Social media is flooded with lots of wellness and fitness advice, so it’s hard to separate truth from misinformation. While it may appear harmless, all it takes is one piece of false information to go viral and it can potentially cause harm. Although there are many influencers without proper credentials spreading questionable information, there are also plenty of accredited experts doing their part to debunk this misinformation.
So today, let’s help to debunk some of the most popular fitness myths out there.
Myth no. 1: ‘Toning’ and ‘lengthening’ muscles!
For decades women have avoided weight training through fear of becoming “bulky”. Women were targeted with marketing terms such as, “toning” and “lengthening” their muscles. But “toning” simply means to build muscle.
Meanwhile, you’ve probably heard about “lengthening” your muscles if you’ve been to a Pilates, yoga or barre class, because the exercises you’re doing are supposed to help you achieve a “long” and “lean” look. Mmm…this simply doesn’t happen! Whilst we Love stretching and advocate it daily, Pilates, barre and yoga classes are great options to increase your flexibility, but they can’t give you “long” and “lean” muscles.
Myth no. 2: Spot reduction!
Spot reduction is the idea that you can burn fat off a specific part of your body — such as your stomach — by doing exercises for that region. You’ve probably heard this narrative from some fitness influencers claiming that if you do enough crunches, you’ll get six pack abs.
One other thing to consider is that fat stored in your body, also known as triglycerides, is used for energy. When that fat is used for energy it’s broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol. As a result, the fat that is broken down and used for fuel can come from any part of the body.
This has been scientifically debunked for around 40 years…time to move on!
Myth no. 3: No pain, no gain!
The phrase “no pain, no gain” is commonly heard in the fitness world as a means to get people to push themselves harder during their workout. While it is good to challenge yourself occasionally, doing it too often can set you up for injury and set back your performance abilities.
You must build up slowly to give your body time to adjust to the imposed demands. Leaving 1 or 2 good repetitions in the tank never harmed anyone’s progress!
Myth no. 4: Monthly challenges!
A personal bug bear!!! 😡😡😡
Monthly challenges tend to flood us at the beginning of the new year. They’re usually in the form of a 30-day challenge that requires you to do 100 squats a day or eliminate food groups, among other examples. The problem with these challenges is that they’re just short-term fixes, and they can put your health at risk.
Furthermore, whilst these may be attempts to maintain client motivation, they are dreamed up by lazy trainers who either don’t know or don’t wish to explain the science behind progressive overload training and it’s scientifically proven rewards.
Correct science based and periodised training is the only way to achieve long term success and drive through plateaus.
Myth no. 5: Muscle confusion!
Muscle confusion is a made up marketing term used to describe changing your training frequently in order to prevent your body from hitting a plateau. In some cases the workout changes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, but there is no truth that switching up your workout regularly is “tricking” your body.
Again, as in the previous point, science has long favoured periodised programming for a reason – it works!
Sadly, many PT’s describe their coaching as “Muscle confusion” when in reality it is lazy coaching as they base their programmes on what is “trendy” in fitness magazines as opposed basing their coaching from evidenced based research from recognised Sports and Fitness Journals.
Myth no. 6: Exercising to burn off food!
If you follow fitness accounts on social media, you’ve probably seen those infographics that tell you the workout equivalent to burning off a chocolate bar or a certain type of food. While in theory this sounds like it would make sense, the truth is you can’t out-exercise your food choices.
Exercise accounts for about 15% – 30% of your daily energy expenditure compared to your resting metabolic rate (when you’re at rest), which uses up to 60 to 75% of energy.
This mindset also puts you at risk for disordered eating and creates an unhealthy relationship with exercising, because you’ll start associating exercise with the sole purpose of burning off calories – as opposed to providing the human body with vital nourishment, and enjoyment.
Myth no. 7: Muscle can turn into fat!
No, No, No, No, No, No, and No again – it absolutely can not!!! 😡
Muscle and fat are 2 very different types of tissue with very different cellular make up.
When you exercise and gain lean tissue (muscle), this tissue is metabolically active and even burns more fuel at rest. When you stop exercising, muscle shrinks (atrophy) due to not receiving a stimulus from exercise to maintain it.
This loss of muscle and reduction in exercise (which burns calories) means that if you continue to eat the same amount as when you were exercising, you have an energy surplus. This excess energy is then stored…in our fat cells!
This then wrongly gives the impression that the muscle has turned in to fat when in reality, the muscle has shrunk and fat has accumulated.
Definitely NOT the same!
For your own health, safety and progress, DO NOT follow influencers who tout this level of garbage. If you follow a trainer or PT that speaks the same…time to move on.
As always if you’d like to know more about what we do, drop me a line!
Wishing you all an awesome weekend,
Until next time,
Vanessa x
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