Running is bad for the knees (not true)
Not so, according to a 14-year study of 800 runners and nonrunners approaching old age. The Stanford University study showed that people who had been runners had 25 per cent less knee and other musculoskeletal pain than people who had led sedentary lives. “Our findings add to the evidence that morbidity associated with ageing can be reduced by participating in regular aerobic exercise,’’ the scientists say.
Low fat means low calories
A common misconception is that low-fat and fat-free foods are also low in calories. According to the US National Institutes of Health, many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have as many as, or in some cases, more calories than full-fat food because they have more sugar and other high-calorie compounds added to improve flavour and texture, which can deteriorate when fat is removed. So, if you’re trying to lose weight, remember to check the calorie content of even low-fat foods.
No pain, no gain! (unless we are talking "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness")
Truth: Exercise should not be painful! At the height of your
workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. You should not be so out of breath that you cannot answer a question, but should not be so comfortable that you can carry on a full conversation. That’s how you know you are working at a good level. It’s important to distinguish between muscle fatigue (feeling "the burn") and muscle/joint pain (sharp and uncomfortable pain during movement). Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your body. If it’s painful, stop!
If you can’t exercise hard and often, there’s really no point.
Truth: Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead. Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple things you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do
body weight exercises (push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!
More hours spent in the gym leads to better results.
In reality: If you think making the gym your second home is a great way to get results, think again. Overtraining is a surefire way to stop any muscle growth -- instead of your body rebuilding its muscle tissues, it'll continue to break it down. This means you'll actually start to lose muscle. You need to train
smarter, not harder. When you are in the gym, give 110%. Push your muscles, then give them the rest they need to grow bigger and stronger. Make sure to do cardio training. If your workouts are taking much longer than an hour, chances are you are either wasting too much time between sets, or you're not training in the most effective manner.
In order to see maximum results, you must use the latest equipment.
In reality: There are so many different pieces o
f fitness equipment out there, knowing what will deliver can be difficult. Truthfully, often the best choice is still a simple set of dumbbells. When using dumbbells to perform your workout, you will target all your core muscles. Dumbbells also offer the most variety of exercises you can do, which is critical in preventing plateaus from occurring. Finally, dumbbells are incredibly cheap to buy. So, if you don't belong to a gym, you can get a very effective, affordable workout in the privacy of your own home.
Lose your love handles & gut by doing ab exercises.
In reality: Ever see the guy laying in the corner doing thousands of sit-ups in his quest for a six-pack? While he may be developing unbelievably strong abs, he won't be doing anything to reduce the layer that is covering those muscles. In order to see this specific group of muscles, you must lower your overall body fat percentage, which is best accomplished through a good cardio program and a proper nutrition plan.
Muscle turns into fat.
In reality: Just as fat can't transform into muscle, muscle won't transform into fat. Building muscle and losing body fat are two completely different processes and, while this can be done simultaneously, it is very rare. Most of the time, you need to focus on one objective before you can focus on another. This is so because, in order to gain muscle, you must consume more calories than you burn and, in order to lose body fat, you must burn more calories than you consume.
If someone looks fit, they know what they're talking about.
In reality: While it may be tempting to believe everything that guy in the gym tells you simply because his body resembles Brad Pitt's during his
Fight Club days, you still need to judge this information for accuracy. Some people are blessed with good genes and will look great no matter what type of training they do. Also, everyone is unique, so what works for one person will not necessarily produce the same results in another. Half the battle of fitness is determining what works for your body, so while listening to what this guy has to say, make sure you analyze it and see how well it will apply to your own situation.
