Common Fitness Myths Debunked

The truth behind the biggest fitness & health myths!

Have you ever been influenced by the information coming from TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook?Social media and even google searches can be inaccurate with the information they are providing to the world. We see a lot of inaccuracy within the fitness world, promoting weight loss myths, "do this instead of that" trends, and when and what to eat, etc. However, did you know that most of these so called "truths" have actually been debunked by research and expert studies?

Keep scrolling to debunk these long believed fitness myths and learn all the truths to fitness and health!

You have probably heard it all before: "Enough exercise can replace a bad diet," or "No pain, no gain." With many sources of influential information out there, it is common to believe everything you hear about diet and exercise.

It is important to understand the truth behind these myths and to recognize what is not only logical, but also practical with your health and fitness routine.

Regular exercise and having a healthy diet are the key ingredients to optimizing your health! It is important to be mindful and not fall for common exercise fads that may lead you to bad habits.

Today's blog post not only debunks common health and fitness myths, but also backs them up with research studies and expert knowledge! Keep reading to learn more!

Common Fitness Myths Debunked

Myth 1: You can target fat loss

Targeting fat loss is a common myth within many fitness programs; however, the truth is that these specific exercises are building muscle, but not necessarily targeting fat.

In addition, overexercises certain areas of the body such as the lower belly, arms, and legs, may overwork the muscles and increase chances of fatigue and injury!

Instead of focusing solely on fat loss, try shifting your focus to building muscle in those specific areas and you are sure to start seeing results!

Myth 2: Lifting weights makes you bulky

Whether you are a male or female that's into weight lifting, you may have heard this myth once or twice. Weight lifting has gotten a reputation for building muscle and "bulking" up. But the beauty behind resistance training is that you can build muscle without looking like you've just gained 10 pounds of pure muscle.

"Lifting weights regularly will: improve your heart health, keep your tendons/joints/ligaments lubricated and feeling good, boost your metabolism/caloric burn, enhance your posture, minimize overall ‘life’ injuries, increase your energy, regulate your hormones!" says Josh Cox, Personal Trainer manager.

Myth 3: Doing crunches and sit-ups everyday will get you a six-pack

While having a solid ab and core routine is surely building muscle and helps tone your abdomen, doing crunches and sit-ups everyday will unfortunately not give you a six pack. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Abs are made in the kitchen"? Correspondingly, the truth behind this myth is that in order to strive for visible abs, it's all about your diet, genetics, and having a frequent ab routine.

Myth 4: You have to eat within 30 minutes after your workout

Have you ever heard that you must eat X amount of protein within 30 minutes after your workout? Otherwise known as the "anabolic window," many of us believe that if you don't down a protein shake as soon as you step out of the gym, you won't build muscle.

However, according to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, there is not enough proof that supports this theory. Needless to say that having a well-balanced pre and post workout snack/meal is still very important, this study helps take the stress off of feeling the need to eat within 30 minutes from your last rep.

Since we all have our specific regimens, if having that immediate post workout shake makes you feel better and stronger, stay with it! It's definitely not going to reduce any gains made.

In addition, researchers recommend to consume an adequate amount of protein and carbohydrates around 2 hours after your workout to get that post-workout nutrition!

Myth 5: Strength training doesn't help with weight loss

Similar to Myth #2, strength training has been seen to only make someone bulk up and not have any benefits for fat loss. The truth behind this myth is that strength training is effective for building muscle, which essentially muscle burns more calories than other tissues at rest.

If you have fat loss goals in mind, it's a good idea to incorporate both cardio and strength training to get the results you are looking for!

Myth 6: You must exercise everyday to see results

"Workout everyday day for at least 30 minutes" is a common rule of thumb we all have heard. While this recommendation is valid and used as a guideline for many, exercising everyday is not necessarily an enhanced way to lose weight and/or increase muscle mass.

This is because if our style of training is heavy and intense, everyday training may increase chances of muscle fatigue and injury. "Over the 24 to 48 hours following your workout, your body struggles to rebuild those muscles, resulting in their improved strength, endurance, and tone," says Nicole Meredith of the YMCA.

By focusing on 3-5 high-intensity workouts a week, you are still able to lose weight and/or build the muscle mass you are striving for!

Myth 7: Stretching before your workout will prevent injury

While static stretching is a great method for muscle recovery, the myth that you should stretch before a workout has been debunked! A study done in 2007 by Research in Sports Medicine concluded that the best way to properly avoid injury from your workout is by warming up the muscle through dynamic movement and warmups that get the blood flowing.

Mobility training is another great way to warmup the ligaments and muscles to prepare you for your training session. Next time you go for a hamstring or over-the-head stretch before your workout, try 10-15 minutes of light cardio and/or dynamic movements to loosen up your muscles!

Myth 8: Fasted cardio is essential for weight loss

While fasted cardio is preferred by many, the term fasted has gotten a lot of attention. Many believe that the only way to shed off some extra weight is to complete your cardio fasted. However, this myth has a truth to it as well. Even with food in your belly, cardio done at anytime of the day is still effective for fat loss.

Whether this is a 30 minute HIIT session right in the morning, or a 20 minute incline walk after your workout, anything that will get your heart rate up to allow your body to go into a fat-burning phase will be just as effective!

RESOURCES

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438620802310784

https://blog.ymcagta.org/blog/2016/05/16/why-you-shouldnt-go-to-the-gym-every-day/

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/5-most-commonly-believed-fitness-myths-are-holding-you-back-ncna837236

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045506#:~:text=Eat%20after%20you%20exercise&text=To%20help%20your%20muscles%20recover,more%20than%20two%20hours%20away.

At AstroFlav, we want the best for our customers. It is our goal to help everyone achieve their fitness goals and steer them in the right direction with trust-worthy advice AND trust-worthy supplements!

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