat up to 24 hours after your exercise session.

5) Calories are the only thing you have to worry about when trying to lose weight

As mentioned, the ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fats are also very important. In fact, these form the key to losing fat and controlling your insulin levels. The science behind it is simple – If you consume an excessive amount of calories with a large amount of high glycemic carbohydrates at one simple meal, your blood sugar will automatically rise. In order to counteract this process your pancreas will secrete insulin, thus lowering your blood sugar levels.

If this continues to happen you are at a far higher risk for diabetes and your body will begin to store fat. So, you must have a sensible balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to effectively lose fat and gain muscle. Possibly the most important aspect of losing fat and gaining muscle is to remain consistent.

Are there any of these particular fitness myths that you have been actively following? If so, it’s time to drop these bad habits. I’ll be in touch again next week.