Gym Myths Busted And Explained Why They Are Not True
Most gym myths started from something that is true (all jokes do have a little bit of truth to them) but somehow they got so out of hand that people believe them, even though they don’t really present much of a reality. Here are a few gym myths, and the explanation why they are not true.
Busted Gym Myths
1. The Spot Reducing Myth
You know the story of how a thousand crunches it going to bring you a six pack, even if you don’t actually lose any weight. Well the reason why this does not happen is because, in order to get a six pack, you must lower your body fat percentage. And in order to lower your body fat percentage, you must lose fat from all over your body.
You can’t target one area of the body in terms of weight loss because that’s not how we are programmed. You either lose fat from your whole body, or none at all. So take it easy with the crunches and start focusing on your diet- you know what they say, Abs are made in the kitchen!
2. High Repetitions Burn More Fat
There is the belief thatperforming lighter weight exercises with more repetitions (15-20 reps, 20-30 reps, or 20-50 reps) burns more fat, or tones (simultaneously decreases the fat and increases the muscle) better than a heavier weight with moderate repetitions (8-12 reps). Well I’m here to tell you that is not true.
Let’s get a bit technical about it.
After the initial ATP and CP stores have been exhausted in the first few seconds of intense muscular contraction, the muscles begin to use carbohydrates. Even if you do 20-30 minutes of continuous aerobic activity using your biggest muscles (quads and glutes) you burn about 50% fat.
Intense weight training using multiple large muscles with longer rest between sets (think 1 minute rest time) may also increase fat loss by increasing post training epinephrine. Besides, weight training is known to increase the metabolism- and you know what that means: fat loss!
3. Women Who Lift Weights Will Get Bulky
This particular gym myth is all kinds of wrong, but coupled with the above two gym myths you can see why this would have a pretty strong effect on novice gym-goes who happen to be ladies.
Long story short is this: Weight lifting not only helps to get a “toned” look, because the muscles will develop and fat will be shed- but it also helps ladies lose fat. By accelerating metabolism, and I said above, women will lose more weight by simply existing! Because their body, while resting, will consume more than before. And if you want a little extra perk: since women are prone to osteoporosis, weight training will help them reduce the risks. Why? Because lifting weights not only develops your muscles nicely, but it also strengthens your bones.
Do you know about any other gym myths? Share them with us in the comments below and tell us why you consider them to be false, so we can all learn something new today!
