You've heard the stories: Weight training makes women look like
Arnold Schwarzenegger, exercising on an empty stomach burns more
calories, and more.
While some fitness myths make sense on the surface, deeper
examination proves these stories are simply made up and have
little or no basis in reality. Let's tackle five of the most
common myths and check out the real story behind them.
1. No pain, no gain - Perhaps the most common myth out there is
this one that says if you don't feel pain when you exercise,
you're not doing it right.
The truth is absolutely opposite: exercise done right should
never be painful and professional trainers recommend that you
stop your workout at the first sign of pain. The logic behind
"no pain, no gain" says that you can't expect good results
without sacrificing something - twisted at best, downright
sadistic at worst.
Exercise should be something you enjoy or else you very quickly
become disillusioned and drop it entirely. While an intense
workout may create slight discomfort, it should never get to the
point where you are in actual pain.
2. Training with weights bulks women up - Few women want to look
like professional bodybuilders, so this myth scares thousands of
female exercisers away from weights every day despite scientific
evidence to the contrary.
The physiological differences between male and female bodies
decree that men have a higher percentage of muscle throughout
the body; thus men tend to increase bulk with weight lifting. On
the other hand, female bodies have a higher percentage of fat to
assist with childbearing and have less muscle to build and bulk
up.
Weight training for women is aimed at producing stronger muscles
that can take more stress and bounce back better than ever.
3. Exercising on an empty stomach burns more calories - This one
seems like it should make sense since exercise burns calories
and an empty stomach has no calories to burn. It seems like you
would be ahead of the game!
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Your body needs energy
to run, so when you exercise on an empty stomach the body has to
find fuel somewhere else.
The body tries to provide energy while looking for it at the
same time and can get overwhelmed, resulting in the risk of
dizziness or even fainting in extreme situations.
The smartest choice is to have a small snack about ten to
fifteen minutes before working out. Carbohydrates are the best
source of energy, so have a small slice of toast or a banana.
4. Crunches are the best way of firming up the stomach - Too
many videos and articles send the message that hundreds of
crunches are the best way to correct a jelly belly but fail to
take into account that most saggy abs are because of excess fat,
not weak muscles.
Simply doing crunches alone strengthens the abdominal muscles
but doesn't address the layer of fat over the muscles. You may
see your stomach appear to grow larger since the muscles are
gaining strength underneath the fat layer.
The best strategy for getting firm abs is simple: burn fat and
strengthen abdominal muscles at the same time. By using a
two-pronged approach, fat that covers muscles is burned and the
muscles are firmed at the same time, accomplishing your goal and
giving you strong, sleek abdominal muscles.
5. Protein will help build muscles - Protein can do great things
for your health but it won't help you increase your muscle
strength. Too much protein in your diet can lead to unintended
health risks such as kidney strain or dehydration.
Extra protein also packs extra calories into your diet that can
result in extra pounds - definitely not what you want. The best
source of fuel for weight lifting is carbohydrates - easily
digestible by the body, carbs provide fast, consistent energy
for the body and allow you to continue lifting weights longer.
That alone is what builds strength, not the specific kind of
food you eat. Provide your body with the right kind of energy to
use and you'll be able to build muscle better.
There are many more myths about health and fitness, but the best
defense against false information is education. When you are
confident that you know the right plan for your body, spotting
myths become easy.
When you want to find the best cardio activity for you, consider
your personal preferences as well as your body. If you hate
getting hot and sweaty during a workout, then running is
probably not for you.
If you like trying new workouts that keep you engaged and
entertained, consider an instructor-led belly dancing class.
People who prefer to exercise alone should probably just avoid
the gym during busy hours.
If you have bad joints, avoid high impact classes like step
aerobics and kick boxing. Everyone is different, not just in
personality but in body as well, and that can mean great things
in terms of workouts.
There is a huge variety of exercises that burn serious calories
and you're sure to find one that appeals to you. To burn fat and
reshape your body, you can't beat cardiovascular exercise.
Getting your heart pumping and boosting your metabolism is what
cardio does best, and it's the only surefire way to lose weight
and get rid of fat. Some cardiovascular activities burn more
calories than others.
They speed up fat loss while reshaping the body, and that makes
them good choices for people who are serious about losing weight
and improving aerobic capacity.
Looking at the top 5 cardiovascular activities, there is great
variety while all maintaining the same purpose of burning major
fat and calories.
Swimming and Water Aerobics
Swimming should be the king of all workouts for its
user-friendly status and low stress on the body. If you fit in
three 45-minute swimming workouts every week, you will see major
changes in your body in just two to three weeks.
Your body becomes buoyant in the water, meaning that it is
supported by the water and does not have to depend on the
muscles nearly as much. If you just stand still in the pool,
your muscles will have very little to do, but when you start
swimming at a brisk pace your muscles become involved with
pushing your body through the water - not an easy task.
That's why swimming burns so many calories; the muscles work
almost twice as hard as in land workouts and torch up to three
times as many calories. Challenge yourself by swimming one lap
breaststroke, one lap backstroke, and still another lap
butterfly.
Freestyle is good but you burn far more calories when you mix it
up and challenge the body to respond.
Water aerobics offer the same support as swimming but instead of
propelling your body from one end of the pool to another you
stand in place in the water and use the water's resistance to
build muscle and burn calories.
Water aerobics frequently use accessories for strengthening
workouts but if you don't have any, don't worry! Just go to your
pool and perform the same toning exercises that you would do in
the gym.
Squats, lunges, leg lifts - when done under water, these
movements become more challenging and require muscles to work
harder, resulting in a higher calorie burn. The best part is
that the support of the water cuts the stress on joints and can
help people with arthritis and other joint disorders to get
exercise back in their lives.
Power Walking (at home)
A power walking life up to its name and requires you to put out
a lot more power than a stroll around the block. In power
walking, you swing your arms back and forth as you walk briskly
- this helps to burn calories as well as propel you through your
walk faster.
Increasing the speed will boost your calorie burn even higher.
An excellent variation for a power walking routine is to add arm
movements a few days per week.
As you walk briskly, raise your arms overhead and bring back
down to the pace of your walk. This can seriously raise your
heart rate and increase your fat burn.
Power Walking (at the gym)
Power walking at the gym is as easy as hopping on the nearest
programmable treadmill and setting off. If you are not sure how
to program the treadmill, ask a trainer or knowledgeable friend
to show you how.
You should choose a walking route that includes inclines and
changes to surprise and challenge your muscles. Most treadmills
that offer these walking programs talk you through the route so
that you are alarmed with the incline increases.
Use the same variation from the home power walking and add arm
movements to increase heart rate and calorie burn.
Belly Dancing
Belly dancing won't burn quite as many calories as swimming or
power walking, but for sheer fun and novelty this workout can't
be beat.
Belly dancing has become wildly popular across the nation in
the past few years and nearly all gyms offer at least one class
for interested parties.
You will work your hips, thighs and waistline in a typical class
as well as increase your aerobic capacity. And who knows, your
belly dancing skill might come in handy some day!
Ashtanga Yoga
The most physical form of yoga is Ashtanga yoga, which uses the
same traditional yoga poses but incorporates powerful aerobic
conditioning at the same time.
You will move quickly and powerfully in a fast-paced routine
that is led by a certified instructor who is experienced in
moves that boost your heart rate and burn the calories.
Ashtanga yoga is still relatively new in some places and it may
be difficult to find a class at first, but more and more gyms
are offering classes. You can find Ashtanga videos at stores
nationwide, so you may want to consider having your own private
session at home.
About the author:
About The Author: Jennifer Felker MS.CSCS. is the author of many
exercise and fitness articles and research papers. Jen is the
publisher of the very poular excersise and fitness blog and can
be found at: http://exercise-fitness-advisory.com/
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