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With so many fitness myths floating around, it can be easy to be misinformed and confused with your training. It seems that almost everyone has heard ‘the latest fitness tip’ – but how accurate are they really?’
We thought it was high time to put a stop to 10 of the most popular myths that spring up in just about any conversation about fitness.
The Myth: In order to see results from my workouts, I must use the latest equipment.
Reality: Complete nonsense. Using state of the art gym equipment is more of a luxury than a necessity. In truth, your body doesn’t care whether you’re running on a £5,000 machine or in your local park. Put in the time to research what equipment-free exercises you can perform if you cannot get down to your local gym or attend a personal training gym like The Training Gyms
The Myth: If I’m not sweating profusely, I’m not working out hard enough.
Reality: We all have a different capacity of sweating. Your friend may be doing the same exercise as you but looks like he just came out of a swimming pool while you still look dry as a bone. Don’t sweat the small stuff and just get on with it. Gym’s, for example offer, air-conditioning which when compared to working out under the hot sun, you will sweat significantly less yet still gain the same amount from the same workout.
The Myth: Spending longer in the gym will yield better results.
Reality: To get the perfect body ready for the summer, spending countless hours in the gym is not the key answer. You will see more of a reward by changing up your diet and having a plan of action every time you visit the gym. Add in some rest days during the week and you will start to see results.
Rest days are vital to help your body recover from the intense stress you have been putting on it throughout your workouts. By constantly working out you will more likely do yourself an injury – how then will you achieve your goals?
The Myth: No Pain, no gain.
Reality: No pain no gain is a phrase many gym-goers use to help motivate themselves, but while that’s all well and good, the phrase itself is not strictly true. Yes you may feel muscle soreness for a few hours or even days after a workout, but you shouldn’t feel anything beyond this. Extreme pain caused by exercise is a sign to stop and get yourself checked out. Muscle injuries can be very painful and will hinder your progress.
The Myth: I don’t have time to work out or go to the gym.
Reality: Many of us lead very hectic lives and juggling our day-to-day tasks can be stressful. From work to families to household chores, we are always busy. But people that do engage in fitness and gym related activities have made sure they prioritised it over something else. Instead of watching that hour of TV each night, why not use that time to workout if you’re really serious about it.
The Myth: Stretching before my workout is crucial to preventing injury.
Reality: Many of us have grown up taught that we should all stretch before any intense workout. While this technically is true, it’s important that we warm up first. Stretching weakens our muscles by around 30% and can increase the risk of sustaining an injury. Our advice is to do a light warmup first by taking a walk or using light weights. Once you’ve warmed up you can stretch after.
The Myth: Women and men need different exercises.
Reality: Forget what you’ve read before, women and men don’t need to workout differently to one another. We may have a difference in muscle strength but our general body structure is the same. The only thing that should differ from workout to workout is the intensity based on your ability and goals.
The Myth: I can target a particular area and reduce the fat.
Reality: Unfortunately this myth will forever live on with clever marketing and general consumer ignorance, but let’s address this here and now. You cannot target a specific area of the body to reduce the amount of fat there. In 2013, a study was undertaken and to put it in a nutshell, the training program was effective at reducing fat mass but this was not achieved from the one area they targeted with the exercises.
The Myth: I will put less stress on my knees by running on a treadmill.
Reality: Your body mass does not change depending on the surface you are running on, whether this be on a treadmill or the pavement for example. Todd Schlifstein, a clinical instructor at New York University Medical Center’s Rusk Institue says “Running is a great workout, but it can impact the knees -- and since it's the force of your body weight on your joints that causes the stress, it's the same whether you're on a treadmill or on asphalt."
The Myth: Swimming is a great weight loss activity.
Reality: Swimming is a great exercise activity to do for such things as toning muscles and increasing lung capacity, but the buoyancy of the water makes it harder to lose weight. Using your body weight to move on your own like you do when you run is much more efficient for weight loss. People may also feel hungrier after a swimming session which can cause them to eat more than they normally would.
Are you ready to start your fitness journey? Sign up below for our 6 week Personal Coaching Experience this is best for someone who hasn’t been in fitness in a while, not sure where to start and maybe feels you are not sure you can do this. Stop by, let’s chat, see where you are in your fitness journey. Meet with a patient guide, see some folks like you in action, and figure out how to start at a speed you are comfortable with.
