The Top 5 Fitness Myths: Busted!!
Are you killing it in the gym and eating what you believe to a proper diet, but still not seeing great results? It’s time to shed some light on some of the most common misconceptions in fitness that may be hindering your progress! Do not fall victim the bad “advice” given from your next-door neighbor’s uncle who swears he taught Arnold Schwarzenegger everything he knows!
1. Lifting weights makes women bulky.
Okay ladies, let’s start with some science here. You physically do not produce enough testosterone, naturally, to get “bulky”. Men produce about 10x more testosterone than you do, and you even here guys complaining about how hard it is to put on size! When you ladies lift weights, you build lean muscle, which is the key for reducing body fat and keeping it off! A higher percentage of lean muscle over body fat will allow you to get into those smaller clothes you worked so hard for. So girls, hop off the elliptical and build yourself some beautiful lean muscle!
2. If you train hard, you can pretty much eat whatever you want
I cannot stress the inaccuracy of this enough! You simply cannot out exercise a bad diet. Point blank. Working out is about 30% of the equation, while a consistent clean diet makes up for the other 70%. I am not saying that you cannot allow yourself small treats and cheats here and there, but understanding the importance of following a clean diet with solid nutritional value is not only essential for looking good but feeling good as well!
3. You need to stop eating carbs to lose weight!
FALSE! Low carb diets, or any diet extremes or fads may be effective for weight loss right away, but they are not sustainable and as soon as you go back to any sort of “normal” sort of diet regimen, the weight comes right back and typically even more than before the fad diet even started. Without carbs, not only will your workouts suffer, but your metabolism will as well. The key is to follow a diet with a healthy balance of protein, HEALTHY carbohydrates, and healthy fats to fuel your workouts, help you train intensely, and keep your metabolism fired up! Please contact me and I will be happy to talk to you about carbs and fat a little more.
4. You should stop eating after 6:00pm.
The idea that you should stop eating after a certain time in the night is one of the biggest myths when it comes to weight loss! It’s important that you actually not go to bed on an empty stomach. What happens when you sleep, you are essentially fasting, so if you go to bed hungry, the body’s defense mechanism to protect itself from starving is to store fat! When you eat a small meal before bed (protein), it actually keeps your metabolism steady and allows the body to continue burning calories even when you’re sleeping.
5. You can lose weight in a specific body parts by doing exercises that targets that area.
The reality is, you unfortunately, cannot spot reduce body fat. What that means is what happens when you build lean muscle and overall body fat percentage decreases, the entire body tones up! Everyone has those areas that you consider your “problem areas”, and those tend to be slowest as far as noticing your cuts because that is where our bodies typically hold the majority of our body fat. For majority of women, it does tend to be in our midsections and legs. But the good news is, if you stay consistent with your diet and kill your workouts your body fat will continue to decrease, and you will see those areas tone and tighten as well! Patience, consistency, and trusting the process are all key to falling in love with and embracing the journey! If you have more questions, please contact Denette or me and we would be happy to help you.
