Debunking Common Fitness Misconceptions Part 1: Let’s Be Critical Consumers Together
Just because something is trending, that does not mean we should blindly follow it. In the fitness sphere, even when certain exercises, types of workouts, or diets are trending, it is important to dig deeper. Rather than being a blind consumer, ask questions. Ask, “why?”
Are you ever hesitant to lift heavy weights because you are afraid of getting bigger? Decided to workout in order to burn off the cookies you ate earlier that day? Tried a bunch of ab workouts but still can’t see that six pack in the mirror? Forced yourself to run even though you despise running? Beat yourself up for not working out hard enough if you didn’t finish dripping in sweat?
Let’s debunk some common fitness misconceptions by breaking down baseline knowledge that you can carry with you in your back pocket.
“Lifting weights is going to make me bulky”
The process of building muscle takes time, it does not happen overnight. When you lift weights, you are creating tiny tears in your muscle tissue. Over time, when your body repairs this muscle, it will grow in strength and eventually in mass. Adding resistance or load to your workout places good stress (what a concept!) on the muscle, forcing it to adapt to the demands you are placing on it. Another benefit to building muscle mass is that it leads to burning more calories than you would at the same body weight with less muscle. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue that requires energy to maintain whereas fat tissue does not.
We all put on muscle at different rates due to various factors such as genetics, metabolism, activity level, and diet, so comparing yourself to your neighbor isn’t fair. Your body composition contains nuanced metrics, such as lean muscle mass, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, water weight, and much more. *Come to the Fitness Center and check out the InBody to gain a deeper understanding of how to treat your body properly according to your own personal metrics
Lastly, to bulk up, you have to be lifting heavy weights and be in a calorie surplus!
“Since I worked out today, I can eat whatever I want”
Diet and exercise are like salt and pepper - you can’t pass the salt without also passing the pepper. That being said, there is a healthy way to disassociate the two when needed. Working out is not a punishment for what you ate. Just because you exercised, it does not mean that eating a bunch of junk food will not negatively impact you. It is important to fuel your body with nutrients regardless of if and how you choose to workout. But of course, eat and enjoy your favorite treat every once and a while - we all have to live a little! Moderation is key.
If you are eating in a surplus, some calories will be utilized to maintain processes of the body such as digestion and breathing. Some will go to energy expenditure when performing daily tasks like working out, walking, or carrying groceries. Some will be stored in your body and produce mass - both muscle mass as well as fat mass.
Here are a couple of simple equations to remember:
Lifting + eating a surplus of calories = bulking / gaining weight
Lifting + eating a deficit of calories = leaning / losing weight
Take a moment to reflect on why you are working out in the first place. Is it to feel better in your daily life? To be able to play with your kids? To be a better athlete? To live longer?
“I want a six pack, so I need to do more sit-ups”
Breaking news: you can’t spot treat fat loss. We all have a six pack underneath, but how much fat covers your muscles will affect your ability to see it. Reducing overall body fat is crucial for that toned look on any part of your body.
Regardless of your visible six pack, or lack thereof, core work is extremely important. Think of your core as the link connecting your upper and lower body. Whether you are playing a sport or cleaning your room, most actions we do rely on core strength.
While sit-ups are popular, they are not the most ideal or effective core exercise due to the positioning of the spine. More effective core exercises than sit-ups include the plank, bear crawl, and farmer’s carry. *Have no idea what these are? Ask an Uninterrupted Performance trainer and they will be glad to help!
